See when Trump is set to return to Mar-a-Lago, and what to expect

• President Donald Trump is expected to visit his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach from Oct. 17-19.
• The visit follows a trip to Israel and will be the president’s first to the club since May.
• The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a notice for forthcoming temporary flight restrictions due to “VIP Movement” during his visit.

President Donald Trump set to return to his Mar-a-Lago Club on Oct. 17, just days after a trip to Israel where he celebrated the return of Israeli hostages amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner swap and ceasefire.

Trump will be in Palm Beach from Oct. 17-19, according to a new notice from the Federal Aviation Administration cautioning pilots that temporary flight restrictions for “VIP Movement” of the level issued when the president travels will be issued soon.

Trump’s visit to Mar-a-Lago would come on the heels of his time in Israel, where he spoke Oct. 13 to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, following the announced release of the remaining Israeli hostages from the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Palm Beach residents can expect South Ocean Boulevard next to Mar-a-Lago to close sometime Oct. 17, following past patterns.

Trump is set to be the keynote speaker at a $1 million-per-plate fundraiser for super PAC MAGA Inc. on Oct. 17 at Mar-a-Lago, according to details shared with the Palm Beach Daily News.

Trump’s expected trip to the island had previously been reported by the Daily News following an Oct. 9 advisory issued by the Boca Raton Airport Authority. The new FAA notice was posted by the agency’s Safety Team on Oct. 13 and provides further confirmation of Trump’s plans.

Trump has visited Mar-a-Lago 10 times since taking office on Jan. 20. His most recent visit to the island was from May 1-4.

While the White House has not confirmed Trump’s travel plans for the weekend of Oct. 17-19, flight restrictions and the associated notices have served as a reliable way for those in Palm Beach County to know when to expect a visit from the president — along with the raft of security measures his arrival will bring.

The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment on the president’s schedule. Palm Beach officials also previously declined to comment.

“In general, residents, businesses and commuters should be advised that road closures on S. Ocean Boulevard can be expected during the open season of the Mar-a-Lago Club when President Trump is in residence,” a Secret Service official previously told the Daily News. “Residents and businesses can anticipate similar traffic restrictions and processes that were in effect earlier this year. Specific road closures and traffic impacts will be communicated by the Palm Beach Police Department.”

Palm Beach preparing for president’s visits this season

When Trump comes to Palm Beach, the U.S. Secret Service orders the closure of South Ocean Boulevard between the Southern Boulevard traffic circle and South County Road. Town officials typically send an alert warning of the road closure about 24 hours before it is expected to shut down.

That security zone was established around Mar-a-Lago following the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and it is put into effect whenever the president is in residence at his Palm Beach home.

No vehicles are allowed to enter or exit the security zone from the south, next to the traffic circle. Those who live, work and are visiting homes within the security zone must enter through the north checkpoint at South County Road and will need to have identification ready.

While not commenting on the specifics of an expected first visit for the season by Trump, Town Manager Kirk Blouin said Palm Beach will coordinate with the Secret Service, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other partners to make sure there is a traffic plan when the president does return to Mar-a-Lago.

Palm Beach, PBSO and the Secret Service worked during the off-season to fine-tune the road closure, which is a system that has been in place since Trump was elected in 2016 to his first term in the White House, Blouin said.

“There’s always initial frustration” when the road is closed, he said. It will be a disruption, but the effects should not be as bad as when the road closes during season, Blouin said.

Road work elsewhere in town could add to the congestion, but the town will work to mitigate any issues that could arise, he said.

Town residents, visitors, business owners and employees can sign up at townofpalmbeach.com for Palm Beach’s alert system to receive notifications about road closures and detours.

Bridge schedules to change with visit

When Trump is home the Flagler Memorial and Southern Boulevard bridges will have similar opening schedules:

• Monday through Friday: From 7:30 to 9 a.m., the bridge will open on the quarter-hour; from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., the bridge will open on the quarter and three-quarter hour; from 2:15 to 6 p.m., the bridge will open on the quarter-hour; and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., the bridge will open on the quarter and three-quarter hour.
• Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays: The bridge will open on the quarter- and three-quarter hour.

The Southern Boulevard Bridge also may close without notice to allow for motorcades to pass uninterrupted, the Coast Guard said. Because the bridge-opening times are staggered, the Royal Park Bridge’s schedule when Trump is in town is different from the schedule for the other two bridges:

• Monday through Friday: From 7:30 to 9 a.m., the bridge will open on the half-hour; from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., the bridge will open on the hour and half-hour; from 2:15 to 6 p.m., the bridge will open on the half-hour; and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., the bridge will open on the hour and half-hour.
• Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays: The bridge will open on the hour and half-hour.

What to know about temporary flight restrictions

The VIP-level temporary flight restrictions issued by the FAA for presidential travel — any president, to any location in the U.S. — include a set of rules for aviators to follow. Pilots who don’t follow those rules could be penalized or even intercepted by F-16 fighter jets.

The “VIP movement” flight restrictions issued for Trump’s visits to Palm Beach include two rings of protection.

The inner ring is a 10 nautical mile radius where most flights are banned with the exception of approved law enforcement and air ambulance or other emergency flights, and regularly scheduled cargo and commercial passenger jets, according to FAA advisories. All emergency operations have to coordinate with air traffic control before take-off.

More movement is allowed with the 30 nm radius area, or outer ring, of the temporary flight restrictions. Aircraft can pass through but “not loiter,” FAA advisories say. All aircraft that do pass through the outer ring must have a specific flight plan filed with air traffic control, which will issue the plane a code. The pilot has to stay in contact with air traffic control throughout their time passing through the restricted area, the FAA says.

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.