Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area
| Regional statistics | |
|---|---|
| Composition |
|
| Demonym | Treasure Coaster |
|
Area - Total |
1786.62 sq mi (4627.3 km²) (Slightly larger than Rhode Island.) |
|
Population - Total - Density |
586,414 (2014 est.) (Slightly larger than Wyoming.) |
| Largest city | Port St. Lucie, Florida (pop. 171,016) |
| Largest Metropolitan Area | Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (pop. 444,420 as of 2014 estimate) |
The Treasure Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is located on the state's Atlantic coast, comprising Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin, and in some definitions, Palm Beach counties. The region, whose name refers to the Spanish Treasure Fleet lost in a 1715 hurricane, evidently emerged from residents' desire to distinguish themselves from Miami and the Gold Coast region.
The area 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: the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (comprising St. Lucie and Martin counties) and the Sebastian–Vero Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (comprising Indian River County). Palm Beach county is part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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 saw its initial population boom in the 20th century. It is one of several "coast" regions in Florida, like the Gold Coast and the First Coast. The term was coined by John J. Schumann Jr. and Harry J. Schultz of the Vero Beach Press Journal newspaper shortly after salvagers began recovering Spanish treasure off the coast in 1961. The discovery of treasure from the 1715 Treasure Fleet, lost in a hurricane near the Sebastian Inlet, was of major local importance and brought international attention to the area.Press Journal publisher Shumann and editor Schultz noted that there was no name for their area, which was between the well known Gold Coast (Palm Beach to Miami to the south) and the Space Coast (Brevard County to the north). They started referring to their region as the "Treasure Coast" in the newspaper, and this use spread to the community.
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