Jupiter, Florida

History

The area where the town now sits was originally named for the Hobe Indian tribe which lived at the mouth of the Loxahatchee River, and whose name is also preserved in the name of nearby Hobe Sound. A mapmaker misunderstood the Spanish spelling "Jobe" of the Indian name "Hobe" and recorded it as "Jove". Subsequent mapmakers further misunderstood this to be the Latin translation of the god Jupiter, and they anglicized the name from Jove to "Jupiter". The Roman god Jupiter (or Zeus in the Greek mythology) is the chief Roman god, and god of light, of the sky and weather, and of the state and its welfare and its laws. Jupiter's consort was Juno, inspiring a neighboring town to name itself "Juno Beach".

The most notable landmark is the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, completed in 1860. Made of brick, it was painted red in 1910 to cover discoloration caused by humidity. Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 sandblasted the paint from the upper portion of the tower, and the tower was repainted using a potassium silicate mineral coating. The lighthouse is often used as the symbol for Jupiter.

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.1 square miles (55 km²), of which 20.0 square miles (52 km²) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) is water.

Jupiter has a Tropical savanna climate. Much of the year is warm to hot in Jupiter, and frost is very rare. As is typical in Florida, there are two basic seasons in Jupiter, a mild and dry winter (November through April), and a hot and wet summer (May through October). Daily thundershowers are common in the hot season, though they are brief. The city of Jupiter is home to many tropical and subtropical plants and trees, and the city is known for its lush landscaping around private homes and public parks.

Demographics

As of 2010, there were 29,825 households out of which 19.8% were vacant. In 2000, 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% are married couples living together, 8.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% are non-families. 25.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 3.15

In 2000, the town the population is spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.2 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the town is $54,945, and the median income for a family is $64,873. Males have a median income of $44,883 versus $33,514 for females. The per capita income for the town is $35,088. 4.8% of the population and 3.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 4.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

As of 2000, those who spoke only English at home accounted for 88.5% of all residents, while those who reported speaking Spanish were 7.2%, and Italian 1.7% of the population.

Education

Public education is provided and managed by The School District of Palm Beach County. Jupiter is also home to several private and religious schools.

Jupiter's population is served by two public high schools, Jupiter Community High School located in Jupiter, and William T. Dwyer High School, located in Palm Beach Gardens.

Jupiter Christian School is a private school located in the town.

Universities and Colleges

Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College

Florida Atlantic University (North Campus)

Fire Rescue Department

Since 1984, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the citizens of the Town of Jupiter. There are three fire stations assigned to the town:

Station 19 is the headquarters for Battalion 1, which covers Jupiter, Juno Beach, Lake Park and unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County such as Jupiter Farms and Palm Beach Country Estates.

Police Department

The Jupiter Police Department consists of 114 sworn officers and 29 civilian support staff personnel, and maintains its headquarters in Town Hall. Its operational divisions include Road Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Traffic, K-9, Marine, Beach Patrol, Crime Scene Investigation, SWAT and Hostage Negotiation. The department also has a volunteer Community Emergency Response Team, and sponsors a Police Explorer Post.

Notable people

The following list includes persons who were born in Jupiter, previously lived in Jupiter, or currently reside in Jupiter.

Points of interest

United States flag incident

In 1999, Jupiter resident George Andres wanted to display a United States flag in his front yard, however, the homeowners association had a bylaw prohibiting the display of a flagpole in the front lawn. Andres still displayed the flag, while the homeowners association went as far as foreclosing his home to cover legal fees after being in court at least twenty-eight times. Even after governor Jeb Bush visited his home along with members of the local and national media, the homeowners association refused to budge. Andres said, "Well, first they said that it was going to cost more to cut the grass around the pole, which is kind of funny. And then they told me that the flagpole was going to take away from the value of the property. And I said, well, then we should be able to take away all the trees around here, because they're the same as the pole. And my pole is a portable pole. And the state government says I can do it."

George Andres won and was allowed to display his flag in his front lawn with the use of a flagpole.

During the last week of July 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, allowing residents to display the flag on their residential property despite any homeowners association rules.

Media

In 2014, American Television Show American Horror Story premiered its fourth season titled 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' set in 1950's Jupiter, Florida.