Boca Raton Florida Fl. - Guide to Boca Raton

Boca Raton Florida

Cities of Florida - Boca Raton

Boca Raton - Located in Palm Beach County, Florida USA, Boca Raton is a popular resort with a resident population of around 75,000 (2006 census). Founded in 1925 the city of Boca Raton has an area of approximately 29 square miles.

The name of the city has always been a cause for discussion, and while many think the literal Spanish translation of 'Rat's Mouth' is the explaination it is more likely that 'Boca' refers to inlet, and 'Raton' refers to rocks which line the coast.

The earliest inhabitants of the Boca Raton area are thought to have been the Tequesta Indians, who are thought to have settled in the area up to one thousand years ago.

The city originally grew up around the site of a hotel founded by one Addison Mitzner (a society architect) who planned to turn the area into a playground for the rich and famous and the community which grew up, comprised workers from the hotel, in the early 20th Century the area to the west of the city became a series of pineapple plantations, established by Japanese farmers, but much of this land was confiscated during World War 2 and used as a training ground for B52 bomber crews, the area later became part of the Florida Atlantic University.

Boca Raton was still a relatively small community right up until the 1950's, when a safari park was opened and known as 'Africa USA' a wild animal park where visitors rode on a Jeep Safari. Another amusement park known as 'Ancient America' also opened in the area.

A huge amount of development during the 1960's saw the population grow considerably and by 1970 it had reached around 30,000. Also notable at around this time was the arrival of IBM to the city, which brought increased wealth and prosperity. The first IBM personal computer was developed in its Boca Raton facility. Following the successes of IBM other businesses were attracted to the city and so it bagan to grow in importance.

The 1980's an 1990's saw a huge re-development of the downtown area, in 1991 the Mitzner Park shopping center opened and became the main cultural center of the city.

Boca Raton today is a cosmopolitan city with a tropical lifestyle, it boasts some fantastic Atlantic beaches and superb landscaping which is appealing to the eye and the spirit. The city offers a great range of facilities and an excellent range of restaurants for a fine dining experience.

Florida Links: Boynton Beach - Lake Worth Florida

Other USA Links: Niagara Falls Map - Niagara Falls Weather

Boca Raton

Boca Raton Florida

Cities of Florida - Boca Raton

HOME