Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie is the largest city on a region known as the Treasure Coast, an area consisting of almost 600,000 people. Port St. Lucie is a coastal city on the Indian River Lagoon with many fun activities if you look around, like baseball, parks, bowling, and golf. With developments for a downtown area going into effect along US-1, PSL is modernizing one step at a time, though it maintains a suburban feel. It blossomed from a town of only 500 people in its first census in 1970 to a boom-town of 170,000 by 2010. Downtown is in its infancy of development, but plans have been revealed to build on the empty blocks surrounding the Civic Center.

A very special thing about Port St. Lucie is that it is the spring training home of the New York Mets; in First Data Field, the Mets play baseball against their Major League foes, like the Yankees and the Red Sox. The season normally lasts from January or February to late March to early April, when their minor league affiliates, the St. Lucie Mets, play in that very stadium.

The location of Port St. Lucie is roughly halfway between Orlando and West Palm Beach on the Turnpike, and halfway between WPB and Melbourne on the Space Coast on Interstate 95.

Like most of Florida, Port St. Lucie's climate is warm almost year round, except for the occasional cool winter day. The highest summer temperature recorded in the city was 101°F (38°C), and the lowest winter temperature recorded was 23°F (-5°C). Average temperatures in PSL through the year mostly range from the low 60s to the mid to high 80s. Those who plan to visit in the summer months should pack light, or lightly colored (white, light blue, etc.), T-shirts, shorts, and sneakers; sandals are also advised, weather permitting of course, but flip-flops aren't recommended.

See also: air travel in the US

• Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach (PBI ^IATA) is the closest commercial airport to Port St. Lucie, serving the U.S. and from Bahamas.

Larger airports are further south or north, including:

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL ^IATA) is the closest large commercial hub to PSL.
• Miami International Airport (MIA ^IATA), busiest airport in Florida, serving the U.S. and the world.
• Orlando International Airport (MCO ^IATA), busiest airport in Central Florida, just a while up the Turnpike.

PSL is easily accessible from many major Florida cities by car on three major highways: the Florida Turnpike, Interstate 95, and U.S. Highway 1. You can reach West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and other points in South Florida via Interstate 95, the Turnpike, and US 1; but if you want to get to Disney World, you can visit Orlando by Florida's Turnpike.

By I-95, you can exit to Port St. Lucie by these exits:

By Florida's Turnpike, you can get into Port St. Lucie by these exits:

US Highway 1 spans entire length of the state, its route through the city extends from the Martin/St. Lucie County line to the south to Midway Road at the northern limits of the city. This stretch of US 1 is passes through town as Federal Highway which contains mostly strip malls and shopping centers.

See also: rail travel in the United States of America

The closest train stations for the Amtrak Silver Service are in Okeechobee, West Palm Beach, and Orlando; the station in Sanford, is served by the Auto Train, a nonstop service from Lorton, Virginia (around Washington, DC) that carries the passengers' cars in specially designed autoracks. The nearest stations for Brightline are only in West Palm Beach and Orlando Airport which are in separate locations from Amtrak trains. There are no Amtrak Thruway connections to Port St Lucie or anywhere in Port St Lucie County from these Amtrak stations.

Car is the easiest, if not only, way to get around Port St. Lucie. PSL is a relatively large city by area, so driving is the best option to get around. PSL stretches to all the way past I-95 to an in-city town called Tradition. The highways listed are also used to get around Port St. Lucie with ease, mostly US-1 and I-95; the Turnpike is rarely used due to it being a toll road, but it is used to avoid traffic and as a way to reach central Florida. There are no one-way streets in PSL, except for divided highways. There are only 4 major east-west routes throughout the city; including Crosstown Parkway, a six-lane thoroughfare that runs from US 1 to Interstate 95, which opened in 2019. At the intersection with Floresta Drive, there is a superstreet intersection that is considered to be an eyesore and a hindrance to navigation for those traveling on Floresta, so exercise caution in this area and follow all road signs.

There are two Enterprise rentals in the city.

• Enterprise Rent-a-Car, 1290 SW Bayshore Blvd; 10502 S Federal Hwy, ☏ +1 772 344-3100. M-F 7:30AM-6PM; Sa 9AM-noon. The local Enterprise rental stations. They'll pick you up. The location on US-1 is closest to Martin County, if you want to spend a day in Stuart or Jensen Beach. Weekend price from $9.99/day. 

Uber now has service around the Central Atlantic Coast of Florida and the Heartland, serving from Daytona Beach to Sebring, PSL, and Moore Haven. Fares start at a base rate of $2, adding $1.80 for every mile and $0.20 for every minute.

• Uber Central Atlantic Coast. Service from Daytona Beach to Port St. Lucie. 

Port St. Lucie has a small canal system that can be used to navigate the southern and central parts of the city, including River Park, with the river functioning as the central canal. Local marinas give you easy access to the river, which empties into the St. Lucie Inlet, which in turn takes you to the Atlantic.

Marinas in the area:

• River Park Marina, 500 E Prima Vista Blvd, ☏ +1 772 462-1522. This marina sits on the north fork of the St. Lucie River. The entire river takes you to Lake Okeechobee. 
• Veterans Memorial Park, 2100 SE Veterans Memorial Pkwy, ☏ +1 772 335-1433. This park and preserve features a marina and a boardwalk to observe natural wildlife preserves. 

Port Saint Lucie offers limited, fixed-route bus service including connections to Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, and Vero Beach through the Area Regional Transit (ART). Service extends from 43rd Street in Vero Beach to Avenue D in Fort Pierce via the northern routes, and from St. Lucie West in Port St. Lucie to the Treasure Coast Square Mall in Jensen Beach.

• Route 1 runs from the Treasure Coast Square Mall in Jensen Beach at the South End up US-1 to the Fort Pierce Intermodal Facility at the North End.
• Route 4 runs around downtown Port St. Lucie in a "trolley-style" bus; the downtown area contains a hospital and the PSL Civic Center. The route extends from the PSL Civic Center to the Sam's Club on US-1.
• Route 5 runs along Port St. Lucie and Gatlin Blvds, from PSL City Hall at the east end to "The Landing" strip mall on the west end.
• Route 6 runs from the Prima Vista Crossings along Prima Vista Blvd/St. Lucie West Blvd, with the western terminus being the Hilton Garden Inn in St. Lucie West.
• Route 8 runs along Airoso Blvd and 25th Street from the Port St. Lucie Community Center to the Fort Pierce Intermodal Facility.

If you have children that really want to have fun, PSL has its own parks and recreation department and multiple playgrounds for them to play until nap time! Favorite parks among the residents include:

• 🌍 Jessica Clinton Park, 3200 S.E. Southbend Blvd, ☏ +1 772 344-4150. 8AM to 10PM; sports light curfew is at 9:30PM. Playgrounds for children of all ages, basketball and tennis courts, and turf field. 
• 🌍 Lyngate Park, 1301 SE Lyngate Dr. 8AM to 10PM; sports light curfew is at 9:30PM. Home of American Little League, this park has two baseball fields, racquetball, volleyball, and basketball courts. 
• 🌍 Sportsman Park & Sportsman Park West, 201 NW Prima Vista Blvd & 220 NW Irving Street, ☏ +1 772 871-5096. 8AM to 10PM; sports light curfew is at 9:30PM. Sportsman Park has a playground, tennis and a baseball field for Little League teams. The West Park has a track and two football fields. 
• Veterans Park at Rivergate, 2200 SE Veterans Memorial Pkwy, ☏ +1 772 335-1433. 7AM to 11PM (boat ramp open 24-hours-a-day). Veterans Park is close to the St. Lucie River; you can get a river cruise, go on the boardwalk by the river, and go boating. 

Believe it or not, Port St. Lucie has a major league sponsored baseball team known as the St. Lucie Mets; they play at Tradition Field in St. Lucie West, a major shopping and business center in the city. St. Lucie West is also home to a local PGA village, and a bowling alley.

• 🌍 Clover Park (Tradition Field), 525 NW Peacock Blvd, ☏ +1 772 871-2115. Season runs from April to early September (Spring training begins in January or February). Opened in 1988 as Thomas J. White Plaza, First Data Field has been the spring training home of the New York Mets, and the home of their Class A-Advanced minor league associates, the St. Lucie Mets. $6.50 general admission; $8.50 premium seating. 
• 🌍 PGA Village, 8565 Commerce Centre Dr, ☏ +1 772 468-7686. 8:30AM – 8PM. Claims to be the best of all Florida golf cities. 
• 🌍 Superplay USA, 1600 NW Courtyard Circle. Su-Th noon-9PM; F Sa noon-11PM. Laser tag, mini golf, and 48 lanes for bowling. (updated Aug 2020)
• St. Lucie Lanes, 6759 U.S. 1. One of the oldest bowling alleys in the region. 
• 🌍 PopStroke (Tigerwoods Putt Putt), 11070 SW Village Parkway, ☏ +1 772-800-6001, toll-free: +1 (407) 530-3885, info@popstroke.com. 10am-11pm. PopStroke is an experiential golf and casual dining concept merging a dynamic, technologically-advanced golf environment with food and beverage. Headquartered in Jupiter, Florida, PopStroke has a dedicated team of experienced professionals in the food, beverage, and hospitality fields. You'll find an expansive variety of craft beer, wine, ice cream, and food to enjoy on or off the course. PopStroke infuses technology within the golf experience to create an interactive and competitive atmosphere for all participants. Unique to PopStroke is the PopStroke App and jumbotron leaderboard. The experience includes using Tiger Woods' ball of choice - Bridgestone! Each guest keeps a PopStroke Bridgestone commemorative ball with their round of golf. (updated Oct 2022)

Most events in the Port St. Lucie area are in Tradition or St. Lucie West. If you find yourself in town, make sure to browse these fun events in the PSL area.

• Food Truck Invasion, SW Tradition Square. 1st and 3rd Fridays of every month, 5 to 9PM. The only food truck invasion in St. Lucie County. 
• Tradition Green Market, The Landing at Tradition, SW Village Pkwy. Every Sunday, 10:30AM to 3PM. Shop local vendors for fresh produce, arts & crafts, and more! Every Sunday. 
• Port St. Lucie Civic Center Green Market, 9221 SE Civic Center Place. Saturdays from 8AM to 3PM. 
• St. Lucie County Fair, 15601 W Midway Rd (city borders almost end at the fairgrounds). The fair spans roughly a week, from late February to early March of each year. Check out the rides, animals, and great food at the St. Lucie County Fair. 
• Taste of Little Italy - Italian Festival, SW Tradition Square, ☏ +1 561 427-0500. This yearly festival in Tradition will give you a massively fun opportunity to explore Little Italy through festival rides, wine tasting and music by various artists. 
• Casey 'n' Spaz Comedy, 9221 SE Civic Center Place (PSL Civic Center). 1st and 3rd Saturday every month; 7:30PM doors open with show at 8:30PM. Live stand up comedy at the Civic Center. Open to all, but minors must accompanied by a parent due to some coarse language. $15 at the door. (updated May 2015)

The St. Lucie News Tribune is the local paper, giving residents and visitors the news at local, national, and international levels, and it is available by subscription and able to be bought at the local Publix, Winn-Dixie, or many of the local grocery stores. They're even available in newspaper boxes near local businesses. USA Today and other national newspapers are also available in bigger stores.

There are lots of radio stations in the PSL area, playing various genres of music. The radio stations within the area include:

• WFLM 104.5 "The Flame", the local rhythm and blues station, playing "the Hottest R&B hits and Oldies; the Heat is On!"; this station airs the Tom Joyner Morning Show every morning from Monday thru Friday from 6 to 10.
• WJKD 99.7 "Jack FM", a national radio chain "playing what they want". They broadcast from Vero Beach playing music from the 1960s to the present, particularly pop and rock. Waves have been caught as far west as eastern Polk County.
• WMBX 102.3 "The X", another R&B station, that broadcasts from Jensen Beach. They give the Steve Harvey Morning Show every weekday morning from 6 to 10, playing R&B of today and back in the day. Remember that they "live here, too."
• WKGR 98.7 "The Gater", playing classic rock from the 1960s to the 90s (possibly early 2000s), from psychedelic rock to hair metal, from glam rock to grunge.
• WHLG 101.3 "The Coast", playing music from the 1990s to the present, across varied genres, mostly consisting of today's pop music.
• WQOL 103.7, playing classic hits.
• WEAT 107.9 "Sunny 107.9", playing adult contemporary; though they broadcast from West Palm Beach, reception from the station reaches as far north as Vero Beach.

There are many churches scattered around the city of Port St. Lucie, as well as a Jewish temple.

• Temple Beth El Israel: 551 SW Bethany Drive. (772) 336-2424

The St. Lucie County Library System serves the city of Port St. Lucie with 3 branches.

• Port St. Lucie Branch Library, 180 SW Prima Vista Blvd (One block west of Airoso Blvd), ☏ +1 772 871-5450. W 10AM-6PM, F Sa 9AM-5PM. Located close to Sportsman Park and Airoso Blvd. (updated May 2015)
• St. Lucie West Branch Library (IRSC Pruitt Campus Library), 500 NW California Blvd (North of University Blvd), ☏ +1 772 336-6380. M-Th 7AM-7PM. In the IRSC Pruitt Campus in St. Lucie West. (updated May 2015)
• Lewis Branch, 2950 SW Rosser Blvd (South of Gatlin). Tu 9AM-8PM, W 9AM-5:30PM, Th 9AM-8PM, F 9AM-5PM, Sa 8:30AM-5PM. The newest library location in St. Lucie County. (updated Aug 2018)
• Morningside Branch Library, 2410 SE Morningside Blvd (One block south of Port St. Lucie Blvd), ☏ +1 772 337-5632. Tu Th 9AM-8PM, W 9AM-5:30PM, F 9AM-5PM, Sa 8:30PM-5PM. Quite possibly the largest and busiest library in Port St. Lucie, located only a few blocks away from US-1. (updated May 2015)

• Fort Pierce, a little ways north; just take the highways listed in "Get in"
• Jensen Beach, CDP suburb of Stuart and neighbor city of PSL; just take US-1 south
• Sebastian, a small coastal town; treasure of the 1715 wreck found here, but much is left undiscovered
• Stuart, the Sailfish Capital of the World and home to a waterpark
• Vero Beach, in neighboring Indian River County, just take US-1 or I-95 north

• Daytona Beach, referred to by visitors as the greatest beach in America; this city is home to one of the most recognized NASCAR races in America, the Daytona 500
• Kissimmee, small town close to Orlando, up the Turnpike about an hour or two.
• Melbourne, one of the closest cities to the Kennedy Space Center
• Orlando, the Theme Park Capital of the World, just a while up the Turnpike
• Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg are easy to get into; take I-95 to Vero Beach and take the exit at State Road 60. Enjoy Busch Gardens, the local Gasparilla festival, the Salvador Dali Museum, and the Clearwater Aquarium.

For cities farther north or south, I-95 and the Florida Turnpike are the fastest routes and most of these destinations can be reached within a few hours.

• Jacksonville, the largest city in Florida, home to amazing architecture and breath-taking beaches
• Miami, this metropolis is the self-proclaimed capital of South Florida, home to a large Hispanic population
• Fort Lauderdale, major city on the Gold Coast, called the "Venice of America" because of the hundreds of miles of navigable waterways and canals
• Key West, a small town and big vacation spot at the end of US-1; the southernmost point in the continental US.
• St. Augustine, the first establishment by Europeans in America
• Tallahassee, the proud capital of Florida, on the Panhandle