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Port St. Lucie, Florida

"A City for All Ages"
One of the youngest major cities in America, Port St. Lucie grew from empty cattle land to nearly 300,000 residents in just 60 years — a testament to Florida's relentless suburban expansion.
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Founded 1961 | Population 284,448 | Peak 284,448 (2024) | County St. Lucie County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Port St. Lucie, Florida

1
2000 Explosive Population Growth: Port St. Lucie nearly doubled from 88,000 to 164,000 in a single decade as Florida's housing boom brought thousands of new residents to the Treasure Coast.
2
1988 Mets Spring Training: The New York Mets established their spring training facility at what became Clover Park, bringing national attention and tourism dollars to the young city.
3
1961 City Incorporated: Port St. Lucie incorporated with only a few hundred residents on land sold by the General Development Corporation as a planned Florida community.
4
1958 General Development Corporation: GDC began selling subdivided lots to buyers across the country, many sight-unseen, creating the foundation for the future city on former cattle land.
5
2008 Housing Crisis: The foreclosure crisis hit Port St. Lucie hard, with property values dropping dramatically and growth temporarily stalling.
6
2015 Tradition Mixed-Use Community: The Tradition development brought a new town center with shopping, medical facilities, and Cleveland Clinic to the western part of the city.
7
2020 COVID Migration Boom: Remote work and pandemic migration from the Northeast accelerated Port St. Lucie's growth as new residents sought affordable Florida living.
8
1990 Crosstown Parkway Planned: Planning began for the long-awaited bridge and parkway connecting the east and west sides of the city divided by the St. Lucie River.
9
2010 Top 10 Fastest-Growing City: Port St. Lucie ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing cities in America for the 2000-2010 decade.
10
2019 Crosstown Parkway Bridge Opens: The long-awaited bridge finally connected the two halves of the city, improving traffic and enabling development in the western sector.
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Population Over Time

0 71,112 142,224 213,336 284,448 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Latest News in Port St Lucie

Jan 1, 1970
Southwest Flight 2094 Diverted Over Bomb Threat Claim
Southwest Airlines Flight 2094, en route from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, encountered a harrowing situation late last n…
Jan 1, 1970
Oregon Democrats Block ICE Notification for Felony Convicts
Oregon Democratic senators have unanimously blocked a bill that would have mandated state authorities to notify U.S. Immigration a…
Jan 1, 1970
Grandpa Opens Fire On Armed Criminals During Home Invasion – His Granddaughter Orchestrated The Whole Heist
Among those arrested was the homeowner’s granddaughter, the orchestrator of the crime.
Jan 1, 1970
Dad And Son Charged With 216 Counts Of Incest, Pay The Price
A father and son in West Virginia has been charged with over 216 counts of incest, sexual assault and sexual abuse that involved t…
Jan 1, 1970
Trump Admin Mocked Over This Small Detail In Venezuela ‘Situation Room’ Photo
In the wake of a bold and controversial U.S. military operation in Venezuela…
Jan 1, 1970
Students Trump Movement Spreads Across Us
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Back in March 2016, a wave of student support for Donald Trump’s presidential bid was picking up steam,…

Complete Historical Timeline

1958 Business
General Development Corporation begins selling lots
1961 Government
Port St. Lucie incorporated
1970 Government
Population reaches 14,000
1980 Government
Growth accelerates to 36,000
1988 Sports
Mets establish spring training facility
1990 Government
Population reaches 55,000
2000 Government
Population doubles to 88,000
2008 Business
Housing crisis stalls growth
2010 Government
Population hits 164,000
2015 Architecture
Tradition development brings new town center
2019 Transport
Crosstown Parkway Bridge opens
2020 Social
Pandemic migration accelerates growth
2024 Government
Population surpasses 284,000

Did You Know?

1
Port St. Lucie didn't exist as a city until 1961 and had virtually no residents — it grew to nearly 300,000 in just six decades, making it one of the youngest major cities in America.
2
The General Development Corporation sold many Port St. Lucie lots sight-unseen to buyers in the Northeast, who sometimes discovered their 'Florida paradise' was undeveloped scrubland.
3
Port St. Lucie is the spring training home of the New York Mets, bringing tens of thousands of baseball fans to the Treasure Coast every February and March.

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J
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M
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T
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O
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SP
St. Petersburg
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CC
Cape Coral
Pop. 251,819
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