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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
2000Explosive 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
1988Mets 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
1961City 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
1958General 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
2008Housing Crisis: The foreclosure crisis hit Port St. Lucie hard, with property values dropping dramatically and growth temporarily stalling.
6
2015Tradition 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
2020COVID Migration Boom: Remote work and pandemic migration from the Northeast accelerated Port St. Lucie's growth as new residents sought affordable Florida living.
8
1990Crosstown 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
2010Top 10 Fastest-Growing City: Port St. Lucie ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing cities in America for the 2000-2010 decade.
10
2019Crosstown 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

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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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