Incorporated on June 18, 1959, Royal Palm Beach has grown from a primarily uninhabited swamp and natural preserve and former Seminole hunting ground into a thriving village.

It was not until the 1950s, when Philadelphia supermarket magnates of Food Fair, Sam and Hattie Friedland, purchased 65,000 acres (260 km2) for approximately $1.25 million in what is now the Royal Palm Beach village and The Acreage areas, that the natural wilderness landed on national fastest growing community lists (in its size category) in the 1980s.

The Friedlands subsequently sold their land to Miami developer Arthur Desser, founder of Lefcourt Realty Group.

A massive drainage project ensued and in 1959, the state legislature granted a charter which named the development Royal Palm Beach.

On June 30, 1959, with Seminole tribe officials on hand for the festivities (and to renounce all former claims to the land), a groundbreaking ceremony was held.

A sales/recreational center was built with a motel facility in the area now occupied by the Royal Inn and two bedroom, one-bath model homes were erected starting at $8,250.

A grocery store magnate with no experience in the housing market, Friedland nonetheless was a savvy businessman who put together a team of professionals who set up a comprehensive land sales/development/building enterprise.

With the late Herbert Kaplan as RPB Colony CEO, the company and the town grew slowly from 1960-67 — first in the original "Colony" section of floral-named streets east and west of the southern end of Royal Palm Beach Blvd., and then expanded with vigor into the Willows and LaMancha subdivisions (east of RPB Blvd.).

In 1986, both Palms West Hospital and Wellington Regional Medical Center opened with 117 and 120 beds, respectively, and both are continuing with major expansion projects to meet the health care needs of local residents.

In 2007 the policing duties were contracted out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's department with a significant savings to the Village taxpayers.

Royal Palm Beach residents have also appreciated the security of a local fire department since a volunteer force of eight individuals was recruited in a construction trailer in January 1963.

With a growing population, and thankfully few structural fires, the focus of the department expanded to include emergency medical treatment.

A second station opened in 1994 at the entrance of the Counterpoint Estates to cut response times to residents living in the State Road 7 area.

In March 1999, following a council-authorized study by consultants, a controversial and much-debated decision was made to curtail an independent village fire department and instead merge equipment and personnel with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.

The Village of Royal Palm Beach strives to provide its citizens with a clean, safe, family oriented community.

[21] Located at 9300 Belvedere Road, the USCIS West Palm Beach Field Office handles a variety of immigration matters for eight Florida counties.

Royal Palm Beach Commons: encompasses a 19-acre lake, providing visitors with three miles of paved walking and biking trails.

Seeds Café is located within the park and regarded as a hidden gem by many residents, open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Preservation Park : offers a variety of recreational facilities, including pickleball courts, a skate arena, and soccer and football fields.

The park features a soccer complex, a toddler play area and playscape, as well as weight rooms and gym facilities.