Early years

The earliest known human inhabitants of what is now Delray Beach were the Jaega people.^[9] Tequesta Indians likely passed through or inhabited the area at various times. Few other recorded details of these local indigenous settlements have survived.^[10][11]

An 1841 U.S. military map shows a Seminole camp located in the area now known as Lake Ida. In 1876, the United States Life Saving Service built the Orange Grove House of Refuge to rescue and shelter ship-wrecked sailors. The house derived its name from the grove of mature sour orange and other tropical fruit trees found at the site chosen for the house of refuge, but no record or evidence of who planted the trees was discovered.^[1][2]

Independence Day parade, July 4, 1914

The Colony Hotel, built in 1926, was designed by architect Martin L. Hampton.

The Arcade Tap Room was a gathering place for Delray's Artists and Writers Colony from the mid-1920s to the 1950s.^[2]

The first non-indigenous group to build a settlement was a party of African Americans from the panhandle of Florida, who purchased land a little inland from the Orange Grove House of Refuge and began farming around 1884. By 1894 the black community was large enough to establish the first school in the area.^[1]

In 1894 William S. Linton, a Republican U.S. Congressman for Saginaw, Michigan, bought a tract of land west of the Orange Grove House of Refuge, and began selling plots in what he hoped would become a farming community. This community was named after Linton. In 1896 Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railroad south from West Palm Beach to Miami, with a station at Linton.^[1]

The Linton settlers established a post office and a store, and began to achieve success with truck farming of winter vegetables for the northern market. A hard freeze in 1898 was a setback, and many of the settlers left, including William Linton.^[12] Partly in an attempt to change the community's luck, or to leave behind a bad reputation, the settlement's name was changed in 1901 to Delray, after the Detroit neighborhood of Delray ("Delray" being the anglicized spelling of Del Rey, which is Spanish for "of the king"), which in turn was named after the Mexican–American War's Battle of Molino del Rey.^[1]

Settlers from The Bahamas (then part of the British West Indies), sometimes referred to as Nassaws, began arriving in the early 1900s.^[13] 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. Although still a small town, Delray had a diverse citizenry.^[2]

In 1911, the area was chartered by the State of Florida as an incorporated town. In the same year, pineapple and tomato canning plants were built. Pineapples became the primary crop of the area. This is reflected in the name of the present day Pineapple Grove neighborhood near downtown Delray Beach.^[1]

Prior to 1909, the Delray settlement land was within Dade County. That year, Palm Beach County was carved out of the northern portion of the region. In 1915, Palm Beach County and Dade County contributed nearly equal portions of land to create what is now Broward County between the two, leaving Delray situated within the southeastern portion of Palm Beach County.^[14]

By 1920, Delray's population had reached 1,051. In the 1920s, drainage of the Everglades west of Delray lowered the water table, making it harder to grow pineapples, while the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West resulted in competition from Cuban pineapples for the markets of the northern United States.^[1]

The Florida land boom of the 1920s brought renewed prosperity to Delray. Tourism and real estate speculation became important parts of the local economy. Delray issued bonds to raise money to install water and sewer lines, paved streets, and sidewalks. Several hotels were built. At that time, Delray was the largest town on the east coast of Florida between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The collapse of the land boom in 1926 left Delray saddled with high bond debts, and greatly reduced income from property taxes.^[1]

Delray was separated from the Atlantic Ocean beach by the Florida East Coast Canal (now part of the Intracoastal Waterway). In 1923 the area between the canal and the ocean was incorporated as Delray Beach. In 1927 Delray and Delray Beach merged into one town named Delray Beach.^[1]

Estate at 1755 North Ocean Boulevard, January 26, 1933.

Beginning in the mid-1920s, a seasonal Artists and Writers Colony^[15] was established in Delray Beach and the adjacent town of Gulf Stream. At the time, the city of Palm Beach did not welcome Hollywood personalities or all types of artists, so the Delray winter colony drew a more eclectic and bohemian populace. Throughout the 1930s and '40s, Delray became a popular winter enclave for artists and authors. Two nationally syndicated cartoonists – H.T. Webster (creator of "Caspar Milquetoast") and Fontaine Fox of "Toonerville Trolley" – had offices upstairs in the Arcade Building over the Arcade Tap Room; a gathering place where the artists and writers might be joined by aristocrats, politicians, entertainers, and sports figures. Other well-known artists and writers of the era who had homes in Delray Beach include: Herb Roth, W.J. "Pat" Enright, Robert Bernstein, Wood Cowan, Denys Wortman, Jim Raymond, Charles Williams, Herb Niblick, Hugh McNair Kahler, Clarence Budington Kelland, Nina Wilcox Putnam, and Edna St. Vincent Millay. These seasonal visitors helped soften the effect of the real estate downturn and The Great Depression on the city.^[1][16]

During the Depression, not much money was available since the two banks had failed, but progress continued, and the town still looked prosperous because of the previous burst of new buildings during the boom years. The Artists and Writers Colony flourished and Delray Beach's fame as a resort town grew. This era is regarded as Delray Beach's "golden age of architecture;" a period in which the city ranked 50th in population but 10th in building permits in Florida.^[1][17] Prominent architectural styles in Delray Beach from this period include Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, Mission Revival, Monterey Colonial, Streamline Moderne, bungalows, and 'Key West style' cottage homes for the Artists and Writers Colony winter residents.^{[18][19][20][21][22][2]}

Post World War II

The Seacrest Hotel

Atlantic Avenue, mid-20th century

Marina Historic District, listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, 2014

For the four years of World War II, citizens of Delray Beach volunteered to watch the beach and ocean 24 hours a day from the faux bell tower atop the seaside Seacrest Hotel. Military personnel patrolled the beach on horseback. Shipping attacks could be seen from the coast. During WWII Delray Beach also saw an influx of service personnel stationed at the nearby Boca Raton Army Airfield. Some of the veterans who had trained at the airfield returned to settle in Delray Beach after the war. Steady growth of the city continued through the 1950s and 1960s.^[2]

While Delray Beach had a sizeable African-American population from the beginning, it attempted to keep out Jews. In 1959, the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith called it "one of the nation's most completely anti-Semitic communities". It quoted an unnamed realtor who "proudly called it the only city on the East Coast [of Florida] fully restricted to Gentiles both in buying and selling".^[23]: 78

By the early 1960s Delray Beach was becoming known for surfing. Atlantic Avenue was the biggest seller of surfboards in Florida at the time.^[24] Delray Beach's surfing fame increased somewhat serendipitously after a 1965 shipwreck. During Hurricane Betsy, the 441 feet (134 m) freighter Amaryllis ran aground on Singer Island, creating a windbreak that formed perfectly breaking waves. The ship was dismantled three years later, yet local surfers have retained an association with the area.^[25][26]

In the 1970s, Interstate 95 between Palm Beach Gardens and Miami was fully completed and development began to spread west of the city limits. This pattern continued and accelerated through the 1980s, as downtown and many of the older neighborhoods fell into a period of economic decline.^[2][27]

Revitalization of some historic areas began during the last decade of the twentieth century, as several local landmark structures were renovated. These include the Colony Hotel^[28] and Old School Square (the former campus of Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, since turned into a cultural center).^[29] The city also established five Historic Districts, listed in the Local Register of Historic Places, and annexed several other historic residential neighborhoods between U.S. Route 1 and the Intracoastal Waterway in an effort to preserve some of the distinctive local architecture.^[19][20][21]

In 2001, the historic home of teacher/principal Solomon D. Spady was renovated and turned into the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. The Spady Museum houses black archives.^[30] In 2007 the museum was expanded by renovating a 1935 cottage as a Kid's Cultural Clubhouse, and the construction of a 50-seat amphitheater named for C. Spencer Pompey, a pioneer black educator.^[31]

Downtown Delray, located in the eastern part of the city, along Atlantic Avenue, east of I-95 and stretching to the beach, has undergone a large-scale renovation and gentrification. The Delray Beach Tennis Center has brought business to the area. It has hosted several major international tennis events such as the April 2005 Fed Cup (USA vs. Belgium), the April 2004 Davis Cup (USA vs. Sweden), the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (ATP Event), and the Chris Evert/Bank of America Pro Celebrity.^[1]

Atlantic Community High School was rebuilt in 2005 on a different site from the previous school, a plan which was met with much contention.^[32][33]

When DayJet operated from 2007 to 2008, its headquarters were in Delray Beach.^[34]

From 2009 to 2012, Pet Airways had its headquarters in Delray Beach.^[35]

In 2012, Rand McNally "Best of the Road" named Delray Beach America's Most Fun Small Town.^[36] Delray Beach was rated as the 3rd Happiest Seaside Town in America by Coastal Living in 2015.^[37]

Opioid epidemic

Delray Beach has experienced a drastic spike in opioid overdoses in recent years, reaching record numbers in 2016 and 2017. The number reached its pinnacle of 96 in October 2016. Most overdoses are a result of heroin mixed with Fentanyl.^{[38][39][40][41]}

This is due to the high concentration of halfway houses throughout the city.^[42]

Downtown location

View of the Intracoastal Waterway from the Atlantic Avenue bridge

In earlier years, downtown Delray was centered along Atlantic Avenue as far west as Swinton Avenue and as far east as the intracoastal waterway. Downtown has since expanded. By 2010, downtown extended west to I-95 and east as the Atlantic Ocean; The north–south boundaries extend roughly two blocks north and south of Atlantic Avenue.^[47]

Climate

Delray Beach has a tropical climate, more specifically a tropical trade-wind rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), as its driest month (February) averages 64.8mm of precipitation, meeting the minimum standard of 60mm in the driest month needed to qualify for that designation.^[48]

Coastline of Delray Beach facing southwards

Delray Beach has hot and humid summers. High summertime temperatures range from 87 to 93 °F with low temperatures around 75–78 °F. Winters are warm, with a marked drier season. Ordinarily wintertime high temperatures are typically in the range of 74–83 °F and low temperatures 57–65 °F. However, 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. These cold fronts do not typically last more than a day or two and only occur several times each winter. Its near sea-level elevation, coastal location, position above the Tropic of Cancer, and proximity to the Gulf Stream shapes its climate. Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop outside those dates. 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 Beach has received direct or near direct hits from hurricanes in 1903, 1906, 1928, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1965, 1979, 1992, 1999, 2004, and 2005.^[49]

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 66,846 people, 28,914 households, and 15,279 families residing in the city.^[53]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 60,522 people, 27,116 households, and 14,211 families residing in the city.^[54]

2000 census

As of 2000, 18.9% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.

In 2000, 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. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,371, and the median income for a family was $51,195. Males had a median income of $33,699 versus $28,469 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,350. 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.

As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 75.44% of all residents, and French Creole accounted for 11.73%, Spanish consisted of 7.02%, French was at 1.87%, Italian at 0.88%, and German made up 0.75% of the population.^[55]

As of 2000, Delray Beach had the sixteenth highest percentage of Haitian residents in the U.S., with 10.50% of the population.^[56]

Arts and music

Delray Beach also has a wide variety of venues for all types of art. The Pineapple Grove Arts District, located downtown north of Atlantic Avenue, is noted for its galleries, performance art, and cultural organizations.^[73][74][75] Arts Garage, a not-for-profit multi-media arts venue, hosts musical concerts, live theatre, arts education and outreach programs, and a visual art gallery.^[76] The 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.^[77]

Old School Square, the former campus of Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, has since been converted into a cultural center.^[78] The Old School Square complex now comprises the Crest Theatre, a venue for the performing arts, in the former High School building; the 1925 Gymnasium, restored to maintain its appearance, which has since become a venue for local events such as wedding receptions and dances; the Cornell Art Museum, built in the restored Elementary School; and The Pavilion, which serves as an outdoor venue for musical performances and other events such as political rallies. The Creative Arts School offers beginner through master level art, photography, and writing classes for children and adults.^[79]

Atlantic Avenue is also a regular host for various art fairs and street festivals.^[80]

Non-art museums and nature

Some museums within Delray Beach have a more historical focus. Cason Cottage House Museum, once home to a family of Delray Beach pioneers, offers visitors a glimpse at daily life in South Florida from 1915 to 1935. The Museum is maintained and operated by the Delray Beach Historical Society.^[81] The historic home of teacher and later principal Solomon D. Spady was renovated and turned into the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. The Spady Museum houses black archives and hosts exhibits and programs designed to recognize the efforts of blacks who were instrumental in shaping Delray Beach and Palm Beach County.^[30] In 2007 the museum was expanded by renovating a 1935 cottage as a Kid's Cultural Clubhouse, and the construction of a 50-seat amphitheater named for C. Spencer Pompey, a pioneer black educator.^[31] Among the city's most niche museums is the pinball-centered Silverball Museum, which features more than 150 classic, playable pinball machines and arcade games.^[82]

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.^[83] Known today as the Delray Wreck, the site is noted for snorkeling and scuba diving.^[84]

Some historic houses have been repurposed. The historic Sundy House now operates as a luxury eco resort. The premises includes The Sundy family's former apartments and cottages which have been converted into guest accommodations, a café, an antique shop, and tropical Taru Gardens.^[22] The J.B. Evans House at 142 South Ocean Boulevard, has been repurposed into the Sandoway Discovery Center, a natural history museum and environmental center which features native plants, live animals, and a large collection of shells from around the world.^[85]

Delray Beach is also the home of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, a center for Japanese arts and culture. The campus includes two museum buildings, the Roji-en Japanese Gardens: Garden of the Drops of Dew, a bonsai garden, library, gift shop, and a Japanese restaurant, called the Cornell Cafe, which has been featured on the Food Network. Rotating exhibits are displayed in both buildings, and demonstrations, including tea ceremonies and classes, are held in the main building. Traditional Japanese festivals are celebrated several times a year.^[86]

Wakodahatchee Wetlands is a wetlands park open to the public. Facilities include a three-quarter mile (1.2 kilometer) boardwalk that crosses between open water pond areas, emergent marsh areas, shallow shelves, and islands with shrubs and snags to foster nesting and roosting. The site is part of the South section of the Great Florida Birding Trail and offers many opportunities to observe birds in their natural habitats. Over 151 species of birds have been spotted inside the park, including pied-billed grebe, snowy egrets, and black-bellied whistling ducks. The park is home to turtles, alligators, rabbits, frogs, and raccoons.^[87]

Recent development

Downtown Delray Beach 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.^[95][96] New mixed-use development projects have recently been constructed, and more are planned, in the areas immediately north and south of Atlantic Avenue. To accommodate the anticipated growth the city has also built two new municipal parking garages.^[97][98]

Drug recovery programs

In 2007, an article in The New York Times labeled Delray Beach the drug recovery capital of the United States because it had one of the country's largest recovery communities and relative number of sober living houses.^[99] The local drug rehab industry has received mixed reviews from addiction experts and is considered a public nuisance by some residents and city officials.^[100] Persistent complaints of health care fraud, insurance fraud, strain on public resources, and a perceived lack of adequate regulation and rehab facility inspections have received media coverage. In July 2017, several national news outlets, including The New York Times and NBC News, published investigative reports detailing fraud allegations within South Florida's billion-dollar drug rehab industry, focusing on Delray Beach's sober houses. At least 30 arrests for illegal "patient brokering" had been made between July 2016 and July 2017.^{[101][102][103]}

Top employers

According to Delray Beach's 2018–2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[104] the top employers in the city are:

Highways

• Florida State Road A1A, locally known as "Ocean Boulevard", is a north–south Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway passing through the city between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.
• U.S. Route 1, also known as "Federal Highway", is a north–south road passing through downtown, commercial districts, and residential areas in the eastern part of the city. US1 splits into a divided one-way pair through downtown.
• Interstate 95 bisects the city from north to south with two Delray Beach interchanges.
• Florida's Turnpike is a north–south toll road passing through unincorporated Delray Beach, with an interchange at Atlantic Avenue.
• U.S. Highway 441, also known as State Road 7, is a north–south highway passing through residential and commercial areas west of the city limits.
• Other major north–south roads include Congress Avenue, Military Trail, and Jog Road.
• Florida State Road 806, locally known as "Atlantic Avenue", is the primary east–west route between State Road A1A and US 441, and the central commercial thoroughfare downtown.
• Linton Boulevard and George Bush Boulevard are the other two roads connecting to State Road A1A with drawbridge crossings over the Intracoastal Waterway.

Rail

Tri-Rail commuter train at Delray beach Station.

• Tri-Rail commuter rail system and Amtrak serve the city with stops at Delray Beach Station.^[105][106]

Bus

• PalmTran provides local bus service in the area.^[107]

Water

Downtown Delray Beach is accessible by boat via The Intracoastal Waterway. The city has a municipal marina with rental slips south of the Atlantic Avenue crossing.^[108] Yacht cruises also launch daily from Veteran's Park north of the Atlantic Avenue drawbridge.^[109]