Flagler County, Florida
Palm Coast
Sixty-nine miles of canal were dug before anybody lived here.
One of the largest planned communities ever laid out in Florida, and one of the last to become a city - it took thirty years from welcome centre to incorporation.
What this place is
Why Palm Coast is here
ITT Community Development Corporation created Palm Coast in 1969 and opened its welcome centre on 29 October 1970 - a date the city still keeps as Founder's Day. Palm Coast did not incorporate until 31 December 1999.
Land development at scale. ITT cut 46 miles of freshwater canals and 23 miles of saltwater canals to manage the water table and sell the lots.
Worth the trip
What to look for
- 01
The saltwater canal network, 23 miles of it, cut by the developer.
- 02
The Intracoastal Waterway, the city's eastern edge, separating the mainland from the Hammock barrier island.
Time your visit
The weekend that matters
-
February
Creekside Music & Arts Festival
A weekend of country music, art and food at Princess Place Preserve, gates at 10am both days. The 2026 edition marked its twentieth year.
Hotels, inns, rentals and campgrounds
Where to Stay
-
Resorts
-
Hotels
-
Hotels
-
Hotels
-
Vacation Rentals
-
Hotels
Restaurants, seafood, cafes and bars
Where to Eat
-
Bars Breweries
-
Restaurants · $
-
Restaurants · $
-
Jt's Seafood Shack
Seafood · $
-
Restaurants · $$
-
Restaurants · $
Parks, beaches, museums, tours and charters
Things to Do
-
Parks Nature
-
Parks Nature
-
Parks Nature
-
Parks Nature
-
Parks Nature
-
Parks Nature
Palm Coast on the record
Pictures of the place
Archive and Creative Commons photographs of Palm Coast. Nothing here is generated; every image is credited to the person who took it.
75 guides, written from this town’s own record
Guides
-
The Best Things to Do in Palm Coast, Florida
Palm Coast is a product, not a place that grew by accident, and its public land is the best argument for the product.
-
The Best Restaurants in Palm Coast, Florida
Palm Coast was engineered before it was inhabited, so its dining scene follows the same logic: predictable, efficient, and built around the highway.
-
Where to Stay in Palm Coast: Hotels, Inns and Rentals
Palm Coast's lodging stock mirrors its origin: a planned grid of options, each with a specific function and a rating to match.
-
A Weekend in Palm Coast: What to See, Eat and Do
Palm Coast is a city that was drawn before it was lived in, and that deliberate shape still shows in its wide boulevards, its planted pines, and the way a weekend here can feel both planned and pleasantly empty.
-
16 Things to Know Before Visiting Palm Coast, FL
Palm Coast is a planned city with a developer's name, a canal system dug before the first residents arrived, and a timeline that took three decades from welcome centre to incorporation.
-
The Best Time of Year to Visit Palm Coast
Palm Coast is best visited between November and April, when the weather is dry and mild — but the more interesting question is what you are actually visiting, because this is a city built to a plan, and the season only makes sense once you understand the plan.
-
Palm Coast or Flagler Beach: Which to Visit
Palm Coast is a landscape built on a sales pitch, and its canals are the pitch made visible.
-
The History of Palm Coast in 6 Landmarks
The name came first. The dirt came second. The city came thirty years after the welcome centre opened its doors.
Public record
Palm Coast by the numbers
- 94,362Residents (2023)
- 6.5% Homes held for seasonal use
- 241 Places in this guide