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DHistory
History · Riviera Beach

Riviera Beach dates to 1922

More historic than 7% of U.S. towns · #438 of 638 in Florida. What drives it

Most of Riviera Beach was built recently: 0.9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1981. Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1946 on, and the census since 1930.

1922founded
0on the National Register
0.9%homes built before 1940
9old photos & papers
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Riviera Beach’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Riviera Beach began

When was Riviera Beach founded?

1922

Riviera Beach dates its founding to 1922 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1930.

First census: 811 in 19302020 census: 37,604104 years

How historic is Riviera Beach?

D

More historic than 7% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1893.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Riviera Beach’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Riviera Beach is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns, #438 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Riviera Beach’s overall grade.
Founding era1922, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 19400.9% of homes (±0.9) · typical FL town 0.6% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical FL town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 7%
NewerOlder
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 31%

Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Riviera Beach’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1922.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

The story

How Riviera Beach came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Riviera Beach.

Read it all →

Riviera Beach was originally called Oak Lawn, but the settlement was renamed Riviera in 1893. It wasn't until 1941 that "Beach" was added, though it was incorporated in 1922 as only the "Town of Riviera". In 1959, it converted from a "town" status to the present-day "City of Riviera Beach". For the first half of the 20th century, its nickname was "Conchtown", after the many Conch people (Bahamians and Bahamian Americans) who resided in the city. The city was named after the French Riviera.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Riviera Beach, 1893 to 2001

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1893Post officeThe Riviera post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1922
    FoundingRiviera Beach is established
  5. 1939In the archiveAttractive Villas at Spanish Court, located in exotic tropical gardens US 1 (NBY 9198)
  6. 1940In the archiveWilliam Frost Layton in recreational vehicle on tract of land he later developed into Lay…
  7. 1942Post officeThe Riviera post office closes
  8. 1942Post officeThe Riviera Beach post office opens
  9. 1946On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1954Post officeThe Riviera Beach post office closes
  11. 1964Born hereRichard Rellford is born here
  12. 1982Born hereDevin Hester is born here
  13. 1985Born hereWillie Young is born here
  14. 1996In the archiveCLOSER OBLIQUE VIEW FROM THE SOUTHEAST. - U.S. Coast Guard Lake Worth Inlet Station, Dwel…
  15. 21st century
  16. 2001Born hereKaiir Elam is born here
By decade

Riviera Beach, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1930s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s–1940s5 items
Attractive Villas at Spanish Court, located in exotic tropical gardens US 1 (NBY 9198)1939Attractive Villas at Spanish Court, located in exotic…Boys sleeping on idle fishing nets in1939Boys sleeping on idle fishing nets inClose-up view of dog1939Close-up view of dogWilliam Keye and Mary Jane Roberts making straw hats1939William Keye and Mary Jane Roberts making straw hatsWilliam Frost Layton in recreational vehicle on tract of land he later developed into Layton's Cottage, Trailer, and Fi…1940William Frost Layton in recreational vehicle on tract…
1950s–1980snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1990s4 items
CLOSER OBLIQUE VIEW FROM THE SOUTHEAST. - U.S. Coast Guard Lake Worth Inlet Station, Dwelling, Peanut Island, Riviera B…1996CLOSER OBLIQUE VIEW FROM THE SOUTHEAST. - U.S. Coast …EAST ELEVATION. DOCKSIDE STORAGE SHED IS VISIBLE IN THE BACKGROUND. - U.S. Coast Guard Lake Worth Inlet Station, Boatho…1996EAST ELEVATION. DOCKSIDE STORAGE SHED IS VISIBLE IN T…NORTH ELEVATION. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL STORAGE SHED IS VISIBLE AT THE FAR RIGHT. DOCKSIDE STORAGE SHED IS VISIBLE IN THE D…1996NORTH ELEVATION. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL STORAGE SHED IS V…OBLIQUE VIEW FROM THE NORTHEAST. - U.S. Coast Guard Lake Worth Inlet Station, Dwelling, Peanut Island, Riviera Beach, P…1996OBLIQUE VIEW FROM THE NORTHEAST. - U.S. Coast Guard L…
Today3 recent
Cbi truck2010Cbi truckSuncoast High2005Suncoast HighFLMap-doton-RivieraBeach2004FLMap-doton-RivieraBeach
On the map

Riviera Beach on the map, 1946 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Riviera Beach. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Riviera Beach on the 1946 USGS mapRiviera Beach on the 1967 USGS mapRiviera Beach on the 1983 USGS map1946Riviera Beach sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Riviera Beach.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Attractive Villas at Spanish Court, located in exotic tropical gardens US 1 (NBY 9198)
Retake this viewAttractive Villas at Spanish Court, located in exotic tropical gardens US 1 (NBY 9198), 1939

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Riviera Beach’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Riviera Beach, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,0001940196019802000202037,604

Grew from 811 people in 1930 to 37,604 in 2020, more than tenfold.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Riviera Beach’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Riviera Beach

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Devin HesterAmerican football player · b. 1982
R
Richard RellfordAmerican basketball player · b. 1964
K
Kaiir ElamAmerican football cornerback · b. 2001
Willie YoungAmerican gridiron football player · b. 1985
Anthony CarterAmerican football player · b. 1960
Bobby PowellFlorida State Representative · b. 1981
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Riviera Beach had its own post office from 1942 to 1954. Another post office, Riviera, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Riviera
1893–1942
Riviera Beach
1942–1954
18901960today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Lehmans Court Mobile Home ParkPalm Beach Isles
1cemetery inside Riviera Beach
Glenwood Memorial

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Riviera Beach’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewAttractive Villas at Spanish Court, loc…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

West Palm Beach29 historic placesB+Lake Park1 historic placeC−North Palm Beach1 historic placeDPalm Beach ShoresIts storyD−Palm Beach Gardens1 historic placeDPalm Beach12 historic placesB+

Questions about Riviera Beach’s history

What year was Riviera Beach founded?

In 1922, according to Wikidata. Riviera Beach’s post office opened in 1893, and the census of 1930 counted 811 people here.

How does Riviera Beach rank for history?

Riviera Beach is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns, #438 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Riviera Beach?

0.9% of Riviera Beach’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1981.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.