Wellington Guide For Residents

Wellington is one of the most gorgeous and dynamic cities of Florida with a population of almost 60,000, that almost doubles in winter. The city has world-class culture and limitless outdoor adventures. It’s the perfect place to visit, live, work or play. Listed by Money Magazine as one of the top 100 places to live, Wellington is in Palm Beach County and is right next to the Everglades. Wellington, Florida is one of the most established towns in Palm Beach County. This South Florida community is widely recognized for its abundance of parks, good quality schools, attractive neighborhoods, as well as equestrian interests. Wellington is internationally recognized as a Winter Equestrian Capital and is an International Equestrian destination for Show Jumping, Dressage, and Polo.

This beautiful South Florida town boasts plenty of hometown charm with activities for people of all ages on both land, sea and horse. With an abundance of resorts, parks, top schools, welcoming neighborhoods, and equestrian interests, Wellington maintains a reputation catering to those that have a high-standard of living. With eleven Palm Beach County A-rated schools, Wellington is an outstanding choice for young families. Wellington’s Parks and Recreation Department schedules kid-friendly events such as Movie Nights, Family Festivals, and band concerts and regularly hosts outstanding events for the holidays including the 4th of July Celebration ending in a fireworks show.

History

Charles Oliver Wellington, an accountant as well as an investor from New York bought several tracts of land, which later became the Wellington of today. The land he bought was frequently flooded with water at that time. However, this is not surprising since Wellington’s southwest boundary is the Florida Everglades.

Immediately after he purchased land in this region, the State of Florida was able to pass legislation for the creation of the Acme Drainage District. The purpose of the district was to provide drainage as well as flood control that would make the property more suitable for agricultural purposes. This development automatically transformed the entire landscape from a waterlogged area into a fertile farmland. Different portions of land were sold to farmers for cultivation where different crops were grown. In fact, Wellington was once recognized as the largest strawberry patch in the world.

Wellington is recognized as the world’s winter equestrian capital. It also offers different options, ranging from apartments to lavish homes, where occupants of this territory, possess private airplane hangars.

The community shares the convenience of both urban living as well as easy access to breathtaking natural areas, preserves, and numerous outdoor activities.

Weather

Wellington has tropical weather. In winters, the temperature remains above 50° overnight. Frosty weather can only be seen during December and January. The rest of the months are either moderately hot or very hot. In summers the temperature reaches up to 90 °. In summer, Wellington experiences temperatures above 90 °. Wellington gets around 60 inches of rain per year compared to the rest of the United States average 37 inches. Wellington experiences no snowfall due to its tropical weather, making it a desirable location for snow-birds and the recently retired.

Top Employers

We receive many questions from potential home buyers who consider relocating to Wellington. The issue of employment, work, and jobs seem to be one of the most significant concerns when relocating to Palm Beach County.

Nearby towns of Boca Raton and West Palm Beach have top corporations headquartered here. For a list of the Top 25 Employers in Palm Beach County, click here.

http://www.palmbeachrelocationguide.com/Largest-Biggest-Main-Top-25-Employers-Companies-in-the-Palm-Beaches/

With over 1.4 million people, Palm Beach County is Florida's third most populated area with a projected population of almost 2 million by 2050. It is also Florida's wealthiest county with a per capita income of $68,000 according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to Forbes Magazine, the county ranks as #19 in the Best Places for Businesses and Careers.

Palm Beach County is the preferred leisure destination for about 2 million people every year, among them the most affluent consumers in the world, making tourism a major industry as well. For all these reasons and more, Palm Beach County is ranked by Forbes Magazine as the #19 in Best Places for Business and Careers in the United States.

Below are some of the biggest employers in Wellington.

Rockwell Collins
https://www.rockwellcollins.com/

Rockwell Collins is a leader in aviation for commercial and military customers around the world with specialization in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, cabin interiors, information management, mission communications, simulation and training and they employ close to 10,000 employees.

Bank of America, Countywide locations
www.bankofamerica.com

Bank of America is the second-largest bank in the country and it employees over 1,000 people in Palm Beach County, with banks at many locations.

Palm Beach County School District
www.palmbeachschools.org

The Palm Beach County School District has over 22,000 employees,12,898 teachers, 187 schools and 183,000 students.

Florida Crystals
www.floridacrystals.com

With over 1,700 employees in Palm Beach County, Florida Crystals is a leading national brand in the organic and natural market.

Wells Fargo Bank, County-wide locations
www.wellsfargo.com

Wells Fargo bank has a large presence in Florida, employing almost 1,400 people in Palm Beach County alone at over 40 locations. Wells Fargo is a nationwide, diversified financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets.

Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners
www.pbcgov.com

Employing over 5,500 people (outside of the school district). The list of services provided and departments managed by the county would fill several pages. Needing workers of every educational level and ability, the roster of county employees continues to grow. The county is highly active in attracting new business and supporting the relocation and establishment of businesses moving to the Palm Beaches, offering tax incentives, grants, and other incentives.

Shopping

The Mall at Wellington Green is an attractive shopping mall with a variety of stores.

All the latest brands are in stores at The Mall at Wellington Green. The city is a shopper’s paradise; get your shopping started at these Palm Beach County shopping areas.

https://www.shopwellingtongreen.com/

Restaurants

One can eat well all over Palm Beach County as there is a meal available for every kind of craving. Below is the list of few of the finest restaurants in Wellington.

Voi-La
13889 Wellington Trace A8, Wellington, Florida, USA, 33414
voilaskitchen.com

Gourmet paninis, Venezuelan food, soups, salads, acai bowls. Smoothies and teas

Basilico's
9140 Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington, Florida, USA, 33411-6564
http://basilicospizza.com/

Basilico's hand-tossed pizza offers a full menu of delicious Italian specialties including whole pizzas, pizza slices, fresh salads, Italian hot subs. Their eggplant parm sub is noteworthy, and their pizza rivals New York and New Jersey.

Mom's Kitchen
https://www.facebook.com/Moms-Kitchen-120353247982261/

7478 Lake Worth Rd, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, 33467-2531

Fresh-daily made soup, grilled Mahi-Mahi, Blackened Salmon and delicious pies are what you come here for and as well as the steaming hot pancakes and buttery biscuits. Home-made pies like Strawberry-Rhubarb, Pecan Pie and Chocolate Cream Pie are worth a stomach splurge as well.

Schools

The School District of Palm Beach County, the fifth largest in Florida, and the 13th largest in the country, includes over 180 schools, with over 180,000 students and close to 13,000 teachers. The district has close to 300 award-winning programs, helping students to follow their dreams and achieve their career and educational goals. Many schools are focusing on International Baccalaureate programs, the Montessori method, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and several foreign languages.

Both private and public schools offer a wide variety of programs and specialties, sure to enrich the educational experience of any child.

There are many public and private colleges and universities within Palm Beach County along with specialty schools for nursing, technology and the arts. Below are some of the most notable schools of Wellington.

Wellington Schools

Elementary Schools There are five main elementary schools in Wellington, FL.

• Wellington Elementary School – 13000 Paddock Dr, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 795-4969
• Binks Forest Elementary School – 15101 Bent Creek Rd, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 904-9800
• Equestrian Trails Elementary School – 9720 Stribling Way, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 904-9600
• Elbridge Gale Elementary School – 1915 Royal Fern Dr, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 422-9300
• New Horizons Elementary School – 13900 Greenbriar Blvd, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 651-0500

Middle Schools There are three main middle schools in Wellington.

• Wellington Landings Middle School – 1100 Aero Club Dr, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 792-8100
• Polo Park Middle School – 11901 Lake Worth Rd, Wellington, FL 33449 – (561) 333-5500
• Emerald Cove Middle School – 9950 Stribling Way, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 803-8000

High Schools There are two main high schools in Wellington.

• Wellington High School – 2101 Greenview Shores Blvd, Wellington, FL 33414 – (561) 795-4900
• Palm Beach Central High School – 8499 Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington, FL 33411 – (561) 304-1000

HOSPITALS

Wellington Regional Medical Center
https://www.wellingtonregional.com/

Wellington Regional Medical Center is a 158-bed community hospital and possesses a 37-bed Emergency Department as well as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for newborns.

In addition to providing high-quality healthcare, the hospital promotes overall community wellness through free preventive health screenings, educational lectures and support groups.

SCUBA DIVING

Angelfish, Turtles, Dolphins, Parrotfish, Grouper, dolphins, soft and hard corals along with excellent visibility provide divers with great year-round conditions. South Florida's reef tract is linear and the warm Gulf stream current flows parallel to the shoreline creating perfect drift diving conditions.

Palm Beach County has some of the top dive sites in the country. Many of the sites are close to shore, so you don't have to spend hours traveling out on a boat to reach them. Palm Beach has a lot of deeper dives and nearby Pompano has more shallow dives. The South East Florida Reef Tract extends from Miami northward to Palm Beach. Greater Ft. Lauderdale accounts for 23 miles in the middle of the tract and the largest number of dive sites, with over 100 reef and wreck sites. Hundreds of species of fish flourish along the coast.

Artificial reefs include sunken wrecks since marine life likes to hide out in protected spaces so you will get the eerie and mysterious beauty of exploring a wreck that has dozens of fish and corals that are on or near it.

DOG PARKS

Dog parks provide great spaces for dogs to socialize and get some robust running and fetching time in. It also ends up being a great way for humans to socialize and get outdoors as well. If you do to a dog park, there is no guarantee that your dog won’t get in a fight. Even if your Fido is on his best behavior if another dog provokes him, then he will defend himself. It’s best to avoid the weekends at Dog Parks here since they tend to fill up even more and there ends up being frequented with doggies that are not as well socialized, so there are the occasional dog fights which are typical at any dog park since there are no dog police or referees to prevent this. Make sure to keep a close on your furry friend since other dog owners get cranky if you don’t pick up after them.

Wellington Dog Park at Greenbriar Park
975 Greenbriar Boulevard, Wellington
http://www.wellingtonfl.gov/how-do-i/donate-contribute/dog-park

GOLF and EQUESTRIAN

With lush green rolling hills on a pretty flat landscape with ocean breezes nearby, there are 160 of golf courses in Palm Beach County and quite a few in Wellington. Palm Beach County is the golfing capital of the world. The courses attract both amateurs and professionals and there are plenty of Professional Golf Tournaments year-round if you want to see some of your favorites swinging a nine iron. Tiger Woods owns a home in nearby Jupiter as well as other golfing legends that live, work and tee-off in Southern Florida.

Private Palm Beach Area Golf Courses & Country Clubs
http://www.palmbeachrelocationguide.com/Private-Palm-Beach-Area-Golf-Courses-Country-Clubs/

If being on a horse is your happy place, then Wellington is your new home. Wellington is considered the world’s winter equestrian capital so this is the place to have your primary or secondary home if being in the saddle is your happy place. It is common in winter to see Olympians the grocery store here. Florida’s history as both a winter playground for the rich and an agricultural paradise for ranchers and farmers have resulted in many communities that are gated, planned with lots of land for horses and equestrian activities. Many equestrian communities have attached communities and facilities for the care and maintenance of horses and other large animals. Some homes can host one or two horses while larger estates can host a large number of them.

Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
3400 Equestrian Club Rd., Wellington, FL 33414
561-793-5867
www.equestriansport.com

The Winter Equestrian Festival is held from January 9 through March 31 and is the largest and longest-running event in horse sports.

Palm Beach Polo Golf and County Club is the site of the Winter Equestrian Festival and International Polo. This club is in a Master Planned community with over 2,000 acres offering 36 holes of championship golf on site.

KIDS

Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches

If looking for things to do the keep the children entertained, consider attending the Kids Fitness Festival. This festival gives children the opportunity to experience over 45 different sports clinics from sports such as Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Boxing, Cricket, Field Hockey, Fencing, Fishing, Football, Flag Football, Floorball, Golf, Gymnastics, Fitness, Hockey, Judo, Jump Rope, Karate, Lacrosse, Netball, Pickleball, Polo, Roller Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Tennis, Tae Kwon Do, Volleyball and more. The festival is recommended for kids ages 5 – 12 and is conducted by professionals that help kids improve their skills, or can provide introductions to a specific sport. The Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches is hosted by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission in conjunction with Ronald McDonald House.

Panther Ridge Conservation Center
www.PantherRidgeCC.org

Panther Ridge Conservation Center is home and hope for some of the world’s most endangered felines. Most of the cats came here from unfortunate situations, but will never be at risk again. Educational tours are given by appointment and there are ample opportunities for photos of the big kitties in their lush habitats.

International Polo Club
www.Internationalpoloclub.com
The International Polo Club has scores of equestrian trails and nine polo fields. Polo matches are open to the public. If your kids are ages 5-10 bring them with you to a match and then drop the off at the Kids Fun Zone where they have supervised activities such as face painting, structured games and sports.

Parks & Recreation

Village Park
https://www.wellingtonchamber.com/wellington-community/parks-recreation/

The Village of Wellington Parks and Recreation Department offers youth and adult athletic programs, art and cultural programs, and community events.

Wellington offers parks and recreational facilities including nicely maintained athletic fields that host various state and regional championship games and tournaments.

Village Park is the main regional park and athletic facility in Wellington and has over 100 acres including a 75,000 square foot gymnasium. The park also contains one covered hockey rink, 19 multipurpose athletic fields, six concession stands, three playgrounds, two miles of lighted recreational trails and four picnic pavilions.

Peaceful Waters Sanctuary
http://www.wellingtonfl.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/parks-and-facilities/natural-preserves/peaceful-waters-sanctuary

Adjacent to Village Park is Peaceful Waters Sanctuary serves as a water overflow system and consequently serves as a natural replenishing source for the water table. The Sanctuary has attracted numerous varieties of birds and other wildlife.

Wellington Community Center
http://www.wellingtonfl.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/parks-and-facilities/community-center

The Wellington Community Center has 20,000 square feet of space that can be rented and utilized for business meetings, weddings and parties. The community center has an aquatic center with water slides, spray ground and a 50-meter pool. The tennis complex features 16 courts and a pro shop and is staffed with full-time tennis professional.

Conclusion

Wellington is an exciting, growing, city that offers the exciting business opportunities for investors, combined with lots of fun places and refined environment for living and working, especially for the equestrian enthusiast.