Fort Pierce, Florida
City
City of Fort Pierce
Official seal of Fort Pierce, Florida
Seal
Nickname: 
Sunrise City
Location in St. Lucie County and the state of Florida
Location in St. Lucie County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°26′20″N 80°20′8″W / 27.43889°N 80.33556°W / 27.43889; -80.33556
Country United States
State Florida
CountySt. Lucie
Government
 • MayorLinda Hudson
Area
[1]
 • Total29.84 sq mi (77.29 km2)
 • Land23.79 sq mi (61.62 km2)
 • Water6.05 sq mi (15.67 km2)
Elevation
16 ft (5 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total47,297
 • Density1,988.02/sq mi (767.59/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
34945-34951, 34954, 34979, 34981-34982
FIPS code12-24300
GNIS feature ID0307964[2]
Websitecityoffortpierce.com

Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Atlantic Coast Florida.[3] It is also known as the Sunrise City,[4] and jokingly as "Port Fierce", due to its reputation for crime. Per the 2020 census, the population was 47,297.[5]

History

The Fort Pierce Railroad Station in the early 20th Century.

The city was named after the Fort Pierce Army post which was built nearby in 1838 during the Second Seminole War. The military post had been named for Benjamin Kendrick Pierce, a career United States Army officer and the brother of President Franklin Pierce.[6] It was the largest city on Florida's Atlantic Coast between Daytona Beach and West Palm Beach until 1970 when it was surpassed by Melbourne.

Geography

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.8 mi2 (53.8 km2), of which 14.7 square miles (38.2 km2) is land and 6.0 square miles (15.6 km2) of it (35.00%) is water.

Environment

Shore Protection project

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Fort Pierce Beach Shore Protection project includes 1.3 miles of shore line running from immediately south of the Fort Pierce Inlet southward to Surfside Park. The project is on a two-year renourishment cycle due to impacts to the beach from the federal navigation project at Fort Pierce Inlet. This two-year renourishment cycle is a much shorter renourishment interval than what is typical for other projects along the east coast of Florida.[7]

The initial construction of the project occurred in 1971 and the ninth nourishment was completed in May 2013. Completion of plans and specifications, advertisement and award for the 10th renourishment contract were completed in FY 2014. The project was scheduled to start mid-February 2015. Sand for the project is dredged from an approved offshore borrow area known as the Capron Shoal and then pumped via a pipeline onto the 1.3 miles of beach south of the Fort Pierce Inlet. The sponsor, St. Lucie County, is preparing a General Reevaluation Report (GRR) for the project at their own expense that will evaluate extending Federal participation for an additional 50 years. Current Federal participation expires in 2020.[7]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates the total cost of the project to be $75.9 million, with an estimated U.S. Federal Government share of $46.4 million. No funding for the project was requested by the U.S. President from the U.S. Congress in Fiscal Year 2016.[7]

Ecology

The Experimental Oculina Research Reserve preserves the Oculina Banks, a reef of ivory bush coral (Oculina varicosa) off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida. In 1984, a 92 square-nautical-mile (316 km2) portion of these reefs was designated the "Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern". In 1994, the area was closed to all manner of bottom fishing and was redesignated as a research reserve. In 2000, the marine protected area was expanded to 300 square nautical miles (1,030 km2) and prohibited all gears that caused mechanical disruption to the habitat. The city is also known for its large manatee population.

Marina

Due to the devastation caused at the Fort Pierce City Marina by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004, FEMA mandated a plan to ensure that the rebuilt facility would be protected from future such events before FEMA would release funding for the repairs. Starting in 2012, construction began to create 12 artificial barrier islands including oyster beds, lime rock artificial reefs, mangrove fringes and coastal dune. The "core" of the islands was constructed of TITANTubes, sometimes referred to as geotextile tubes or geotubes, manufactured by Flint Industries and covered by a coastal marine mattress and then armor stone. The project was completed in 2013 after six years of planning, permitting and construction and a cost of $18 million.

Climate

Fort Pierce has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and warm, drier winters.

Climate data for Fort Pierce, Florida (Treasure Coast International Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 89
(32)		 90
(32)		 93
(34)		 97
(36)		 98
(37)		 101
(38)		 101
(38)		 101
(38)		 99
(37)		 98
(37)		 92
(33)		 89
(32)		 101
(38)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 84.4
(29.1)		 86.4
(30.2)		 89.4
(31.9)		 91.0
(32.8)		 93.4
(34.1)		 94.9
(34.9)		 95.7
(35.4)		 95.0
(35.0)		 93.3
(34.1)		 90.9
(32.7)		 87.0
(30.6)		 84.7
(29.3)		 97.0
(36.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 73.4
(23.0)		 75.7
(24.3)		 78.3
(25.7)		 81.9
(27.7)		 85.6
(29.8)		 88.5
(31.4)		 90.3
(32.4)		 90.2
(32.3)		 88.1
(31.2)		 84.2
(29.0)		 79.2
(26.2)		 75.4
(24.1)		 82.6
(28.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 62.3
(16.8)		 64.8
(18.2)		 67.4
(19.7)		 71.5
(21.9)		 76.2
(24.6)		 79.9
(26.6)		 81.4
(27.4)		 81.6
(27.6)		 80.3
(26.8)		 76.4
(24.7)		 69.9
(21.1)		 65.5
(18.6)		 73.1
(22.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 51.2
(10.7)		 53.9
(12.2)		 56.5
(13.6)		 61.1
(16.2)		 66.8
(19.3)		 71.3
(21.8)		 72.6
(22.6)		 72.9
(22.7)		 72.6
(22.6)		 68.5
(20.3)		 60.6
(15.9)		 55.7
(13.2)		 63.6
(17.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 34.0
(1.1)		 37.0
(2.8)		 41.3
(5.2)		 47.6
(8.7)		 56.7
(13.7)		 66.5
(19.2)		 68.7
(20.4)		 69.2
(20.7)		 67.2
(19.6)		 53.9
(12.2)		 44.7
(7.1)		 38.1
(3.4)		 31.8
(−0.1)
Record low °F (°C) 19
(−7)		 25
(−4)		 26
(−3)		 33
(1)		 45
(7)		 56
(13)		 61
(16)		 61
(16)		 59
(15)		 42
(6)		 31
(−1)		 19
(−7)		 19
(−7)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.82
(72)		 2.17
(55)		 2.88
(73)		 3.03
(77)		 3.93
(100)		 6.69
(170)		 5.85
(149)		 6.94
(176)		 6.27
(159)		 5.25
(133)		 3.01
(76)		 2.33
(59)		 51.17
(1,300)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 8.7 7.7 8.1 7.2 9.0 14.2 15.3 15.4 15.4 12.2 10.4 9.3 132.9
Source: NOAA[8][9]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19101,333—
19202,11558.7%
19304,803127.1%
19408,04067.4%
195013,50267.9%
196025,25687.1%
197029,72117.7%
198033,80213.7%
199036,8309.0%
200037,5161.9%
201041,91011.7%
202047,29712.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
2010[11] 2020[12]
Fort Pierce racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race Pop 2010[11] Pop 2020[12] % 2010 % 2020
White (NH) 14,639 15,465 35.20% 32.70%
Black or African American (NH) 16,787 17,936 40.36% 37.92%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 107 86 0.26% 0.18%
Asian (NH) 337 472 0.81% 1.00%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) 20 15 0.05% 0.03%
Some other race (NH) 83 273 0.20% 0.58%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) 613 1,450 1.47% 3.07%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9,004 11,600 21.65% 24.53%
Total 41,590 47,297 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 47,297 people, 16,687 households, and 10,005 families residing in the city.[13]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 41,590 people, 15,207 households, and 9,515 families residing in the city.[14]

As of the census of 2010, the population density was 2,021.9 inhabitants per square mile (780.7/km2).[15] There were 17,170 housing units at an average density of 1,164.7 per square mile (449.7/km2).

In 2010, there were 15,207 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.50.[16]

In 2010, in the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 20 to 24, 13.3% from 25 to 34, 13.0% from 45 to 54, 9.8% from 55 to 64 and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older.[16] The median age was 35.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

In 2010, the median income for a household in the city was $30,869, and the median income for a family was $36,337. Males had a median income of $32,412 versus $26,349 for females.[16] The per capita income for the city was $16,782. 30.2% of the population were below the poverty line.[15]

Economy

Fort Pierce Farmers Market
Largest employers[17]
No.EmployerEmployees
1HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital1,847
2Walmart Distribution Center1,273
3Pursuit Boats684
4Maverick Boat Group580
5City of Fort Pierce358

Port of Fort Pierce

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an average of 350,000 tons of waterborne commerce moves through the Port of Fort Pierce annually. Major commodities which are dependent on the port include citrus exports, cement and aragonite imports. The last navigation improvements at Fort Pierce were authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 1988 dated November 17, 1988 and construction was completed in August 1996. The existing entrance channel is 400 feet wide and 30 feet deep, the interior channel is 250 feet wide and 28 feet deep, the existing turning basin is 1,100 feet square and 28 feet deep, and the north access channel is located immediately north of the main turning basin is 1,250 feet long, 250 feet wide and 28 feet deep.[18]

In late 2014 dredging efforts were completed in the port. The dredging effort included both beach placement of beach quality sand on the beach immediately south of the Inlet as well as placement of non beach quality sand in the approved offshore disposal area.[18]

Arts and culture

Tourist attractions

A.E. Backus Museum and Gallery

Government

Fort Pierce City Hall

The city of Fort Pierce has a council–manager government form of local government. The offices of commissioner and mayor are nonpartisan, and have a term of four years.

Education

Colleges and Universities

Kight Center for Emerging Technologies at the Fort Pierce campus of Indian River State College

High Schools

Middle Schools

  • Dan McCarty Middle School
  • Forest Grove Middle School
  • Fort Pierce Magnet School of the Arts
  • Lincoln Park Academy
  • Saint Anastasia Middle School
  • Saint Andrew's Academy
  • Samuel S. Gaines Academy K-8

Elementary Schools

  • Chester A. Moore Elementary School
  • Fairlawn Elementary School
  • Fort Pierce Magnet School of the Arts
  • Francis K. Sweet Elementary School
  • Lakewood Park Elementary School
  • Lawnwood Elementary School
  • Samuel S. Gaines Academy K-8
  • Weatherbee Elementary School
  • White City Elementary School

Infrastructure

Transportation

Fort Pierce is located on U.S. Route 1, near its intersection with Florida State Road 70. Interstate 95 and Florida's Turnpike are nearby, at the west edge of town. The Intracoastal Waterway passes through the city. The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service is in Melbourne; the closest major airport is in West Palm Beach.[29] The city itself has a general aviation airport, Treasure Coast International Airport.

Fort Pierce is served by the St. Lucie Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).[30] The TPO is a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization responsible for transportation planning, programming, and financing of State and Federal transportation funds for the City of Fort Pierce. The TPO is governed by a TPO Board, which is composed of elected officials, representatives from the St. Lucie County School Board, and representatives from Community Transit, a division of The Council on Aging of St. Lucie, Inc.[31] The original bus system started as a demand response service bus in the 1990s; it only served St. Lucie County. Soon it expanded to a fixed route system, going to predetermined locations along a route. On June 3, 2002, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) approved funding, expanding the bus service to Martin County, and it became the Treasure Coast Connector.[32][33]

From 1894 to 1968 the Florida East Coast Railway served the city as a passenger railroad. Until a strike beginning in 1963, several long distance passenger trains from Chicago, Cincinnati and New York City made stops there, en route to Miami. These long distances trains included the Illinois Central Railroad's City of Miami and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad's South Wind both heading from Chicago; and they included the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's East Coast Champion, the Havana Special, and the winter-only Florida Special originating from New York.[34][35][36] Into the latter 1950s, passengers could take the Dixie Flagler to Chicago via Atlanta from the station.[37] The FEC continued a six day a week Jacksonville-Miami train from 1965 to 1968, per court order.[38]

Amtrak and the Florida East Coast Railway had been planning to make stations along Florida's East Coast. The cities cited by Amtrak and the Florida Department of Transportation included: Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Melbourne, Titusville, Cocoa, Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, Florida.[39]

In 2023, Brightline, an inter-city rail route that currently runs between Miami and Orlando, announced that it was looking for sites for a new station on the Treasure Coast.[40] As of January 2024, both Stuart and Fort Pierce are the candidates to receive the Brightline station.[41]

Notable people

Zora Neale Hurston's house

Actors

Businesspeople

Writers and artists

Musicians

Politicians

Activists

Sports

Other

References

  1. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Jernigan, Meg. "Things to Do in Fort Pierce, Florida". USA Today. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Fort Pierce city, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Jean Ellen (2014). Legendary Locals of Fort Pierce. Arcadia Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 9781467101271. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- Congressional Fact Sheet -- Fort Pierce Beach FL, Shore Protection Project" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  11. 1 2 "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Fort Pierce city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
  12. 1 2 "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Fort Pierce city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ↑ "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Fort Pierce city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ↑ "S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Fort Pierce city, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
  15. 1 2 "Fort Pierce (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". census.gov. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). "U.S. Census website". census.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  17. ↑ Major Employers, St. Lucie EDC.
  18. 1 2 "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- Congressional Fact Sheet -- Fort Pierce Harbor" (PDF).
  19. ↑ "Art Mundo".
  20. 1 2 Archived August 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ "St. Lucie County". Archived from the original on October 4, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Main Street Fort Pierce". Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Fort Pierce Tourist Attractions". PlanetWare. Archived from the original on February 16, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Manatee Observation and Education Center". Manateecenter.com. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit: Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS) at Fort Pierce". Sms.si.edu. February 6, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  26. ↑ "St Lucie County Florida Online || St. Lucie County Marine Center". Stlucieco.gov. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  27. ↑ "St Lucie County Florida Online || Regional History Center". Stlucieco.gov. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Sunrise Theatre".
  29. ↑ Rand McNally Road Atlas, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Transportation Planning Organization - Homepage". Stlucietpo.org. February 2, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Our Services > Transportation". COASL. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  32. ↑ "Home". Treasure Coast Connector. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  33. ↑ "Treasure Coast Connector: Services". treasurecoastconnector.com. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Florida East Coast Railway". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 90 (7). December 1957.
  35. ↑ "Florida East Coast Railway". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 91 (3). January 1962.
  36. ↑ Bramson, Seth H. Speedway to Sunshine: the story of the Florida East Coast Railway, Boston Mills Press, 2010, p. 227. ISBN 9781554077533.
  37. ↑ Herr, Kincaid A. University Press of Kentucky, 1964, p. 273.
  38. ↑ Bramson, Seth H. Speedway to Sunshine: the story of the Florida East Coast Railway, Boston Mills Press, 2010, pp. 151, 153. ISBN 9781554077533.
  39. ↑ "Orlando Sun-Sentinel," Feb 22, 2013, Angel Streeter, "Amtrak still hopeful for service on FEC tracks" http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-02-22/news/fl-amtrak-florida-east-coast-railroad-20130215_1_amtrak-service-fec-passenger-service Archived 2018-01-29 at the Wayback Machine
  40. ↑ "BRIGHTLINE ANNOUNCES PROCESS TO SELECT A TREASURE COAST STATION". www.gobrightline.com. October 26, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  41. ↑ Perlis, Wicker (January 5, 2024). "A battle for Brightline: Choices for new station appear to be between Stuart, Fort Pierce". TCPalm. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Edwin Binney" Retrieved on 2009-03-12
  43. ↑ "A.E. Backus Museum". Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  44. ↑ "Zora Neale Hurston".
  45. ↑ Gary Stewart (singer)
  46. ↑ "Florida Governor Daniel Thomas McCarty". National Governors Association. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  47. ↑ "Judge Sturtevant Dies in Florida". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. September 17, 1966. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ↑ "Jeffrey Leon Blackshear". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  49. ↑ "Jeffrey Leon Blackshear". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  50. ↑ "Yamon Figurs". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  51. ↑ "Charles Johnson Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  52. ↑ "Terry McGriff Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  53. ↑ "Ryan Darrell McNeil". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  54. ↑ "Wonder Monds". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  55. ↑ "Luther Robinson". hurricanesports.com. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  56. ↑ "Larry Sandersl". Basketball-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  57. ↑ "Jeff Schwarz Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  58. ↑ Graffis, Herb (October 1944). "Making The Swing" (PDF). Golfdom: 5–6.
  59. ↑ Bidney, Beverly (December 31, 2014). "Louise Gopher bestowed with FSU honorary degree" (PDF). Seminole Tribune. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  60. ↑ Fox, Margalit. "John Houghtaling, Inventor of Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed, Dies at 92", The New York Times, June 19, 2009. Accessed June 20, 2009.
  61. ↑ "United Hero: CeeCee Ross-Lyles".
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