About the City of Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce is truly a unique gem on the Treasure Coast and we are committed to making our City sparkle. With recent redevelopment projects, historic preservation initiatives, and a focus on cultural and recreational amenities, Fort Pierce has become an exceptional place to live, work, learn, and play.
Situated on the “Treasure Coast,” named after the famed sinking of a Spanish treasure fleet in 1715, Fort Pierce is one of the oldest communities on the east coast of Florida. Incorporated in 1901, the city grew from 300 pioneers to over 45,000 residents today and encompasses approximately 31 square miles. Our city is a diverse, yet neighborly, community which embraces both the richness of our heritage and the promise of the future in St. Lucie County. Downtown has retained its old Florida charm and scale, as it has welcomed new development and revitalization. The historic Downtown waterfront affords residents contemporary shopping, dining, great fishing, and a range of entertainment and activities from the nationally acclaimed Farmers Market, Friday Fest, Jazz Craft Market and the city owned and operated historic 1,200-seat Sunrise Theatre for the Performing Arts.
Downtown Fort Pierce ranked among the nation’s most idyllic and historic main streets according to USA Today, and the only Florida city to make the list. The publication said, “Fort Pierce, a Treasure Coast ‘Old Florida’ town, cooled by breezes off the Indian River, won the 2011 Best Main Street designation from the National Trust. Swaying palm trees line the sidewalks, and the atmosphere evokes the early 1900s when the city came into its own. Period Spanish architecture punctuates the downtown area, the star of which is the historic Sunrise Theatre."
In 2015, Fort Pierce’s Downtown Main Street was named Number 1 on a consumer-advocacy group’s list of “50 Best Small Town Main Streets” in America. The honor was given by Top Value Reviews, which ranked Fort Pierce top among cities with a population of less than 60,000. Fort Pierce was one of only two Florida cities named on the list and it beat out notable quaint small towns such as Nantucket, Massachusetts and Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
In March 2017, SmartAsset.com named Fort Pierce as the sixth Most Affordable Beach Towns in 2017.
