Highland Beach, FL Area Guide

Incorporated in 1949, Highland Beach was built on a deliberate philosophy: keep it residential, keep it quiet. Its founders intentionally held commercial development to an absolute minimum, which is why the town today has only two businesses: the Delray Sands Resort (formerly the Holiday Inn) and a realty office that shares the same building. That restraint shaped an unhurried character that has endured for decades.

The Highland Beach Library serves as the town's primary gathering place, hosting free movie nights, art exhibitions, and book discussion groups throughout the year. The Delray Sands Resort, the lone lodging and dining destination within town limits, carries its own bit of local lore as a property that has reinvented itself over the years while remaining one of the few constants in an otherwise residential landscape.

Highland Beach's sole restaurant, Latitudes at the Delray Sands Resort, is the only sit-down option inside town limits. For a full range of culinary choices, residents travel to Delray Beach, roughly three to five miles north, or Boca Raton, four to five miles south, where both cities offer extensive menus spanning seafood, international cuisines, and waterfront dining along the A1A corridor.

State Road A1A, the iconic two-lane Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway, runs directly through the center of town and is the primary road for daily travel. With zero traffic lights anywhere in Highland Beach, the drive through town moves at an unhurried pace, though residents rely entirely on personal vehicles since no public bus routes serve the area.

For rail travel, the Boca Raton commuter station is about five miles away, and the Delray Beach Amtrak stop is approximately the same distance. Palm Beach International Airport is a 34-minute drive, and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is about 43 minutes away.

Running along the western edge of town, the Intracoastal Waterway is the main draw for outdoor recreation. Fishing, boating, and kayaking are all popular, and the waterway serves as a corridor for wildlife including manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, and shorebirds. Some waterfront properties and apartment communities even include docks for direct water access.

Just a short drive away, the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is about three miles north and offers sea turtle rehabilitation programs and nature trails. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, roughly eight miles away, provides a serene landscape of curated gardens and cultural exhibitions for a different kind of outdoor afternoon.

Highland Beach delivers a rare combination of oceanfront living, Intracoastal waterway access, and the convenience of two lively neighboring cities in Delray Beach and Boca Raton. This is all packed within a small, intentionally quiet town defined by Spanish and Mediterranean architecture and a pace that reflects its coastal setting.