Jensen Beach, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jensen Beach, Florida
Census-designated place
Welcome arch on CR 707
Location in Martin County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Martin
Area
• Total	8.19 sq mi (21.20 km2)
• Land	6.97 sq mi (18.06 km2)
• Water	1.21 sq mi (3.14 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,652
• Density	1,814.43/sq mi (700.60/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	34957-34958
Area code(s)	772
FIPS code	12-35550
GNIS feature ID	0284759

Jensen Beach is a community in Martin County, Florida, United States. It is a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's an area that the government counts as a town for statistics, even if it's not officially run by its own city government. In 2020, about 12,652 people lived there. Jensen Beach is part of the larger Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History of Jensen Beach

The story of Jensen Beach in the 1800s is mostly about growing pineapples. A man named John Laurence Jensen came from Denmark in 1881. He started a pineapple farm, and soon the area became known as the town of Jensen.

By 1894, the Florida East Coast Railway arrived in Jensen Beach. This made it easy to ship pineapples directly by train.

Pineapple Capital of the World

Around 1895, Jensen was famous as the "Pineapple Capital of the World." During June and July, over a million boxes of pineapples were shipped out each year. A factory was even built to help process all the fruit.

However, a very cold winter in 1895 (called the Great Freeze) destroyed many pineapple farms. Then, two big fires in 1908 and 1910 burned down most of Jensen Beach and the remaining farms.

The pineapple business finally ended around 1920. This was due to money problems and farming challenges. After that, growers started focusing on growing citrus fruits instead. Even today, the pineapple is a special symbol for Jensen Beach. The town celebrates its pineapple history every year with the Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival.

Becoming Jensen Beach

In 1926, during a time when many new towns were being built in Florida, Jensen Beach became an official town called "Jensen." But just seven years later, in 1933, the state of Florida ended its town status. This happened during the Great Depression, a time when the economy was very difficult.

In 1943, Martin County officially changed the town's name to "Jensen Beach."

Later in the 1900s, two colleges, Saint Joseph College of Florida and Florida Institute of Technology, were located at the Mansion at Tuckahoe in Jensen Beach.

In 2004, Jensen Beach was hit by two strong hurricanes. Hurricane Frances arrived on September 5, 2004, with winds of 105 miles per hour. Then, on September 25, 2004, Hurricane Jeanne hit with even stronger winds of 120 miles per hour.

Geography and Climate

Jensen Beach is located in the northeast part of Martin County. It is next to the Indian River Lagoon on the east. It is also near other towns like Ocean Breeze and Sewall's Point.

The area is about 8.2 square miles (21.2 square kilometers) in total. About 7.0 square miles (18.1 square kilometers) is land, and 1.2 square miles (3.1 square kilometers) is water.

The Treasure Coast

Jensen Beach is part of Florida's Treasure Coast region. This name comes from old ships that sank in the 1600s. These ships were carrying treasure and wrecked because of coral reefs in the shallow waters. Even today, people sometimes find old items and treasures from these Spanish ships.

Some parts of Jensen Beach, like the Skyline Drive area, are higher up. One spot reaches about 70 feet (21 meters) above sea level.

Weather in Jensen Beach

The climate in Jensen Beach has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild, but it can get a little cool sometimes, with occasional frost. The climate is called a "humid subtropical climate." This means it has warm temperatures and a lot of rain, especially in summer.

Population Information

In 2020, there were 12,652 people living in Jensen Beach. There were 5,934 households, which are groups of people living together. About 3,038 of these were families.

Recreation

The main public beach in Jensen Beach is on Hutchinson Island. It is called Jensen Sea Turtle Beach. This is a wide, sandy beach right on the Atlantic Ocean. Lifeguards from Martin County are usually there to keep people safe. People enjoy sunbathing, surfing, fishing, and swimming at the beach.

Ecology and Sea Turtles

Jensen Beach is very important for sea turtles. It is a special place where they come to lay their eggs.

Sea Turtle Nesting and Protection

Certain parts of Jensen Sea Turtle Beach are blocked off to protect the sea turtle nests. Three types of sea turtles are found here: the loggerhead, leatherback turtle, and green sea turtle. Loggerhead nests are the most common.

Signs are put up to show where nests are. They also tell you when the eggs were laid and when they are expected to hatch. These signs help remind people not to visit the beach at night during these times. This helps protect the baby turtles.

Efforts are made to protect all these sea turtle species. The number of nests has been going down in recent years. This is partly because the beach is losing sand due to erosion.

Economics

Downtown Jensen Beach is a lively place. It is where the annual Pineapple Festival is held, celebrating the town's history.

Education

Jensen Beach has several schools for students:

• Jensen Beach High School
• Jensen Beach Elementary
• Felix A. Williams Elementary
• The Environmental Studies Center
• Stuart Middle School

Media

Since 2010, Jensen Beach has its own free newspaper called the Pineapple Post.

Historic Landmarks

Jensen Beach has several important historic places:

• All Saints Episcopal Church: Built in 1898, this is the oldest church building in Jensen Beach and in Martin County. Next to it is All Saints Cemetery, which is open to everyone.
• Capt. John Miller House: This is a private home on Indian River Drive. It was built in the late 1890s by an early settler.
• Jensen Beach Christian Church: This church was built between 1910 and 1912.
• Capt. Henry E. Sewall House: This historic house is now located in Indian RiverSide Park.
• The Mansion at Tuckahoe: This beautiful mansion is also in IndianRiverside Park.
• Mount Elizabeth Archeological Site: An important old site in IndianRiverside Park.
• Stuart Welcome Arch: This arch is on County Road 707.

Sister Cities

Jensen Beach has a "sister city" relationship with Gregory Town in the Bahamas. This partnership started in July 1989.

Notable People

Some well-known people have connections to Jensen Beach:

• Ralph Evinrude: He was the CEO of a motor company and retired to Jensen Beach. He was married to Frances Langford.
• Derek Fathauer: A professional golfer on the PGA tour.
• Forest K. Ferguson: A World War II hero who received the Distinguished Service Cross.
• Frances Langford: A famous singer and entertainer.
• Bobby Lord: A country music singer.
• Anthony Newley: A British songwriter and actor.
• Scott Proctor: A professional baseball pitcher.
• Jennifer Sky: An actress, also known as Jennifer Kathleen Wacha.

Images for kids

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  Fire Rescue Station 16 on Savanna Road serves Jensen Beach.

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  First Baptist Church, Jensen Beach

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  Jensen Beach Community Church

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  Jensen Sea Turtle Beach

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  Tabebuia off Savanna Road in Jensen Beach, April 2010, typical of such trees blooming throughout Martin County in the spring

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  Jacaranda off Savanna Road in Jensen Beach, May 2010.

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  Royal Poinciana off Savanna Road in Jensen Beach, May 2010.

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  St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Jensen Beach

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  Jensen Beach Christian Church in downtown Jensen

See also

In Spanish: Jensen Beach para niños