Fort Pierce, Florida

Fort Pierce is located at 27°26′20″N 80°20′8″W (27.438817, -80.335471).[10]

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.

As of the census of 2010, there were 41,910 people, 15,170 households, and 9,418 families residing in the city.[13][14] The population density was 2,021.9 people per square mile (982.7/km²).[15] There were 17,170 housing units at an average density of 1,164.7/sq mi (449.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.9% African American, 45.3% White, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino were 21.6% of the population.[15]

There were 15,170 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.[14]

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.[14] 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.

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.[14] The per capita income for the city was $16,782. 30.2% of the population were below the poverty line.[15]

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.

The climate of Ft. Pierce is a humid subtropical climate. Located too far north for a tropical climate it closely borders a tropical monsoon and a tropical savannah climate. Summertime temperatures range between 80 and 100 degrees F. Temperatures in the winter range between 55 and 73 degrees F, although some winter days can drop down below 35 degrees, but rarely fall below freezing.

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.[17]

Fort Pierce is served by the St. Lucie Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).[18] 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.[19] 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.[20][21]

Amtrak and the Florida East Coast Railway have been planning to make stations along Florida's East Coast. The latter operations would be part of the second phase of the private Virgin Trains USA inter-city rail project. The cities cited by Amtrak and the Florida Department of Transportation include: Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Melbourne, Titusville, Cocoa, Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, Florida.[22] In 2018, Brightline announced that it was looking at downtown properties for a site for a new station for the train between Fort Pierce and Miami. Ultimately, the northwestern terminus would be Orlando, with service beginning in 2021.[23][24]

Public high schools in the city include Fort Pierce Central High School, Fort Pierce Westwood Academy: The WEST Prep Magnet and Lincoln Park Academy. Private schools include John Carroll Catholic High School and Faith Baptist School (Treasure Coast Baptist Academy) Private middle schools inside city limits include Saint Andrew's Academy and Saint Anastasia Middle School.

Indian River State College is also located in Fort Pierce.

A.E. Backus Museum and Gallery

• A.E. Backus Museum and Gallery
• Arcade Building
• Art Mundo at the Art Bank[26]
• Boston House
• Dust Tracks of Zora Neale Hurston[27][28]
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
• Heathcote Botanical Gardens
• Historic Main Street[29]
• Florida Power and Light Energy Encounter[30]
• Lincoln Park Main Street[27]
• Old Fort Pierce City Hall
• Old Fort Park
• Manatee Center[31]
• Navy UDT-SEAL Museum (Fort Pierce was the original home of the United States Navy SEALs)
• Smithsonian Marine Ecosystem Exhibit[32]
• St. Lucie County Marine Center[33]
• St. Lucie County Regional History Center[34]
• Sunrise Theatre[35]
• Havert L. Fenn Center

Zora Neale Hurston's house

• CeeCee Lyles, Flight attendant on flight 93.[36]
• A.E. "Beanie" Backus, artist and painter[37]
• Kimberly Bergalis, victim of first known case of clinical transmission of HIV
• Edwin Binney, co-founder of Crayola Crayons[38]
• Jeff Blackshear, NFL guard for the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers[39]
• Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• Ricou Browning, director, actor, producer, screenwriter, underwater cinematographer and stuntman best known for portraying Gill-Man underwater in Universal’s Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and its two sequels Revenge of the Creature (1955), and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956).
• Jamar Chaney, NFL linebacker[40]
• Yamon Figurs, NFL and CFL wide receiver[41]
• Mark Foley, former U.S. Congressman
• Louise Gopher, the first Seminole woman to earn a bachelor's degree.[42]
• Ted Hewitt, country music producer- produces Country Music artist Rodney Atkins
• John Houghtaling, creator of the Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed.[43]
• Zora Neale Hurston, author best known for the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God[44]
• Charles Johnson, MLB catcher for the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays[45]
• Ladislav Karabin, retired Czechoslovakian hockey player, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins
• Khalil Mack, NFL linebacker
• Daniel T. McCarty, 31st Governor of Florida[46]
• Terry McGriff, MLB catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals[47]
• Ryan McNeil, NFL defensive back[48]
• Wonder Monds, NFL defensive back[49]
• Michael P. Nash, Filmmaker
• Luther Robinson, NFL defensive end[50]
• Larry Sanders, Former National Basketball Association Player[51]
• Jeff Schwarz, MLB pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and California Angels[52]
• Gary Stewart, country singer[53]
• Herbert Strong, professional golfer and golf course architect[54]
• Allen R. Sturtevant, Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court[55]
• LaDaris Vann, American player of gridiron football

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Pierce, Florida.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Fort Pierce.

• Official City of Fort Pierce website
• Virtual view of the City of Fort Pierce