Saint Lucie

Formed May 24, 1905 (46^th county)

Saint Lucie County (329,227), Fort Pierce (47,286), Port Saint Lucie (204,286)

The Modern style masonry courthouse was built in 1961.  It is situated on Indian River near St. Andrews.  The location is three blocks east of United States Highway 1.  There was a 1909 version of the courthouse.  The building was enlarged in 1991, an Administration was added in 1961, and a County Clerk office was built in 2007.  Roger, Lovelock, and Knitz are the courthouse architects.  Susanna (1844), Titusville (1879), and Fort Pierce (1905) have all served as the county seat.  The county is named for Saint Lucia.  Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin K. Pierce is the namesake of the county seat.  Saint Lucie County was the birthplace of 1 Florida Governor, Daniel T. McCarty.  It was created on May 24, 1905 from Brevard County as the 46^th county.  Later Okeechobee, Indian River and Martin counties were created from St. Lucie County. 

Saint Lucie County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Nineteen Circuit Court Judges serve Saint Lucie, Indian River, Martin, and Okeechobee counties and Three County Court Judges, clerk, and county attorney serve Saint Lucie County (judicial.) This county is in the southeast part of the state on the Atlantic Ocean.  Miami, Florida is south and Orlando, Florida is northwest of the county.  The center of the county is 19.5 miles Southwest of Fort Pierce nearer Port Saint Lucie.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Indian River County and the Atlantic Ocean and Martin and Okeechobee counties. 

The area of the county is 572 square miles.  It is 50 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 20 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 575.6 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 67 in the state.  Saint Lucie County has 76.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 95 goes north to south, Indian River County to Martin County.  United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Indian River County to Martin County.  The county is a rectangle with a hook sticking out of the southeast.  Fort Pierce is located in the east on the coast.  Port Saint Lucie is south of the county seat in the southeast corner of the county.  Fort Pierce is the county seat and Port Saint Lucie is the largest city.  Fort Pierce is 14.4% of the county population while Port Saint Lucie is 62.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Port Saint Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area.