TheTreasure Coast is aregion in the southeast of the U.S. state ofFlorida. It borders theAtlantic Ocean and comprisesIndian River,Martin, andSt. Lucie counties. The region, whose name refers to the SpanishTreasure Fleet that was lost in a 1715hurricane, evidently emerged from residents' desire to distinguish themselves from theGold Coast to the south (the coast along Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties). The Treasure Coast was the most severely affected by HurricanesFrances andJeanne in 2004, with the damage from the storms exceeding $7 billion (2004USD).[1]
The Treasure Coast area includes parts of twometropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) designated by theOffice of Management and Budget and used for statistical purposes by theCensus Bureau and other agencies: the Port St. Lucie MSA (comprising St. Lucie and Martin counties) and the Sebastian–Vero Beach, Florida MSA (comprising Indian River County).
The area has long been inhabited, but like other of Florida's vernacular regions, a popular identity for the area did not emerge until the area had its initial population boom in the 20th century. It is one of several "coast" regions in Florida, such as theGold Coast and theFirst Coast.[2] The term was coined by John J. Schumann Jr. and Harry J. Schultz of theVero Beach Press Journal newspaper shortly after salvagers began recovering Spanish treasure off the coast in 1961.[3] The discovery of treasure from the1715 Treasure Fleet, lost in a hurricane near theSebastian Inlet, was of major local importance and brought international attention to the area.[4]Press Journal publisher Shumann and editor Schultz noted that there was no name for their area, which was between the well-known Gold Coast to the south (from Palm Beach County to Miami) and theSpace Coast to the north (Brevard County). They started referring to their region as the "Treasure Coast" in the newspaper, and this use spread to the community.[3]
The Treasure Coast includes two metropolitan statistical areas designated by the Office of Management and Budget and used for statistical purposes by the Census Bureau and other agencies. These are:
All of the Treasure Coast is shielded from the Atlantic Ocean by narrow sandbars and barrier islands that protect the shallow lagoons, rivers, and bays. Immediately inland, pine and palmetto flatlands are abundant.[6] Numerous lakes and rivers run through the Treasure Coast, notably theIndian River, a part of theIndian River Lagoon system. At certain seasons of the year, bridges may impede the red drift-algal flow, causing a "rotten egg"hydrogen sulfide odor in the area. The Treasure Coast is also bordered by the Atlantic portion of theIntracoastal Waterway, a stretch of closed water fromBrownsville, Texas, toBoston, Massachusetts.[7]
Much of the Treasure Coast's population is made up of census-designated places (CDPs), with almost all of these in Martin and Indian River counties. Only one city on the Treasure Coast has a population greater than 100,000 inhabitants, which is Port St. Lucie in St. Lucie County. Here is the classification of the places of the Treasure Coast. (C for city, T for town, and V for village.)
Vero Beach Regional Airport offers commercial passenger service onBreeze Airways. Other commercial airports nearby include Melbourne'sMelbourne Orlando International Airport to the north (40 miles [64 km] from Vero Beach), and West Palm Beach'sPalm Beach International Airport to the south (30 miles [48 km] from Hobe Sound). Other small regional airports in the area includeTreasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce, andWitham Field inStuart.
ThePort of Fort Pierce, in Ft. Pierce, located along the Indian River across from theFort Pierce Inlet, is one of Florida’s 14 deepwater ports and a locally significant port for imports and exports. The Intracoastal Waterway follows the Indian River as it passes through the Treasure Coast. TheOkeechobee Waterway connects Stuart withFt. Myers on the west coast, passing throughLake Okeechobee about halfway along the route.
Despite its large population, the Treasure Coast has only two major north–south highways running through the area:Florida's Turnpike (a toll road) andInterstate 95. In the southern half of the Treasure Coast, both routes run generally parallel to each other (twice crossing each other), but are mostly located along the extreme western edges of the cities lining the coast. North of Ft. Pierce, the turnpike leaves the Treasure Coast, heading northwest towardsOrlando, leaving 95 as the only north-south highway in the northern half of the area.
Much closer to the coast,U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is the only main north–south roadway passing through the cities. Along the western banks of the Indian River, and often on the barrier island for the region (Hutchinson Island andOrchid Island), isSR A1A.
Beginning in Stuart,State Road 76 (SR 76) runs west out of Stuart, passingIndiantown around halfway through before ending at an intersection withUS 98/US 441 inPort Mayaca. Shortly after leaving Stuart, the road parallels theSt. Lucie Canal along its southern edge until both terminate along the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee.
SR 70 runs east-west, beginning in Ft. Pierce, passing throughOkeechobee before terminating inBradenton, 148 miles (238 km) from Ft. Pierce.
SR 60 connects Vero Beach in the east withClearwater to the west, 161 miles (259 km) away.
TheFlorida East Coast Railway (FEC) operates freight service along the coast throughout the region. It also operates a rail yard just south of downtown Fort Pierce.
U.S. Sugar'sSouth Central Florida Express, Inc. (SCXF) leases tracks betweenPahokee and Fort Pierce from the FEC, known as theLake Harbor Branch (K Branch). Along with trackage rights into FEC's Fort Pierce Yard, they also have a car haulage arrangement with FEC toJacksonville to interchange with CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Up until 1963, long-distance passenger trains operated along the route. Among the most notable passenger trains were (main sponsors and destinations) theEast Coast Champion (Atlantic Coast Line,New York City);City of Miami (Illinois Central,Chicago);Dixie Flyer (Louisville & Nashville, Chicago);Florida Special (winter season only; Florida East Coast Railway, New York City);Havana Special (Florida East Coast Railway, New York City);South Wind (Louisville & Nashville, Chicago).[9][10] TheSouthern Railway'sRoyal Palm fromCincinnati ended its service south of Jacksonville, along the Florida East Coast by 1958.[11]
Amtrak and theFlorida Department of Transportation had been discussing returning passenger service to the coast.[12] In 2023,Brightline, aninter-city rail route that currently runs betweenMiami andOrlando, announced that it was looking for sites for a new station on the Treasure Coast.[13] On March 4, 2024, Brightline officially announced that aninfill station on the Treasure Coast would be built inStuart, with service now projected to begin by 2028.[14][15]
A guide to the Space and Treasure Coast cities
27°32′43″N80°23′18″W / 27.5452°N 80.3884°W /27.5452; -80.3884
