Hutchinson Island is a barrier island on the coast of Martin and St. Lucie counties in Florida. The southern one-third of Hutchinson Island is in Martin County while the northern two-thirds is in St. Lucie County. It is bound on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south by the St. Lucie Inlet, on the west by the Indian River, and on the north by the Fort Pierce Inlet. The main north-south highway on the island is FL State Road A1A 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.  (Illustrated Properties Office is located in Sewall's Point, Stuart, FL.   In Martin County, A1A is known as Northeast ( NE) Ocean BV.   Martin County has successfully limited buildings on the island to four stories and therefore there are no highrise buildings. Martin County strives to have slow growth to help continue to live in a small town. MacArthur Boulevard  runs south from A1A to the entrance to the Sailfish Point about a mile north of the inlet.  The Martin County portion of the island is sometimes called Stuart Beach.  Stuart Beach is a local favorite to catch a wave, BBQ at the pravillion. play on the playground, enjoy a game of volleyball or basketball.  Great place to have a party and walk to the Elliott museum and FL Oceanographic Coastal Center.

Elliott Museum in Stuart, Hutchinson Island FL . Tells how creativity and ingenuity have changed our lives and history. The Elliott museum was founded by part-time Stuart resident Harmon Elliott his quadricycle solved many problems with the four-wheeled automobile chassis, its steering design was the forerunner of the rack and pinion steering found in today's cars.  The museum is continually changing exhibits and has a remarkable antique car collection.

The Oceanographic Coastal Center is 57 acres of natural habitat.  Programs for Game fish and Stingray feeding.  Guided Nature walk through the hardwood Hammocks and the mangrove marsh.  Many species of animals live in the Indian River Lagoon. This establishment is aimed for education and research of the environment.

Marinas

Among the visitors' favorites are the sightseeing cruises on the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers aboard the Island Princess which departs from the Indian River Plantation Marina. There are many marinas throughout the waterways of Martin County that can accommodate your boat's needs with ramp, dockage and storage.  There are many deep sea fishing boats to catch a day at sea. Some are located at Pirate's Cove in Port Salerno and the Lady of Stuart in Jensen Beach.

Beyond the resort and past Gilbert's House of Refuge Museum are single-family residences with magnificent waterway views of both the Indian River to the west and the Atlantic to the east.  Many residences are from ocean to intracoastal. Spectacular blue green ocean views and protected dockage for their yachts.  The road winds its way to wonderful beaches, including the popular Bathtub Beach and on to the exclusive Sailfish Point.  The Bathtub Beach is a coral reef that creates a wading pool at low tide where children can play and a great place to build a sand castle.  Sailfish Point has 180 degree spectacular views of the inlet. 

The whims of sand and sea produce barrier islands along our coastline of Hutchinson Island. Many of the most beautiful sand beaches of the world are found on barrier islands.  Barrier islands are elongated sand islands essentially parallel to the shore commonly having dunes and separated from the mainland by a salt marsh or lagoon and separated from each other by inlets. The term barrier identifies them as buffers which protect the mainland from the strong forces of the ocean's surf.