Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2015 Census Bureau estimate, the town had a population of 62,707. It is one of the northernmost communities in the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people at the 2015 census. It was rated as the 9th Happiest Seaside Town in America by Coastal Living in 2012.
History
Jupiter Island, Florida -
The area where the town now sits was originally named for the Hobe Indian tribe which lived at the mouth of the Loxahatchee River, and whose name is also preserved in the name of nearby Hobe Sound. A mapmaker misunderstood the Spanish spelling "Jobe" of the Indian name "Hobe" and recorded it as "Jove". Subsequent mapmakers further misunderstood this to be the Latin translation of the god Jupiter, and they anglicized the name from the god Jupiter to "Jupiter". The Roman god Jupiter (or Zeus in the Greek mythology) is the chief Roman god, and god of light, of the sky and weather, and of the state and its welfare and its laws. Jupiter's consort was Juno, inspiring a neighboring town to name itself "Juno Beach".
The most notable landmark is the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, completed in 1860. Made of brick, it was painted red in 1910 to cover discoloration caused by humidity. Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 sandblasted the paint from the upper portion of the tower, and the tower was repainted using a potassium silicate mineral coating. The lighthouse is often used as the symbol for Jupiter.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.1 square miles (55Â km2), of which 20.0 square miles (52Â km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8Â km2) is water.
Jupiter has a Tropical savanna climate. Much of the year is warm to hot in Jupiter, and frost is extremely rare. As is typical in South Florida, there are two basic seasons in Jupiter, a mild and dry winter (November through April), and a hot and wet summer (May through October). Daily thundershowers are common in the hot season, though they are brief. The city of Jupiter is home to many [tropical] trees, and the town is known for its lush landscaping around private homes and public parks.
Demographics
As of 2010, there were 29,825 households out of which 19.8% were vacant. In 2000, 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% are married couples living together, 8.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% are non-families. 25.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 3.15
In 2000, the town's population consisted of 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.2 males.
In 2015, the median income for a household in the town is $54,945, and the median income for a family is $71,233. Males have a median income of $44,883 versus $33,514 for females. The per capita income for the town is $45,539. 4.8% of the population and 3.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 4.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
As of 2000, those who spoke only English at home accounted for 88.5% of all residents, while those who reported speaking Spanish were 7.2%, and Italian 1.7% of the population.
Education
The School District of Palm Beach County provides public education. Jupiter is also home to several private and religious schools.
Jupiter's population is served by two public high schools, Jupiter Community High School in Jupiter, and William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens.
Jupiter Christian School is a private school in the town.
Universities and Colleges
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Florida Atlantic University â€" John D. MacArthur campus
Public safety
Fire Rescue Department
Since 1984, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the citizens of the Town of Jupiter. There are three fire stations assigned to the town:
- Station 16 â€" Engine 16, Rescue 16 and Brush 16;
- Station 18 â€" Engine 18 and Rescue 18;
- Station 19 â€" Engine 19, Rescue 19, Special Operations 19, Brush 19 and 3 command vehicles.
Station 19 is the headquarters for Battalion 1, which covers Jupiter, Juno Beach, Lake Park and unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County such as Jupiter Farms and Palm Beach Country Estates.
Police Department
The Jupiter Police Department consists of 116 sworn officers and 30 civilian support staff personnel, and maintains its headquarters in Town Hall. Its operational divisions include Road Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Traffic, K-9, Marine, Beach Patrol, Crime Scene Investigation, SWAT and Hostage Negotiation. The department also has a volunteer Community Emergency Response Team, and sponsors a Police Explorer Post.
Notable people
The following list includes persons who were born in Jupiter, previously lived in Jupiter, or currently reside in Jupiter.
- Robert Allenby - Australian professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Tori Amos - singer-songwriter
- René Angélil - Canadian musical producer
- Rick Ankiel - professional Major League Baseball player
- Briny Baird - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Daniel Berger (born 1993) - professional PGA Tour golfer
- David O. Blanchard - atmospheric scientist and tornado expert
- Matt Bosher - professional football player
- Don Brewer - drummer, singer, original member of Grand Funk Railroad
- Shelby Chesnes - Playboy's Miss July 2012
- Ernie Els - South African professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Rickie Fowler - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Justin Thomas (golfer) - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Jeff Nelson (baseball)- professional pitcher in the MLB from 1992-2006
- Hermes Franca - Brazilian mixed martial artist and UFC fighter
- Drew Garrett - actor
- Brendan Grace - Irish comedian and entertainer
- Bryant Gumbel - television journalist
- Jack Hanna - zookeeper and animal expert
- Hugh Howey - writer
- Dustin Johnson - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- F. Ross Johnson - CEO of RJR Nabisco
- Michael Jordan - NBA basketball player, Hall of Famer, majority owner of Charlotte Hornets
- Brooks Koepka - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Debi Laszewski - IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Daryl Logullo - business executive and Ecommerce thought leader
- Jamie Lovemark - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Rory McIlroy - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Vincent Marotta - entrepreneur, co-developer of Mr. Coffee
- Will MacKenzie - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Shanna McLaughlin - Playboy model
- Jason Newsted - former bass player of Metallica.
- Bill Parcells - Hall of Fame pro football coach New York Giants, New England Patriots, and New York Jets
- Cody Parkey - kicker for NFL's Miami Dolphins, born in Jupiter
- Jesper Parnevik - Swedish professional golfer on the PGA Tour
- Kurt Pellegrino - UFC fighter
- Charles Nelson Reilly - actor and teacher, lived in house given to him by Burt Reynolds, who had previously lived in it with Sally Field
- Burt Reynolds - actor
- Wayne Rosenthal - MLB pitcher and coach
- Mike Schmidt - Hall of Fame major league baseball player
- Scott Sharp - 1996 IndyCar Series champion, competitor in American Le Mans Series.
- Dara Torres - five-time Olympic swimmer and gold medalist
- Charles Vanik - former Democratic congressman from Ohio
- Camilo Villegas - Colombian professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Brett Wetterich - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Michelle Wie - professional golfer on LPGA Tour
- Tiger Woods - professional golfer on PGA Tour
- Matt Holliday - professional baseball player
Points of interest
- Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.
- Jupiter is the home to the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals spring training facilities as well as one of their respective Class A Minor League Baseball affiliates, the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals. They share the use of the Roger Dean Stadium complex, located in Abacoa. Both minor league squads compete in the Florida State League.
- William P. Gwinn Airport is located in Jupiter.
- Jupiter is home to Florida Atlantic University's MacArthur Campus. This northern campus of FAU is also the location of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Palm Beach International Raceway a racing facility built in 1965, and was remodeled in 2008 in an attempt to obtain a FIA Grade II Certification. The Facility currently host several IHRA and NHRA sportsman events as well as an ARCA Remax Series Event.
- The Scripps Research Institute has opened a satellite campus adjacent to the MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter. Approximately 360 scientists and technical staff operate in a 350,000-square-foot (33,000Â m2) state of the art research facility. Scripps Florida focuses on the development of therapeutic opportunities in several disease areas.
- The Max Planck Society has also opened a facility on the FAU campus, the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, and is the Max Planck Society's first non-European research institute.
- Jupiter beaches, many of which are dog-friendly, draw many residents and visitors.
- LORAN-C transmitter Jupiter
- Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, a non-profit, educational based care facility for injured wild animals.
- The television program American Horror Story: Freak Show was set in Jupiter.
United States flag incident
In 1999, Jupiter resident George Andres wanted to display a United States flag in his front yard; however, the homeowners association had a bylaw prohibiting the display of a flagpole in the front lawn. Andres still displayed the flag, while the homeowners association went as far as foreclosing his home to cover legal fees after being in court at least twenty-eight times. Even after governor Jeb Bush visited his home along with members of the local and national media, the homeowners association refused to budge. Andres said, "Well, first they said that it was going to cost more to cut the grass around the pole, which is kind of funny. And then they told me that the flagpole was going to take away from the value of the property. And I said, well, then we should be able to take away all the trees around here, because they're the same as the pole. And my pole is a portable pole. And the state government says I can do it."
George Andres won and was allowed to display his flag in his front lawn with the use of a flagpole.
During the last week of July 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, allowing residents to display the flag on their residential property despite any homeowners association rules.
Media
In 2014, American Television Show American Horror Story premiered its fourth season titled 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' set in 1950's Jupiter, Florida.
See also
- North Palm Beach Heights
- Abacoa
References
External links
- Jupiter official website
- Jupiter, Florida at Curlie (based on DMOZ)