Encompassing about 25 square miles that include about three miles along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Pompano Beach is located between Fort Lauderdale to its south and Deerfield Beach to its north. At the northern end of the shore is an entry point for the Intracoastal Waterway. That geographical area is known as the Hillsboro Inlet, which is home to the Hillsboro Lighthouse. This structure was built more than 100 years ago. Overall, about 95 percent of the city’s area consists of land.
Pompano Beach was named after the pompano fish, which is commonly found in the Atlantic Ocean near the shore. The original settlement began to grow in 1896 when railroad tracks were completed. Frank Sheen, a railroad employee who brought his family with him when he relocated to the settlement, apparently came up with the name of the city when he documented the type of fish he had eaten for dinner after spending his day surveying the land. After World War II, the population began to increase significantly. The city was incorporated in 1947. At that time, there were only about 5,000 residents.
The population of Pompano Beach is now at more than 110,000 and has increased by more than 10 percent in most of the decades during the last century. The population density is nearly 4,500 residents per square mile. More than 90 percent of that population consists of either Caucasians or African Americans. With a median age of residents at about 42 years, the city essentially equals that statistic for the entire state of Florida.
A revitalization of the communities along the coast of Pompano Beach has provided a spark to its economic growth. Five of the top employers are Pompano Park, City of Pompano Beach, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Walmart, and Publix. Other significant companies doing business within the city limits are Aetna, PetMeds, FreshPoint, and Associated Grocers of Florida. Along with art galleries and museums, the city has several shopping destinations that include the open-air mall at the Pompano Citi Centre.
