|9 min read
Mar-a-Lago: Inside Trump's Winter White House
Everything about Mar-a-Lago -- history, facts, diplomatic events, and live tracking of Trump's visits to his Palm Beach estate.
Introduction
No single property is more closely associated with the Trump presidency than Mar-a-Lago. This sprawling Palm Beach estate has served as a diplomatic venue, a political headquarters, a social hub, and a personal retreat all at once. Often referred to as the "Winter White House" or the "Southern White House," Mar-a-Lago is where much of the business of the presidency takes place outside of Washington, D.C. The property consistently appears as the most-visited location in our presidential tracking data, particularly during the winter months. For anyone searching "where is Trump right now?", the answer during November through April is very often Mar-a-Lago.
The History of Mar-a-Lago
Mar-a-Lago, which translates from Spanish to "Sea to Lake," was built between 1924 and 1927 by Marjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress to the Post cereal fortune and one of the wealthiest women in American history at the time. Post hired architect Marion Sims Wyeth and later Joseph Urban to design the estate in a Hispano-Moresque architectural style, drawing inspiration from palaces in Spain and Portugal. The construction used materials sourced from around the world, including Dorian stone from Genoa, Italy, and 36,000 antique Spanish tiles dating back to the fifteenth century. Post's vision was that Mar-a-Lago would one day serve as a retreat for American presidents, and she bequeathed the property to the United States government upon her death in 1973. However, the federal government found the maintenance costs too high and returned the property to the Post Foundation in 1981, which put it on the market. Donald Trump acquired the estate in 1985 for a reported $10 million, a fraction of what it would be worth by today's property values in Palm Beach. He converted a portion of the estate into a private club in 1995, creating a dual-use property that serves as both his personal residence and an exclusive social club.
Mar-a-Lago by the Numbers
The scale of Mar-a-Lago is staggering by any measure. The main building encompasses over 62,500 square feet of living space with 126 rooms. The estate sits on approximately 20 acres of land stretching from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the Intracoastal Waterway on the west, making it one of the few properties in Palm Beach with both ocean and lake frontage. The property features a 20,000-square-foot ballroom with $7 million worth of gold leaf on the ceiling, walls, and moldings. There are 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces, and three bomb shelters. The grounds include a 75-foot swimming pool, tennis courts, a spa, croquet courts, and extensive gardens with thousands of tropical plants. Club membership reportedly requires an initiation fee of $200,000 or more, plus annual dues of approximately $14,000. The property has been appraised at values ranging from $18 million to over $1 billion depending on the assessment methodology, a range that has itself become a subject of legal and political debate.
Mar-a-Lago as a Diplomatic Hub
Under Trump's presidency, Mar-a-Lago has hosted numerous high-profile diplomatic events that would traditionally take place at the White House or Camp David. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Mar-a-Lago in April 2017 for a two-day summit, during which Trump famously informed Xi of the U.S. missile strike on Syria over dessert. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited multiple times, and the two leaders were photographed reviewing intelligence documents in the club's dining room by the light of cell phone flashlights. Other world leaders, including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, have been hosted at the estate. These diplomatic visits transform the property into a heavily secured compound, with temporary flight restrictions imposed over Palm Beach, Coast Guard patrols on the Intracoastal Waterway, and extensive Secret Service presence throughout the grounds. The use of a private club as a diplomatic venue has been both praised as a more relaxed alternative to formal White House meetings and criticized for the mingling of club members with foreign dignitaries and government officials.
How Often Trump Visits Mar-a-Lago
Our real-time tracking data provides detailed insights into the frequency and patterns of Trump's Mar-a-Lago visits. The property sees its heaviest presidential traffic during the winter social season, roughly from Thanksgiving through Easter, which corresponds with the peak season for Palm Beach society. During these months, it is common for the president to spend nearly every weekend at the estate, flying from Joint Base Andrews on Friday afternoon aboard Air Force One and returning to Washington on Sunday evening or Monday morning. Visits typically last two to four days and often include golf outings at nearby Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. During the summer months, when Palm Beach temperatures regularly exceed 90 degrees with high humidity, the president generally shifts his weekend retreats to Bedminster, New Jersey. Our travel statistics dashboard shows the monthly breakdown of visits, and the location history timeline allows you to trace every confirmed Mar-a-Lago visit in chronological order.
Security and Impact on Palm Beach
Presidential visits to Mar-a-Lago have a significant impact on the Palm Beach community. When the president is in residence, a temporary flight restriction zone extends over the area, affecting operations at nearby Palm Beach International Airport. The Southern Boulevard bridge, one of the main access points to Palm Beach island, is periodically closed for motorcade movements. Local businesses experience both benefits and disruptions: some see increased traffic from the media presence and political visitors, while others lose customers who avoid the area due to security closures. The Secret Service maintains a permanent security presence at Mar-a-Lago, with additional agents deployed during presidential visits. The Coast Guard patrols the waters around the property, and local police assist with traffic management and perimeter security. The total cost of these security measures has been a subject of ongoing debate, with estimates running into millions of dollars per presidential visit.
Nearby Trump Properties in South Florida
Mar-a-Lago is not the only Trump property in the Palm Beach area. Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach is located just a short drive from the estate and is the most common golf destination during Mar-a-Lago stays. Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, located about 20 miles north in Jupiter, Florida, provides another golf option. Further south, Trump National Doral in Miami offers a larger resort experience with four golf courses, including the Blue Monster. These properties create a network of Trump-branded venues across South Florida that the president can access easily during his Palm Beach visits. Our tracker monitors all of these locations, and you can see the full picture of Trump's South Florida movements on our live map, which plots every confirmed location with real-time updates.
Track Mar-a-Lago Visits in Real Time
Want to know when Trump is at Mar-a-Lago right now? Our live presidential tracker on the homepage shows the most recently confirmed location based on data from over ten major news outlets. When multiple sources report the president's arrival at Mar-a-Lago, the tracker updates automatically and the map marker moves to Palm Beach. You can also browse our location history to see every past visit, or check the travel statistics dashboard for a data-driven breakdown of how much time the president spends at his famous Florida estate compared to the White House and his other properties.
Mar-a-LagoMar-a-Lago TrumpWinter White HouseTrump Palm BeachMar-a-Lago factsMar-a-Lago clubSouthern White HouseMar-a-Lago membershipmar a lago trumptrump mar a lagomar-a-lago trump visits
LT
LocateTrump Research Team
An independent team of developers, data analysts, and researchers tracking presidential location and activity using publicly available information from 10+ major news sources. Operating continuously since January 20, 2025. All content follows our editorial standards for source verification and accuracy.
Related Articles
Where Does Trump Live? All Presidential Residences Explained
Complete guide to every Trump residence from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower, and Bedminster. See where Trump spends the most time.
White House vs. Mar-a-Lago: Where Does Trump Spend More Time?
Data-driven comparison of how much time Trump spends at the White House versus Mar-a-Lago, with seasonal trends and live tracking stats.
Presidential Retreats Through History: A Comparison
From FDR's Shangri-La to Bush's Crawford Ranch and Trump's Mar-a-Lago — comparing how presidents have used personal retreats across American history.
Trump Hotels: Complete Guide to Every Trump Hotel Property and Presidential Connection
Comprehensive guide to all Trump hotels worldwide including locations in Las Vegas, DC, Chicago, and their connection to presidential travel tracking data.
Research Pathways for This Topic
Use these targeted internal paths to move from this article into related hubs, timelines, and data-backed tracking pages.
Presidential Travel & Schedule topic hub
Daily routines, travel patterns, property visits, and presidential schedule analysis.
Florida state profile
Compare this article with tracked locations, timeline chronology, and state-level movement context for Florida.
D.C. state profile
Compare this article with tracked locations, timeline chronology, and state-level movement context for D.C..
Washington state profile
Compare this article with tracked locations, timeline chronology, and state-level movement context for Washington.
Golf updates
Follow current golf updates tied to this topic area.
Golf timeline
Review the chronological record of golf events for pattern analysis.
Meeting updates
Follow current meeting updates tied to this topic area.
Meeting timeline
Review the chronological record of meeting events for pattern analysis.
Weekly travel summaries
See week-over-week movement trends and recurring state/event patterns.
Explore LocateTrump
See presidential location data in action with our live tools.