The Acreage, Florida

The Acreage is a roughly-defined community located in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located in the areas west and northwest of Royal Palm Beach, Florida and approximately 11 miles west of West Palm Beach. Some parts of The Acreage are also located within Loxahatchee. It was originally developed by Samuel Friedland and his development company, Royal Palm Beach Colony, Inc. The area was originally called Royal Palm Beach Colony. Today, the population is roughly estimated at 50,000. Most of the population lives in single family homes on 1.14 acres and larger lots. The area is not served by sewer and water systems and almost all homes are served by on-site well and septic systems. Many roads are still unpaved despite recent growth in the area. The area also contains several schools and one shopping center. The Acreage is located solely within the Indian Trail Improvement District, a "298 district" that is responsible for maintaining the road, drainage systems within its boundaries. Due to the flat topography and antiquated design the area is prone to flooding. Most homes are elevated above the rest of the lot to avoid flooding. Heavy rainstorms and hurricanes can sometimes result in heavy flooding which restricts access to the area. Local residents have been deadlocked for years on creating additional roadway access to the area to relieve heavy traffic on the existing roadway network.

The Acreage was originally developed to house workers that were employed by the Callery Judge and Mecca Citrus Groves located just miles away. The idea was to create an area where workers lived in a community, and were given one acre per household, hence the name "the Acreage."

This added land space coupled with few land restrictions has made this area a haven for exotic animals including emus,iguanas,peacocks,and alpacas.

On site Ponds,large drainage swales, numerous canals, and houses on elevated land pads help alleviate flooding in this low lying inland area. Category 1 Hurricane Irene caused considerable flooding in the area including school closeures for days.Isolated local flooding occurs yearly. The Hurricane season of 2004 did considerable damage to the old wooden cottage style houses of the 80s while the modern houses in the area received mostly cosmetic damage to their structures.That year was a considerably bad one for the area as the eyes of 3 category 2-3 hurricanes crossed over the town including two that struck within 3 weeks of each other.

Rapid development of the area has caused a recent push for incorporation in the area and newly improved road systems are easing commute in and out of the town.It is now notably more built up than Loxahatchee Groves, and blurs the lines between Rural and Suburban.All the schools in the area are rated A by the FCAT. It is also surrounded by nature preserves and only fifteen minutes from the beach and downtown West Palm Beach.It is now a forefront area in the Western Communities.Landtaxes and insurance prices are among the highest in Palm Beach County, far surrpassing those of anywhere else in the Western Communities.A few Equestrian Area signs remain(warning visitors to respect the horse population) maintaining a rural charm in the heart of a bustling area.Numerous baseball parks are located in the area along with churches, many which are based in schoolyards.Businesses are sprouting up all on the boundaries of the neighborhood(Notably Northlake Blvd/Coconut Blvd and Orange Blvd/Seminole Pratt Whitney Road) while the center of area is filled with modern model homes. The border that lies between Royal Palm Beach and The Acreage has a welcome sign indicating the rural/suburban difference between the two communities.

Despite having a rural presence the area is now known for a diverse foreign-born population, with Cubans,Jamaicans,other Caribbean backgrounds, and Vietnamese populations being most notable.

Zipcodes in The Acreage area are 33411(Royal Palm Beach),33412(West Palm Beach),33470(Loxahatchee). All occurring in barely perceptable regions, resulting in much confusion even amongst the residents of the area. A proposed Post Office is expected to open up in the 33412 area of the town along with a Pharmacy,Food Chains,Doctor's Offices, a new Supermarket, and Bank chains.Four country clubs are now included in the 33412 area of The Acreage including the exclusive Ibis Country Club where house prices can exceed 3 million dollars.

The State Road 7/US 441 road extension has caused much controversy in the area as The Acreage,Royal Palm Beach, and Ibis Country Club have voiced heated concerns over the impact of such a massive road project to a relatively quiet area.