About Port St. Joe, Florida Florida's Constitution City

Image of the Port St. Joe welcome sign.

Located in the Northwest Florida Panhandle and along St. Joseph Bay, Port St. Joe is a quaint historic small town sitting in a magnificent area of Florida. Port St. Joe Florida was the birthplace of Florida’s statehood and a bustling port city in the early 1800’s. At that time is was called St. Joseph and was a thriving boomtown. In 1841 a Yellow Fever epidemic destroyed most of the town and St. Joseph turned into ghost town.  

In the early 1900’s the new town of Port St. Joe was founded, the railroad was completed, the Port Inn was built and the bay became the draw. The city reinvented itself into a lumber port, fishing village and paper mill town.

In 1925 Gulf County was created and the Gulf Coast Highway was formed. In the 1930’s the St. Joe Paper Company was constructed and a paper mill opened. St. Joseph Peninsula State Park opens in 1967. The paper mill was closed in 1999 and dismantled and steps taken to create a planned community in this location along St. Joseph Bay. 2001 the year WindMark Beach, a 2,020 acre residential community with miles of beach frontage was created. And St. Joseph Peninsula State Park was named America’s Best Beach in 2002.

The downtown area of Port St. Joe has a new face, as all the business on Reid Avenue have new store fronts, making this quaint coastal town a desirable community.

2 traffic lights – that is all that you will find in this coastal town located along St. Joseph Bay and no traffic jams.

Port St. Joe and the “Forgotten Coast” area is becoming a vacation destination with the many many miles of bay and sugar white sand beaches. Enjoy kayaking, surf fishing, sport fishing, shelling, scalloping, surfing, canoeing, horseback riding on the beach, bird watching, turtle watching or just relaxing on the beach and enjoying the spectacular sunset every evening!!

Fishing is a draw for the area:   Bay, Offshore, Flats, Inshore, Intracoastal, Dead Lake, Apalachicola River, Chipola River.

Scalloping is the main attraction during the Scallop season.

For the golf enthusiast, the St Joseph’s Bay County Club is a pristine 18-hole championship golf course located along beautiful St. Joseph’s Bay off County Road C-30. Mature trees, lush fairways, sloping greens, and strategically placed hazards highlight this traditional layout. Enjoy everything St. Joseph’s Bay Country Club has to offer–a quality golf facility and a whole lot more. It is located nearby and is open to the public. Also, tennis courts are located here.

St. Joseph’s State Park is one of the most visited State Parks in Florida, and Cape San Blas was voted as #1 Rated Beach Restoration for 2009.

Port St. Joe has several parks:

Constitution Convention Museum State Park

George Core Park (Lighthouse Park)

Frank Pate Park (City Park)

Port St. Joe Ball Park

Port City Trail – The trail connects the following parks: James “Mr. Benny” Roberts Sports Park, Forest Park Par 3 Golf Course, Forest Park SouthBuck Griffin LakeCentennial Park and Lamar Faison Park. The Port City Trail also connects over to BayWalk Trail via a 0.25-mile section of sidewalk running along Hwy 71. Download the trail map by clicking here!

Image of the Port St. Joe Port City Trail.

When you are ready to look at our Port St Joe homes for sale we are ready and waiting to help you find your forever or investment home. If you aren’t looking for a house, perhaps our Port St Joe townhomes for sale are just the ticket. Whichever you choose, we’re with you every step of the way!