Fort Pierce, Florida


Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. An hour north of West Palm Beach, the city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Florida’s Atlantic Coast. It is also known as the Sunrise City. Per the 2020 census, the population was 47,297.

History

The city was named after the Fort Pierce army post which was built nearby in 1838 during the Seminole War">Seminole Tribe of Florida">Seminole War, and lasted until 1842. The military post had been named for Benjamin Kendrick Pierce, a career United States Army officer and the brother of President Franklin Pierce.
The first permanent settlement of the current city was during the 1860s. In 1901, the city was officially incorporated as a municipality. 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.

Lincoln Park

The neighborhood of Lincoln Park, the area north of Moore's Creek, originated as Edgartown. The renowned writer, Zora Neale Hurston lived in the neighborhood. In its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, a thriving African-American community, centered along Avenue D. It was the county's center for African-American businesses and the Lincoln Theater on Avenue D. Lincoln Park Academy is situated in the neighborhood on Avenue I, west of North 17th Street.

The Florida Highwaymen

Lincoln Park each February hosts a celebration of the artwork of the African-American collective of landscape artists formed in the 1950s. Local artist A.E. Backus mentored many of the artists at his gallery. Several of the artists got their start at Lincoln Park Academy under the leadership of teacher Zanobia Jefferson. Art historian Jim Fitch in 1994 gave the group the name of 'the Highwaymen'. Over the course of 2001 to 2020, Gary Monroe wrote several books on the artwork of the 26 artists known as Highwaymen.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.84 mi2, of which 23.79 square miles is land and 6.05 square miles of it is water.

Environment

Shore Protection project

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Fort Pierce Beach Shore Protection project includes 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.
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 of beach south of the Fort Pierce Inlet. The sponsor, St. Lucie County, is preparing a General Reevaluation Report for the project at their own expense that will evaluate extending Federal participation for an additional 50 years. Current Federal participation expires in 2020.
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.

Ecology

The Experimental Oculina Research Reserve preserves the Oculina Banks, a reef of ivory bush coral off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida. In 1984, a 92 square-nautical-mile 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 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 is located in the broad transition zone between a humid subtropical climate, which dominates Central Florida, and within the northern extent of the tropical climate typical of South Florida.

Demographics

RacePop 2010Pop 2020% 2010% 2020
White 14,63915,46535.20%32.70%
Black or African American 16,78717,93640.36%37.92%
Native American or Alaska Native 107860.26%0.18%
Asian 3374720.81%1.00%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian 20150.05%0.03%
Some other race 832730.20%0.58%
Two or more races/Multiracial 6131,4501.47%3.07%
Hispanic or Latino 9,00411,60021.65%24.53%
Total41,59047,297100.00%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.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 41,590 people, 15,207 households, and 9,515 families residing in the city.
As of the census of 2010, the population density was. There were 17,170 housing units at an average density of.
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.
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. 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. The per capita income for the city was $16,782. 30.2% of the population were below the poverty line.

Economy

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, and construction was completed in August 1996. The existing entrance channel is wide and deep, the interior channel is wide and deep, the existing turning basin is square and deep, and the north access channel is located immediately north of the main turning basin is feet long, wide and deep.
In late 2014, dredging efforts were completed in the port. The dredging effort included placement of beach quality sand on the beach immediately south of the Inlet and placement of non-beach quality sand in the approved offshore disposal area.

Arts and culture

Tourist attractions

Government

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

High schools

Middle schools

  • Creative Arts Academy of Saint Lucie
  • Dan McCarty Middle School
  • Forest Grove Middle School
  • Lincoln Park Academy
  • Saint Anastasia Middle School
  • Saint Andrew's Academy
  • Samuel S. Gaines Academy K–8

Elementary schools

  • Chester A. Moore Elementary School
  • Creative Arts Academy of Saint Lucie
  • Fairlawn Elementary School
  • 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 US 1, near its intersection of SR 70. I-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 Orlando International Airport|Melbourne]; the closest major airport is in West Palm Beach. The city itself has a general aviation airport, Treasure Coast International Airport.
Fort Pierce is served by the St. Lucie Transportation Planning Organization. The TPO is a Metropolitan Planning Organization, 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. 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 approved funding, expanding the bus service to Martin County, and it became the Treasure Coast Connector.
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 (train)|City of Miami] and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad's South Wind, both heading from Chicago; and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's East Coast Champion, the Havana Special, and the winter-only Florida Special originating from New York. Into the latter 1950s, passengers could take the Dixie Flagler to Chicago via Atlanta from the station. The FEC continued a six day a week Jacksonville-Miami train from 1965 to 1968, per court order.
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.
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. As of 2024, there are currently no plans to add a station in Fort Pierce.

Notable people

Arts and entertainment

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