View source for Boca Raton, Florida

{{Short description|City in Palm Beach County, Florida}}
{{Redirect|Boca Raton|other uses|Boca Raton (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Boca Raton, Florida
| official_name                   = City of Boca Raton
| settlement_type                 = [[City (Florida)|City]]
| image_skyline                   = {{multiple image
| border                          = infobox
| total_width                     = 300
| caption_align                   = center
| perrow = 1/2/2/1
| image1 = North Boca Raton Florida Aerial photo Don Ramey Logan.jpg
| caption1 = East Boca Raton skyline
| image2 = Mizner Park.jpg
| caption2 = [[Mizner Park]]
| image3 = FAU Baldwin House.jpg
| caption3 = Baldwin House at [[Florida Atlantic University]]
| image4 = Boca Raton Resort porte-cochere entrance photo D Ramey Logan.JPG
| caption4 = [[The Boca Raton Resort|Boca Raton Resort]]
| image5 = Gumbo Limbo tower view down.JPG
| caption5 = [[Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex]]
| image6 = BocaSkyline2 (cropped)2.jpg
| caption6 = [[Intracoastal Waterway]]
}}
| image_flag                      = Boca Raton, FL Flag.gif
| image_seal                      = Seal of Boca Raton, Florida.gif
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = A City for All Seasons
| image_map                       = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=300|frame-height=200|frame-align=center|zoom=9|title=Boca Raton|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id=Q29422}}
| map_caption                     = Interactive map of Boca Raton
| pushpin_map                     = USA Florida#USA#North America
| pushpin_relief                 = yes
| pushpin_label                   = Boca Raton
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in the United States
| coordinates                     = {{coord|26|22|07|N|80|06|00|W|region:US-FL_type:city:100000|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Florida|County]]
| subdivision_name1               = {{flag|Florida}}
| subdivision_name2               = [[File:Flag_of_Palm_Beach_County,_Florida.png|24px]] [[Palm Beach County, Florida|Palm Beach]]
| established_title               = [[Settler colonialism|Settled (Boca Raton Settlement)]]
| established_date                = {{c.|1895}}<ref name=BocaDate>{{cite web |url=http://www.bocahistory.org/our-history-timeline/ |title=Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum |publisher=www.bocahistory.org |access-date=July 18, 2015 |archive-date=July 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718141858/http://www.bocahistory.org/our-history-timeline/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| established_title1              = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date1               = {{Start date|1925|05|26}}<ref name=BocaDate/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://myfloridahistory.org/date-in-history/may-26-1925/boca-raton |title=The Florida Historical Society: Boca Raton |publisher=myfloridahistory.org |access-date=July 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722034834/https://myfloridahistory.org/date-in-history/may-26-1925/boca-raton |archive-date=July 22, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| government_type                 = [[Council-manager government|Council-Manager]]
| leader_title                    = [[List of mayors of Boca Raton, Florida|Mayor]]
| leader_name                     = Scott Singer ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
| leader_title1                   = [[Deputy mayor|Deputy Mayor]]
| leader_name1                    = Francine Nachlas
| leader_title2                   = [[City council|Council Members]]
| leader_name2                    = Francine Nachlas,<br/> Marc Wigder, <br/> Andy Thompson and<br/> Yvette Drucker
| leader_title3                   = [[City manager|City Manager]]
| leader_name3                    = George Brown
| leader_title4                   = [[City Clerk]]
| leader_name4                    = Mary Siddons
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 31, 2021}}</ref>
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_sq_mi                = 31.59
| area_total_km2                  = 81.81
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 29.18
| area_land_km2                   = 75.57
| area_water_sq_mi                = 2.41
| area_water_km2                  = 6.23
| area_urban_sq_mi                = 
| area_urban_km2                  = 
| area_metro_sq_mi                = 
| area_metro_km2                  = 
| area_blank1_title               = 
| area_blank1_sq_mi               = 
| area_blank1_km2                 = 
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft                    = 13
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = <ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace">{{cite web |title=P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P2&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |website=P2 &#124; HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref>
| population_total                = 97422
| pop_est_as_of                   = 2024
| population_est                  = 102238
| pop_est_footnotes               = <ref name="Boca Raton city, Florida">{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Boca Raton city, Florida |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bocaratoncityflorida/PST045224 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |website=U.S. Census QuickFacts}}</ref>
| population_rank                 = [[List of municipalities in Florida|23rd]] in Florida
| population_density_km2          = 
| population_density_sq_mi        = 
| timezone                        = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset                      = −5
| timezone_DST                    = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = −4
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code                     = {{Collapsible list |title=16 total ZIP Codes:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |title=ZIP Code Lookup – Search By City |access-date=June 13, 2009 |publisher=United States Postal Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903025217/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |archive-date=September 3, 2007 }}</ref> |33427–33429, 33431–33434, 33464, 33481, 33486–33488, 33496–33499}}
| area_code                       = [[Area code 561|561]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 12-07300
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 0279123<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|279123}}</ref>
| website                         = {{Official URL}}
| footnote                        = 
}}

'''Boca Raton''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|b|oʊ|k|ə|_|r|ə|ˈ|t|oʊ|n}} {{respell|BOH|kə|_|rə|TOHN}};<ref>{{cite dictionary|dictionary=Merriam-Webster|title=Boca Raton {{!}} Definition of Boca Raton by Merriam-Webster|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Boca%20Raton|access-date=20 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Wells|first=John C.|year=2008|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary|edition=3rd|publisher=Longman|isbn=9781405881180}}</ref> {{langx|es|Boca Ratón|link=no}} {{IPA|es|ˈboka raˈton|}}) is a city in [[Palm Beach County, Florida]], United States. The population was 97,422 in the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace" /> and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton [[Address|postal address]] live outside of municipal boundaries, such as in [[West Boca Raton, Florida|West Boca Raton]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bocahistory.org/boca_history/br_history.asp |title=Boca Raton Historical Society – Boca Museum – History of Boca Raton |access-date=June 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804024450/http://www.bocahistory.org/boca_history/br_history.asp |archive-date=August 4, 2013 }}</ref> As a business center, the city also experiences significant daytime population increases. Boca Raton is {{convert|45|mi|km}} north of [[Miami]] and is a [[principal city]] of the [[Miami metropolitan area]].<ref name=PopEstCBSA>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2022 |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |access-date=January 6, 2024 |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629175327/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

It was first [[Incorporated town|incorporated]] on August 2, 1924<ref>{{cite web|url=http://historicpalmbeach.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2010/08/02/this-week-in-history-town-of-bocaratone-incorporated-thats-not-a-typo/|title=This week in history: Town of Bocaratone (that's not a typo) incorporated {{!}} Historic Palm Beach|access-date=August 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821121447/http://historicpalmbeach.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2010/08/02/this-week-in-history-town-of-bocaratone-incorporated-thats-not-a-typo/|archive-date=August 21, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> as "Bocaratone",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/boca-raton|title=Boca Raton, Florida|website=pbchistoryonline.org|access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" on May 26, 1925. While the area had been inhabited by the [[Glades culture]], as well as [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] and later [[British Empire|British]] colonial empires prior to its annexation by the United States, the city's present form was developed predominantly by American architect [[Addison Mizner]] starting in the 1920s. Mizner contributed to many buildings in the area having [[Mediterranean Revival architecture|Mediterranean Revival]] or [[Spanish Colonial Revival architecture|Spanish Colonial Revival]] architecture. Boca Raton also became a key city in the development of the early computer industry. The city is the birthplace of [[IBM]]'s [[IBM Personal Computer|first personal computer]] and various other technologies created by the company.

Still centered around luxury beach culture, the city today is dotted by many malls and shopping centers, including the [[Town Center at Boca Raton]]. [[The ODP Corporation]], which operates Office Depot and [[OfficeMax]], is headquartered here. Boca Raton is also home to the main campus of [[Florida Atlantic University]] and the [[Evert Tennis Academy]], owned by former professional tennis player [[Chris Evert]]. The city has a strict development code for the size and types of commercial buildings, building signs, and advertisements that may be erected within the city limit, which has led to major thoroughfares without billboards and large advertisements, as well as increased green spaces on roads.

==Name==

===Etymology===
''Boca Ratón'' translates to "Mouse Mouth" in English. Its name was originally labeled in the early European maps of the area as {{langnf|es|Boca de Ratones|Mouth of Mice|links=no}}. {{lang|es|Boca}}, meaning "mouth", was a common term to describe an [[inlet]] on maps by sailors (as in a [[river mouth]]). The meaning of the word ''ratones'' for the area is less certain. Some claim that the word {{lang|es|ratones}} appears in old Spanish maritime dictionaries referring to "rugged rocks or stony ground on the bottom of some ports and coastal outlets, where the cables rub against".<ref>The Spanish Maritime Dictionary of 1831</ref> Thus, one possible translation of ''Boca Raton'' is "Rugged Inlet".<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Ruiz | first1 = Humberto E. | last2 = Cobia | first2 = Manley F. | title = Boca de Ratones: An Etymological Reassessment | url = http://www.bocahistory.org/eGallery/upload/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Files/bocaderatones_origin.pdf | access-date = March 23, 2018 | archive-date = April 12, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190412190058/https://www.bocahistory.org/eGallery/upload/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Files/bocaderatones_origin.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> Others claim that {{lang|es|ratones}} referred to pirates who hid out in the area, and thus the name could translate to "Pirates' Inlet".{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

===Pronunciation===
City residents pronounce ''Raton'' as {{IPAc-en|r|ə|ˈ|t|oʊ|n}}. People not from the region often mispronounce this as {{IPAc-en|r|ə|ˈ|t|ɒ|n}} instead.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Fla-mayor-irked-by-poor-pronunciations/71371352151257/|title=Fla. mayor irked by poor pronunciations|work=UPI|access-date=2018-11-25|language=en}}</ref>

==History==

===Timeline===
{{hidden begin
|title = Timeline of Boca Raton, Florida
|titlestyle = background:#F8F8FF;width:90%
}}
* 1890 – Bocaratone settled.
* 1896 – [[Florida East Coast Railway]] begins operating.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 1909 – Bocaratone becomes part of newly created [[Palm Beach County, Florida|Palm Beach County]].<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 1912 – [[Intracoastal Waterway]] opens.{{chronology citation needed|date=April 2017}}
* 1915
** Telephone installed.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
** Board of Trade organized.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 1918 – Ebenezer Baptist Church founded in [[Pearl City (Boca Raton)|Pearl City]] neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ebenezer Baptist Church |url=https://boca.guide/item/ebenezer-baptist-church/ |website=Boca Raton Guide |access-date=September 20, 2022 |quote=Ebenezer is a historic church in the historic neighborhood of Pearl City in Boca Raton. Pearl City is just north of downtown Boca Raton. ... It was founded by the Reverend J. H. Dolphus in 1918 and the first church building was a lean to.}}</ref>
* 1923 – Boca Raton Inlet bridge constructed.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 1924
** Town of "Boca Ratone" incorporated.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
** [[Addison Mizner]] chosen as town planner.
** George Long becomes mayor.<ref>{{citation |url=http://historicpalmbeach.blog.palmbeachpost.com/category/this-week-in-history-2/ |title=This Week in History |work=[[Palm Beach Post]] |location=West Palm Beach |access-date=April 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613152508/http://historicpalmbeach.blog.palmbeachpost.com/category/this-week-in-history-2/ |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1925
** Town of "Boca Raton" [[Local government in the United States|incorporated]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://localgov.fsu.edu/readings_papers/Boundaries%20of%20Government/Munincipal_Incorporations_in_Florida.pdf |year=2001 |title=Overview of Municipal Incorporations in Florida |author=[[Florida Legislature|Florida Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations]] |location=Tallahassee |series=LCIR Report |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428092419/https://localgov.fsu.edu/readings_papers/Boundaries%20of%20Government/Munincipal_Incorporations_in_Florida.pdf |archive-date=April 28, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=BRHStimeline />
** [[Mizner Development Corporation]] in business.<ref name=PBCHO>{{cite web |url= http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/boca-raton |title= Boca Raton |work=Palm Beach County History Online |publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County |access-date= October 17, 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326025647/http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/boca-raton |archivedate=March 26, 2023 }}</ref>
* 1926
** [[Boca Raton Resort|Cloister]] resort built.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
** Chamber of Commerce founded.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 1927 – [[Boca Raton Old City Hall|Town Hall]] built.<ref name="County: Palm Beach">{{cite web |url=http://apps.flheritage.com/markers/ |title=County: Palm Beach |work=Florida Historical Marker List |access-date= April 23, 2017 |publisher=[[Florida Department of State]] |location=Tallahassee }}</ref>
* 1928 – Water plant built.<ref name=water>{{cite news|title=Minutes from the City Commission meeting, June 16, 1928
|date=1987–1988|url=http://www.bocahistory.org/_files/span_river/SRP%201987-1988.pdf|newspaper=Spanish River Papers|volume=16|page=(unpaged)|access-date=April 24, 2018|archive-date=April 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412190318/https://www.bocahistory.org/_files/span_river/SRP%201987-1988.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 1930
** Railroad station built.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
** Population: 447.
* 1936 – Airport established.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 1939 – Camino Real [[List of movable bridges in Florida|Bridge]] opens.<ref name=bridges2012 />
* 1942 – U.S. military [[Boca Raton Army Air Field]] established.<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1947 – October: [[1947 Cape Sable hurricane]] occurs.
* 1950
** [[Boca Raton Museum of Art|Art Guild]] established.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
** Population: 992.
* 1955 – ''[[Boca Raton News]]'' begins publication.
* 1960 – Population: 6,961.
* 1961
** [[Florida Atlantic University]] founded.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
** [[Boca Raton Public Library]] building constructed.
* 1962
** [[Lynn University]] established.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
** [[Saint Andrew's School (Boca Raton, Florida)|Saint Andrew's School]] opens.
* 1963 – Boca Inlet [[List of movable bridges in Florida|Bridge]] opens.<ref name=bridges2012>{{citation |title=Historic Highway Bridges of Florida |publisher=[[Florida Department of Transportation]] |url=http://www.fdot.gov/emo/pubs/bridgebk.pdf |year=2012 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* 1964 – Boca Raton Theatre in business.<ref name=cinema />
* 1970 – Population: 28,506.
* 1972 – Boca Raton Historical Society founded.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 1979 – ''Jewish Floridian of South County'' [[List of newspapers in Florida|newspaper]] begins publication.<ref name=LOC>{{cite web |url= http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?city=Boca+Raton&rows=50&state=Florida&page=1&sort=date |title=US Newspaper Directory |location=Washington DC |work=[[Chronicling America]] |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date= April 23, 2017 }}</ref>
* 1980 
** [[Pope John Paul II High School (Florida)|Pope John Paul II High School]] established.
** [[Town Center at Boca Raton]] opens. 
* 1981 – August: "[[IBM]] (International Business Machines) introduces the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]] from its Boca Raton factory."<ref name=PBCHO />
* 1986 – [[Boca Raton Museum of Art]] active.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 1989 – [[Boca Raton station (Tri-Rail)|Boca Raton station]] opens.
* 1990
** Old Floresta designated a city historic district.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bocahistory.org/designated-sites/|title = Boca Raton Designated Historical Sites &#124; Boca Raton Historical Sites}}</ref>
** Population: 61,492.
* 1991 – [[W.R. Grace & Co.]] headquarters relocated to Boca Raton from New York.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 1998 – City website online (approximate date).<ref>{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000824091058/http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/start.htm |url-status= dead |url= http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us:80/start.htm |archive-date= August 24, 2000 |title= City of Boca Raton |via= Internet Archive, [[Wayback Machine]] |df= mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000824034329/http://officialcitysites.org/Florida/Cities/B// |url= http://officialcitysites.org:80/Florida/Cities/B/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= August 24, 2000 |title= United States of America: Florida |work= Official City Sites |editor1= Kevin Hyde |editor2= Tamie Hyde |location= Utah |oclc= 40169021 |df= mdy-all }}</ref>
* 1999 – W.R. Grace & Co. headquarters moves away from Boca Raton.
* 2000
** Muvico cinema in business.<ref name=cinema>{{cite web |url= http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/united-states/florida/boca-raton?status=all |title=Movie Theaters in Boca Raton, Florida |work=CinemaTreasures.org |publisher= Cinema Treasures LLC |location=Los Angeles |access-date= April 23, 2017 }}</ref>
** Population: 83,255<ref>{{cite web |url=http://censusviewer.com/city/FL/Boca%20Raton |title=Boca Raton, FL Population - Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts - CensusViewer |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825231855/http://censusviewer.com/city/FL/Boca%20Raton |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 2001 – [[2001 anthrax attacks|Anthrax attack]]; [[Robert Stevens (photo editor)|Robert Stevens]] dies.{{sfn|Hellmann|2006}}
* 2004 – September: [[Hurricane Frances]] and [[Hurricane Jeanne]] occur.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 2005 – October: [[Hurricane Wilma]] occurs.<ref name=BRHStimeline />
* 2009 – ''Boca Raton News'' [[List of newspapers in Florida#Defunct|ceases]] publication.
* 2010 – Population: 84,392.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045216/1207300,00 |title= Boca Raton city, Florida |work=QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=April 23, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/area-profiles/index.cfm |work=2010 Census Detailed City Profiles |author1=[[Florida Legislature|Florida Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research]] |author2=U.S. Census Bureau |year=2011 |title= City of Boca Raton }}</ref>
* 2012
** October 22: [[United States presidential debates, 2012|United States presidential debate]] held in Boca Raton.<ref name=BRHStimeline>{{cite web |url=http://www.bocahistory.org/our-history-timeline/ |title=Boca Raton's History Timeline |publisher=Boca Raton Historical Society |access-date=April 23, 2017 |archive-date=April 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417082041/http://www.bocahistory.org/our-history-timeline/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 2014 – Susan Haynie elected mayor.<ref name="Sun-Sentinel">{{citation |url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-election-boca-raton-20170310-story.html |title=Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie re-elected for another three years |date= March 14, 2017 |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |location=Fort Lauderdale }}</ref>
* 2017
** [[Ted Deutch]] becomes [[U.S. representative]] for [[Florida's 22nd congressional district]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members |title=Members of Congress |work=[[GovTrack.us|GovTrack]] |author=Civic Impulse, LLC |location=Washington DC |access-date=April 23, 2017 |archive-date=April 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411222055/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members |url-status=dead }}</ref>
** September: [[Hurricane Irma]] occurs.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/local/hurricane-irma-another-tornado-severe-weather-warning-boca-raton/gjXIxSdziuiI7pm81ANCwJ/ |title=Hurricane Irma: Another tornado, severe weather warning in Boca Raton |date=September 10, 2017 |work=[[The Palm Beach Post]] }}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
{{hidden end}}

===Early history===
The area where Boca Raton is now located was originally occupied by the [[Glades culture]], a Native American tribe of [[hunter-gatherer]]s who relocated seasonally and between shellfish sources, distinct from the [[Tequesta]] to the south and the [[Jaega]] to the north.<ref name="Pelish2018">{{cite web |author=Pelish |first=Jason |date=June 14, 2018 |title=Boca Raton's Native Americans: Jeaga, Calusa or Tequesta? |url=https://4boca.com/boca-ratons-native-americans-jeaga-calusa-or-tequesta/ |access-date=June 14, 2018}}</ref>

What Spanish voyagers called "Boca de Ratones" was originally to the south, in present-day [[Biscayne Bay]] in [[Miami-Dade County]]. The area of Boca Raton was labeled "Rio Seco", meaning "Dry River", during this time. By mistake during the 19th century, mapmakers moved this location to the north and began referring to the city's lake, today known as Lake Boca Raton, as "Boca Ratone Lagoon" and later "Boca Ratone Sounde".<ref name="GillisSociety2007">{{cite book|author1=Susan Gillis|author2=Boca Raton Historical Society|title=Boomtime Boca: Boca Raton in the 1920s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8METlWXqqLMC&pg=PA7|year=2007|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-4443-4|page=7}}</ref> An inland stream near the lake was later renamed [[Spanish River (Florida)|Spanish River]], and eventually became part of the [[Intracoastal Waterway]].

When Spain surrendered Florida to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in 1763, the remaining Tequestas, along with other Indians who had taken refuge in the Florida Keys, were evacuated to [[Cuba]].<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/historyculture/nativepeoples.htm "Native Peoples"], National Park System, United States Department of the Interior</ref> In the 1770s, [[Bernard Romans]] reported seeing abandoned villages in the area, but no inhabitants.

The area remained largely uninhabited for long afterwards, during the early years of Florida's incorporation in the United States. The first significant European settler to this area was Captain Thomas Moore Rickards in 1895, who resided in a house made of driftwood on the east side of the East Coast Canal, south of what is now the Palmetto Park Road bridge. He surveyed and sold land from the canal to beyond the railroad north of what is now Palmetto Park Road.<ref>Boca Raton Historical Society, [http://www.bocahistory.org/pdf/span_river/SRP%20Jan%201973.pdf ''Spanish River Papers''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725085634/http://www.bocahistory.org/pdf/span_river/SRP%20Jan%201973.pdf |date=July 25, 2011 }}, 1.1 (January 1973){{failed verification|date=January 2018}}.</ref> Early settlement in the area increased shortly after [[Henry Flagler]]'s expansion of the [[Florida East Coast Railway]], connecting [[West Palm Beach]] to Miami.

===Addison Mizner's resort town===
{{main|Addison Mizner}}
[[File:Boca-admin-buildings (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Mizner's [[Administration Buildings (Boca Raton, Florida)|Administrative Buildings]]]]
Boca Raton as a city was the creation of architect [[Addison Mizner]]. Prior to him, Boca Raton was an unincorporated farming town with a population of 100 in 1920.<ref name="Boomtime">{{cite book|isbn=9780738544434
|publisher=Arcadia|date=2007|title=Boomtime Boca. Boca Raton in the 1920s|first1=Susan, and Boca Raton Historical Society|last1=Gillis}}</ref>{{rp|7}}<ref>{{cite news|title=12 Families in Boca in '23|newspaper=Spanish River Papers|volume=2|number=1|pages=4–5, at p. 4|date=May 1973|quote=Reprinted from the Delray Beach News, 13 August 1953|url=http://www.bocahistory.org/_files/span_river/SRP%20May%201973.pdf|access-date=January 2, 2018|archive-date=April 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412190351/https://www.bocahistory.org/_files/span_river/SRP%20May%201973.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1925, Mizner announced his plan for "the foremost [[resort]] city on the North American continent,"<ref name=Mizner>{{cite book|url=http://www.bocahistory.org/eGallery/upload/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Files/OurHistory_MDCBR1925I.pdf|date=1925|access-date=November 24, 2017|title=Boca Raton|author=Mizner Development Corporation|archive-date=April 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412190400/https://www.bocahistory.org/eGallery/upload/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Files/OurHistory_MDCBR1925I.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{rp|4}} "a new exclusive social capital in America."<ref name=Mizner />{{rp|9}} After spending several years in Palm Beach, where, in his own words, he "did more than any one man to make the city beautiful,"<ref name=Mizner />{{rp|5}} and designed the [[Everglades Club]] among many other buildings, in Boca Raton his plan was to create from scratch "a resort as splendid in its entirety as Palm Beach is in spots."<ref name=Mizner />{{rp|6}}

Activity in that area began at least a year, and probably more, before Mizner's announcement. Land acquisition, tens of thousands of acres, was the largest part. But it is hard not to see Mizner's hand in the incorporation of Boca Raton in 1924; the city immediately appointed him Town Planner.<ref name=brhs /><ref name=Boomtime />{{rp|102}} The Mizner Development Company was incorporated in 1925, and promptly issued $5 million of stock, which was fully subscribed in less than a week.<ref name=Curl />{{rp|140}} $500,000 was reserved for the "average Floridian"; the remainder was purchased by, as Addison called them, "noted personages", all with a Palm Beach connection: Lytle Hall, [[Harold Vanderbilt]], J. Leonard Repogle, the [[Eileen Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland|Duchess of Sutherland]], [[Rodman Wanamaker]], [[Paris Singer]], [[Irving Berlin]], Madame [[Frances Alda]], [[W. C. Robinson]], H. H. Rodgers, D. H. Conkling, A. T. Herd, Porte, [[William Kissam Vanderbilt II]], [[Elizabeth Arden]], [[Jesse Livermore]], [[Clarence H. Geist]], and [[T. Coleman du Pont]] as chairman. Addison's brother [[Wilson Mizner|Wilson]] also appears on the list of investors, but he had little to invest.<ref name=Curl/>{{rp|139–140}}<ref name=brhs>{{cite web|title=Mizner's Dream: The Built and the Unbuilt|author=Boca Raton Historical Society|access-date=January 2, 2018|url=http://www.bocahistory.org/mizners-dream/default.asp|archive-date=January 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103011728/http://www.bocahistory.org/mizners-dream/default.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Instead of the existing Palmetto Park Road, the main street in Mizner's Boca was to be El Camino Real, 20 lanes wide, which Mizner fancifully translated as "The Royal Highway",<ref name=Boomtime />{{rp|39}} referring to Spain's road network and to the road to [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] and to the [[El Camino Real (California)|Spanish missions in California]]. (Spanish kings rarely or never travelled on these roads; "The Government Road" would be just as accurate.) It was originally to be circular, with a lagoon in the middle.<ref name=Boomtime />{{rp|44}} Soon it became, in the plans, Boca Raton's main east–west street, to be {{convert|220|ft|m}} wide and with a canal for pleasure boats in the center. (In the drawing of it on the cover of Mizner Development's first brochure is a Venetian [[gondola]].<ref name=Mizner />) His statement that it was inspired by [[Botafogo]], a neighborhood and beach in [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil, is another of his many inventions of foreign "facts".<ref name=Curl>{{cite book
|last=Curl|first=Donald W.|title=Mizner's Florida. Florida resort architecture|publisher=The Architectural History Foundation and the MIT Press|year=1992|quote=First published 1984|isbn=0262530686}}</ref>{{rp|144}} Mizner, who never went to [[Brazil]] nor knew Brazilians, simply made it up because the name "Botafogo" ("fire thrower") sounded impressive, as was the concept of imitating [[Rio de Janeiro]]. (The only street in Rio de Janeiro anything like the supposed picture, actually an artist's conception, of "Botafogo" that Mizner included in his first catalogue,<ref name=Mizner />{{rp|11}} is the [[:pt:Canal do Mangue]], which runs down the middle of two streets, but is nowhere near Botafogo, a more elegant name than Mangue "[[mangrove]]".<ref>{{cite book|title=Canal do Mangue, Rio de Janeiro RJ|author=Conde de Agrolongo|date=1908|url=http://enciclopedia.itaucultural.org.br/obra16542/canal-do-mangue-rio-de-janeiro-rj|publisher=Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural|isbn=9788579790607|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref>)

Only {{convert|0.5|miles|km}} of the road was built (although the street has subsequently been extended to the west at normal scale). According to drawings, the centerpiece of the street was to be a canal for pleasure boats; it was never built.<ref>Seebohm 2001. pp. 216–217.</ref> All streets were to be at least {{convert|60|feet|m}} wide.<ref name=Boomtime />{{rp|43}}

His first buildings in Boca Raton were his Administrative Buildings, on El Camino Real (in 2018 the [https://web.archive.org/web/20171231212041/https://theaddisonofbocaraton.com/the-addison-overview/ Addison Restaurant]), and a small hotel to house interested investors.<ref name="GillisSociety2007" /> Mizner designed Boca's first town hall/police station/fire station/library, although the design actually built is much smaller and less expensive than what Mizner planned. Today (2018) it is the [[Boca Raton History Museum]], which houses Boca's Welcome Center and the Boca Raton Historical Society.

The hotel was his [[Ritz-Carlton]] Cloister Inn, built in 1926,<ref>Curl, Donald W. and John P. Johnson. ''Boca Raton; A Pictorial History''. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company, 1990. p. 52</ref> later renamed the [[Boca Raton Resort & Club]], and is one of the only "5 star" hotels in Florida. The 1969 addition of its "pink tower" hotel building is visible from miles away as a towering monument on the [[Intracoastal Waterway]].

Because of the end of the [[Florida land boom of the 1920s]] and the [[1926 Miami hurricane]], the Mizner Development Corporation went into bankruptcy in 1927. Little of Mizner's Boca Raton was ever built: his [[Administration Buildings (Boca Raton, Florida)|Administration Buildings]], the Cloister Inn, 1/2 mile of El Camino Real, the small Dunagan Apartments (demolished),<ref name=Boomtime /> a few houses near the Cloister Inn (demolished), the Spanish Village neighborhood,<ref>{{citation|newspaper=Spanish River Papers|date=November 2012|title=Boca Raton's Spanish Village|volume=21|first=Michael|last=Wright|url=http://www.bocahistory.org/eGallery/upload/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Files/SRP_BRSpanishVillage.pdf|access-date=January 3, 2018|archive-date=April 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412190415/https://www.bocahistory.org/eGallery/upload/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Boca%20Raton%20Historical%20Society/Files/SRP_BRSpanishVillage.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Boomtime /> and a few small houses in what is now the Old Floresta [[Historic district|Historic District]] neighborhood.<ref name=brhs /><ref name=Boomtime /><ref name=Seebohm>{{citation|title=Boca Rococo. How Addison Mizner Invented Florida's Gold Coast|first=Caroline|last=Seebohm|place=New York|publisher=Clarkson Potter
|year=2001|isbn=0609605151|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bocarococohowadd00seeb}}</ref>

===World War II Army Air Force Base===
During [[World War II]], some of the land used by the Japanese farmers of the [[Yamato Colony, Florida|Yamato Colony]] was confiscated and used as the site of the Boca Raton Army Air Force Base, a major training facility for [[B-29]] bomber crews and the only facility in the U.S. training [[radar]] operators. Much of the [[Boca Raton Army Airfield]] was later donated to Palm Beach County and became the grounds of [[Florida Atlantic University]]. Many of FAU's parking lots are former runways of the airbase. When viewed from above, the site's layout for its previous use as an airfield is plainly evident. [[Boca Raton Airport]]'s runway was once part of the original airbase, and is still active to this day, although the runway has been rebuilt. Army School Building #3 (T-604) of the Army Air Forces Base has survived as the office building for the Cynthia Gardens apartment complex on Northwest 4th Avenue.

===Post-World War II history===
Boca Raton was the site of two now vanished [[amusement park]]s, Africa U.S.A. (1953–1961) and Ancient America (1953–1959). Africa U.S.A. was a wild animal park in which tourists rode a "Jeep Safari Train" through the park. There were no fences separating the animals from the tourists.<ref>[http://www.africa-usa.com/tour.htm Virtual Tour of Arica U.S.A.]. Retrieved August 27, 2006.</ref> It is now the Camino Gardens subdivision one mile west of the Boca Raton Hotel. A red wooden bridge and remnants from the Watusi Geyser and Zambezi Falls, a 30-foot waterfall,<ref>{{cite web|title=Camino Gardens|url=http://www.caminogardens.com/caminogardens/sub_category_list.asp?category=9&title=Africa+USA|access-date=May 11, 2014|archive-date=May 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512223152/http://www.caminogardens.com/caminogardens/sub_category_list.asp?category=9&title=Africa+USA|url-status=dead}}</ref> from Africa USA can still be seen at the entrance to Camino Gardens. Ancient America was built surrounding a real [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] burial mound. Today, the mound is still visible within the Boca Marina & Yacht Club neighborhood on [[U.S. Route 1 in Florida|U.S. 1]] near Yamato Road.<ref>[http://www.lostparks.com/ancientamerica.html Ancient America: one of Florida's lost tourist attractions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917212622/http://www.lostparks.com/ancientamerica.html |date=September 17, 2008 }}. ''lostparks.com.'' Retrieved August 27, 2006.</ref>

====IBM====
[[File:West Boca photo D Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|left|[[IBM]]'s former South Florida laboratories, where the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]] was created, alongside [[Yamato Road]].]]
In the late 1960s, [[IBM]] announced their intentions to open a manufacturing plant in the area. In 1965, well before the extension of [[Interstate 95 in Florida|I-95]] into Southern Florida, IBM, working in secret with the Arvida corporation, quietly purchased several hundred acres of real estate west of the [[CSX]] rail line and northwest of [[Florida Atlantic University]]. Originally situated in unincorporated Palm Beach County, the site was annexed into Boca Raton almost a year following its dedication in 1970.<ref>Janie Gold, [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DYAyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PLcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5266,4338414&dq=university+park+boca+raton&hl=en "Archer calls on Boca Raton to de-annex University Park"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316210214/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DYAyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PLcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5266,4338414&dq=university+park+boca+raton&hl=en |date=March 16, 2015 }}, ''The Palm Beach Post'', July 12, 1972, C1–C2.</ref>

Construction of IBM's main complex began in 1967, designed by [[Marcel Breuer]],<ref name="porter198311">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q8fwTt09_MEC&q=pc%20magazine%20%22november%201983%22&pg=RA1-PA162 | title=The Talk of Boca | work=PC Magazine | date=November 1983 | access-date=October 22, 2013 | author=Porter, Martin | page=162}}</ref> and the manufacturing and office complex was dedicated in March 1970. The campus was designed with self-sufficiency in mind and sported its own [[electrical substation]], [[water pumping]] station, and rail spur.

By 1984 IBM was Palm Beach County's largest corporate employer, with 8,500 Boca Raton employees.<ref name="bulman19841105">{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/31277231/fort_lauderdale_news/ |title=Big time: IBM skillfully revives lackluster sales of PCjr |last=Bulman |first=Philip |date=1984-11-05 |work=Fort Lauderdale News |access-date=2019-05-05 |page=47 |language=en}}</ref> Among other noteworthy IT accomplishments, such as the mass production of the [[System/360]] and development of the [[IBM Series/1|Series/1]] mainframe computers, IBM's main complex was the birthplace of the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]], which later evolved into the IBM [[Personal System/2]], developed in nearby [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]]. Starting in 1987, IBM relocated its manufacturing for what became the IBM PC division to [[Research Triangle Park]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina]], and converted the manufacturing facilities into offices and laboratories, later producing products such as the [[OS/2]] operating system and VoiceType Dictation, later known as [[ViaVoice]] voice-recognition [[software]].

IBM maintained its facilities in the South Florida area until 1996, when the facility was closed and sold to Blue Lake Real Estate. The site was sold to T-REX Management Consortium, then to the Blackstone Group in 2005, who renamed it the Boca Corporate Center and Campus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/new-owner-gives-new-life-former-home-ibm-boca/VWruh7ueJs3zCOZnMj1x9N/|title=New owner gives new life to former home of IBM in Boca|last=Clough|first=Alexandra|date=September 23, 2016|work=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=February 18, 2019|archive-date=February 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219015953/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/new-owner-gives-new-life-former-home-ibm-boca/VWruh7ueJs3zCOZnMj1x9N/|url-status=dead}}</ref>  The site was later renamed the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC). Crocker Partners, noted for its development of [[Mizner Park]] and [[Office Depot|Office Depot headquarters]], purchased BRiC in April 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/crocker-partners-pays-170-million-for-former-ibm-campus-boca-raton/EWx4oSnnrz68i7LopGhuUO/|title=Crocker Partners pays $170 million for former IBM campus in Boca Raton|last=Clough|first=Alexandra|date=April 10, 2018|access-date=March 30, 2020|archive-date=March 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303212638/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/crocker-partners-pays-170-million-for-former-ibm-campus-boca-raton/EWx4oSnnrz68i7LopGhuUO/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

What used to be IBM's Building 051, an annex separated from the former main IBM campus by Spanish River Boulevard, was donated to the Palm Beach County School District and converted into [[Don Estridge High Tech Middle School]]. It is named after [[Don Estridge]], whose team was responsible for developing the [[IBM PC]]. IBM returned in July 2001, opening the software development laboratory at Beacon Square off Congress Avenue.

It is noteworthy that still left standing inside the old IBM complex is the office and conference table where [[Bill Gates]] signed his historic deal to supply IBM with the [[Microsoft]] [[MS-DOS]] operating system for its personal computer line.

====Suburban expansion====
[[File:Palmetto Park Rd and Mizner Blvd 2.jpg|thumb|right|Palmetto Park Road and Mizner Boulevard intersection.]]

In 1991, the downtown outdoor shopping and dining center, [[Mizner Park]], was completed over the site of the old Boca Raton Mall. It has since become a cultural center for southern Palm Beach County. Featuring a landscaped central park between the two main roads (collectively called Plaza Real) with stores only on the outside of the roads, Mizner Park resembles a Mediterranean suburban "town center" with a more contemporary look. It features many restaurants and is home to the [[Boca Raton Museum of Art]], which moved to the new facility in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |title = Boca Raton Museum of Art | url=http://www.bocamuseum.org/index.php?submenu=about_us&src=gendocs&link=AboutUs&category=About%20Us }}</ref> In 2002, a new [[amphitheater]] was built, replacing a smaller one and providing a large-capacity outdoor venue where concerts and other performances are held.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.miznerparkamp.com/ |title=miznerparkamp.com |access-date=June 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801203604/http://miznerparkamp.com/ |archive-date=August 1, 2015 }}</ref> The Mizner Park Cultural Center, an indoor performing arts/comedy show theater is located to the southwest of the amphitheater within the Mizner Park property.

The [[National Cartoon Museum]] was built on the southwest edge of Mizner Park in 1996. Open for six years, the museum relocated to its original home in [[New York City]] in 2002.

As development continued to focus to the west of the city in the 1980s and 1990s, the mall area known as [[Town Center at Boca Raton]] became the geographic center of what is referred to as West Boca Raton, though this mall was not annexed into the city until 2004.

Forbes ranked Boca's Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club the third most exclusive gated community in the US in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/ejef45eeed/royal-palm-yacht-and-country-club-boca-raton-florida/#52a12401537f |title=Forbes List: Most Exclusive Gated Communities in the US |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=September 17, 2019}}</ref> Many mansions and estates have been built and reflect the high real estate values. 18.1% of homes for sale are within the $655,000–$966,000 range, 8.5% in the $966,000–$1.288 million range, and 11.9% in the $1.288 million plus range.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/fl/boca-raton/real-estate |title=Neighborhood Scout: Boca Raton Real Estate |access-date=September 17, 2019}}</ref> Since the mid-2010s, there has been a developing boom such as the building of the Mandarin Oriental's Residences, remodeling of Downtown Boca Raton's Mizner Park, and development around Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenparis/2018/11/20/luxury-development-in-boca-raton-is-booming/#252928fd5eac |title=Luxury Development In Boca Raton is Booming |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=September 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fortlauderdaledaily.com/features/look-boca-ratons-booming-downtown-and-what-future-has-store |title=Boca Raton's Booming Downtown and What the Future Has in Store |access-date=September 17, 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

On November 2, 2004, the voters of the Via Verde Association, Waterside, Deerhurst Association (Boca South), Marina Del Mar Association, Rio Del Mar Association (both originally Boca Del Mar communities), and Heatherwood of Boca Raton Condominium Association approved [[annexation]] into the Boca Raton [[city limits]], increasing the city land area to {{convert|29.6|sqmi|km2}}. A new gated community called Royal Palm Polo was annexed to the City of Boca Raton, which is the only jurisdiction north of Clint Moore Road.<ref>{{cite web|title=MyBoca.US Official Map|url=https://www.myboca.us/DocumentCenter/View/8271/Zoning-Map-PDF?bidId=|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615094108/https://www.myboca.us/DocumentCenter/View/8271/Zoning-Map-PDF?bidId=|archive-date=June 15, 2020}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:BocaRatonFromTheISS.jpg|thumb|right|Boca Raton, seen from the [[International Space Station]].]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|75.4|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|70.4|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} of this is land and {{convert|5.0|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} of it (6.63%) is water. Boca Raton is a "[[principal city]]" (as defined by the Census Bureau) of the [[Miami metropolitan area|Miami Metropolitan Area]]. Approximately 1 square mile is on the barrier island [[Deerfield Beach Island]] ([http://dbi.rocks/ DBI]), also colloquially known as [[Deerfield Cay]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Buddy Sparrow|title=WELCOME TO DEERFIELD CAY, A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND IN SOUTH FLORIDA !|date=October 17, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtkQCWm1rE8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/OtkQCWm1rE8| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date=August 4, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Like other [[South Florida]] cities, Boca Raton has a [[water table]] that does not permit building basements, however plumbing and sewage is constructed underneath the homes and streets, in addition to electrical systems in some areas. There are several high points in the city, such as 4th Avenue which is aptly named "High Street". The highest point in this area is the guard shack at Camino Gardens, which is {{convert|24|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level. The Boca Raton Hotel's Beach Club rests at {{convert|23|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://earth.google.com/|title=Google Earth|access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref>

Several small tunnels run under roads in Boca, but the roads are built up several feet at these locations, or are on dunes. Several of these tunnels are under [[Florida State Road A1A|State Road A1A]] at Spanish River Park, from the west side of the road where parking is available to beachgoers, to the east side of the road, which is where the beach is located. State Road A1A is already higher than the surrounding land here due to sand dunes formed by erosion and other natural features.<ref name="autogenerated1" />

===Neighborhoods===
[[File:Boca Raton M L King memorial across street.JPG|thumb|right|[[Martin Luther King Jr.]] Memorial in [[Pearl City (Boca Raton)|Pearl City]]]]
[[Pearl City (Boca Raton)|Pearl City]] is a neighborhood in Boca Raton, immediately north of downtown and within city limits. The neighborhood was originally platted on May 30, 1915, for the [[blue-collar worker|blue-collar]] [[African American]]s employed at the [[Boca Raton Resort]] and similar establishments, on area farms, in construction, and various other jobs.<ref>Evans and Lee, (1990). Pearl City, Florida: A Black Community Remembers. Boca Raton: Florida Atlantic UP/UP of Florida.</ref>

===Climate===
Boca Raton has a [[tropical rainforest climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Af''), as its driest month (December) averages {{convert|62.5|mm|in|2|disp=or|order=flip}} of rainfall, narrowly meeting the minimum standard of {{convert|60|mm|in|2|disp=or}} during the driest month to qualify for that designation. In general the climate is very warm to hot and sunny much of the year, although daily thundershowers occur in the hot season from June through September. Boca Raton is frost free. The warm tropical climate in South Florida supports the growth of tropical trees and plants such as the [[coconut|coconut palm]] that was introduced hundreds of years ago to Florida in nearby [[West Palm Beach]].

Winter high temperatures are typically in the {{convert|75|to|83|F|C|1}} range, while summer high temperatures are about {{convert|87|to|92|F|C|1}}.

{{Weather box
|location = Boca Raton, Florida
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 76
|Feb high F = 77
|Mar high F = 80
|Apr high F = 83
|May high F = 86
|Jun high F = 88
|Jul high F = 91
|Aug high F = 91
|Sep high F = 89
|Oct high F = 86
|Nov high F = 82
|Dec high F = 78
|year high F =
|Jan low F = 58
|Feb low F = 60
|Mar low F = 63
|Apr low F = 67
|May low F = 72
|Jun low F = 75
|Jul low F = 76
|Aug low F = 75
|Sep low F = 75
|Oct low F = 71
|Nov low F = 66
|Dec low F = 61
|year low F = 68
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain inch = 2.78
|Feb rain inch = 2.85
|Mar rain inch = 3.00
|Apr rain inch = 3.40
|May rain inch = 5.73
|Jun rain inch = 7.31
|Jul rain inch = 5.94
|Aug rain inch = 6.91
|Sep rain inch = 7.01
|Oct rain inch = 5.73
|Nov rain inch = 4.24
|Dec rain inch = 2.46
|year rain inch = 57.27
|source 1 =''[[The Weather Channel]]''<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USFL0040?from=36hr_bottomnav_business |title=Average weather for Boca Raton |access-date= October 20, 2013 |publisher=The Weather Channel |date=May 2011}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1930 = 447
| 1940 = 723
| 1950 = 992
| 1960 = 6961
| 1970 = 28506
| 1980 = 49505
| 1990 = 61492
| 2000 = 74764
| 2010 = 84392
| 2020 = 97422
| estimate = 102238
| estref = <ref name="Boca Raton city, Florida">{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Boca Raton city, Florida |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bocaratoncityflorida/PST045224 |access-date=June 9, 2025 |website=U.S. Census QuickFacts}}</ref>
| estyear = 2024
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="Census">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/ |website=U.S. Census Bureau }}</ref><br>[https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bocaratoncityflorida/PST045224 QuickFacts]
1930–1970<ref name="HistoricalCensus1890to1970">{{cite web |title=Census Counts: 1890-2020 |url=http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/local-government/data/data-a-to-z/FLmunicipalcensus.xls |website=Florida Municipal Population Census Counts: 1890 to 2020 |publisher=Office of Economic and Demographic Research, The Florida Legislature |access-date=12 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404171529/http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/local-government/data/data-a-to-z/FLmunicipalcensus.xls |archive-date=4 April 2022 |date=2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> 1980<ref name="1980Census1">{{cite web |title=General Population Characteristics FLORIDA 1980 Census of Population |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_flABCs1-02.pdf |website=07553445v1chA-Cpt11sec1ch002.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref> 1990<ref name="1990Census1">{{cite web |title=1990 Census of Population General Population Characteristics Florida Section 1 of 2 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-11-1.pdf |website=Florida: 1990, Part 1 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref><br>2000<ref name="2000CensusPopulationByRace">{{cite web |title=PL002: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=PL002&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALPL2000.PL002 |website=PL002 &#124; HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE [73] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref> 2010<ref name="2010CensusPopulationByRace">{{cite web |title=P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P2&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |website=P2 &#124; HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace" /> 2024<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Boca Raton city, Florida |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bocaratoncityflorida/PST045224 |website=U.S. Census QuickFacts}}</ref>
}}
Boca Raton and other parts of [[Palm Beach County]] have a significant Jewish population.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Doris |first1=Tony |title=Study: County's Jewish population gets younger, bigger |journal=The Palm Beach Post |date=April 18, 2019 |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2019/04/18/new-demographic-study-reveals-palm-beach-countys-jewish-community-bucks-national-trend/5401637007/ |access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref> Certain areas outside of Boca Raton city limits, such as the [[Sandalfoot Cove, Florida|Sandalfoot Cove]] community, have significant populations of Brazilian<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bustos |first1=Sergio |title=SOUTH FLORIDA BECOMES HAVEN FOR BRAZILIANS |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1995-02-12-9502110310-story.html |access-date=11 January 2022 |work=Sun Sentinel |language=en}}</ref> and other Latino immigrants.

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!Historical demographics
!style="width: 5em;"|2020<ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace" />
!style="width: 5em;"|2010<ref name="2010CensusPopulationByRace" />
!style="width: 5em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusPopulationByRace" />
!style="width: 5em;"|1990<ref name="1990Census1" />
!style="width: 5em;"|1980<ref name="1980Census1" />
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Non-Hispanic whites|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|70.8%
|79.1%
|84.2%
|89.7%
|92.8%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|15.2%
|11.9%
|8.5%
|5.6%
|4.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[African American|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|5.3%
|5.0%
|3.6%
|2.8%
|1.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Asian American]] (non-Hispanic)
|3.3%
|2.4%
|2.0%
|1.9%
|rowspan="3"|0.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] (non-Hispanic)
|0.1%
|0.1%
|0.1%
|0.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Other races (U.S. Census)|Some other race]] (non-Hispanic)
|0.9%
|0.3%
|0.2%
|< 0.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] (non-Hispanic)
|4.5%
|1.1%
|1.3%
|N/A
|N/A
|-
!style="text-align:left"|Population
!style="text-align:right"|97,422
!style="text-align:right"|84,392
!style="text-align:right"|74,764
!style="text-align:right"|61,492
!style="text-align:right"|49,505
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!Demographic characteristics
!style="width: 7em;"|2020<ref name="2020CensusHouseholds">{{cite web |title=H1 &#124; OCCUPANCY STATUS |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=H1&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.H1 |website=H1: OCCUPANCY STATUS - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2020CensusSexByAge">{{cite web |title=P12 &#124; SEX BY AGE FOR SELECTED AGE CATEGORIES |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P12&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALDHC2020.P12 |website=P12: SEX BY AGE FOR SELECTED ... - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=27 May 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2020CensusMedianAge">{{cite web |title=P13 &#124; MEDIAN AGE BY SEX |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P13&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALDHC2020.P13 |website=P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=27 May 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 7em;"|2010<ref name="2010CensusHouseholds">{{cite web |title=H1 &#124; OCCUPANCY STATUS |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=H1&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.H1 |website=H1: OCCUPANCY STATUS - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2010CensusSexByAge">{{cite web |title=P12 &#124; SEX BY AGE |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P12&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P12 |website=P12: SEX BY AGE - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2010CensusMedianAge">{{cite web |title=P13 &#124; MEDIAN AGE BY SEX |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P13&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P13 |website=P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 7em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusHouseholds">{{cite web |title=H003 &#124; OCCUPANCY STATUS [3] |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=H003&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.H003 |website=H003: OCCUPANCY STATUS [3] - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2000CensusSexByAge">{{cite web |title=P012 &#124; SEX BY AGE [49] |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P012&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P012 |website=P012: SEX BY AGE [49] - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2000CensusMedianAge">{{cite web |title=P013 &#124; MEDIAN AGE BY SEX [3] |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P013&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P013 |website=P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX [3] - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=20 March 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 7em;"|1990
!style="width: 7em;"|1980
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Households
|48,728
|44,539
|37,547
|26,297
|20,247
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Persons per household
|2.00
|1.89
|2.04
|2.34
|2.45
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Sex Ratio|Sex ratio measured in number of males per 100 females}}
|93.3
|95.7
|95.1
|92.3
|91.0
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Ages 0–17
|16.1%
|17.2%
|18.4%
|17.2%
|18.7%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Ages 18–64
|60.8%
|61.9%
|62.3%
|61.3%
|57.6%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Ages 65 +
|23.1%
|21.0%
|19.3%
|21.5%
|23.7%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Median age
|45.4
|45.4
|42.9
|41.1
|42.0
|-
!style="text-align:left"|Population
!style="text-align:right"|97,422
!style="text-align:right"|84,392
!style="text-align:right"|74,764
!style="text-align:right"|61,492
!style="text-align:right"|49,505
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!colspan="4"|Economic indicators
|-
!style="width: 14em;"|2017–21 [[American Community Survey]]
!style="width: 7em;"|Boca Raton
!style="width: 7em;"|Palm Beach County
!style="width: 7em;"|Florida
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Median income|Median income in 2021 inflation-adjusted dollars}}<ref name="ACSPersonalIncome">{{cite web |title=S2001: EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S2001&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099_160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S2001 |website=S2001 &#124; EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2021 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref>
|$46,033
|$36,431
|$34,367
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Median household income|Median household income in 2021 inflation-adjusted dollars}}<ref name="ACSHouseholdIncome">{{cite web |title=S1901: INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1901&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099_160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S1901 |website=S1901 &#124; INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2021 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref>
|$89,776
|$68,874
|$61,777
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Poverty Rate<ref name="ACSPoverty">{{cite web |title=S1701: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1701&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099_160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S1701 |website=S1701 &#124; POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref>
|9.2%
|11.6%
|13.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|High school diploma|Percentage of the population aged 25+ with a high school diploma or higher}}<ref name="ACSEducationalAttainment">{{cite web |title=S1501: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1501&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099_160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S1501 |website=S1501 &#124; EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref>
|95.9%
|89.1%
|89.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Bachelor's degree|Percentage of the population aged 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher}}<ref name="ACSEducationalAttainment" />
|58.3%
|38.0%
|31.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Advanced degree|Percentage of the population aged 25+ with an advanced degree}}<ref name="ACSEducationalAttainment" />
|23.1%
|15.0%
|11.7%
|}
Boca Raton is known for its affluent and educated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/fl/boca-raton/|title=Boca Raton FL Real Estate Information – NeighborhoodScout|access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> social community. According to ''[[Forbes]]'', Boca Raton has three of the ten most expensive [[gated community|gated communities]] in the U.S. The Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club holds the #1 spot, The Sanctuary takes #6, and Le Lac takes the #8 spot.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.forbes.com/realestate/2004/11/19/cx_sc_1119home.html | work=Forbes | title=Most Expensive Gated Communities In America 2004 | access-date=August 24, 2017 | archive-date=January 25, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125061006/http://www.forbes.com/realestate/2004/11/19/cx_sc_1119home.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!style="width: 20em;"|Language spoken at home{{efn|name=languages|Language spoken at home among residents at least five years old; only languages (or language groups) which at least 2% of residents have spoken at any time since 1980 are mentioned}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2015{{efn|name=ACS2015Language|Refers to 2013–2017 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2015Language">{{cite web |title=C16001: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME FOR ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=C16001&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.C16001&moe=true |website=C16001 &#124; LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where language data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2010{{efn|name=ACS2010Language|Refers to 2008–2012 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2010Language">{{cite web |title=B16001: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B16001&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSDT5Y2012.B16001&moe=true |website=B16001 &#124; LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where language data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusLanguage">{{cite web |title=PCT010: AGE BY LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=PCT010&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF32000.PCT010 |website=PCT010 &#124; AGE BY LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER [83] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 5em;"|1990<ref name="1990Census2">{{cite web |title=1990 Census of Population General Social and Economic Characteristics Florida Section 1 of 3 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-2/cp-2-11-1.pdf |website=Florida: 1990, Part 1 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref>
!style="width: 5em;"|1980<ref name="1980Census3">{{cite web |title=General Social and Economic Characteristics FLORIDA 1980 Census of Population |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_flABCs1-09.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[English language|English]] only
|75.0%
|77.4%
|79.2%
|84.4%
|90.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Spanish language|Spanish]] or [[Spanish Creole]]
|10.9%
|10.9%
|9.2%
|6.0%
|4.2%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[French language|French]] or [[Haitian Creole]]
|2.3%
|2.2%
|2.7%
|1.7%
|0.6%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Other Languages
|11.8%
|9.5%
|8.9%
|7.9%
|5.2%
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!style="width: 20em;"|Nativity
!style="width: 5em;"|2015{{efn|name=ACS2015Nativity|Refers to 2013–2017 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2015ForeignBorn1">{{cite web |title=B05001: NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05001&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.B05001&moe=true |website=B05001 &#124; NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="ACS2015ForeignBorn">{{cite web |title=B05006: PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05006&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.B05006&moe=true |website=B05006 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where foreign-born population data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2010{{efn|name=ACS2010Nativity|Refers to 2008–2012 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2010Nativity">{{cite web |title=B05001: NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05001&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSDT5Y2012.B05001&moe=true |website=B05001 &#124; NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="ACS2010ForeignBorn">{{cite web |title=B05006: PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05006&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=ACSDT5Y2012.B05006&moe=true |website=B05006 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where foreign-born population data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusNativity">{{cite web |title=P021: PLACE OF BIRTH BY CITIZENSHIP ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P021&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF32000.P021 |website=P021 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH BY CITIZENSHIP STATUS [15] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2000CensusForeignBorn">{{cite web |title=PCT019: PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=PCT019&g=160XX00US1207300&tid=DECENNIALSF32000.PCT019 |website=PCT019 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION [126] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 5em;"|1990<ref name="1990Census3">{{cite web |title=1990 Census of Population General Social and Economic Characteristics Florida Section 2 of 3 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-2/cp-2-11-2.pdf |website=Florida: 1990, Part 2 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="1990Census2" />
!style="width: 5em;"|1980<ref name="1980Census3" />
|-
|style="text-align:left"|'''% population [[Natural-born-citizen clause (United States)|native-born]]'''
|'''78.9%'''
|'''81.2%'''
|'''82.0%'''
|'''86.7%'''
|'''89.9%'''
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in the [[United States]]
|76.8%
|79.7%
|80.4%
|85.2%
|89.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Puerto Rico]] or [[Territories of the United States|Island Areas]]
|0.5%
|0.3%
|0.5%
|0.4%
|rowspan="2"|0.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born to [[Jus sanguinis|American parents abroad]]
|1.6%
|1.2%
|1.1%
|1.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|'''% population [[Immigration to the United States|foreign-born]]{{efn|name=foreignborn|Only countries of birth which at least 2% of residents were born in at any time since 1980 are mentioned; no countries meet this criterion for the city of Boca Raton so none of them are mentioned}}'''
|'''21.1%'''
|'''18.8%'''
|'''18.0%'''
|'''13.3%'''
|'''10.1%'''
|}

==Culture and attractions==

===Festivals and events===
The [[Boca Raton Bowl]] is a [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) sanctioned [[Division I (NCAA)|Division I]] [[college football]] [[bowl game]]<ref name="datetime">{{cite web |url=http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2014/05/dates_and_times_set_for_inaugu.html |title=Dates and times set for inaugural MAC football-affiliated Boca Raton Bowl, Bahamas Bowl |last=Drew |first=David |date=May 14, 2014 |publisher=mlive.com |access-date=May 14, 2014}}</ref> that features the [[Mid-American Conference]] (MAC) facing off against an opponent from the [[American Athletic Conference]] (AAC) or [[Conference USA]] (C-USA) in alternating years. Each conference participates four times during the six-year agreement, which began with the 2014 season. The Bowl is held at [[FAU Stadium]].

St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton hosts a popular Greek festival during the last weekend of January. An estimated 15,000 people attended the festival in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebocavoice.com/bocas-greek-festival-opens-thursday/|title=Boca's huge Greek Festival opens Thursday|last=Shatzman|first=Marci|date=January 21, 2019|website=Boca Voice|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027124541/http://www.thebocavoice.com/bocas-greek-festival-opens-thursday/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Additionally, the city hosts the "[https://web.archive.org/web/20180122223549/https://www.festivaloftheartsboca.org/ Festival of the Arts BOCA]" annually during the spring, and the Brazilian Beat Festival in the fall.

===Mizner Park===
[[File:Mizner Park Boca June 2010 Museum.jpg|thumb|right|[[Boca Raton Museum of Art]]]]
[[Mizner Park]] is a [[lifestyle center (retail)|lifestyle center]] in downtown Boca Raton. The area contains several stores and fashion boutiques, restaurants, an iPic movie theater, and housing. The Center for the Arts at Mizner Park is on the development's north end, which includes the [[Boca Raton Museum of Art]] and the Count de Hoernele Amphitheater. Royal Palm Place is adjacent to Mizner Park, and it contains upscale shopping, restaurants, and apartments.<ref>{{cite web|title=Royal Palm Place in Boca Raton, FL|url=https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/listing.a0t40000007qsRqAAI.html|access-date=2020-06-09|website=Visit Florida|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Chokey|first=Aric|title=Nearly 300 apartments planned for Royal Palm Place in downtown Boca|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-pn-boca-royal-palm-place-20170803-story.html|access-date=2020-06-09|website=sun-sentinel.com|date=August 8, 2017 }}</ref>

===Town Center Mall===
[[Town Center at Boca Raton]] is an upscale [[shopping mall|super-regional shopping center]] in Boca Raton that is the largest enclosed and conventional shopping mall within Palm Beach County, and the third largest by square feet in [[South Florida metropolitan area|South Florida]], behind [[Sawgrass Mills]] and [[Aventura Mall]].

In 1999, the [[Simon Property Group]] bought Town Center at Boca Raton and began building a new wing on its southeastern side, and completed renovations in 2018.

Seritage Growth Properties plans to build a [[lifestyle center]] called The Collection at Boca Town Center which will provide shopping, dining, and entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|title=What Will Take Over the Sears Space at Town Center Mall in Boca Raton?|url=https://www.bocamag.com/boca-mall-sears/|last=Randy Schultz|date=2020-03-05|website=Boca Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605023514/https://www.bocamag.com/boca-mall-sears/|archive-date=June 5, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Crocker Partners will build a Restaurant Row near the mall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Restaurant Row gets a go|url=http://www.thebocavoice.com/restaurant-row-council-approval/|date=2020-01-14|website=Boca Voice|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605023603/http://www.thebocavoice.com/restaurant-row-council-approval/|archive-date=June 5, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Beaches and parks===
[[File:Beach in Boca Raton Florida.jpg|thumb|upright|Beach entrance in Boca Raton]]
Boca Raton's eastern coast has two miles of beaches, notably Red Reef Park<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/rec/parks/redreef.shtm|title=Recreation Services Home|access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> and South Inlet Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/parks/locations/southinlet.htm#.USlWtTdrRqM|title=South Inlet Park|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512145234/http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/parks/locations/southinlet.htm#.USlWtTdrRqM|archive-date=May 12, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Red Reef Park|url=http://sinkfloridasink.com/south-florida-dive-sites/south-florida-beach-dives/red-reef-park-boca-raton-snorkeling-beach-dive-site/|work=Sink, Florida, Sink!|access-date=February 28, 2013|archive-date=May 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517144305/http://sinkfloridasink.com/south-florida-dive-sites/south-florida-beach-dives/red-reef-park-boca-raton-snorkeling-beach-dive-site/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=South Inlet Park|url=http://sinkfloridasink.com/south-florida-dive-sites/south-florida-beach-dives/south-inlet-park-boca-raton-snorkeling-beach-dive-site/|work=Sink, Florida, Sink!|access-date=February 28, 2013|archive-date=April 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130407020229/http://sinkfloridasink.com/south-florida-dive-sites/south-florida-beach-dives/south-inlet-park-boca-raton-snorkeling-beach-dive-site/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The beach at Spanish River Park was awarded the international [[Blue Flag beach]] award, an annual award recognizing high-quality beaches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boca Raton's Spanish River Park Awarded Prestigious Blue Flag Beach Award |url=https://myboca.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1604 |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=Boca Raton, FL |language=en}}</ref>

Red Reef Park has the [[Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex]], an environmental education center. Founded in 1984, Gumbo Limbo is a cooperative project of the City of Boca Raton, Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, Florida Atlantic University, and Friends of Gumbo Limbo.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gumbo Limbo|url=http://www.gumbolimbo.org/about-us|access-date=May 11, 2014|archive-date=August 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801163146/http://www.gumbolimbo.org/about-us|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Sugar Sand Park]] is a municipal park in Boca Raton. It contains the Children's Science Explorium.

===Other===
[[File:Aiken-house-boca.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Fred C. Aiken House]] is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].]]
Old Floresta Historic District has several historic houses listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

Boca Raton is home to the Wick Theatre & Costume Museum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thewick.org/|title=The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum -|last=cwdev|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Office Depot Corporate Headquarters.jpg|thumb|right|Office Depot's corporate headquarters]]
[[Office Depot]], a supplier of office products and services, has its global headquarters on a 28-acre campus in the city.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120710210754/http://mediarelations.officedepot.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=140162&p=irol-newsarticle&id=933195&highlight= Office Depot Press Release.]</ref> The [[GEO Group]], also has its headquarters in Boca Raton based out of One Park Place.<ref>"[http://www.thegeogroupinc.com/contact.asp Contact Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130063300/http://thegeogroupinc.com/contact.asp |date=November 30, 2010 }}." [[GEO Group]]. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.</ref> Media company [[Friend Finder Networks]],  e-retailer [[Vitacost]], [[YACHTICO]], and [[Celsius Holdings]] are also headquartered in the city.

===Top employers===
{{As of|2024}}, the top employers in the city were:<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the City of Boca Raton, Florida |url=https://www.myboca.us/DocumentCenter/View/38056/2024-Annual-Report-PDF |website=City of Boca Raton |access-date=2 June 2025}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank
! Employer
! Number of employees
|-
|1
|[[Florida Atlantic University]]
|6,335
|-
|2
|[[Boca Raton Regional Hospital|Baptist Health Hospital]]
|3,135
|-
|3
|[[Office Depot]] (Headquarters)
|2,000 
|-
|4
|City of Boca Raton
|1,810
|-
|5
|[[National Council on Compensation Insurance]]
|800
|-
|6
|[[Tyco International|Johnson Controls / Tyco]]
|741
|-
|7
|[[IBM]]
|600
|-
|8
|[[ADT Inc.|ADT Security Services]] (Headquarters)
|500
|-
|9
|[[US Foods]]
|374
|-
|10
|[[Newell Brands]]
|350
|}

==Education==
===Public schools===
Public education is provided and managed by [[The School District of Palm Beach County]], the thirteenth-largest public school district in the United States. Boca Raton is also home to several notable private and religious schools.

[[File:BocaRatonHS1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Boca Raton High School]]]]
As of 2007, Boca Raton was served by four public high schools. Within the city's limits, [[Boca Raton High School|Boca Raton Community High School]] serves the eastern part of the city. [[Spanish River Community High School]] serves the west-central part of the city limits and parts of unincorporated Boca Raton. [[Olympic Heights Community High School]] and [[West Boca Raton Community High School]] serve the western unincorporated areas. Spanish River, Olympic Heights, and West Boca Raton also serve students from [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]] and [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]].<ref>[http://cms.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/cms/document_display.cfm?document_id=1073 School District of Palm Beach County – High School Boundary Maps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226125221/http://cms.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/cms/document_display.cfm?document_id=1073 |date=February 26, 2008 }} – Accessed December 17, 2007</ref>

The area is served by five public middle schools. [[Don Estridge High Tech Middle School]] is a technology magnet school named for Don Estridge, the leader of a small group of engineers who developed the IBM Personal Computer in Boca Raton. The other four public middle schools are Boca Raton Community Middle School, Eagles Landing Middle School, [[Loggers' Run Community Middle School]], and Omni Middle School.

The area is served by thirteen public elementary schools:
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* Addison Mizner Elementary
* Blue Lake Elementary
* Boca Raton Elementary
* Calusa Elementary
* Coral Sunset Elementary
* Del Prado Elementary
* Hammock Pointe Elementary
* J.C. Mitchell Elementary
* Sandpiper Shores Elementary
* Sunrise Park Elementary
* Verde K-8
* Waters Edge Elementary
* Whispering Pines Elementary
}}

===Alternative schooling===

Two alternatives to the Palm Beach County Public Schools in Boca Raton are the K–8 Alexander D. Henderson University School and [[Florida Atlantic University High School|FAU High School]]. Both are on the Florida Atlantic University campus and are organized as a unique and separate school district; they are not part of the Palm Beach County School System. Henderson School is recognized as Florida Atlantic University School District #72, under the College of Education's administrative oversight.

University schools in Florida are authorized to provide instruction for grades K–12 and university students, support university research efforts, and test educational reforms for Florida schools. Both ADHUS and FAUHS are public schools and thus do not charge tuition. And they are open to children who reside in Palm Beach County or [[Broward County]]. ADHUS admission is by lottery, while FAUHS admission is determined by academic ability. Student characteristics of gender, race, family income and student ability are used to match the student population profile to that of the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adhus.fau.edu|title=Alexander D. Henderson University School-Florida Center for Environmental Studies|access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref>

FAU High School is a dual-enrollment program that involves itself primarily in collegiate classes. Students in ninth grade take advanced classes at the ADHUS sister campus, while students in higher grades attend only collegiate classes on Florida Atlantic University's campus, earning dual credit for both high school and college. A student who has successfully completed all four years at FAU High School will graduate having completed three years of university study on a college campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fauhigh.fau.edu/aboutus/|title=Florida Atlantic University High School – About FAU High School|access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref>

===Private schools===
[[File:PJPII High School Sept. 2009 017.jpg|thumb|right|[[Saint John Paul II Academy]] is a [[Catholic school]] located in Boca Raton.]]Private schools in Boca Raton accelerated in demand in the early 2020s as Wall Street moved many employees and offices to the South Florida area.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-10 |title=Wall Street's Move South Crowds Florida's Elite Private Schools |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-10/wall-street-moves-south-goldman-blackstone-crowd-florida-elite-private-schools |access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[American Heritage School (Florida)|American Heritage School]]
* Advent Lutheran School<ref>{{cite web |title= Advent Lutheran School|url=https://adventschoolboca.org/}}</ref>
* Boca Prep International School<ref>{{cite web |title = Boca Prep International School | url=http://www.bocaprep.net/ }}</ref>
* Boca Raton Christian School
* Boca School for Autism
* [[Donna Klein Jewish Academy]]
* Grandview Preparatory School<ref>{{cite web |title=Grandview Preparatory School |url=http://www.grandviewprep.net/aboutus.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229030011/http://www.grandviewprep.net/aboutus.htm |archive-date=February 29, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Harid Conservatory]]
* Katz Hillel Day School
* [[Katz Yeshiva High School|Katz Yeshiva High School of Boca Raton]]
* [[Pine Crest School]]
* [[Saint Andrew's School (Boca Raton, Florida)|Saint Andrew's School]]
* Saint Joan of Arc Catholic School and Church<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church & School |url=https://stjoan.org/wp/school/}}</ref>
* Saint John Paul II Academy
* Saint Jude Catholic School and Parish<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Jude Catholic School |url=https://www.saintjudeschool.org/}}</ref>
* Saint Paul Lutheran School<ref>{{cite web |title= Saint Paul Lutheran School|url=https://stpaulbocaschool.com/}}</ref>
* Spanish River Christian<ref>{{cite web |title=Spanish River Christian |url=https://www.spanishriverchristianschool.com/}}</ref>
* Torah Academy of Boca Raton <ref>{{cite web |title= Torah Academy of Boca Raton |url=https://torahacademybr.org/}}</ref>
}}

===Higher education===
[[Florida Atlantic University]] (FAU), founded in 1961, held its first classes in Boca Raton in 1964. FAU is a member of the [[State University System of Florida]] and is the largest university in Boca Raton. It has over 29,000 students, 3,555 of which are residential students, and a Division I athletics program. In recognition of the rapid growth of Boca Raton's universities, in particular FAU, the city of Boca Raton has recently been referred to as a "burgeoning college town".<ref>[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-11-14/news/fl-boca-college-town-20111104_1_president-mary-jane-saunders-fau-college-town Boca Raton: A burgeoning college town prepares for change – Sun Sentinel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528030942/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-11-14/news/fl-boca-college-town-20111104_1_president-mary-jane-saunders-fau-college-town |date=May 28, 2013 }}. Articles.sun-sentinel.com (December 27, 1992). Retrieved on 2013-08-16.</ref>

[[Lynn University]] is a four-year co-educational institution renamed to honor the Lynn (Eugene & Christine) family who continue to be benefactors of the university; its [[Digital Media Arts College]], founded in 2001, offers bachelor's and master's degrees in [[computer animation]] and graphic design.

[[Palm Beach State College]] has its Boca Raton campus adjacent to Florida Atlantic University since 1983. When it was opened, it was named Palm Beach Junior College. In 1988 it changed its name to Palm Beach Community College, and in 2009, to Palm Beach State College.<ref>Palm Beach State College, Palm Beach State History, History – Timeline, {{cite web |url=http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/history/date-timeline.aspx |title=Palm Beach State - History - Date Timeline |access-date=2015-08-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909203012/http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/history/date-timeline.aspx |archive-date=September 9, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}, retrieved August 17, 2015.</ref>

[[Everglades University]] has its main campus in Boca Raton.

===Libraries and newspaper===
The [[Boca Raton Public Library]] serves city of Boca Raton residents. The Glades Road Branch Library and the West Boca Branch Library of the [[Palm Beach County Library System]] additionally serve Boca Raton residents who live outside the city limits in [[West Boca Raton]]. County library card holders may use any of the sixteen branches in the Palm Beach County Library System and have access to many databases and downloadable e-books and audio books.

The ''[[Sun-Sentinel]]'' newspaper delivers local news to the area. Previously, the ''[[Boca Raton News]]'' was a local newspaper for the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Newspapers {{!}} Boca Raton Historical Society |url=https://www.bocahistory.org/newspapers |website=www.bocahistory.org |access-date=23 June 2023}}</ref>

== Politics ==
[[File:Boca Raton FL Old City Hall museum06.jpg|thumb|right|Boca Raton old [[Boca Raton Old City Hall|Town Hall]], built in 1927<ref name="County: Palm Beach" />]]

{{hidden begin|title=List of mayors of Boca Raton, Florida|titlestyle=background:#F8F8FF;width:60%}}
* George Long, 1924–1925<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayors of Boca Raton |url=http://www.bocahistory.org/boca-raton-mayors/ |publisher=Boca Raton Historical Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115085632/http://www.bocahistory.org/boca-raton-mayors/ |archive-date= November 15, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* John Brown, 1925–1929
* Fred Aiken, 1929–1938
* Joe Mitchell, 1938–1950
* Bill O'Donnell, 1950–1951
* Louie Zimmerman, 1951–1952
* Bill Day, 1952–1953, 1954–1954
* Harold Turner, 1953–1954, 1954–1955
* Bill Herbold, 1955–1956
* Roy Shores, 1956–1958
* Hal Dane, 1958–1959
* Joe Delong, 1959–1960, 1963–1964
* Courtney Boone, 1960–1961
* Leo Fox, 1961–1962
* John Brandt, 1962–1963
* Harold Maull, 1964–1965, 1968–1969
* Pat Honchell, 1966–1967
* Nardy Turner, 1967–1968
* Emil Danciu, 1969–1970, 1987–1993
* Tore Wallin, 1970–1971
* Norm Wymbs, 1971
* Bill Miller, 1971–1972
* Byrd Marshall, 1972–1973, 1975–1976, 1978
* Al Alford, 1973–1974
* Dick Houpana, 1974–1975, 1977
* Byrd Marshall, 1972–1973, 1975–1976, 1978
* [[Dorothy Wilken]], 1976–1977
* Jeff Milner, 1977–1981
* Bill Konrad, 1981–1987
* Bill Smith, 1993–1995
* [[Carol Hanson]], 1995–2001
* [[Steven L. Abrams]], 2001–2008
* [[Susan Whelchel]], 2008–2014
* Susan Haynie, 2014–2018<ref name="Sun-Sentinel"/><ref name="Marci Schatzman">{{cite web |url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-pn-boca-haynie-removed-04272018-story.html |title= Gov. Rick Scott suspends Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie |date= April 27, 2018 |publisher=Marci Schatzman |access-date= April 28, 2018 }}</ref>
* Scott Singer, 2018–present<ref name="Sun-Sentinel"/><ref name="Marci Schatzman"/>{{hidden end}}

The City of Boca Raton has a Council-Manager form of government.<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Boca Raton – A City for All Seasons |url=http://www.myboca.us |access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> The Mayor has been chosen through a [[direct election]] since 1978.<ref name="sunsentinel">{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Luis F. |date=February 12, 2008 |title=Boca may have next mayor by today |work=[[Sun Sentinel]] |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2008-02-12/news/0802120005_1_open-mayor-s-seat-election-baronoff |url-status=dead |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103062840/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2008-02-12/news/0802120005_1_open-mayor-s-seat-election-baronoff |archive-date=November 3, 2013}}</ref> The offices of the city council and the mayor are [[Non-partisan democracy|nonpartisan]].<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Boca Raton – City Government |url=https://www.myboca.us/765/Mayor-City-Council |access-date=July 19, 2017}}</ref> The previous mayor was Susan Haynie. On April 27, 2018, Governor [[Rick Scott]] suspended Susan Haynie due to felony and misdemeanor charges brought against her for corruption and bribery. (She would later plead guilty to two of the counts, avoiding jail time.) Scott Singer was appointed mayor and held that position on that basis until the August 28th special election; Singer was elected outright as mayor in that election.

As of January 2023, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Jared Moskowitz]] represents [[Florida's 23rd congressional district|Florida's 23rd Congressional district]], which includes the most northern point of Boca Raton and extends south through Palm Beach County. The district then continues into Broward County communities like Coral Springs, Parkland, and Margate, down to Fort Lauderdale.<ref>{{cite web |title=Florida's 22nd Congressional District |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Florida%27s_22nd_Congressional_District |access-date=2020-12-17 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Florida's 21st Congressional District |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Florida%27s_21st_Congressional_District |access-date=2020-12-17 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>

In the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Donald Trump]] won in Boca Raton by a plurality.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 23, 2017 |title=How Florida, Palm Beach County, and the City of Boca Raton Voted for President |url=http://www.bocaratontribune.com/bocaratonnews/2017/01/how-florida-palm-beach-county-and-the-city-of-boca-raton-voted-for-president/ |access-date=2019-09-17 |website=www.bocaratontribune.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wood |first=Jim |date=2020-12-16 |title=City of Boca Raton Presidential Election Vote Results 2020 vs 2016 |url=https://bocafirst.org/city-of-boca-raton-presidential-election-vote-results-2020-vs-2016/ |access-date=2020-12-17 |website=BocaFirst |language=en-US}}</ref> In the [[2024 United States presidential election]], Trump received 30,159 votes and Harris received 23,401 votes; 86% of eligible voters in Boca Raton participated.<ref>[https://bocafirst.org/city-of-boca-raton-2024-presidential-precinct-election-vote-results/ City of Boca Raton 2024 Presidential Precinct Election Vote Results] Jim Wood, November 24, 2024
</ref>

== Crime ==
The City of Boca Raton is one of the safest cities in Palm Beach County, with a crime rate 38% lower than the entire state of Florida.<ref>{{cite web|last=Comen|first=Samuel Stebbins and Evan|title=Safe cities: California, Texas are home to many of towns with lower violent crime rates|url=https://247wallst.com/special-report/2019/10/23/americas-safest-cities-3/|access-date=2020-06-09|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Life in Boca Raton: 15 Reasons Every Day in Boca Raton Is the Best Day Ever – Movoto|url=https://www.movoto.com/guide/boca-raton-fl/life-in-boca-raton-15-reasons-every-day-in-boca-raton-is-the-best-day-ever/|access-date=2020-06-09|website=Movoto Real Estate|language=en}}</ref>

Boca Raton has had connections to the [[American Mafia|Mafia]]. According to a number of US Federal indictments, as of June 2004, the [[Gambino crime family|Gambino family]] continues to operate in Boca Raton. The television show ''[[The Sopranos]]'' featured the city in its plot ("[[Boca (The Sopranos)|Boca]]" and "[[...To Save Us All From Satan's Power]]"), and ''Mafia Wife'' author Lynda Milito resides in Boca Raton. [[Joey Merlino]], the reputed head of the Philadelphia crime family, also resides in northern Boca Raton.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Julie K.|date=September 29, 2012|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article1943159.html|title=Joseph Merlino: The mobster next door|access-date=January 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bocaraton.com/index.aspx?pid=458|title=Mafia Wife Interview with Lynda Milita |website=Boca Raton|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819170338/http://www.bocaraton.com/index.aspx?pid=458 |archive-date=August 19, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://cbs4.com/entertainment/local_story_044082354.html|title=Married To The Mob: Mafia Wife To Sue HBO|website=cbs4.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927190839/http://cbs4.com/entertainment/local_story_044082354.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/20964/Lynda_Milito/index.aspx|title=author-details|author=World Archipelago|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206090805/http://harpercollins.com/authors/20964/Lynda_Milito/index.aspx|archive-date=February 6, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2007, several murders at the Town Center Mall gained national attention. In March, a 52-year-old woman was kidnapped and murdered. In December of the same year, a 47-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter were also kidnapped, and later found bound and shot in the head in the woman's SUV in the mall parking lot. This case was featured on ''[[America's Most Wanted]]''. Though there is no forensic evidence to suggest the murders were committed by the same person, the similarities in the cases led police to believe they were related. To this day, the murders all remain unsolved.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-boca-raton-town-center-murders-20150929-story.html|title=Killer in unsolved 2007 Boca slayings bought plastic ties, duct tape in Miami-Dade, officials say|last=Jacobson|first=Kate|work=Sun-Sentinel.com|access-date=2017-07-28|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/sfl-flpwanted0207pnfeb07-story.html|title=America's Most Wanted host: Serial killer at work in Boca|last=Fooksman|first=Leon|work=Sun-Sentinel.com|access-date=2017-07-28|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-investigates/have-the-murders-of-a-mother-and-daughter-shopping-at-a-boca-mall-gone-cold|title=Have the murders of a mother and daughter shopping at a Boca mall gone cold?|last=Angel|first=Greg|work=WPEC|access-date=2017-07-28|language=en-US|archive-date=January 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109031049/http://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-investigates/have-the-murders-of-a-mother-and-daughter-shopping-at-a-boca-mall-gone-cold|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/four-years-answers-boca-town-center-murders/aroX1llFr2YR7hOG6xMvqK/|title=Four years, no answers in Boca's Town Center murders|work=palmbeachpost|access-date=2017-07-28|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728140111/http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/four-years-answers-boca-town-center-murders/aroX1llFr2YR7hOG6xMvqK/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Pearl City neighborhood has been known as a [[drug trafficking]] hub in the past.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d-0PAAAAIBAJ&pg=4863,3300439&dq=dixie-manor+crack+boca|title=Boca Raton News – Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=2017-07-28}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In recent years, the city, like most of the county (especially neighboring Delray Beach) has experienced a steady rise in [[heroin]] and [[opioid]] overdoses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/heroin-linked-to-rising-drug-death-toll|title=Heroin linked to rising drug death toll|website=thecoastalstar.com|date=March 3, 2016|language=en|access-date=2017-07-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/heroin-related-deaths-skyrocket-palm-beach-county-leads-state/rTDc1PqMwTLx25nN3rVzpN/|title=Heroin-related deaths skyrocket as Palm Beach County leads state|work=palmbeachpost|access-date=2017-07-28|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728155435/http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/heroin-related-deaths-skyrocket-palm-beach-county-leads-state/rTDc1PqMwTLx25nN3rVzpN/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of the end of 2019, the crime rate in Boca Raton was down 26% over the preceding 13 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bocaratontribune.com/bocaratonnews/2019/11/boca-raton-police-chief-officially-retiring/|title=Boca Raton Police Chief Officially Retiring|website=www.bocaratontribune.com|date=November 7, 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-29}}</ref>

==Transportation==
{{see also|Transportation in South Florida}}

=== Air ===
[[File:Boca Raton Airport Photo D Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Boca Raton Airport]]]]The [[Boca Raton Airport]] (BCT) is a [[general aviation]] airport immediately adjacent to [[Florida Atlantic University]] and [[Interstate 95 in Florida|Interstate 95]]. It has a control tower which is staffed from 0700 to 2300. The Boca Raton Airport is publicly owned and governed by a seven-member Authority appointed by the City of Boca Raton and the [[Palm Beach County, Florida|Palm Beach County]] Commission. The airport is noted for a very high concentration of private jets and charter aviation, and the airspace surrounding the airport is in [[Class D airspace]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 Airports for Private Jets in Florida |url=https://www.aircharterserviceusa.com/about-us/news-features/blog/top-10-airports-for-private-jets-in-florida |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=www.aircharterserviceusa.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AOPA Airports |url=https://www.aopa.org/destinations/airports/bct/details |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=www.aopa.org}}</ref>

All three of the Miami area's major commercial airports serve Boca Raton, though the city is located about equidistantly between [[Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport]] and [[Palm Beach International Airport]]. Most commercial international flights to the region will pass through [[Miami International Airport]], which can be accessed via I-95 and [[Florida State Road 112|Florida State Route 112]] by road or by using Tri-Rail.

===Highways===
*[[Florida State Road A1A|State Road A1A]] is a north–south road lying between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.
*[[U.S. Route 1 in Florida|U.S. Highway 1]], locally known as "Federal Highway", is a north–south highway passing through the city's downtown, commercial, and industrial districts in the eastern part of the city.
*[[U.S. Route 441 in Florida|U.S. Highway 441]] (also known as [[Florida State Road 7|State Road 7]]) is a north–south highway passing through commercial and residential districts west of the city limits.
*[[Interstate 95 in Florida|I-95]] bisects the city from north to south with four interchanges serving Boca Raton.
*[[Florida's Turnpike]] is a north–south highway passing through unincorporated Boca Raton, forming part of the city limits in the north, with one interchange at Glades Road.
*[[Glades Road]] is an east–west road between US 441 and US 1.
* Other major east–west roads include Palmetto Park Road and [[Yamato Road]].
* Other major north–south roads include [[Military Trail (Florida)|Military Trail]] and [[Florida State Road 845|Jog Road / Powerline Road]] (Changes name on [[Glades Road]]).

===Bus===
* [[PalmTran]] provides local bus service in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbcgov.com/palmtran/maps_schedules/|title=Palm Tran Maps and Schedules|access-date=June 30, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704022606/http://www.pbcgov.com/palmtran/maps_schedules/|archive-date=July 4, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Rail===
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | image_style = border:none;
 | image1 = Boca Raton Tri-Rail Station.jpg
 | alt1 = Boca Raton Tri-Rail Station
 | caption1 = Boca Raton [[Tri-Rail]] station
 | image2 = Boca Raton Brightline train station 2022-12-28 02.jpg
 | alt2 = Boca Raton Brightline Station
 | caption2 = Boca Raton [[Brightline]] station
}}
:'''Passenger'''
*The [[Tri-Rail]] commuter rail system serves the city with its [[Boca Raton (Tri-Rail station)|Boca Raton station]] on the south side of Yamato Road just west of [[Interstate 95 in Florida|I-95]].
*[[Brightline]] has a [[Boca Raton station (Brightline)|station]] adjacent to the [[Boca Raton Public Library]]. It provides service to [[MiamiCentral|Miami]], [[Fort Lauderdale station (Brightline)|Fort Lauderdale]], [[West Palm Beach station (Brightline)|West Palm Beach]], and [[Aventura station|Aventura]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Baitinger |first=Brooke |title=Brightline station coming to Boca Raton by 2021 |date=December 11, 2019 |newspaper=South Florida Sun Sentinel |location=Boca Raton, Florida |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-ne-boca-brightline-game-changer-20191211-ciftkqv72rdffc63suhpjkt4te-story.html |access-date=December 29, 2019}}</ref> as well as [[Orlando International Airport Intermodal Terminal|Orlando]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Brightline/Virgin Trains gets approval to raise funds for Orlando extension|url=https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190409/brightlinevirgin-trains-gets-approval-to-raise-funds-for-orlando-extension/1|last=Tolliver|first=Laura Jazmin|website=The Florida Times-Union|language=en|access-date=2020-05-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lynch |first1=Ryan |title=Virgin Trains' Tampa-to-Orlando right of way negotiations extended again |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/12/27/virgin-trains-tampa-to-orlando-right-of-way.html |website=www.bizjournals.com |access-date=17 December 2020}}</ref>

:'''Freight'''
*Freight service operated by [[CSX Transportation]] and [[Florida East Coast Railway]] also serve the city.

===Water===
[[File:Lake Boca.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Lake Boca Raton]]
Long before any settlers arrived, the original 1870 government survey of the area<ref>[http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/SurveySearch/ Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123042359/http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/SurveySearch/ |date=January 23, 2011 }} Florida, Townships 46–48, Range 43</ref> showed that just west of and parallel to the [[Atlantic Ocean]]'s [[coastal dune]] was the "Boca Ratones Lagoon", which extended south for {{convert|9|mi|km|spell=in|sp=us}} measured from just north of the present location of Atlantic Avenue in [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]]. Along the southern half of the lagoon were three wide areas each called a "Lake", which are now named (north to south) Lake Rogers, Lake Wyman, and Lake Boca Raton. At the southeast end of the lagoon was a short protrusion toward the south which would become the Boca Raton Inlet after a sandbar at its mouth was removed.

The lagoon and lakes were part of a half-mile (0.8&nbsp;km) wide swamp, west of which was scrub land a mile (1.6&nbsp;km) wide (part of the [[Atlantic Coastal Ridge]]) where the [[Florida East Coast Railway]] (1896) and [[Dixie Highway]] (1923) were built. To the west of the scrub was a half mile or wider swamp within which flowed north to south the "Prong of Hillsborough River", which is now the El Rio Canal. It now forms the eastern border of [[Florida Atlantic University]] and the Old Floresta neighborhood. The prong entered the "Hillsborough River" at the present eastern end of the straight portion of the [[Hillsboro Canal]] (dredged 1911–1914), which is the southern city limits. The river flowed southeast in several channels along the western edge of the present Deerfield Island County Park, formerly called Capone Island (named for [[Al Capone]] who owned it during the 1930s), which did not become an island until the Royal Palm Canal was dredged along its northern edge in 1961.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.royalpalm.com/art/pdfs/10_03_04.pdf |title= The Mysterious "Capone Island": Deerfield Island Park |access-date= March 16, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061019173651/http://www.royalpalm.com/art/pdfs/10_03_04.pdf |archive-date= October 19, 2006 |url-status= dead }}&nbsp;{{small|(597KB)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bocahistory.org/pdf/span_river/SRP%20Winter%201986.pdf |title= Deerfield Island – Spanish River Papers |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080802025816/http://www.bocahistory.org/pdf/span_river/SRP%20Winter%201986.pdf |archive-date= August 2, 2008 |df= mdy-all }}&nbsp;{{small|(2.47MB)}}</ref> Flowing south from the lagoon to the river along the eastern edge of the 'island' was a "Small boat Pass into Hillsboro' River", also called the Little Hillsboro. The river continued due south about {{convert|4+1/2|mi|km|spell=in|sp=us}} just inland of the coastal dune until it emptied into the Atlantic Ocean at the "Hillsborough Bar", now the [[Hillsboro Inlet]].

The lagoon was dredged in 1894–1895 to form part of the Florida East Coast Canal with a minimum depth of {{convert|5|ft|m|sp=us}} and a minimum width of {{convert|50|ft|m|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.aicw.org/browardlegacy.pdf |title= A history of Florida's East Coast Canal: The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Jacksonville to Miami |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080509185248/http://www.aicw.org/browardlegacy.pdf |archive-date= May 9, 2008 |df= mdy-all}}&nbsp;{{small|(3.8 MB)}}</ref> After 1895, the lagoon and canal were sometimes called the Spanish River. Between 1930 and 1935 the canal was improved to {{convert|8|x|100|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} by the federal government and renamed the [[Intracoastal Waterway]]. It was improved again between 1960 and 1965 to {{convert|10|x|125|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref>Aubrey Parkman, ''[http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/misc/nws83-10/toc.htm History of the waterways of the Atlantic coast of the United States] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310153813/http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/misc/nws83-10/toc.htm|date=March 10, 2008}}'', National Waterways Study, 1983, p.87.</ref> All three versions were subject to [[shoal]]ing which reduced their depths below the specified minimum. Forming part of the northern city limits is the C-15 canal, connecting the El Rio Canal to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Boca Raton pioneered an innovative means to recycle wastewater that involves selling the recycled water to golf courses, to use for irrigation. This system is called the IRIS system. Instead of pumping the nutrient laden wastewater out to sea, or under the ground into an aquifer, the IRIS system prevents nutrients from ending up in the ocean, reducing Boca Raton's impact on the  problem of toxic algae blooms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pelish |first=Jason |date=2018-09-18 |title=The Solution to Toxic Algae is Already Happening in Boca Raton - 4Boca.com |url=https://www.4boca.com/the-solution-to-toxic-algae-boca-raton/ |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=www.4boca.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of people from Boca Raton]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
<!--arrange in chronological order-->
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |publisher= [[R. L. Polk & Co.]] |title= Florida State Gazetteer and Business Directory |year= 1918 |chapter= Bocaratone |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/rlpolkcosflorida01rlpo#page/n161/mode/2up }}
* {{citation |title = Spanish River Papers |publisher = Boca Raton Historical Society |url = http://www.bocahistory.org/spanish-river-papers/default.asp |access-date = August 25, 2017 |archive-date = August 25, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170825231517/http://www.bocahistory.org/spanish-river-papers/default.asp |url-status = dead }} 1973–
* {{cite journal |title=Boca Raton and the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s |author=Donald W. Curl |journal=Tequesta |volume=46 |issn=0363-3705 |publisher=Historical Association of Southern Florida |url=http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1986/86_1_02.pdf |via=Florida International University |year=1986 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412185956/http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1986/86_1_02.pdf |url-status=dead }} {{free access}}
* Curl, Donald W. and John P. Johnson. Boca Raton: A Pictorial History. Virginia Beach, VA: Donning Company, 1990.
* Sally J. Ling (2005). ''Small Town, Big Secrets: Inside the Boca Raton Army Air Field During World War II.'' History Press. {{ISBN|1-59629-006-4}}.
* {{cite book
|author = Paul T. Hellmann
|title = Historical Gazetteer of the United States
|year= 2006
|publisher=Taylor & Francis
|isbn=1-135-94859-3
|chapter= Florida: Boca Raton
|ref = {{harvid|Hellmann|2006}}
}}
* {{cite book |author1 = Susan Gillis |author2 = Boca Raton Historical Society |title = Boomtime Boca: Boca Raton in the 1920s |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8METlWXqqLMC |publisher = Arcadia |location = Charleston, SC |series = Images of America |isbn = 978-0-7385-4443-4 |year = 2007 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Boca Raton, Florida}}
{{wikivoyage|Boca Raton}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Boca Raton, Florida}}
{{South Florida metropolitan area}}
{{Greater Miami}}
{{Palm Beach County, Florida}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Boca Raton, Florida| ]]
[[Category:1895 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Academic enclaves]]
[[Category:Addison Mizner]]
[[Category:Beaches of Florida]]
[[Category:Beaches of Palm Beach County, Florida]]
[[Category:Cities in Florida]]
[[Category:Cities in Palm Beach County, Florida]]
[[Category:Jews and Judaism in Florida]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1895]]
[[Category:Planned communities in Florida]]