Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie is a sprawling tropical city on the Treasure Coast of Florida. The population is 174,110 and 444,420 in its metropolitan area. It is known by its residents by its initials, PSL. The spring training home of the New York Mets, this city has many fun activities if you know where to look; the new downtown area is in its infancy, but once complete will bring more activities for residents and visitors.

Understand

Overview

PGA Village, located in St. Lucie West

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. 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.

Climate and appropriate clothing

Port St. Lucie
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       2.7     74 51       2.9     75 52       3.3     79 56       2.8     82 61       4.4     86 67       5.8     90 71       5.8     92 72       6.4     91 72       7.8     90 72       5.8     86 67       3.5     81 60       2.3     76 54 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       69     23 11       74     24 11       84     26 13       71     28 16       112     30 19       147     32 22       147     33 22       163     33 22       198     32 22       147     30 19       89     27 16       58     24 12 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

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.

Get in

By plane

See also: air travel in the US

• Palm Beach International Airport, 1000 Turnage Boulevard, West Palm Beach, ☎ [phone]. The closest commercial airport to Port St. Lucie. Serving major airports from Boston to Dallas. 
• St. Lucie County International Airport, 3000 Curtis King Blvd., Fort Pierce, ☎ [phone]. No commercial service yet, so take your own plane. 

Larger airports are further south or north, including:

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, 100 Terminal Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315, ☎ [phone]. Closest large commercial hub to PSL. 
• Miami International Airport, 2100 NW 42nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126, ☎ [phone]. Busiest airport in Florida, serving the U.S. and the world. 
• Orlando International Airport, 1 Jeff Fuqua Blvd, Orlando, FL 32827, ☎ [phone]. Busiest airport in Central Florida, just a while up the Turnpike. 

By car

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:

Exit Number	Road Name	Going E takes you to...	Going W takes you to...
114	Becker Road	Florida Turnpike	Village Pkwy
118	Gatlin Blvd	State Road 716	Tradition
120	Crosstown Pkwy	California Blvd, Tradition Field	Turns into Village Pkwy
121	St. Lucie West Blvd	St. Lucie West	PGA Village, Glades Cut-Off Road
126	Midway Road	White City	State Road 70

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

Exit Number	Road Name	Going E takes you to...	Going W takes you to...
138	Becker Road	Southbend Blvd	Interstate 95
142	Port St. Lucie Blvd	US-1	Gatlin Blvd, Interstate 95
144	Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce Service Plaza	Service stop, no outlet	Service stop, no outlet

By train

See also: rail travel in the United States of America

The closest train stations are in Okeechobee, West Palm Beach, Sanford, 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.

• West Palm Beach, 209 South Tamarind Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. Ticket office, waiting room, and two routes going two ways! (updated Jun 2015)
• Okeechobee, 801 North Parrott Avenue, Okeechobee, FL 34972. Platform station with shelter. Only a stopping location, no ticket office yet. (updated Jun 2015)
• Sanford, 600 S Persimmon Ave, Sanford, FL 32771. Served by Auto Train; the route runs up to Lorton, Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. (updated May 2015)
• Orlando, 1400 Sligh Blvd, Orlando, FL 32806. Serves the Silver Star and Silver Meteor, from New York to DC, Richmond, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami. (updated May 2015)

Get around

By car

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 two Enterprise rentals in the city.

• Enterprise Rent-a-Car, 1290 SW Bayshore Blvd; 10502 S Federal Hwy, ☎ [phone]. 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. 

By boat

Port St. Lucie has a small canal system that can be used to navigate parts of the city, 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, ☎ [phone]. 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, ☎ [phone]. This park and preserve features a marina and a boardwalk to observe natural wildlife preserves. 

By bus

Port Saint Lucie offers limited bus service including connections to Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, and now Vero Beach through the Treasure Coast Connector. 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 takes you 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 takes you 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 takes you along Port St. Lucie Blvd, switching off to Gatlin Blvd, with one stop being the Tradition strip-mall known as "The Landing". The route takes you from PSL City Hall at the east end to "The Landing" on the west end.
• Route 6 takes you 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.

Transfer points:

• Route 1 (US-1) to Route 4 ("Trolley"):
  • Walmart on US-1
  • Town Center Plaza
  • PSL Civic Center
• Route 1 to Route 6 (Prima Vista Blvd./St. Lucie West):
  • Prima Vista Crossing
• Route 4 ("Trolley") to Route 5 (PSL/Gatlin Blvd.) or Route 6:
  • PSL Intermodal Facility (Community Center)

Basic fares for a single ride are $2 for adults and $1 for children. Other fares can be found at the TCC Website .

See

Port St. Lucie is a city really into nature, housing part of a large state park preserve. Here are the best spots to go and see native wildlife, according to the residents. Downtown PSL is in its infancy, and right now there is only the Civic Center as well as a few outlet stores.

• Port St. Lucie Civic Center, 9221 SE Civic Center Place (Take Walton Road and head east off of US-1), ☎ [phone]. 7:30AM–9PM. Many city festivals are held on the green outside of the Civic Center, but it is the basic welcome center to the city. Considered by many to be the prime edifice in the downtown area. 
• Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, 2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd. W-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM. Adults $5, Students $2. 
• Oxbow Eco Center, 5400 NE St. James Dr, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-F 12PM to 5PM; Sa 10AM to 5PM. 225 acres (91 hectares) preserve on the St. Lucie River 
• 🌍 Savannas Preserve State Park, 2541 SE Walton Rd. Extends from Fort Pierce to Port St. Lucie and Jensen Beach.  

Do

Tradition, the in-city suburb of Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie has many fun activities if you know where to go. Here are some places and activities recommended by the city.

• Go to a beach and catch a tan, or a wave.
• Go boating in the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie River.
• Go hunt for treasure on the coast of nearby Hutchinson Island.
• Play golf at one of the beautiful PGA Golf Club courses.
• Shop (and eat) in Tradition, an in-city suburb; this little town is part of PSL, and retains a small-town feel.
• Carmike Cinemas Port St. Lucie 14, 1900 NW Courtyard Cir. Catch a movie at the local Carmike Cinema. On Tuesdays, Carmike holds a "Super Stimulus Tuesday," offering $2 popcorn and drinks. $8 for a matinee any day. 

Parks

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, ☎ [phone]. 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, ☎ [phone]. 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 S.E. Veterans Memorial Pkwy, ☎ [phone]. 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. 

Sports

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 to two locally-famous bowling alleys.

Panoramic view of Tradition Field

• First Data Field (Tradition Field, to long-time locals), 525 Northwest Peacock Blvd, ☎ [phone]. 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. Grab yourself a juicy Nathan's hotdog and sit on the berm to watch the Mets hit their next homerun. $6.50 General admission; $8.50 Premium seating. 
• PGA Village, 8565 Commerce Centre Dr., ☎ [phone]. 8:30AM – 8PM. Claims to be the best of all Florida golf cities. 
• Superplay USA, 1600 Northwest Courtyard Circle. A place to chill out with a game of bowling or mini-golf or get hyped for a game of laser tag. (updated May 2016)
• St. Lucie Lanes, 6759 U.S. 1. One of the oldest bowling alleys in the region. 

Events and festivals

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, Southwest 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, ☎ [phone]. 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, PSL Civic Center (9221 SE Civic Center Place). 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)

Buy

There are many shopping options in PSL, mostly concentrated in shopping centers. Some major stores include Wal-Mart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot, and Pier 1 Imports. There are many strip malls in the city and a large indoor shopping mall in neighboring Jensen Beach. Some of the original stores are tourist stores, mostly selling sundries or collectibles that have been here as long as the area was first known as Port St. Lucie.

• Treasure Coast Square Mall, 3174 NW Federal Highway, Jensen Beach, FL 34957, ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10AM-9PM; Su noon--6PM. Even though the Treasure Coast Square Mall is in Jensen Beach, a small town in nearby Martin County, it is considered the hot-spot shopping-spot of the southern Treasure Coast. Department stores in the mall include Dillard's, Macy's, and JC Penney. A food court in the mall will keep you fueled up for more shopping at stores like Hollister, Aeropostale, as well as many electronics shops. (updated Nov 2015)
• Shell Bazaar, 10100 S. Federal Highway (US 1), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 9AM-6PM; Su 9AM-5PM. Established in 1953 before PSL's incorporation, this is the oldest family-owned retail store in St. Lucie County. 
• Collector's Comics, 8627 South US Highway 1, ☎ [phone]. M-Tu 11AM-7PM; W-Sa 11AM-9PM. The Treasure Coast's favorite comic book shop. 
• The Landing at Tradition, 10824 SW Village Pkwy. Large shopping mall in Tradition, an in-city suburb. Though it is not in the traditional mall format, there are lots of stores to shop at spread around the lot. (updated May 2015)
• Shoppes of St. Lucie West, St. Lucie West Blvd. (Northwest corner of SLW Blvd. and Bethany Dr.). Shops in this plaza include Publix, Burlington and the new HomeGoods. (updated Aug 2015)
• Bealls stores are common in Florida, starting in 1915 during the Florida boom. Locations in St. Lucie West and outside of the Civic Center.

Eat

Most restaurants in Port St. Lucie are popular chain restaurants that are scattered on the more traveled roads like Port St. Lucie Blvd, Gatlin Blvd, US-1, and St. Lucie West Blvd. There is an amazingly large selection of restaurants scattered around the city:

Steaks, pub grub and homestyle cooking

• Bayshore Diner, 742 SW Bayshore Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Great place for homestyle cooking, including biscuits and gravy, country-fried steak, and pancakes the size of a plate. (updated May 2015)
• West End Grill, 1680 St. Lucie West Blvd (From I-95, head east; past the Wal-Mart, should be on the right.), ☎ [phone]. Su 10AM - 9PM; M-Th 11AM - 9PM; F-Sa 11AM - 10PM. Upscale dining rated at 4 stars. Appetizers starting at $8.95, burgers starting at $8.95, and bottomless soft drinks at $2.50. 
• Jan's Steakhouse Port St. Lucie, 614 SW Bayshore Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Tu-Sa 5PM - 9PM. Local steakhouse, best known for their filet mignon. Up to $30. 
• Outback Steakhouse, 1950 NW Courtyard Circle (Exit I-95, take SLW Blvd. east to Peacock and turn left, turn left onto Courtyard Circle, go through round-about, past Hokkaido Hibachi and Sushi.), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-10PM; F-Sa 11AM-11PM; Su 11AM-9:30PM. Outback is a Florida-based steakhouse, with the headquarters on the other coast in Tampa; this is the local location of the national chain. 
• Hurricane Grill and Wings, St. Lucie West: 1319 NW St. Lucie West Blvd; Kitterman: 6641 S US-1 ; Promenade: 2202 SE Veterans Memorial Pkwy; Tradition: 10440 SW Village Center Drive, ☎ [phone] (SLW), [phone] (Kit.), [phone] (Prom.), [phone] (Trad.). Su-Th 11AM-10PM; F-Sa 11AM-11PM price=. Hurricane's is a national chain born on the Treasure Coast in the neighboring city of Fort Pierce. Wings are served in two sauces of your choice, out of 35 flavors. (updated Jun 2015)

Sweet treats

• Tutti Frutti, 1787 NW Saint Lucie West Blvd (From I-95, go east to Peacock; turn left and take the immediate right. Examine the plaza.), ☎ [phone]. Frozen yogurt. $0.50 per ounce of yogurt. 
• Kilwins at Tradition, 10478 SW Village Center Dr., ☎ [phone]. M–Th 11:30AM–9PM; F-Sa 11:30AM–10PM; Su 1PM-9PM. Excellent ice cream and chocolates in the heart of Port St. Lucie/Tradition. 
• Baskin-Robbins (31 Flavors), 134 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. Baskin Robbins is a nationally-recognized ice cream chain, serving their iconic flavors at all locations in America, not just 31 anymore. (updated May 2015)
• Twistee Treat, 7820 S US 1, ☎ [phone]. F-Su noon-10PM. Open every weekend, Twistee Treat offers ice cream and Sabrett Hot-Dogs for you to enjoy while watching the cars drive along the highway. Locally-owned business at this one location. (updated May 2015)

Italian food and pizza

• Anthony's Pizza, 253 SW Port St Lucie Blvd, ☎ [phone]. M-F 11AM-9PM; Sa noon-9PM; Su 3PM-9PM. Pizza restaurant known among many of the residents. On the wall, you can see pictures of Scotty Pippen and Adam Sandler, who ate at that very restaurant; if it's good enough for them, why not? (updated Apr 2016)
• Tutto Fresco Italian Restaurant Bar and Grill (Tutto Fresco), 9501 NW Reserve Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 11AM-10PM; F-Sa 11AM-1AM. Tutto Fresco is an Italian restaurant that in Italian means "Everything is fresh". Serving steaks, pasta, and all Italian favorites, giving a taste of all Italian regions, from Bologna to Rome and as far south as Naples. (updated May 2015)
• Bobby's Pizza, 6514 NW Selvitz Dr., ☎ [phone]. 7AM-10PM. Serving breakfast and pizza, Bobby's gives you a "taste of New York" with Yankees and Mets memorabilia, as well as baseball and football games for you to witness the best sports teams NYC has to offer. (updated Jun 2015)

Mexican food

• Pueblo Viejo, St. Lucie West: 270 NW Peacock Blvd; Bayshore/PSL Blvd: 291 SW Bayshore Blvd; Morningside/PSL Blvd: 1788 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. Local Mexican food chain located around the southern Treasure Coast and Okeechobee. 3 locations in the PSL city limits. (updated Jul 2015)

Drink

On the Treasure Coast, alcohol is served in many restaurants, mostly sports bars and pubs; it is common to find beer and wine, but some bars serve mixed cocktails. PSL is not a city big on night life.

• Dos Amigos Mexicali Restaurant and Tequila Bar, Southwest Village Center Dr, ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 11AM – 10PM; F Sa 11AM – midnight. Mexican restaurant and bar $6+. 
• City Limits Sports Bar, 900 Southwest Gatlin Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM to 2PM. Sports grill and cocktail bar. Drafts starting at $2.50.. 
• Good Times West, 2096 NW Courtyard Circle, ☎ [phone]. 7 days a week from 4PM to 2AM. Night club in Port St. Lucie with cocktails, and soft drinks for the teens. Plays great music from the 1970s til now. 
• Body Talk, 8259 U.S. 1, ☎ [phone]. Daily 4PM-2AM. Sports bar and strip club. 
• Duffy's Sports Bar and Grill (Duffy's), 1608 NW Courtyard Circle, ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 11AM-11PM; F-Sa 11AM-midnight. Duffy's has locations all over the Treasure Coast, in Greater Orlando, and in the Palm Beaches. This local favorite is the only Duffy's location in Port St. Lucie. "2-for-1 Happy Hour" all day, every day. Annexed to the Superplay USA Fun Center. (updated May 2015)

Sleep

If Port St. Lucie's fun activities tire you out, there are places for you to wind down, most of which are located by Interstate 95, including:

• MainStay Suites at PGA Village, 8501 Champions Way (in the PGA Village), ☎ [phone]. 
• Springhill Suites by Marriot, 2000 NW Courtyard Circle, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Nice all-suite hotel. 
• Holiday Inn, 10120 South Federal Highway, ☎ [phone]. 
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Port St. Lucie West, 1601 NW Courtyard Circle, ☎ [phone]. Unfussy hotel with a pool and free Wi-Fi. Located in the heart of St. Lucie West. (updated Jul 2015)
• Residence Inn Port St. Lucie, 1920 SW Fountainview Blvd., ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Extended stay suite hotel with suites that include free Internet, flat screen TV and full kitchen. Hotel amenities include free hot breakfast, free parking, pool and fitness center. $96. 
• Hampton Inn & Suites Port St. Lucie West, 155 S.W. Peacock Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Modern lodging with an outdoor pool. One of the closest hotels to Tradition Field. (updated Jul 2015)
• Homewood Suites by Hilton Port St. Lucie-Tradition, 10301 Southwest Innovation Way, ☎ [phone]. Extended-stay hotel with suites and a pool. 
• Hilton Garden Inn Port St. Lucie, 8540 Commerce Centre Dr, ☎ [phone]. Hotel with onsite restaurant in the PGA Village. 
• Best Western Port St. Lucie, 7900 US-1, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Hotel with free breakfast, high-speed internet, and pool with accompanying hot tub. $90/night. (updated May 2015)

Stay safe

• Driving -- Florida has "no fault" auto accident laws, which means you are responsible for up to $10,000 in damage to your car, even if you are not responsible for the accident. Make sure your rental car comes with collision insurance, or obtain separate insurance. Florida also has a very high rate of auto fatalities, so take extra care on the roads. A lot of drivers in PSL can be very reckless at times and the amount of traffic is high for a city of its size.
• Crime -- There is not much crime to worry about in Port St. Lucie depending on where you want to be. The safest areas tend to border I-95, the St. Lucie Inlet, and the St. Lucie River, as well as the St. Lucie West neighborhood. You may want to avoid staying in the Prima Vista Blvd area as well as the Lennard Road area; however, there are very few hotels in those areas, anyway.
• Weather -- Here are the most common weather factors to look out for in Port St. Lucie:
  • Heat -- Most people are already aware that South Florida tends to get extremely hot during the summer months, so it would be best to stay hydrated and not leave anyone in the car. Even with the window cracked open for those in the car, it's not a smart idea; the internal temperature of a car can reach a maximum of over 100°F or 38°C, so make sure everyone is out of the car before locking. If one must be left in the car, leave the air conditioning on as a precautionary measure.
  • Hurricanes, tropical storms, and tornadoes are another thing to look out for during the summer. They may not be common, but you'll never know when the next will strike; it would be best to prepare for the worst in any part of Port St. Lucie because hurricanes are just as powerful on the land as they are on the water.
  • Lightning is a very common weather phenomenon in Florida; in fact, South Florida is considered the Lightning Capital of America, especially Tampa. If you're caught outside and hear the crackling, find shelter immediately, be it indoors or under a pavilion; if you're in the water, get out because water conducts electricity extremely well.

Cope

Port St. Lucie has a lot to help you get through your stay, including many grocery stores spread throughout the city, as well as clothing stores, a local paper, many churches, and three libraries in the city limits.

Newspapers

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.

Radio stations

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 gives you 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 Gator", 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 "Oldies", playing pop, rock, and soul from the 1960s to the early 80s.
• WEAT 107.9 "Sunny 107.9", playing adult contemporary; though they broadcast from West Palm Beach, residents and visitors get reception from the station as far north as Vero Beach.

Religious services

There are many churches scattered around the city of Port St. Lucie, as well as one Jewish temple and a mosque located close to the city limits.

• Islamic Center of Fort Pierce: 1104 W Midway Road. [phone]
• Temple Beth El Israel: 551 SW Bethany Drive. [phone]

Libraries

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), ☎ [phone]. 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), ☎ [phone]. 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), ☎ [phone]. 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)

Go next

Port St. Lucie is truly a city for all ages; if you want to travel to another nearby city, here are some cities close by:

Treasure Coast

• 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

Central Florida

• 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

Routes through Port St. Lucie

Daytona Beach ← Fort Pierce ←	N  S	→ Palm City → West Palm Beach
Orlando ← Fort Pierce ←	N  S	→ Palm City → West Palm Beach
Daytona Beach ← Fort Pierce ←	N  S	→ Jensen Beach → West Palm Beach