Delray Beach

The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020 was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States Census. Located 52 miles (83 kilometers) north of Miami, Delray is in the Miami metropolitan area. The earliest known human inhabitants of what is now Delray were the Jaega people. In 1876, the United States Life Saving Service built the Orange Grove House of Refuge to rescue and shelter ship-wrecked sailors. The first non-indigenous group to build a settlement was a party of African Americans from the panhandle of Florida, who began farming around 1884. The 1910 census shows Delray as a town of 904 citizens. Twenty-four U.S. states and nine other countries are listed as the birthplace of its residents. In 1927, the area between the canal and the ocean was incorporated as Delrays Beach. In the same year, pineapple and tomato canning plants were built. Several years later Delray was the largest town on the coast of Florida between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The collapse of the land boom in 1926 left Delray with saddled with high debts and reduced income from property taxes. The town was separated from the Atlantic Ocean beach by the Florida East Coast Canal in the 1940s and 1950s. In 2012, the city was named after the MexicanAmerican War's Battle of Molino del Rey, which in turn was named for the Delray neighborhood of Detroit, which is Spanish for "of the king"

History

The earliest known human inhabitants of what is now Delray Beach were the Jaega people. Tequesta Indians likely passed through or inhabited the area at various times. In 1876, the United States Life Saving Service built the Orange Grove House of Refuge to rescue and shelter ship-wrecked sailors. The first non-indigenous group to build a settlement was a party of African Americans from the panhandle of Florida, who began farming around 1884. After 1905, newspaper articles and photographs of Delray events reveal that Japanese settlers from the nearby Yamato farming colony also began participating in Delray civic activities such as parades, going to the movies, and shopping. The 1910 census shows Delray as a town of 904 citizens. Twenty-four U.S. states and nine other countries are listed as the birthplace of its residents. By 1920, Delray's population had reached 1,051. The collapse of the land boom in 1926 left Delray saddled with high bond debts. Delray was separated from the Atlantic Ocean beach by the Florida East Coast Canal in 1923. In 1923 the area between the canal and the ocean was incorporated as Delray beach. In 1927 Delray and the Gulf Stream Colony were merged into one town named Delray. In the mid-40s and '40s Delray became a popular winter enclave for artists and cartoonists, especially famous nationally syndicated cartoonists. At that time, Delrays was the largest town on the east coast of Florida between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

Geography

The city of Delray Beach has a total land area of 15.81 miles (25.44 km) The city's eastern boundary includes 3 miles (4.8 km) of beachfront along the Atlantic Ocean. The most likely time for hurricane activity is during the peak of the Cape Verde season, which is mid-August through the end of September. Delray has received direct or near direct hits from hurricanes in 1903, 1906, 1928, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1965, 1979, 1992, 1999, 2004, and 2005. The city has a tropical climate, more specifically a tropical trade-wind rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af) Its driest month (February) averages 64.8mm of precipitation, meeting the minimum standard of 60mm in the driestmonth needed to qualify for that designation. The area is in the middle of Florida's Gold Coast region. Its near sea-level elevation, coastal location, position above the Tropic of Cancer, and proximity to the Gulf Stream shapes its climate. It has hot and humid summers. High summertime temperatures range from 8793 °F with low temperatures around 7578 °F. Winters are warm, with a marked drier season. Ordinarily wintertime high temperatures are typically in the range of 7483 °F and low temperatures 5765 °F, but when occasional cold fronts hit South Florida, daytime high temperatures may only reach the low or mid 60s (°F). Overnight lows during these brief periods can sink into the 40s.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 66,846 people, 28,548 households, and 15,030 families residing in the city. As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 75.44% of all residents. Delray Beach had the sixteenth highest percentage of Haitian residents in the U.S,. with 10.50% of the population. The city's population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. In 2000, the median income for a household in theCity was $43,371, and the medianincome for a family was $51,195. About 8.2%. of families and 11.8% of. the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8%. of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was2.87. The per capita income for the city was $29,350. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there are 91.2 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there is 88.0 males. The population was 6.4 million in 2010. The U.N. World Population Study found that the city had the highest proportion of foreign-born people in the United States.

Sports

The Delray Beach Open is an ATP World Tour 250 series men's professional tennis tournament held each year. The Delray Tennis Center has hosted the Fed Cup, the Davis Cup, and the Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic. The city's name was officially changed to Tennis Beach for one week in 2010 in honor of its nomination by the U.S. Tennis Association as one of the top tennis towns in the United States. A second location, the Delray Swim & Tennis Club, features 24 clay courts and a clubhouse that has a pro shop with merchandise and locker rooms. The club offers a variety of adult and junior programs, leagues, clinics and camps. On July 20, 2010, the city's commissioners proclaimed that theCity's name would be officially changed from Tennis Beach to Tennis beach for a week. The ProWorld Tennis Academy is located in Delrays Beach. It is a full-service public tennis facility with 14 clay courts, 6 hard courts, and an 8,200-seat stadium located near downtown on Atlantic Avenue. The center includes an upstairs pavilion and conference room, pro-shop with locker rooms, racquet stringing, and merchandise. It also has a second location,. The Delrays Swim and Tennis Club has 24 claycourts, a clubhouse, pro shop, and a. pro shop. It has a. clubhouse that features a pro. shop with locker room, racquets, and equipment. It offers a. variety of adults and junior Programs, leagues and clinics.

Culture and attractions

Travel Holiday magazine named Delray Municipal Beach as the top beach in the southeastern United States. The remains of the British Steamship Inchulva that sank on Sept 11, 1903 are located in shallow water near the public beach, acting as habitat for native fish and corals. The city has 2 miles (3.2 km) of public beach accessible from Florida State Road A1A. East Atlantic Avenue is noted for its nightlife, dining, and shopping. Old School Square, the former campus of Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, has since been converted into a cultural center. The Sandoway Discovery Center, located at the historic J.B. Evans House at 142 South Ocean Boulevard, features native plants, live animals, and a large collection of shells from around the world. Delray Beach Playhouse, which opened in 1947 in Lake Ida East Park, stages plays, musicals, interactive studio theatre, books on stage, children's theatre productions, classes and camps. Exhilaride offers street-legal golf cart rentals to visitors and residents by the hour, day or longer. The Downtowner is point-to-point golf cart free ride service available by app and Katch-a-Ride is a similar business, available by phone. Over 151 species of birds have been spotted inside the park, including pied-bied grebe, snowy egrets, black-bellied whistling ducks, rabbits, frogs and raccoons.

Economy

Delray Beach is one of South Florida's most popular beach destinations. The area is noted for its restaurants, retail shops, nightclubs, art galleries, and hotels. In 2007, an article in The New York Times labeled Delray Beach the drug recovery capital of the United States. The lucrative local drug rehab industry has received mixed reviews from addiction experts and is considered a public nuisance by some residents and city officials. At least 30 arrests for illegal "patient brokering" had been made between July 2016 and July 2017 and more are expected. In July 2017, several national news outlets published investigative reports detailing fraud allegations within South Florida’s billion-dollar drug rehabindustry. The top employers in the city are: According to Delray beach's 2018-2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers are: Lockheed Martin, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Florida at Pembroke Pines. The city has had a building boom since roughly 2003. Recent development reflects trends of New Urbanism downtown, and mansionization of waterfront property, sometimes creating pressures on Historic Districts and historic sites. To accommodate the anticipated growth the city has also built two new municipal parking garages. In 2017, the city had a record-breaking $1.2 billion in sales tax revenue. In 2013, Delray had a population of 2.1 million. In 2014, the population was 2.2 million. The number of businesses in Delray was 1.7 million, making it one of the most populous cities in South Florida.

Notable landmarks and buildings

The Colony Hotel, designed by architect Martin L. Hampton and built in 1926, is a Delray Beach Historic Landmark. Palm Trail Yacht Club on the Intracoastal Waterway was designed by Mid-century Modernist designer Alfons Bach. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens are located in the city's Japanese Gardens. The Cornell Museum is located on the beach, as is the Silverball Museum and the Spady Museum. The Marina Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Delray beach Tennis Center is a tennis stadium capable of seating 8,200 spectators. It is also home to a public library, a park, and a public park. The beach is home to the Delray Beach Public Library, which was built in the 1950s. It also contains the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, which were created in the 1960s by the Florida Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The city also has a number of historic buildings, such as the J.B. Evans House and Sandoway Discovery Center. The Colony Hotel is one of the most famous landmarks in the area, along with the Old School Square and the Marina Beach Tennis Center. For more information, visit DelrayBeachTourism.com or the Delray Beaches Tourism Association (DBE) website. For information on how to get around the city, visit www.delraybeach tourism.com. For details on the local attractions, visit the DBE website.

Transportation

Downtown Delray Beach is accessible by boat via The Intracoastal Waterway. Tri-Rail commuter rail system and Amtrak serve the city. Free, on-demand, point-to-point transportation service utilizing electric golf cart-style vehicles will be launched in September 2019. The Downtown Roundabout is a free shuttle that connects the Tri- Rail Station to Downtown Delray beach with 22 stops throughout the downtown, it operates 7 days a week. The city has a municipal marina with rental slips south of the Atlantic Avenue crossing, where yacht cruises launch daily from Veteran's Park north of the drawbridge. It is located on the Florida Turnpike, which is a northsouth toll road with an interchange at Atlantic Avenue, and Interstate 95, which bisects the city from north to south with two interchanges. It also has a number of beaches, many of which are popular with surfers and scuba divers. It has a large number of theme parks, including the Bandon Dunes, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and the Dune Dunes National Park, which has a sand dune system that is popular with swimmers and snorkelers. It was the site of the U.S. Civil War Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1864. The town's name comes from the Spanish word for "dune", which means "hill" or "ditch" and refers to the shape of the city's hills.