Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida incorporated in May 1925. In terms of both population and land area, Boca Raton is the largest city between West Palm Beach and Pompano Beach, Broward County.

The literal translation of "Boca Raton" is "Mouse Mouth" ("mouse" in Spanish is "ratón").  One explanation for the origin is the Spanish word boca (or mouth) was (and still is) used to describe an inlet and ratón (literally "mouse") was used by Spanish sailors to describe rocks that gnawed at a ship's cable. Another explanation is that it refers metaphorically to the sense of pirate's cove.  The name Boca Ratones originally appeared on eighteenth century maps associated with an inlet in the Biscayne Bay area of Miami. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the term was mistakenly moved north to its current location on most maps and applied to the inland waterway from the closed inlet north for 8.5 miles (13.7 km), which was called the "Boca Ratones Lagoon".

Boca Raton is known for its affluent social community and high income demographic. Boca Raton has a large Jewish and South American population. Boca Raton's South American population includes a large demographic from Brazil, Colombia  and Venezuela.

Boca Raton was the site of two now vanished amusement parks, Africa U.S.A. (1953-1961) and Ancient America (1953-1959). Africa U.S.A. was a wild animal park in which the tourists rode a "Jeep Safari Train" through the park. There were no fences separating the animals from the tourists on the "Jeep Safari Train". It is now the Camino Gardens subdivision one mile (1.6 km) west of the Boca Raton Hotel. Ancient America was built surrounding a real Indian burial mound. Today, the mound is still visible within the Boca Marina & Yacht Club neighborhood on U.S. 1 near Yamato Road.

Boca Raton is home to the Caldwell Theatre Company, the longest-running professional theater in South Florida, celebrating its 34th season in the recently inaugurated Count de Hoernle Theatre on South Federal Highway.

Boca Raton is blessed with nice beaches along its eastern shore, notably Red Reef Park, where snorkeling from the shore can bring a visitor to a living reef without the expense of renting a boat. Also located at the 20 acre park is Gumbo Limbo, an Environmental Education Center. A small fee is required to enter the park.