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Manalapan, Florida
Town of Manalapan
Official seal of Manalapan, Florida
Seal
Location of Manalapan, Florida
Location of Manalapan, Florida
Country  United States
State  Florida
County Flag of Palm Beach County, Florida.png Palm Beach
Incorporated 1931
Government
 • Type Commission-Manager
Area
 • Total 10.52 sq mi (27.25 km2)
 • Land 0.45 sq mi (1.16 km2)
 • Water 10.07 sq mi (26.09 km2)
Elevation
3 ft (1 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 419
 • Density 937.36/sq mi (361.76/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
33462
Area code(s) 561, 728
FIPS code 12-42700
GNIS feature ID 0286344

Manalapan is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 419 at the 2020 United States census.

History

United States President Benjamin Harrison granted George H. K. Carter a homestead in 1889 on the yet unnamed land. In 1931, the sparsely populated settlement was incorporated by Harold Stirling Vanderbilt as the "Town of Manalapan". A large share of the first settlers being natives of Manalapan, New Jersey caused the name to be selected.

One of the most puzzling mysteries in Florida history was the disappearance of Circuit Judge Curtis Chillingworth and his wife Marjorie, who left a friend's home on the night of June 14, 1955, en route to their oceanfront cottage in Manalapan. It was established five years later that the couple were murdered by hitmen hired by one of Curtis Chillingworth's fellow judges. The Chillingworths were thrown overboard from a boat into the ocean with lead weights strapped to their legs; their bodies were never recovered.

The U.S. presidential yacht Sequoia was auctioned at the La Coquille Club in Manalapan on May 18, 1977, during the Carter administration, for US$286,000 as a symbolic cutback in Federal Government spending (annual cost to the U.S. Navy was $800,000) and to reduce signs of an "imperial presidency".

A 22-acre property in Manalapan was purchased by Larry Ellison in 2022 for $173 million, making it the most expensive home sale in Florida history. The property spans A1A and is connected by a series of tunnels under the road.

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the Town of Manalapan is located at 26°34′15″N 80°2′40″W / 26.57083°N 80.04444°W / 26.57083; -80.04444.

Manalapan is a small beach side community. It is bordered on the north by the bridge, beach access road and beach for the Town of Lantana, Florida; on the west by the Lake Worth Lagoon; on the south by the South Lake Worth Inlet (known locally as "Boynton Inlet"); and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (81.48%) is water.

Climate

The Town of Manalapan has a tropical climate, similar to the climate found in much of the Caribbean. It is part of the only region in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw), bordering a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification: Am).

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1940 40
1950 54 35.0%
1960 62 14.8%
1970 205 230.6%
1980 329 60.5%
1990 312 −5.2%
2000 321 2.9%
2010 406 26.5%
2020 419 3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 and 2020 census

Manalapan racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 365 386 89.91% 92.12%
Black or African American (NH) 16 5 3.94% 1.19%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian (NH) 5 11 1.23% 2.63%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some other race (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) 1 1 0.25% 0.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19 16 4.68% 3.82%
Total 406 419

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 419 people, 162 households, and 105 families residing in the town.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 406 people, 152 households, and 104 families residing in the town.

Notable people

  • F. Lee Bailey, criminal defense attorney
  • Geoff Brabham, race car driver; IMSA GTP champion
  • Curtis Chillingworth, Circuit Judge, Palm Beach, Florida; murdered with his wife Marjorie in 1955
  • Larry Ellison, purchaser of the most expensive home in Florida for $173 million in 2022
  • Gloria Guinness, wife of Loel Guinness, Mexican socialite and fashion icon
  • Thomas "Loel" Guinness, member of the Guinness beer family who made his own fortune in banking and real estate
  • Don King, boxing promoter
  • Charles Peter McColough, former Xerox chairman and CEO; his family had an oceanfront estate in Manalapan for nearly 50 years
  • Generoso Pope, Jr., founded National Enquirer
  • Lois Pope, philanthropist/widow of Generoso Pope, Jr.
  • Hal Prewitt, past Town Commissioner, artist, photographer, race car driver, inventor of personal computer products and early pioneer in the personal computer revolution
  • Tony Robbins, self-help guru; relocated to Manalapan in 2013
  • Yanni, musician, lives in oceanfront home

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Manalapan para niños

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