More information about Lantana, FL

Dating back to its origination in 1888, Lantana has been and continues to be a coastal fishing village and maintains the small town allure that comes with that identity. Located just 10 miles south of West Palm Beach, three miles south of Lake Worth, and 10 miles north of Delray Beach, this town is indeed a small fishing village with one beautiful municipal Atlantic Ocean Beach.

The History of Lantana

The M.B. Lyman family first arrived in the area in 1888 and started several businesses including a general store, a trading post for the Seminoles and the post office. It was named after the Lantana plants that were abundant in the area. In the early 1900s the leading industry was that of oysters. The town was incorporated in 1921 with a population of 100 residents. Much like all of South Florida, Lantana experienced a building boom after World War II. This continues today with a consistent surge of commercial development. Since 1950 the last state run sanitarium for patients with tuberculosis was in Lantana. It treated about 50 patients at a time. The facility was finally demolished in 2014. Lantana also had the largest decorated Christmas tree in the world from 1974 to 1988. The offices of the National Enquirer were in Lantana and shipped a huge tree from the Pacific Northwest. The tree would attract visitors every night and grew into a huge holiday event in South Florida until the National Enquirer was sold and the event cancelled.

The Lantana you will visit today

The small city today has a population of over 11,000 residents and continues with that small town charm. The town’s beach has 800 feet of shoreline and includes eight acres. A terrific beach for family time and maybe a sand castle or two. You will also find numerous boat docks and ramps, 12 beautiful city parks in which several are waterfront, a nature preserve and a wonderfully restored downtown. The downtown is peppered with small diners and boutiques and is a perfect place to be for breakfast, lunch or dinner if you want a waterside view.

Palm Beach County

Lantana is centrally located in the very popular coastal county with beautiful beach towns that are home to over 1.4 million residents. There is nothing you can’t find with just a quick drive north or south. The county coastline is 47 miles long. Any water activities that you can dream up; underwater with snorkeling and scuba diving, to swimming and boating, to deep sea fishing or Intercoastal fresh water fishing. There are amusement facilities for family outings or golf courses for a friendly challenge. How about a refreshing spa date. There is hiking, biking and bird watching in one of the many natural areas.

Each city has its own vibrant nightlife and prime shopping areas. Too many charming neighborhoods right on the water to even count. And a lot of rich history. Lantana is a quaint small town, family friendly, and a great place to enjoy the ocean breeze!