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Wellington, Florida
Village of Wellington
Nickname(s): 
"The Winter Equestrian Capital of the World"
Motto(s): 
"Unique Hometown, Family Atmosphere, Family Environment" and "A Great Hometown...Let Us Show You!"
Location of Wellington in Palm Beach County, Florida
Location of Wellington in Palm Beach County, Florida
Country  United States of America
State  Florida
County Flag of Palm Beach County, Florida.png Palm Beach
Incorporated December 31, 1995
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
Area
 • Village 45.41 sq mi (117.62 km2)
 • Land 44.97 sq mi (116.46 km2)
 • Water 0.45 sq mi (1.16 km2)  .99%
Elevation
13 ft (5 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Village 61,637
 • Density 1,370.72/sq mi (529.24/km2)
 • Metro
5,463,857
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
33411, 33414, 33449, 33467
Area code(s) 561
FIPS code 12-75812
GNIS feature ID 1759737
Website http://wellingtonfl.gov/

Wellington is a village just west of West Palm Beach in central Palm Beach County and 66 mi (106 km) north of Miami. As of 2019, the city had a population of 65,398 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, making it the most populous village in the state. It is the fifth largest municipality in Palm Beach County by population. Wellington is part of the Miami metropolitan area. Wellington was named one of Money Magazine's "Top 100" Best Places to Live in both 2019 and 2010.

History

Wellington was originally the world's largest strawberry patch on land called the Flying Cow Ranch; "Flying" because the founder was an aviator, and "Cow" stood for the initials for Charles Oliver Wellington (C.O.W.). In the 1950s, Mr. Wellington bought 18,000 acres (73 km2) of central Palm Beach County swampland, which would eventually become the Village of Wellington. Wellington began as a planned unit development approved by Palm Beach County in 1972, and up until 1990, it functioned as a sprawling bedroom community with few shopping centers or restaurants until it was incorporated in December 1995. It has now become known as an international center for equestrian sports.

Geography

Wellington is located at 26°39′18″N 80°15′15″W / 26.65500°N 80.25417°W / 26.65500; -80.25417 (26.655135, −80.254136). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 31.4 square miles (81 km2), of which 31.0 square miles (80 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) is water (0.99%).

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1980 4,622
1990 20,670 347.2%
2000 38,216 84.9%
2010 56,508 47.9%
2020 61,637 9.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Wellington racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 34,308 55.66%
Black or African American (NH) 6,500 10.55%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 55 0.09%
Asian (NH) 3,195 5.18%
Pacific Islander (NH) 15 0.02%
Some Other Race (NH) 417 0.68%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 2,235 3.63%
Hispanic or Latino 14,912 24.19%
Total 61,637

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 61,637 people, 22,506 households, and 17,104 families residing in the village.

2010 census

Wellington Demographics
2010 Census Wellington Palm Beach County Florida
Total population 56,508 1,320,134 18,801,310
Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 +47.9% +16.7% +17.6%
Population density 1,258.9/sq mi 670.2/sq mi 350.6/sq mi
White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic) 80.0% 73.5% 75.0%
(Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian) 64.8% 60.1% 57.9%
Black or African-American 10.4% 17.3% 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 19.4% 19.0% 22.5%
Asian 3.8% 2.4% 2.4%
Native American or Native Alaskan 0.2% 0.5% 0.4%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian 0.0% 0.1% 0.1%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 2.5% 2.3% 2.5%
Some Other Race 3.1% 3.9% 3.6%

As of 2010, there were 22,685 households, with 13.3% being vacant. In 2000, there were 12,938 households, out of which 69.7% were married couples, 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 13.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.25.

Parks and recreation

The Village of Wellington has the following parks:

  • Commons Preserve
  • Olympia Park
  • Pine Valley Preserve
  • Primrose Park
  • Staimford Park
  • Summerwood Circle Park
  • Village Park
  • Wellington Community Center
  • Wellington Community Park
  • Wellington Green Park
  • Wellington Rotary Peace Park
  • Wellington Tennis Center
  • Yarmouth Park

Wellington provides a number of ball fields.

Beach activities are around a half hour's drive time, due east, to the Palm Beaches. For variety, from Wellington one can access Fort Lauderdale less than one hour away or travel to South Beach approximately a one and half hour's drive.

Equestrian sporting events

Beezie Madden Onlight WEF 2008
Beezie Madden and Onlight, Grand Prix competition at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, Wellington, Florida.

Wellington is known for its equestrian community and hosting equestrian events, notably show jumping, hunting, dressage and polo.

Wellington is host to the Winter Equestrian Festival, the largest and longest running horse show in the world from January to April. It holds more than forty weeks of equestrian competitions per year. A new expansion includes the Global Dressage Festival. International competitors attend the equestrian events and social event held in the community.

Each year Wellington hosts several high-goal polo tournaments including the USPA Piaget Gold Cup and the Nespresso U.S. Polo Open at the Palm Beach International Polo Club. The International Polo Club was an idea created by players to build a facility to showcase the skills of the ponies and players. The arenas of play include three state-of-the-art playing fields and a stick and ball field. Brunches, charities, corporate events and more are hosted at the International Polo Club in Wellington.

Wellington is also home to The Palm Beach Masters series. A trio of unique events hosted at Deeridge Farms — a stunning location at the heart of equestrian sport in Wellington, Florida. These premium events offers riders, spectators, and sponsors unforgettable hospitality, unrivaled facilities, and world-class showgrounds.

Arts and culture

Wellington has a large renovated public library and hosts seasonal events such as the annual Top Gun model aircraft show, the Barett-Jackson Auto auction, art and antique shows and holiday parades.

Amphitheater Wellington, Florida front
Amphitheater Wellington, Florida

The Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre regularly hosts musical and film events in their outdoor venue.

The Wellington Amphitheater hosts events like free movie night, musical and comedy performances, the Food Truck Invasion and many more.

Wellington has two regional malls The Mall at Wellington Green, and the Old Wellington Mall along with a many other nationally known retailers located in outdoor shopping venues along the major commercial highways.

There are a number of entertainment and cultural venues such as the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and the Norton Museum of Art in nearby West Palm Beach.

Transportation

Wellington's public transportation consists of Palm Tran. It is also served by Palm Beach International Airport. Several highways pass through or near Wellington. U.S. Route 441 and State Road 7 jointly cross north-to-south in the eastern side of the village. Lake Worth Road, which is designated as State Road 802 to the east of Route 441/State Road 7, continues westward into Wellington. State Road 882 (locally known as Forest Hill Boulevard) also moves east-west partially through the village, before continuing westward and then northwestward to Southern Boulevard without the designation to the west of Route 441/State Road 7. Southern Boulevard (designated as both U.S. Route 98 and State Road 80), an east-to-west highway, lies just north of the village's northern boundary. Florida's Turnpike passes along the far eastern edge of Wellington, though the nearest entry and exit ramps are located at U.S. Route 98/State Road 80 and State Road 802, outside the municipal limits.

Publications and News

Wellington is serviced by a few different mainstream news publications.

  • The Town-Crier Newspaper: First and longest serving local newspaper serving Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Florida, Loxahatchee, Florida and surrounding areas.
  • Live Wellington: Owned and operated by the Sun Sentinel. Live focuses on news in Wellington.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The School District of Palm Beach County serves Wellington. Public schools in Wellington and schools serving Wellington include:

Public Elementary Schools

  • Wellington Elementary School
  • New Horizons Elementary School
  • Discovery Key Elementary School
  • Binks Forest Elementary School
  • Elbridge Gale Elementary School
  • Equestrian Trails Elementary School
  • Panther Run Elementary School

Public Middle Schools

  • Wellington Landings Middle
  • Emerald Cove Middle School
  • Polo Park Middle School

Public High Schools

  • Wellington High School
  • Palm Beach Central High School

Community colleges

In 2008, Palm Beach State College (PBSC) proposed building a campus in Wellington. The town council voted affirmatively on August 12, 2008, to enter negotiations with the college, before plans fell through the following year. However, PBSC opened a campus in the neighboring town of Loxahatchee Groves in February 2017.

Public libraries

The Palm Beach County Library System operates the Wellington Branch.

Notable people

  • Stephanie Abrams, meteorologist for The Weather Channel in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City
  • Daniel Bluman (born 1990), Colombian-born Israeli Olympic show jumping rider
  • Jon Bostic, NFL linebacker
  • Sean Burnett, MLB relief pitcher
  • Ian Carey, recording artist and music producer
  • Glenn Close, actress
  • Fred Couples, golfer (former resident)
  • Keith Creel, CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway
  • Nacho Figueras, polo player and model
  • Amy Fisher, the "Long Island Lolita"
  • Bill Gates, Microsoft founder (seasonal resident)
  • Margie Goldstein-Engle, equestrian
  • Arin Hanson, Online internet personality
  • E. Hunter Harrison, Former CEO of Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway and CSX
  • Angel Hernandez, MLB umpire
  • Tyler Herron (1986-2021), baseball pitcher
  • Jessie Hester, former NFL wide receiver, uncle of Devin Hester
  • Neil Hirsch, founder of Telerate
  • Jeremy Jacobs, owner of NHL's Boston Bruins, Chairman and CEO of Delaware North Companies
  • Tommy Lee Jones, actor
  • Raymond Kassar, former Chairman and CEO of Atari
  • Erin Krakow, actress
  • Joan Lunden, broadcaster
  • Madonna, singer, actress
  • Dave O'Brien, sports broadcaster
  • Lou Pai, former CEO of Enron Energy Services
  • Cassadee Pope, musician
  • Curtis Pride, former Major League Baseball outfielder
  • J. B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois
  • Rommy Revson, inventor of Scrunchie
  • Vanessa Rousso, professional poker player
  • Jarrod Saltalamacchia, baseball player
  • Patti Scialfa, musician
  • Chrystine Tauber, former President of U.S. Equestrian Federation
  • Fred Taylor, retired running back for Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Vanilla Ice, rapper
  • Nick Zano, actor

See also

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