Tierra Verde is an unincorporated island community at the southern tip of Pinellas County, built in the 1950s and 1960s by dredging and filling former mangrove keys near the mouth of Tampa Bay. The Pinellas Bayway, a toll road, links it north to St. Pete Beach and to I-275 in St. Petersburg (downtown is about 10 miles away by car), and south to Fort De Soto Park next door.
Living in Tierra Verde
Tierra Verde is a Census-designated place governed by Pinellas County, not a city. It covers about 4.6 square miles, most of it water, with about 1.2 square miles of land. The Pinellas Bayway opened in 1962 and joined the former islands by bridge and fill. In February 2021, a fixed, high-level bridge 65 feet tall replaced the old Tierra Verde drawbridge. Road traffic no longer stops for bridge openings, and the new bridge carries a 12-foot shared-use path on its east side and a sidewalk on its west.
Fort De Soto Park, next door to Tierra Verde
Fort De Soto Park is a 1,136-acre county park across five keys at the end of the Bayway, about a 20-minute drive from central Tierra Verde to North Beach.
- Beaches: almost three miles of beach, including North Beach and East Beach, plus a dog beach.
- Trails and camping: a 6.8-mile paved recreation trail, a 2.25-mile canoe trail and a 236-site campground.
- The fort: built during the Spanish-American War of 1898.
- Piers: the Gulf Pier is open. The Bay Pier is being rebuilt, with completion expected in fall 2026.
- Boat ramp: the 800-foot ramp is being repaired a few lanes at a time, with full reopening expected by late December 2026.
- Ferries: they run from the park to Shell Key and to Egmont Key State Park. Egmont Key is open, but its structures remain closed.
Boating from Tierra Verde
Much of Tierra Verde fronts open water and canals, and boaters use Bunces Pass and the Gulf to the west and lower Tampa Bay to the east. The 1,800-acre Shell Key Preserve, reached by boat or by ferry from Fort De Soto, lies just offshore. Tierra Verde Marina, at 100 Pinellas Bayway South, has wet slips, outdoor boat storage, a bait shop and restaurants; a two-phase redevelopment adding boat storage and a new restaurant is under review.
Homes in Tierra Verde
Tierra Verde's homes are generally newer than those in the older beach towns. Single-family homes range from the 1960s to the 2000s, with many from the 1980s. Townhouses mostly date from the 1980s and 1990s. Condominiums are mainly 1980s buildings, with some completed in the 2020s, and most are waterfront. Many single-family homes and townhouses sit on canals or bay frontage.
