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Martin County, Florida facts for kids

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Martin County
U.S. county
Martin County Courthouse
Martin County Courthouse
Official seal of Martin County
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Martin County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Florida
Founded May 30, 1925
Named for John W. Martin
Seat Stuart
Largest community Palm City
Area
 • Total 753 sq mi (1,950 km2)
 • Land 543 sq mi (1,410 km2)
 • Water 209 sq mi (540 km2)  27.8%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 158,431
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 163,315 Increase
 • Density 210.40/sq mi (81.24/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 21st
Roosevelt Bridge and Stuart City
The Roosevelt Bridge and Stuart City in Martin County.

Martin County is a county located in the southeastern part of Florida, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 158,431 people lived here. The main city and center of the county government is Stuart. Martin County is part of the larger Port St. Lucie metropolitan area.

History of Martin County

Martin County was created in 1925. It was formed from parts of St. Lucie County to the north and Palm Beach County to the south. The county was named after John W. Martin, who was the Governor of Florida from 1925 to 1929.

When the county was first made, its western edge followed the shore of Lake Okeechobee. Other nearby counties like Glades, Okeechobee, and Hendry also shared this border. Palm Beach County used to claim all of Lake Okeechobee as its own. This helped them get more money from the state and federal governments for building roads.

William Ralph Scott, a representative from Martin County, suggested a new law. This law would divide the lake among all the counties next to it. This way, the money for roads would be shared more fairly. All the counties around the lake agreed, except for Palm Beach County. As a joke, representatives from Palm Beach County later gave Representative Scott a jug of water. They said it was "all the water Bill Scott left Palm Beach County." This jug is now kept by Stuart Heritage, a local history group.

Geography and Nature

Weather chart for Hobe Sound, FL
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Metric conversion
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temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

Martin County covers about 753 square miles. About 543 square miles of this is land, and the rest (27.8%) is water. It is the 54th largest county in Florida by land area.

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

Martin County is home to the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. This special area helps protect wildlife and their homes.

Protecting the Environment

Martin County Shore Protection Project

The Martin County Shore Protection Project helps protect the beaches. It adds sand to about 3.75 miles of beach. This stretches from the St. Lucie County line down to Stuart Public Beach Park. The project also rebuilds the main sand dunes and a protective sand barrier. This work is done about every 7 years to keep the beaches safe. It helps protect the coast from storms like Hurricane Sandy, which caused damage in 2012.

People and Population

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1930 5,111 —
1940 6,295 23.2%
1950 7,807 24.0%
1960 16,932 116.9%
1970 28,035 65.6%
1980 64,014 128.3%
1990 100,900 57.6%
2000 126,731 25.6%
2010 146,318 15.5%
2020 158,431 8.3%
2023 (est.) 163,315 11.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2019

Population in 2020

In 2020, there were 158,431 people living in Martin County. There were 65,014 households and 40,328 families. Most people were White (75.25%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.27%), and Black or African American (4.59%).

Getting Around Martin County

Airports

  • Indiantown Airport
  • Witham Field

Main Roads

Bus Service

Martin County Public Transit (MARTY) is the public bus service that runs routes throughout the county.

Train Service

Brightline, a train company, has announced plans for a new train station in Stuart. Train service is expected to start by 2028.

Walking and Biking Trails

The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail goes through Martin County. This trail is part of the longer Florida National Scenic Trail.

Libraries for Learning

The Martin County Library System has 6 different branches:

  • Blake Library (Stuart)
  • Elisabeth Lahti Library (Indiantown)
  • Hobe Sound Public Library (Hobe Sound)
  • Hoke Library (Jensen Beach)
  • Peter & Julie Cummings Library (Palm City)
  • Robert Morgade Library (next to Indian River State College)

Fun Places to Visit

Florida panther at Audubon Center, Stuart, Florida
A Florida panther at Possum Long Nature Center.
  • Audubon of Martin County: Possum Long Nature Center in Stuart is a great place to learn about nature.
  • Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island has interesting exhibits.
  • Jonathan Dickinson State Park in South Martin County offers outdoor adventures.
  • Martin County Fair is held every February with rides, games, and shows.
  • Martin County has many public beaches, including:
    • Hobe Sound Public Beach on Jupiter Island
    • Jensen Sea Turtle Beach, Stuart Beach, and many other beaches on Hutchinson Island.
  • Savannas Preserve State Park (partly in St. Lucie County) is a beautiful natural area.
  • St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park is on Long Island, east of Port Salerno.

Historic Places to Explore

Many places in Martin County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning they are important historical sites.

Historic Places by Town

Other Historic Buildings and Sites

The Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects has also listed other important historic places:

  • All Saints Episcopal Church, Waveland, built in 1898.
  • Bay Tree Lodge (Kiplinger House), built in 1909.
  • Dudley-Bessey House, built in 1909.
  • Dyer Homestead, built in 1904.
  • Feroe Building, built in 1913.
  • France Apartments, built in 1927.
  • Golden Gate Building, built in 1925.
  • Kitching House, built in 1894.
  • Stuart Feed Store, built in 1905.
  • Sunrise Inn, built around 1925 (no longer standing).
  • John E. Taylor House, built in 1914.
  • Beach Road 2 on Jupiter Island.

Communities in Martin County

StuartFlorida-skyline
Downtown Stuart, the county seat.

City

Towns

Villages

Census-Designated Places

HobeSoundFlorida-sunset
Sunset from the Intracoastal Waterway at Hobe Sound.

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.

Other Unincorporated Places

Images for kids

  • MartinCountyFlaCourthouseComplex Gazebo

    The Gazebo on the grounds of the new courthouse complex

  • OldMartinCountyFlaCourthouse 012

    The Old Martin County Courthouse, built in 1937

  • Golden Gate Building, Stuart, Florida 001

    Golden Gate Building, built in 1925

  • St. lucie river from sp

    View of St. Lucie River and Stuart from Sewall's Point

  • St Lucie Inlet aerial view

    View of St. Lucie Inlet and Sailfish Point

  • USACE St Lucie Lock and Dam

    St. Lucie Locks and Dam

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Martín (Florida) para niños

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