Martin County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 27°05′N80°24′W / 27.08°N 80.4°W | |
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 [1] |
• Estimate (2023) | 163,315 |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 21st |
Website | www |
Martin County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,431. [2] Its county seat is Stuart. [3] Martin County is in the Port St. Lucie, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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. [4]
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 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.[ citation needed ]
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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. [6] It is the fifty-fourth largest county in Florida by land area, and fifty-third largest by total area.
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. [7]
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. [7]
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. [7]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
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 | [8] | 3.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 1790-1960 [10] 1900-1990 [11] 1990-2000 [12] 2010-2019 [2] |
Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White (NH) | 117,532 | 119,216 | 80.33% | 75.25% |
Black or African American (NH) | 7,493 | 7,277 | 5.12% | 4.59% |
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 248 | 218 | 0.17% | 0.14% |
Asian (NH) | 1,510 | 2,246 | 1.03% | 1.42% |
Pacific Islander (NH) | 52 | 42 | 0.04% | 0.03% |
Some Other Race (NH) | 139 | 525 | 0.09% | 0.33% |
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,463 | 4,720 | 1.0% | 2.98% |
Hispanic or Latino | 17,881 | 24,187 | 12.22% | 15.27% |
Total | 146,318 | 158,431 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 158,431 people, 65,014 households, and 40,328 families residing in the county.
As of the census [15] 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.
Martin County Public Transit (MARTY) is the fixed-route public bus service operated by the county.
Brightline officially announced that an infill station on the Treasure Coast would be built in Stuart and begin service by 2026. [17] [18]
The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, a segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail, passes through Martin County.
Martin County is a non-chartered county and its form of government is prescribed by the Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes, as follows:
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 elected Constitutional officers are:
The independent Martin County School District has a board appointed superintendent of schools and an elected school board, with members listed on the Board Web site. [21] 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.
Martin County is a long-standing Republican stronghold, and as of 2024 [update] , has not supported a Democrat for the White House since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1944.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 64,121 | 64.90% | 33,539 | 33.95% | 1,136 | 1.15% |
2020 | 61,168 | 61.82% | 36,893 | 37.29% | 881 | 0.89% |
2016 | 53,204 | 61.41% | 30,185 | 34.84% | 3,244 | 3.74% |
2012 | 48,183 | 60.96% | 30,107 | 38.09% | 747 | 0.95% |
2008 | 44,143 | 56.22% | 33,508 | 42.67% | 871 | 1.11% |
2004 | 41,362 | 57.09% | 30,208 | 41.69% | 883 | 1.22% |
2000 | 33,972 | 54.78% | 26,621 | 42.93% | 1,423 | 2.29% |
1996 | 28,522 | 52.18% | 20,855 | 38.16% | 5,279 | 9.66% |
1992 | 24,800 | 46.63% | 14,802 | 27.83% | 13,582 | 25.54% |
1988 | 31,279 | 72.60% | 11,488 | 26.66% | 316 | 0.73% |
1984 | 28,900 | 76.28% | 8,978 | 23.70% | 9 | 0.02% |
1980 | 20,521 | 68.05% | 8,087 | 26.82% | 1,546 | 5.13% |
1976 | 11,682 | 56.28% | 8,785 | 42.33% | 289 | 1.39% |
1972 | 11,296 | 78.83% | 2,946 | 20.56% | 88 | 0.61% |
1968 | 5,179 | 50.63% | 2,580 | 25.22% | 2,471 | 24.15% |
1964 | 4,292 | 54.24% | 3,621 | 45.76% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 3,701 | 58.15% | 2,664 | 41.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 2,997 | 68.36% | 1,387 | 31.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 2,308 | 64.65% | 1,262 | 35.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 948 | 44.84% | 815 | 38.55% | 351 | 16.60% |
1944 | 530 | 35.57% | 960 | 64.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 596 | 36.93% | 1,018 | 63.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 327 | 29.59% | 778 | 70.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
1932 | 379 | 31.48% | 825 | 68.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
1928 | 703 | 58.05% | 474 | 39.14% | 34 | 2.81% |
According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans make up a majority of registered voters in Martin County, followed by unaffiliated voters and Democrats.
Martin County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of August 31, 2024 [23] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Political Party | Total Voters | Percentage | |||
Republican | 61,186 | 53.11% | |||
No party affiliation | 25,107 | 21.79% | |||
Democratic | 24,974 | 21.68% | |||
Minor parties | 3,936 | 3.42% | |||
Total | 115,203 | 100.00% |
The Martin County Library System has 6 branches.
On the National Register of Historic Places:
Other historic areas listed in 1989 by the Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects: [25]
Other places listed in 2012 by the Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in its Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places. [26]
Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 26th-most populous in the United States, with 1,492,191 residents as of the 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is West Palm Beach, which had a population of 117,415 as of 2020. Named after one of its oldest settlements, Palm Beach, the county was established in 1909, after being split from Miami-Dade County. The county's modern-day boundaries were established in 1963.
St. Lucie County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 329,226. The county's seat is Fort Pierce, while the largest city is Port St. Lucie, making up 62% of the county's population. St. Lucie County is the principal county of the Port St. Lucie, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Hobe Sound is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Martin County, Florida, United States, located along Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 13,163 at the 2020 census, up from 11,521 in 2010.
Indiantown is a village in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,560 at the 2020 census. It is a rural community in the interior of Florida's Treasure Coast region, first established in the early 1900s, then incorporated on December 31, 2017. The village is governed by a mayor and council elected at-large, while day-to-day operations are directed by the village manager.
Port Salerno is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,401 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Stuart is a city in and the county seat of Martin County, Florida, United States. Located in southeastern Florida, Stuart is the largest of five incorporated municipalities in Martin County. The population is 17,425 according to the 2020 U.S. census. Stuart is the 126th largest city in Florida based on official 2019 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. It is part of the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Fort Pierce is a city in and the county seat of St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Treasure Coast region of Atlantic Coast Florida. It is also known as the Sunrise City. Per the 2020 census, the population was 47,297.
Jupiter Island is a barrier island on the coast of Martin and Palm Beach counties, Florida. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the St. Lucie Inlet, on the west by the Indian River, and on the south by the Jupiter Inlet. Jupiter Island originally was two islands, Long Island on the north and Jupiter Island on the south, which were once separated by an inlet in the vicinity of North Jupiter Narrows and what is officially called Peck Lake, but commonly called Peck's Lake.
The Treasure Coast is a region in the southeast of the U.S. state of Florida. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and comprises Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. The region, whose name refers to the Spanish Treasure Fleet that was lost in a 1715 hurricane, evidently emerged from residents' desire to distinguish themselves from the Gold Coast to the south.
The St. Lucie Inlet, Florida is located between Hutchinson Island and Jupiter Island in Martin County, Florida, at coordinates 27°09′58″N80°09′24″W. The St. Lucie Inlet is one of six inlets into the Indian River Lagoon.
The Jaega were Native Americans living in a chiefdom of the same name, which included the coastal parts of present-day Martin County and northern Palm Beach County, Florida at the time of initial European contact, and until the 18th century. The name Jobé, or Jové, has been identified as a synonym of Jaega, a sub-group of the Jaega, or a town of the Jaega.
State Road 710 is a 57-mile (92 km) northwest-southeast route connecting SR 70 near Okeechobee, three miles (5 km) from the northern tip of Lake Okeechobee in south central Florida, to Old Dixie Highway in Riviera Beach. Most of the route is also known as Bee-Line Highway and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, as it parallels the railroad tracks maintained by CSX Transportation and used by Amtrak; and doesn't have a turn or curve in the 48 miles (77 km) southeast of Sherman, except for a small bend northwest of North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport. Near the middle of the highway, where Indiantown is located, the route is also known as Warfield Boulevard, named after S. Davies Warfield, the president of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad who originally built the adjacent railroad tracks.
State Road 716 (SR 716), locally known as Port St. Lucie Boulevard or "PSL" Boulevard, is a 4.355-mile-long (7.009 km) east–west route through Port St. Lucie, Florida, extending from its western terminus at an interchange with Florida's Turnpike to an intersection with U.S. Route 1, its eastern terminus. The entire roadway, stretching from Indiantown at its western terminus in Martin County to its terminus 2 miles east of its intersection with US 1 in Port St. Lucie in St. Lucie County, currently carries three different designations - SR 716, CR 76A, and CR 726. The roadway east of US 1 and between CR 76A and SR 716 has no state or county designation.
The Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, is a refuge on Jupiter Island in Florida. Its official name as of 2019 is the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Part of the refuge is inside the town of Jupiter Island, while the rest is in the unincorporated areas of Martin County. The 1,035-acre (4.19 km2) refuge was established in 1969, to protect the loggerhead and green sea turtles. It is administered as part of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) in Florida runs 545 miles (877 km) along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Numbered Highway System was established in 1926. With the exception of Monroe County, the highway runs through the easternmost tier of counties in the state, connecting numerous towns and cities along its route, including nine county seats. The road is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
Florida's 21st congressional district is a U.S. congressional district on the Treasure Coast. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district was drawn as a successor to the previous 18th district and contains all of St. Lucie County and Martin County as well as the northeastern part of Palm Beach County, and includes Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens, as well as Treasure Coast International Airport. The previous iteration of the 21st district, which extended from Delray Beach to Palm Beach, was instead renamed the 22nd district.
Florida's 18th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress, located in the Florida Heartland. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district was redrawn to cover inland counties of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee, as well as most of Polk County and some of Immokalee in Collier County. It is essentially the successor to the old 15th district. The district is currently represented by Republican Scott Franklin.
The St. Lucie River is a 35-mile-long (56 km) estuary linked to a coastal river system in St. Lucie and Martin counties in the U.S. state of Florida. The St. Lucie River and St. Lucie Estuary are an "ecological jewel" of the Treasure Coast, central to the health and well-being of the surrounding communities. The river is part of the larger Indian River Lagoon system, the most diverse estuarine environment in North America with more than 4,000 plant and animal species, including manatees, oysters, dolphins, sea turtles and seahorses.
The 1933 Treasure Coast hurricane was the second-most intense tropical cyclone to strike the United States during the active 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. The eleventh tropical storm, fifth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the season, it formed east-northeast of the Leeward Islands on August 31. The tropical storm moved rapidly west-northwestward, steadily intensifying to a hurricane. It acquired peak winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and passed over portions of the Bahamas on September 3, including Eleuthera and Harbour Island, causing severe damage to crops, buildings, and infrastructure. Winds over 100 mph (160 km/h) affected many islands in its path, especially those that encountered its center, and many wharves were ruined.