Stuart, FL: A Local’s Guide

Stuart is a small city that behaves like a bigger one, because it kept its downtown. More than fifty locally owned shops and restaurants sit within a few blocks of the St. Lucie River, the Riverwalk boardwalk runs through the middle of it, and the charter fleet that earned the town its Sailfish Capital name still works the inlet. Guests can park once and walk to dinner, the water, and a show, which is not true of most of the Treasure Coast.

We manage short term rentals across Martin, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach counties, including Port St. Lucie just up the road. The read below covers what visitors come for and what owners need to know, including one county tax that catches people out.

Where is Stuart, FL?

Stuart is a city of about 19,000 people on Florida’s Treasure Coast, at the point where the St. Lucie River meets the Indian River Lagoon. It is the seat of Martin County, roughly 40 minutes north of Palm Beach Gardens and about 20 minutes south of Port St. Lucie on I-95 or US-1. The Atlantic beaches on Hutchinson Island are about 15 minutes east.

Geography matters more here than in most Florida towns. About a quarter of the city limits is water, and the river runs through the middle of downtown rather than sitting off at the edge of it.

What Stuart is known for

Fishing, the river, and a historic downtown that most comparable Florida towns lost decades ago.

• The Sailfish Capital of the World

  Stuart has run charters out of the St. Lucie Inlet for a century, and the sailfish claim is the town’s oldest piece of identity. An 18-foot sailfish fountain sculpted by Stuart-based artist Geoffrey C. Smith sits at the center of downtown. Fishing is still the first answer most locals give when a visitor asks what to do here.

• A downtown that survived

  Turn-of-the-century buildings house more than fifty locally owned shops, restaurants, and galleries, all within a few blocks of the water. Most of the Treasure Coast does not have this. For a vacation rental it matters more than it sounds, because guests can park once and walk to dinner, the river, and a show.

• The Lyric Theatre

  Built in 1925 as a silent movie house and restored since, the Lyric programs live music and theater year round. It anchors the downtown evening economy and gives the town a reason to be busy on a Tuesday in October.

• The river runs through the middle of it

  Stuart sits where the St. Lucie River meets the Indian River Lagoon, and roughly a quarter of the city limits is water. The Riverwalk boardwalk follows the water straight through downtown rather than skirting it, which is why the walkable core and the waterfront are the same place. Dolphins and manatees turn up often enough that visitors stop being surprised.

Stuart sits at the southern end of the Treasure Coast, with the beach towns, the barrier island, and the larger inland city all a short drive away:

• Port St. Lucie. The larger inland city about 20 minutes north, built around golf, master-planned communities, and Mets spring training.
• Jensen Beach. A low-key beach and riverside community 15 minutes north, the former "Pineapple Capital of the World."
• Palm City. Across the river to the west, in unincorporated Martin County.
• Sewall's Point. A peninsula between the two rivers with a Stuart mailing address. A separate town, and it prohibits rentals shorter than 180 days.
• Hutchinson Island. The barrier island east of town, with the Atlantic beaches and the House of Refuge.
• Hobe Sound. Quieter and more residential, about 20 minutes south toward Jupiter.

The neighborhoods that matter

The City of Stuart is small, about 6 square miles of land, and it holds two historic neighborhoods that matter for visitors and owners.

What says Stuart but is not the City of Stuart

Most addresses that read Stuart sit outside city limits, which changes nothing for a visitor and everything for an owner, because it decides which rulebook applies.

• Rocky Point. Unincorporated Martin County. Waterfront and canal-front homes near the Manatee Pocket, popular with guests here to fish.
• Port Salerno. Unincorporated Martin County, population about 10,400. A working waterfront with marinas and fish houses.
• North River Shores. Unincorporated Martin County, on the north bank of the river. Quieter and more space per dollar.
• Palm City. Unincorporated Martin County, west across the river. Newer subdivisions, larger lots, some acreage.
• Sewall's Point. A separate incorporated town, and the one that changes the answer. It prohibits any rental shorter than 180 days, and the rule predates Florida’s 2011 preemption cutoff, so it is enforceable.

Things to do

Most of it happens on the water or within walking distance of it.

• Charter a boat and fish

  The first answer most locals give, and the reason the town exists in its current form. The inlets here built the sailfish reputation, and the charter fleet runs year round.

• The Riverwalk boardwalk

  A boardwalk along the St. Lucie River running through downtown, with dolphins and manatees turning up in the water. The connective tissue of the whole downtown.

• Rock'n Riverwalk

  A free open-air concert series on the Riverwalk Stage every Sunday, year round, with local and regional bands. The most reliable free thing to do in town.

• The Lyric Theatre

  Live music and theater in a restored 1925 building downtown. Check the calendar before a trip, because it programs consistently rather than seasonally.

• The Feed Store Museum

  A small local history museum steps from the Riverwalk boardwalk. An easy stop while walking downtown.

• Kayak the Indian River Lagoon

  The lagoon is calm enough for kayaks and paddleboards and is one of the more biodiverse estuaries in North America. Rentals are easy to find.

• A downtown walking food tour

  Guided tours work through several downtown restaurants and cover the architecture and the history along the way. A good first afternoon for guests who have never been.

Where to eat

Downtown Stuart eats better than a town this size usually does, and most of it is within a few blocks of the river.

• Stuart Boathouse. A restored 1920s building directly on the river next to the band shell, doing fresh seafood, oysters, and sushi. A local default.
• Riverwalk Café & Oyster Bar. Right on the waterfront downtown, and the obvious answer if the answer is oysters.
• TideHouse. At the Safe Harborage Marina and Yacht Club, looking out over the wide part of the St. Lucie River. Seafood and New American.
• The Waterfront. Coastal Florida seafood with the water views its name suggests.
• Oak & Ember Steakhouse. Aged USDA prime and Wagyu, downtown, for a night that is not about seafood.
• Spritz City Bistro. Tapas-style small plates in a smaller, quieter room.

When to come

The high season runs January through April, when snowbird season and the best fishing overlap. Summer stays warm and gets quieter. August through October is the slowest stretch and the heart of hurricane season, and rates drop accordingly.

Stuart, FL FAQ