Delray Beach

Delray Beach, once a quiet town by the sea, has rapidly transformed into a hip city by the ocean.

Incorporated a little more than a century ago, Delray Beach has nearly doubled in population in 30 years. With its growth, Delray expanded its downtown and drew hundreds of businesses and restaurants, and established itself as a national tennis destination, among other brands.

The city is a two-time winner of the All-American City Award — and the only city in Palm Beach County to receive the honor — given to communities that tackle challenges.

More recently, the city has been described as the “rehab capital of the world” by residents and city leaders alike, because it’s home to several sober homes and draws people throughout the country seeking rehabilitation.

Once called the town of Linton, named after William S. Linton, a U.S. congressman from Michigan who purchased a chunk of the town, a handful of African-American families settled in what we now know as Delray Beach as early as the 1890s.