Hutchinson Island
Encyclopedia
Hutchinson Island is a barrier island
on the coast of Martin
and St. Lucie
counties, Florida
. The southern one-third of Hutchinson Island is in Martin County while the northern two-thirds is in St. Lucie County. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean
, on the south by the St. Lucie Inlet, on the west by the Indian River
, and on the north by the Fort Pierce Inlet, which separates it from what is known in St Lucie County as North Hutchinson Island, or sometimes "North Beach." North Hutchinson Island extends into Indian River County
, but it is rarely called that north of the county line. In fact the Indian River county portion which extends to the Sebastian Inlet is usually called Orchid Island
, although it is not a separate island.
Zip Code 34996, while the northern part receives its mail from Jensen Beach
Zip Code 34957. Martin County has successfully limited buildings on the island to four stories and thus has no highrise or midrise buildings, unlike St. Lucie County to the north. The closest incorporated places to the Martin County portion are the towns of Ocean Breeze Park
and Sewall's Point
. The city of Stuart
is west of Sewall's Point.
made landfall with winds of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h). On September 25, 2004, Hurricane Jeanne
made landfall with winds of 120 miles per hour (193.1 km/h).
Census Designated Place, but that name is rarely used by residents, who receive their mail from Jensen Beach Zip Code 34957. The Jensen Beach post office has a postal contract substation known as Hutchinson Beach located at 11007 South Ocean Drive, but it offers only post office boxes and counter services.
The ocean front is lined with mid-rise luxury condominium
apartment buildings with a few hotels or motels mixed in. On the Indian River side there is a mix of single family homes, duplexes and mobile home or travel trailer communities, the largest of which is Nettles Island, where the county building codes have allowed what started as travel trailer lots to be used for site-built homes.
., which runs from ocean to river.
city limits and is locally called "Fort Pierce Beach" or sometimes "South Beach," not to be confused with the area of Miami Beach
by the same name or with the C.D.P. in Indian River County called South Beach, Florida
.
which enters the island several miles north of the St. Lucie Inlet at Stuart Beach via the Ernest Lyons Bridge across the Indian River from Sewall's Point
. A1A exits the island via the South Bridge in Fort Pierce. In Martin County, A1A is known as Northeast (or N.E.) Ocean Boulevard based on that county's naming system, while in St. Lucie County, A1A is known as South (or S.) Ocean Drive from the Martin County line north to the Fort Pierce Inlet, based on that county's naming system. At the Fort Pierce Inlet, A1A turns west onto Seaway Drive for the short distance to the South Bridge.
The only other road access to the island is in Martin County on State Road 732, N.E. Causeway Boulevard, which crosses the Indian River from Jensen Beach on the mainland over the Frank A. Wacha Bridge and Causeway. State Road 732 intersects with A1A at the entrance to Jensen Sea Turtle Public Beach.
The only internal public road in the Martin County portion is MacArthur Boulevard which runs south from A1A to the entrance to the Sailfish Point development about a mile north of the inlet. In the St. Lucie County portion of the island, there are many platted public subdivision streets and roads in the area that is within the Fort Pierce city limits. Practically all other roads on the island in either county are private roads controlled by homeowners' associations or condominiums.
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
on the coast of Martin
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
and St. Lucie
St. Lucie County, Florida
St. Lucie County is a county located in the state of Florida. The county seat is the city of Fort Pierce. In the year 2000, the population was 192,695. As of the year 2010, the United States Census Bureau sets the population at 277,789.- History :...
counties, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The southern one-third of Hutchinson Island is in Martin County while the northern two-thirds is in St. Lucie County. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, on the south by the St. Lucie Inlet, on the west by the Indian River
Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida....
, and on the north by the Fort Pierce Inlet, which separates it from what is known in St Lucie County as North Hutchinson Island, or sometimes "North Beach." North Hutchinson Island extends into Indian River County
Indian River County, Florida
Indian River County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 112,947. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 128,594...
, but it is rarely called that north of the county line. In fact the Indian River county portion which extends to the Sebastian Inlet is usually called Orchid Island
Orchid Island, Florida
Orchid Island, Florida, an Atlantic coastal barrier island located in Indian River County, Florida, is actually the Indian River County part of North Hutchinson Island, although that term in not used in Indian River County. Orchid Island is separated from the mainland on the west by the Indian...
, although it is not a separate island.
Martin County portion
The Martin County portion of the island is all unincorporated. Its southern part, which is sometimes called Stuart Beach, receives its mail from StuartStuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
Zip Code 34996, while the northern part receives its mail from Jensen Beach
Jensen Beach, Florida
Jensen Beach is a census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,100 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Port St...
Zip Code 34957. Martin County has successfully limited buildings on the island to four stories and thus has no highrise or midrise buildings, unlike St. Lucie County to the north. The closest incorporated places to the Martin County portion are the towns of Ocean Breeze Park
Ocean Breeze Park, Florida
Ocean Breeze Park is a town on the Indian River in Martin County, Florida, United States. It and Briny Breezes in Palm Beach County are the only two towns in Florida in which all residents live in a mobile home park bearing the name of the town. The population was 463 at the 2000 census. As of...
and Sewall's Point
Sewall's Point, Florida
Sewall's Point is a town located on the peninsula of the same name in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,946 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,053 . Both the town and the peninsula are named for Capt...
. The city of Stuart
Stuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
is west of Sewall's Point.
Points of interest
- The House of RefugeHouse of Refuge at Gilbert's BarThe House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar, also known as Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge, the House of Refuge Museum, or simply the House of Refuge, is an historic building located at 301 S.E. MacArthur Boulevard, on Hutchinson Island east of Stuart, Florida...
is a National Historic Site located on S.E. MacArthur Boulevard near the southern end of the island. - The Elliott MuseumElliott MuseumThe Elliott Museum, located at 825 N.E. Ocean Boulevard, on Hutchinson Island near Stuart, Florida, United States, houses one of the finest collections of American antiques, decorative arts, baseball memorabilia and vintage automobiles that celebrate the Golden Age of American creativity and local...
is on N.E. Ocean Boulevard. - The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is across the road from the Elliott Museum.
Martin County Public Beaches
- Large full service beaches:
- Martin County has two large public beaches with lifeguard stations, pavilions, concessions, restrooms, outdoor showers, and ample parking. Jensen Sea Turtle Beach is located at the intersection of N.E. Ocean Boulevard and the Jensen Beach Causeway, while Stuart Beach is located east of the Elliott Museum off N.E. Ocean Boulevard.
- Smaller beaches and beach strips:
- Martin County also owns smaller beach strips along the oceanfront from Bathtub Beach on the south end of MacArthur Boulevard to one located just south of the St. Lucie County line on the north. Bathtub Beach is the only one of these to have any amenities beyond the standard wooden stairs over the dunes. It is very popular with families with children because of the calm, shallow pools at water's edge warmed by the sun's rays and protected from the breaking surf by large offshore rock formations. The smallest beach strip is the Park-N-Fish located just north of the House of Refuge.
Hurricanes
In 2004 the island was hit by two hurricanes which made landfall on the Martin County portion of the island. On September 5, 2004, Hurricane FrancesHurricane Frances
Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The system crossing the open Atlantic during mid to late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands affected Puerto...
made landfall with winds of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h). On September 25, 2004, Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest hurricane in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the season, as well as the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to make landfall in Florida...
made landfall with winds of 120 miles per hour (193.1 km/h).
St. Lucie County portion
The St. Lucie County portion of the island consists of three parts as follows:Hutchinson Island South C.D.P.
The southern part of the St. Lucie County portion comprises the Hutchinson Island SouthHutchinson Island South, Florida
Hutchinson Island South is a census-designated place on the barrier island of Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The South in its name refers to its location in the southern part of St. Lucie County. It is actually in the central or middle part of the island as a...
Census Designated Place, but that name is rarely used by residents, who receive their mail from Jensen Beach Zip Code 34957. The Jensen Beach post office has a postal contract substation known as Hutchinson Beach located at 11007 South Ocean Drive, but it offers only post office boxes and counter services.
The ocean front is lined with mid-rise luxury condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
apartment buildings with a few hotels or motels mixed in. On the Indian River side there is a mix of single family homes, duplexes and mobile home or travel trailer communities, the largest of which is Nettles Island, where the county building codes have allowed what started as travel trailer lots to be used for site-built homes.
St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant
In the middle of the St. Lucie County portion is the large St. Lucie Nuclear Power PlantSt. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant
St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant is a twin nuclear power station located on Hutchinson Island, near Ft. Pierce, Florida in St. Lucie County. Both units are Combustion Engineering pressurized water reactors...
., which runs from ocean to river.
City of Fort Pierce section
Most of the area north of the power plant is in the Fort PierceFort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
city limits and is locally called "Fort Pierce Beach" or sometimes "South Beach," not to be confused with the area of Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
by the same name or with the C.D.P. in Indian River County called South Beach, Florida
South Beach, Florida
South Beach is a census-designated place on Orchid Island in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,457 at the 2000 census...
.
Transportation
The main north-south highway on the island is State Road A1AFlorida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
which enters the island several miles north of the St. Lucie Inlet at Stuart Beach via the Ernest Lyons Bridge across the Indian River from Sewall's Point
Sewall's Point, Florida
Sewall's Point is a town located on the peninsula of the same name in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,946 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,053 . Both the town and the peninsula are named for Capt...
. A1A exits the island via the South Bridge in Fort Pierce. In Martin County, A1A is known as Northeast (or N.E.) Ocean Boulevard based on that county's naming system, while in St. Lucie County, A1A is known as South (or S.) Ocean Drive from the Martin County line north to the Fort Pierce Inlet, based on that county's naming system. At the Fort Pierce Inlet, A1A turns west onto Seaway Drive for the short distance to the South Bridge.
The only other road access to the island is in Martin County on State Road 732, N.E. Causeway Boulevard, which crosses the Indian River from Jensen Beach on the mainland over the Frank A. Wacha Bridge and Causeway. State Road 732 intersects with A1A at the entrance to Jensen Sea Turtle Public Beach.
The only internal public road in the Martin County portion is MacArthur Boulevard which runs south from A1A to the entrance to the Sailfish Point development about a mile north of the inlet. In the St. Lucie County portion of the island, there are many platted public subdivision streets and roads in the area that is within the Fort Pierce city limits. Practically all other roads on the island in either county are private roads controlled by homeowners' associations or condominiums.