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Lake Clarke Shores, Florida
Location of Lake Clarke Shores, Florida
Location of Lake Clarke Shores, Florida
Country  United States
State  Florida
County  Palm Beach
Area
 • Total 1.04 sq mi (2.68 km2)
 • Land 0.92 sq mi (2.39 km2)
 • Water 0.11 sq mi (0.29 km2)
Elevation
13 ft (4 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,564
 • Density 3,861.32/sq mi (1,491.35/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
33406
Area code(s) 561
FIPS code 12-37800
GNIS feature ID 0285226

Lake Clarke Shores is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Located in the east-central portion of the county, the town is situated just west of the south end of West Palm Beach, north and west of the north end of Lake Worth Beach, and east of Palm Springs. The 2010 census recorded a population of 3,376, while the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Lake Clarke Shores had a population of 3,627 in 2019.

The town was named after John Newton Clarke, who first filed a homestead claim in the area in 1897. Clarke intended to capitalize on the business of growing pineapples, but his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. Very few people lived in the area until local attorney Walter Travers created a plan to develop a community around Lake Clarke and purchased 250 acres (100 ha) of land for $10,000 in the late 1940s. The completion of a bridge across the West Palm Beach Canal in 1953 spurred a further growth in population. With rumors spreading that West Palm Beach intended to annex the community, residents voted by a wide margin to officially approve the incorporation of Lake Clarke Shores as a town on April 10, 1956.

Today, Lake Clarke Shores maintains a small population. The town is primarily a bedroom community, with most of its businesses and other commercial buildings located along Forest Hill Boulevard (State Road 882).

History

Lake Clarke Shores was incorporated as a town in 1957. The adjacent Lake Clarke was named for C. J. Clarke, an early settler.

Geography

Lake Clarke Shores is located adjacent to the cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. Direct access to those cities is by Forest Hill Boulevard and Keller Road respectively. The Village of Palm Springs is located directly west of the town. The town is roughly bounded by Interstate 95 to the east, Florida Mango Road to the west, Summit Boulevard to the north, less the Lake Patrick neighborhood, and 10th Avenue North to the south, less the Waterside neighborhood.

Lake Clarke Shores is located at 26°38′44″N 80°4′31″W / 26.64556°N 80.07528°W / 26.64556; -80.07528 (26.645644, -80.075379). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2), of which 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (7.62%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1960 1,297
1970 2,328 79.5%
1980 3,174 36.3%
1990 3,364 6.0%
2000 3,451 2.6%
2010 3,376 −2.2%
2020 3,564 5.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Lake Clarke Shores racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 2,137 59.96%
Black or African American (NH) 100 2.81%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 2 0.06%
Asian (NH) 56 1.57%
Pacific Islander (NH) 6 0.17%
Some Other Race (NH) 14 0.39%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 84 2.36%
Hispanic or Latino 1,165 32.69%
Total 3,564

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,564 people, 1,334 households, and 950 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 3,376 people, 1,392 households, and 960 families were residing in the town. The population density was 3,493.6 inhabitants per mile2 (1,158.3 per km2). The 1,467 housing units averaged 1,512.4 inhabitants per square mile (583.94 per km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.1% White, 2.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 24.7% of the population.

In the town, the age distribution was 17.8% at 65 or older, 19.3% was under 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, and 34.6% from 45 to 64; the median age was 46.5 years. For every 100 males, there were 107 females. For every 100 males age 18 and over, there were 93.5 females. Around 25.7% of the households in 2010 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 31.0% were not families. About 23.4% of all households were made up of one individual, and 32.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42, and the average family size was 2.87.

Education

Lake Clarke Shores does not have public or private schools within its boundaries. Public schools students in the northern half of the town attend Meadow Park Elementary School and Conniston Community Middle School in West Palm Beach, while students in the southern half of Lake Clarke Shores are assigned to North Grade Elementary Schools and Lake Worth Middle School in Lake Worth Beach. Students throughout the town attend Forest Hill Community High School, which is immediately east of the town's boundaries. Nearby, the village of Palm Springs includes the G-Star School of the Arts, a charter high school.

There are no colleges or universities in the town of Lake Clarke Shores. However, the nearby cities of Lake Worth Beach and West Palm Beach contain a few public and private higher education institutes, including Keiser University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Palm Beach State College.

Lake Clarke Shores is located near the main branch of the Palm Beach County Library System.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Forest Hill Boulevard, officially designated as State Road 882, crosses east-to-west in the northern part of the town, while the undesignated Florida Mango Road runs the north-to-south length of Lake Clarke Shores. Interstate 95 runs along the eastern boundary of the town, with an entrance and exit ramp on Forest Hill Boulevard just east of Lake Clarke Shores's boundaries.

The nearby city of West Palm Beach has two train stations in its downtown area. Tri-Rail and Amtrak serve the Tamarind Avenue station, while the higher speed Brightline serves the Evernia Street station. Another Tri-Rail station is located in Lake Worth Beach. The nearest airport is the Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach. Palm Tran Route 46, which runs eastward and westward, has a few stops along Forest Hill Boulevard in Lake Clarke Shores and just outside the town limits.

Emergency services

The town of Lake Clarke Shores has operated a police department with full-time paid staff since November 1970, replacing its former volunteer force. In May 1987, the police department opened its own headquarters at the town hall complex on Barbados Road. The department employs a total of 37 people, with 11 full-time members, including Police Chief Wes Smith III. Although there is no longer a volunteer staff, the department continues to operate the Lake Clarke Shores Police Department’s Citizen Observer Patrol Program, with volunteers annually spending an average of over 1,000 hours patrolling the streets and more than 200 hours assisting with administrative staff.

The police department building also includes an Emergency Operations Center for direct communications with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Palm Beach County Emergency Management. The town also uses the CodeRED Emergency Notification System, which sends alerts about emergency situations to residents via their mobile devices. Fire and rescue services in Lake Clarke Shores are conducted by the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lake Clarke Shores para niños

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