Martin County, Florida

Martin County, Florida
Martin County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
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 (1,406 km2)
• Water	209 sq mi (541 km2), 27.8%
Population (est.)
• (2017)	159,923[1]
• Density	295/sq mi (114/km2)
Congressional district	18th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC−5/−4
Website	www.martin.fl.us

The new Roosevelt Bridge

Martin County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the state of Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 146,318.^[2] Its county seat is Stuart.^[3]

Martin County is in the Port St. Lucie, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

• 
  1 History
  


• 
  2 Geography
  
  
  
  • 
    2.1 Adjacent counties
    
  
  
  • 
    2.2 National protected area
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  3 Environment
  
  
  
  • 
    3.1 Martin County Shore Protection Project
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  4 Demographics
  


• 
  5 Transportation
  
  
  
  • 
    5.1 Airports
    
  
  
  • 
    5.2 Major highways
    
  
  
  • 
    5.3 Trails
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  6 Government
  
  
  
  • 
    6.1 Board of County Commissioners
    
  
  
  • 
    6.2 Constitutional Officers
    
  
  
  • 
    6.3 School District
    
  
  
  • 
    6.4 Electoral Politics
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  7 Libraries
  


• 
  8 Attractions
  


• 
  9 Historic areas
  


• 
  10 Communities
  
  
  
  • 
    10.1 City
    
  
  
  • 
    10.2 Towns
    
  
  
  • 
    10.3 Villages
    
  
  
  • 
    10.4 Census-designated places
    
  
  
  • 
    10.5 Other unincorporated places
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  11 Gallery
  


• 
  12 See also
  


• 
  13 References
  


• 
  14 External links
  

History

Martin County was created in 1925 with the northern portion coming from St. Lucie County and southern portion coming from Palm Beach County. It was named for John W. Martin, Governor of Florida from 1925 to 1929.

When the county was created, the western contour followed the shore of Lake Okeechobee, as did the borders of Glades, Okeechobee, and Hendry counties. Palm Beach County had historically claimed all of the surface of the lake as part of its area, to its benefit for the distribution of state and federal highway funds. The state representative of Martin County, William Ralph Scott of Stuart, initiated a bill to divide the lake among its adjacent counties, creating a more equitable distribution of state funds for road creation and maintenance. All bordering counties confirmed the justice of this change and supported its ratification, with the exception of Palm Beach County. Representatives from Palm Beach County later presented Representative William Scott with a jug of water, signifying "all the water Bill Scott left Palm Beach County." The jug is in the possession of Stuart Heritage.

Geography

Hobe Sound, FL[4]
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.4     73 51     2.6     75 53     3.9     78 57     2.9     82 61     3.5     86 67     6.9     89 71     6.3     91 73     7.3     91 73     7.1     89 72     5     85 67     3.1     80 60     2.4     75 55 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     61     23 11     66     24 12     99     26 14     74     28 16     89     30 19     175     32 22     160     33 23     185     33 23     180     32 22     127     29 20     79     27 16     61     24 13 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 753 square miles (1,950 km²), of which 543 square miles (1,410 km²) is land and (27.8%) is water.^[5] It is the fifth-largest county in Florida by land area, and fifty-third largest by total area.

Adjacent counties

• 
  St. Lucie County – north


• 
  Palm Beach County – south


• 
  Hendry County – southwest


• 
  Glades County – southwest


• 
  Okeechobee County – northwest

National protected area

• Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge

Environment

Martin County Shore Protection Project

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Martin County Shore Protection Project includes nourishment of approximately 3.75 miles of beach extending from the St. Lucie County line south to the Stuart Public Beach Park in Martin County. Included in the project is restoration of the primary dune and a 35-foot-wide protective berm. The renourishment interval for this project is every 7 years.^[6]

The last renourishment of the Martin County Shore Protection Project was completed in May 2013 and included a Flood Control and Coastal Emergency component due impacts incurred with the passage of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The next
renourishment event is scheduled for 2019.^[6]

The estimated total cost of this project is $69.9 million, $32.5 million of which is to be paid for by the U.S. Federal Government. In Fiscal Year 2015, no funding was appropriated to the project by the U.S. Congress. In the Fiscal Year 2016 U.S. President's Budget Request to the U.S. Congress, no funding dollars was requested for the project.^[6]

Demographics

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%
Est. 2017	159,923	[7]	9.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2015[2]

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 126,731 people, 55,288 households, and 36,213 families residing in the county. The population density was 228 per square mile (88/km²). There were 65,471 housing units at an average density of 118 per square mile (46/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.88% White, 5.27% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.72% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 7.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000 there were 55,288 households out of which 21.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.50% were non-families. 29.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the county, the population was spread out with 18.60% under the age of 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 28.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,083, and the median income for a family was $53,244. Males had a median income of $36,133 versus $27,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,584. About 5.60% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.80% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Airports

• Indiantown Airport


• Naked Lady Ranch Airport (private)^[13]
  


• Witham Field

Major highways

• 
  Interstate 95
  


• 
  Florida's Turnpike
  


• 
  U.S. Highway 1
  


• 
  U.S. Highway 98
  


• 
  U.S. Highway 441
  


• 
  State Road A1A
  


• 
  State Road 76
  


• 
  County Road 707
  


• 
  State Road 710
  


• 
  State Road 714
  


• 
  State Road 732
  

Trails

The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, a segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail, passes through Martin County.

Government

Martin County is a non-chartered county and its form of government is prescribed by the Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes, as follows:

Board of County Commissioners

Tabebuia off Savanna Road in Jensen Beach. April 2010. Typical of such trees blooming throughout Martin county in the spring

The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative body of the county and has charge of all county executive and administrative functions, except those assigned by the Constitution to independent county officers or to the independent school district. The board also has some quasi-judicial functions. Some of functions exercised by the board are county-wide, while others are applicable only in the unincorporated areas of the county, where the board has many of the functions of a municipality. The county commissioners are elected by county-wide vote, but each one represents a specific district. The board appoints the county administrator who is responsible to it for the day-to-day operations of the county government. The current county commissioners by district number are:

• 1. Doug Smith, Chair


• 2. Ed Fielding


• 3. Herold Jenkins


• 4. Sarah Heard


• 5. Edward Ciampi, Vice Chair

Constitutional Officers

The elected Constitutional Officers are:

• Clerk (Clerk of Courts, County Clerk, etc.): Carolyn Timmann


• Property Appraiser: Laurel Kelly


• Sheriff: William Snyder


• Supervisor of Elections: Vicki Davis


• Tax Collector: Ruth Pietruszewski

School District

The independent Martin County School District has an elected Superintendent of Schools and elected School Board, as follows:

• The Superintendent, Laurie Gaylord (R), is the chief administrator of the district.


• The School Board is the legislative body of the district and also exercises quasi-judicial powers. School Board members are elected county wide but each one represents a specific district. The current board members by district are:
  
  
  
  • 1. Michael Busha, Co-chair
  
  
  • 2. Marsha Powers
  
  
  • 3. Rebecca Negron
  
  
  • 4. Maura Barry-Sorenson, Chair
  
  
  • 5. Michael DiTerlizzi
  
  
  
  

Electoral Politics

Martin County is a long-standing Republican stronghold which has not supported a Democrat for the White House since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1944.

Presidential elections results

Martin County Presidential elections results^[14]

Year	Republican	Democratic	Other
2016	61.41% 53,204	34.84% 30,185	3.74% 3,244
2012	60.96% 48,183	38.09% 30,107	0.95% 747
2008	56.22% 44,143	42.67% 33,508	1.11% 871
2004	57.09% 41,362	41.69% 30,208	1.22% 883
2000	54.78% 33,972	42.93% 26,621	2.29% 1,423
1996	52.18% 28,522	38.16% 20,855	9.66% 5,279
1992	46.63% 24,800	27.83% 14,802	25.53% 13,582
1988	72.60% 31,279	26.66% 11,488	0.73% 316
1984	76.28% 28,900	23.70% 8,978	0.02% 9
1980	68.05% 20,521	26.82% 8,087	5.13% 1,546
1976	56.28% 11,682	42.33% 8,785	1.39% 289
1972	78.83% 11,296	20.56% 2,946	0.61% 88
1968	50.63% 5,179	25.22% 2,580	24.15% 2,471
1964	54.24% 4,292	45.76% 3,621
1960	58.15% 3,701	41.85% 2,664
1956	68.36% 2,997	31.64% 1,387
1952	64.65% 2,308	35.35% 1,262
1948	44.84% 948	38.55% 815	16.60% 351
1944	35.57% 530	64.43% 960
1940	36.93% 596	63.07% 1,018
1936	29.59% 327	70.41% 778
1932	31.48% 379	68.52% 825
1928	58.05% 703	39.14% 474	2.81% 34

Libraries

The Martin County Library System has 7 branches.

• Blake Library


• Elizabeth Lahti Library


• Hobe Sound Public Library


• Hoke Library


• Peter & Julie Cummings Library


• Robert Morgade Library


• Law Library

Attractions

Florida panther at Possum Long, September, 1992

• Audubon of Martin County: Possum Long Nature Center, Palm Beach Road, Stuart^[15]
  


• 
  Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island


• 
  Jonathan Dickinson State Park in South Martin County


• 
  Martin County Fair held every February.


• Martin County Public Beaches:
  
  
  
  • Hobe Sound Public Beach on Jupiter Island
  
  
  • Jensen Sea Turtle Beach, Stuart Beach and many beach strips on Hutchinson Island.
  
  
  
  


• 
  Savannas Preserve State Park (extends into St. Lucie County)


• 
  St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park on Long Island east of Port Salerno and north of Jupiter Island

Historic areas

On the National Register of Historic Places:

• 
  Hobe Sound
  
  
  
  • 
    Olympia School, 1925
  
  
  • 
    Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District, located south of Hobe Sound is inside Jonathan Dickinson State Park in southern Martin County, 1933
  
  
  
  


• 
  Hutchinson Island
  
  
  
  • 
    House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar, 1876
  
  
  • 
    Georges Valentine Shipwreck Site, 1904
  
  
  
  


• 
  Indiantown
  
  • 
    Seminole Inn, 1926
  
  


• 
  Jensen Beach
  
  
  
  • 
    Mount Elizabeth Archeological Site, prehistoric
  
  
  • 
    Stuart Welcome Arch, 1926
  
  
  • 
    Tuckahoe, 1938
  
  
  
  


• 
  Jupiter Island
  
  • 
    Gate House, 1927
  
  


• 
  Stuart
  
  
  
  • 
    Burn Brae Plantation-Krueger House, 1894
  
  
  • 
    Lyric Theatre, 1927
  
  
  • 
    Old Martin County Courthouse, 1937
  
  
  
  

Other historic areas listed in 1989 by the Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects:^[16]

• 
  All Saints Episcopal Church, Waveland, 2377 N.E. Patrician Street, 1898,


• Bay Tree Lodge (Kiplinger House), 143 S. River Road (originally 104 S. Sewall's Point Road), Sewall's Point, 1909


• 
  Dudley-Bessey House, 110 S.W. Atlanta Avenue, Stuart, 1909


• Dyer Homestead, 1006 S.W. St. Lucie Crescent, Stuart, 1904


• 
  Feroe Building, 73 S.W. Flagler Avenue, corner of St. Lucie, Stuart, 1913


• France Apartments, 524 St. Lucie Crescent, Stuart, 1927


• 
  Golden Gate Building, 3225 S.E. Dixie Highway in Golden Gate south of Stuart, 1925


• Kitching House, 210 S.W. Atlanta Avenue, Stuart, 1894


• Stuart Feed Store, 101 S.W. Flagler Avenue, Stuart, 1905


• Sunrise Inn, S.E. Old St. Lucie Boulevard, Port Sewall. ca. 1925 (demolished)


• John E. Taylor House, 204 S.E. Atlanta Avenue, Stuart, 1914

Other places listed in 2012 by the Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in its Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.^[17]

• 
  Beach Road 2, Jupiter Island

Communities

Downtown Stuart, in the heart of the county seat

City

• Stuart

Towns

• Jupiter Island


• Ocean Breeze


• Sewall's Point

Villages

• Indiantown

Census-designated places

Sunset from the Intracoastal Waterway at Hobe Sound

• Hobe Sound


• Jensen Beach


• North River Shores


• Palm City


• Port Salerno


• Rio

Other unincorporated places

• 
  Hutchinson Island (part)


• Port Mayaca

Gallery

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  The Gazebo on the grounds of the new courthouse complex
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  The Old Martin County Courthouse, built in 1937
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Golden Gate Building, built in 1925
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

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

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  View of St. Lucie Inlet and Sailfish Point
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  St. Lucie Locks and Dam
  

  
  

  
  

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Martin County, Florida

References

1. 
   ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/martincountyflorida,charlottecountyflorida/PST045217
   


2. 
   ^ ^ab "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 14, 2014..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   ^{[permanent dead link]}
   


3. 
   ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
   


4. 
   ^ http://www.usa.com/hobe-sound-fl-weather.htm#HistoricalTemperature
   


5. 
   ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
   


6. 
   ^ ^abc "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fact Sheet - Martin County Shore Protection Project" (PDF).
   


7. 
   ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
   


8. 
   ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
   


9. 
   ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
   


10. 
    ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
    


11. 
    ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
    


12. 
    ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
    


13. 
    ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Naked Lady Ranch Airport
    


14. 
    ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
    


15. 
    ^ Audubon of Martin County: Possum Long Nature Center Archived 2008-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
    


16. 
    ^ A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, 1989, Gainesville: University of Florida Press, p. 137,
    ISBN 0-8130-0941-3
    


17. 
    ^ "Start Voting for Your Favorite Florida Architecture!". 2017 People's Choice Award (Florida Architecture). Retrieved 19 March 2018.
    

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin County, Florida.

Official website

v t e Municipalities and communities of Martin County, Florida, United States
County seat: Stuart
City	Stuart
Towns	Jupiter Island Ocean Breeze Sewall's Point
Village	Indiantown
CDPs	Hobe Sound Jensen Beach North River Shores Palm City Port Salerno Rio
Unincorporated community	Port Mayaca

v t e  State of Florida
Tallahassee (capital)
Topics	Index Climate Congressional Delegations Districts Education Environment Fauna Flora Geology Government Hurricanes Law Media Newspapers Radio TV Symbols Flag Seal Tourist attractions Transportation	Seal of Florida
History	Timeline Spanish Florida British Rule East Florida West Florida Seminole Florida Territory Seminole Wars Slavery Plantations of Leon County Civil War Florida East Coast Railway Florida land boom of the 1920s Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Center Disney World
Geography	Beaches Caves Everglades (Drainage and development) Keys Lakes Lake Okeechobee Reef Rivers Sinkholes Springs State forests State parks Swamps
Major hurricanes	Florida Keys (1919) Tampa Bay (1921) Miami (1926) Okeechobee (1928) Florida Keys (1929) Treasure Coast (1933) Labor Day (1935) Dry Tortugas (1944) Homestead (1945) Fort Lauderdale (1947) South Florida (1948) 1949 Florida hurricane Easy (1950) King 1950) Donna (1960) Betsy (1965) Eloise (1975) Elena (1985) Andrew (1992) Opal (1995) Charley (2004) Frances (2004) Ivan (2004) Jeanne (2004) Dennis (2005) Wilma (2005) Irma (2017) Michael (2018)
Society	African-American Crime Cuban-American culture Miami Tampa Culture Demographics Economy Education Floridians Haitian-American culture Delray Beach Miami Indigenous peoples Everglades Politics Sports
Regions	Big Bend Central Florida Emerald Coast Everglades First Coast Forgotten Coast Glades Gold Coast Halifax area Heartland Keys Nature Coast North Central Florida North Florida Panhandle South Florida Southwest Florida Space Coast Suncoast Tampa Bay Area Treasure Coast
Metro areas	Cape Coral–Fort Myers Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach Gainesville Homosassa Springs Jacksonville Lakeland–Winter Haven Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Ocala Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville Panama City Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent Port St. Lucie Punta Gorda Sebastian-Vero Beach Sebring Tallahassee Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater The Villages
Largest cities	Jacksonville Miami Tampa Orlando St. Petersburg Hialeah Tallahassee Port St. Lucie Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach Cape Coral Pembroke Pines Hollywood
Counties	Alachua Baker Bay Bradford Brevard Broward Calhoun Charlotte Citrus Clay Collier Columbia DeSoto Dixie Duval Escambia Flagler Franklin Gadsden Gilchrist Glades Gulf Hamilton Hardee Hendry Hernando Highlands Hillsborough Holmes Indian River Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Lake Lee Leon Levy Liberty Madison Manatee Marion Martin Miami‑Dade Monroe Mosquito (former county) Nassau Okaloosa Okeechobee Orange Osceola Palm Beach Pasco Pinellas Polk Putnam Santa Rosa Sarasota Seminole St. Johns St. Lucie Sumter Suwannee Taylor Union Volusia Wakulla Walton Washington

Coordinates: 27°05′N 80°24′W / 27.08°N 80.40°W / 27.08; -80.40

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