Although not officially designated as a city until 1999, Palm Coast was conceived in 1969 when ITT Corporation purchased several thousand acres of land in Flagler County to develop a massive retirement community. Over the next several years, a resort hotel, marina, tennis center, and four golf courses were built.

The community grew modestly to a population of 18,556 by 1990. As a Planned Unit Development (PUD), Palm Coast is ideally designed. Each section consists of roads beginning with a common letter of the alphabet. Thus, we often refer to an area based on that letter, i.e., the “P” section or the “R” section. The “F” section is built around a network of saltwater canals with access to the Intracoastal Waterway. Palm Coast Parkway, the commercial corridor, is an east/west divided highway that allows more development frontage than a non-divided road. Residential roads in each section connect to feeder roads, which, in turn, link to major traffic highways. This design limits the traffic in residential neighborhoods.

CLICK: Current Interactive map of Flagler Co. and Palm Coast Residential Communities/subdivisions

Disappointed by the stagnant growth of the area, ITT began to cut back on its commitment, selling 13,000 prime acres to Palm Coast Holdings in the early 1990s. The resort and golf courses were sold to a developer who also developed Grand Haven, a gated golfing community, as the resort’s fifth golf course. For the remainder of the 90s, however, growth was slow. Building lots in Palm Coast were readily available for $4,000 to $6,000. Saltwater canal lots could be found for less than $75,000. Still, development begun in The Hammock area (on the barrier island east of the Intracoastal Waterway along route A1a) highlighted the upscale possibilities of the region.

The popularity of Palm Coast underwent a significant shift at the turn of the millennium. It was incorporated as a city at the end of 1999 with a population of 32,732. By April 2004, the population had burgeoned to 50,000 and to over 70,000 by 2006. The Census Bureau named Palm Coast as the fastest-growing city in the country in terms of percentage growth. In 2000, an average of 92 dwelling units per month received building permits. This has grown to over 400 units per month in 2004. By the beginning of 2005, over 2000 homes were under construction. Three major developers are active in the area. In various stages of planning are gated golfing communities, two yacht harbor/marina complexes, a fly-in community, a tennis complex, and an equestrian community. Several condominium projects are also underway. While the themes vary, the common thread is Lifestyle. Developers in the Hammock area now boast four magnificent golf courses (with a fifth planned), a marina, a resort complex, and multi-million-dollar oceanfront homes and condos.

National retail companies expand to areas by following residential growth. When Palm Coast’s population reached 50,000, retailers became interested. Palm Coast is served by three major grocery chains, as well as a Super Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Kohl’s, and Belk’s. An ambitious 20-year project named Town Center broke ground in 2005. Town Center comprises over 1,500 acres of mixed-use development, featuring residential, business parks, services, retail, restaurants, and entertainment. A SuperTarget Store began construction in May ’07. Other projects under development are Cobblestone Village at Palm Coast, City Walk, and Palm Coast Park. Cobblestone Village is anchored by a Belk’s department store and Lowe’s, both of which opened in 2007.

Since then, the area has continued to grow. The World Population Review estimates Palm Coast’s population in 2025 to be 110,362. The same source estimates Flagler County’s population to be 140,801. Restaurants and shops abound, but without the traditional skyline of a city with more than 100,000 people, Palm Coast retains its suburban residential character.  GoToby.com refers to Flagler County as “The Quiet Side of Florida.”

Palm Coast is ideally situated along the Atlantic coast, between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, with each just a half-hour away. Orlando is less than 150 miles away, while Jacksonville can be reached in one hour. Unlike parts of Florida further south, which are populated during the winter months by snowbirds, the majority of Palm Coast residents are full-time. This is because the weather is more temperate than further south. Average daily lows and highs for Palm Coast are: