Martin County, Florida
| Martin County, Florida | ||
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Martin County Courthouse
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 Location in the U.S. state of Florida |
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 Florida's location in the U.S. |
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| 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.) | ||
| • (2015) | 156,283 | |
| • Density | 269/sq mi (104/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 18th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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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. Its county seat is Stuart.
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.
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.
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. It is the fifth-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.
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