Treasure Island is a barrier island city in Pinellas County with more than three miles of Gulf of Mexico beach between John's Pass to the north and Blind Pass to the south, backed by Boca Ciega Bay. The Treasure Island Causeway crosses the bay to St. Petersburg, where downtown is about 8 miles away by car, and bridges at John's Pass and Blind Pass link it to Madeira Beach and St. Pete Beach.
Living in Treasure Island
Treasure Island incorporated on May 3, 1955. Its name dates to about 1915, when property owners buried wooden chests and then "discovered" them to promote land sales. The Great Gale of 1848 carved John's Pass at the north end and split off two bay-side islands, the Isle of Palms and the Isle of Capri, which are now residential neighborhoods of the city. The beach has three parts:
- Sunshine Beach, at the north end near John's Pass: mostly residential, with a narrower beach.
- Mid-island: a very wide beach, with most of the Gulf-front hotels and businesses within walking distance.
- Sunset Beach, at the southern tip by Blind Pass: also residential.
The beach and parks in Treasure Island
- Treasure Island Beach Trail: runs about 0.85 mile along mid-island between 104th and 119th avenues, for walking, skating and bicycling (no e-bikes).
- Nourishment: Pinellas County finished beach nourishment here in February 2026, adding new dunes planted with sea grass.
- Sunset Beach Pavilion, 8000 West Gulf Boulevard: reopened June 4, 2026, with a playground beside it.
- Sunset Vista Park: an elevated platform for watching the sunset.
- Weckesser Park, at 88th Avenue: a beachfront park where a bell is rung at sunset each day.
- Treasure Island Community Center Park, at 106th Avenue: the city's largest park, with a fitness course and the city's annual events.
- Rosselli Park, on Capri Circle South: the John Morroni Memorial Dog Park, pickleball courts, a baseball field, shuffleboard and basketball.
City beach rules: no dogs on the beach, no glass, and the beach is closed from 1 to 5 a.m.
Getting around Treasure Island
Beyond the causeway, John's Pass Village and Boardwalk is just across the John's Pass bridge in Madeira Beach. Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach is a short drive across Blind Pass. The PSTA Suncoast Beach Trolley runs the length of Gulf Boulevard with stops in Treasure Island. City-owned beach lots are metered and open around the clock.
Homes in Treasure Island
Single-family homes are the most common property type. Many sit on canals and open bay water on the bay-side islands, and most date from the 1950s and 1960s, with rebuilds into the 2000s. Condominiums are mostly in 1960s to 1980s buildings, a large share of them Gulf-front or on the bay. There are also townhouses built from the 1970s through the 2020s, and condo-hotel units in Gulf-front resort buildings.
