Stuart, Florida : Canadian buyer & snowbird guide.

1. Identity

2. Who this city suits

This city suits. Stuart fits a Canadian buyer who wants Atlantic-coast Florida without the density, traffic, and ambient noise of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, or Aventura. The lifestyle is built around boating (the St. Lucie River, the Indian River Lagoon, and the St. Lucie Inlet to the Atlantic), saltwater fishing (Stuart calls itself the "Sailfish Capital of the World"), golf, and a small walkable historic downtown. The typical Canadian buyer here is a Boomer or older Gen X retiree, often from Ontario or Quebec, looking at a single-family home in Palm City or Stuart, a condo on Hutchinson Island, or a waterfront property in Sewall's Point. Snowbirds doing six months per year (October to April) are the dominant Canadian profile.

This city does not suit. Stuart does not suit a Canadian who wants the urban density and nightlife of Miami-Dade or Broward, who needs daily access to a major international airport, who plans to commute to a corporate job, or who is looking for a francophone enclave. The francophone community is materially smaller here than in Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, or Pompano. Stuart also does not suit aggressive short-term rental investors who want flexible Airbnb regulations: the city and county apply licensing, but the local market is small and seasonally narrow.

Why this matters for Canadians. Stuart prices sit roughly 15 to 30 percent below comparable product in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, or Boca Raton, but transportation friction is higher. Palm Beach International is a 46-minute drive on a clear day, and that drive scales unpredictably from late November to April when seasonal traffic on US-1 and I-95 compounds. A Canadian buyer underwriting Stuart against Fort Lauderdale is paying less for the property and more for every airport run.

What to retain. Stuart is the answer for the Canadian buyer who wants Florida coastal lifestyle without metro South Florida intensity, and who is willing to trade flight options and francophone density for a smaller, slower, more boating-and-fishing-centred town.

3. Climate and seasonality

Stuart's climate is classified as tropical rainforest (Köppen Af) per US climate data, with hot, humid summers and warm, drier winters. Summer is the wet season with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Winter is the high-demand season for snowbirds.

(Typical range, sourced from NOAA monthly normals for the Stuart/Treasure Coast area.)

Hurricane season. June 1 to November 30, peak August to October. Stuart is statistically affected by a hurricane or tropical storm once every 5.9 years on average (Verified fact, HurricaneCity historical data). The city's worst documented direct hits are Frances (Cat 2 at landfall, September 2004), Jeanne (Cat 3 at landfall on the southern tip of Hutchinson Island, September 26, 2004), Wilma (Cat 3 passing just south, October 2005), and the unnamed 1949 storm (Cat 4 winds recorded near West Palm Beach, considered locally to be the strongest historical event). More recent events: Nicole (Cat 1, landfall just north near Vero Beach, November 2022), Irma (2017, weakened by landfall), and the 2024 storms Helene and Milton, which brushed but did not strike directly.

High season vs low season. Snowbird high season runs roughly mid-November through mid-April. Population swells materially, traffic on US-1 and I-95 increases, and restaurant wait times double. Low season runs May through October, with August and September being the slowest.

Seasonal vs permanent population. Martin County's median age is 53.3 years, and 31.4% of residents are 65 or older (Verified fact, 2020 US Census). The county skews older and more seasonal than Florida overall.

4. Canadian presence

Canadians are present in Stuart, but the community is materially smaller and less concentrated than in Hollywood, Hallandale, Pompano, or Deerfield Beach to the south.

Quantitative estimate (Typical range, not precisely measured). Snowbird presence on the Treasure Coast (Martin and St. Lucie counties combined) is estimated to run in the low tens of thousands during peak season, with Canadians forming a meaningful but minority share. Stuart specifically attracts more US Northeasterners (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan) than Canadians. Anglophone Canadians (Ontario, BC, Alberta) outnumber francophone Canadians in this market.

Francophone vs anglophone distinction. The dense francophone Quebecois infrastructure (French-language media, restaurants, dépanneurs, community centres) that defines Hollywood Beach, Dania Beach, and parts of Hallandale does not exist in Stuart. Le Soleil de la Floride distributes throughout South Florida but its core readership is concentrated south of Palm Beach. A Quebecois snowbird who wants daily French-language interaction and informal Quebec community will find more of it in Hollywood or Pompano than in Stuart.

Healthcare in French. Few bilingual French-speaking healthcare providers are explicitly advertised in Stuart. Cleveland Clinic Martin North and Martin South Hospitals are the regional acute-care centres, both English-default, though individual physicians and nursing staff with French capability exist on an ad hoc basis. (Opinion, based on inventory of explicit French-language medical resources.)

Community signals. Canadian-facing real estate agents and snowbird-rental managers are active in Stuart, Jensen Beach, and Hutchinson Island, but the volume is well below what is seen in Broward County.

What to retain. Stuart is not the place to come for a built-out francophone Quebec community. It is the place to come for an English-speaking small-coastal-town experience where Canadians are present but not dominant.

5. Real estate market

5a. Current snapshot (early 2026)

• Median sold price (single-family, Stuart): 489,995 USD (Verified fact, Movoto, February 2026).
• Average single-family home value (Stuart, Zillow ZHVI): 383,960 USD (Verified fact, March 2026).
• Median single-family list price (Houzeo, February 2026): 520,000 USD for SFH, 185,000 USD for condo (Typical range, depending on segment).
• Days on market: average 87 to 110 days (Verified fact, Movoto February 2026, up from 77 to 83 days one year earlier).
• Inventory: roughly 443 to 516 active listings, up substantially from prior year (Verified fact, Houzeo and mybrokerone.com February 2026).

The market has shifted toward buyers since mid-2024. Months of supply have moved from approximately 1.2 toward a more balanced range, days on market are lengthening, and price growth has slowed sharply from the 2021 to 2022 surge.

5b. Historical trends 3, 5, and 10 years

• 2015 to 2025 cumulative price appreciation in Martin County is among the top ten Florida counties for median home value growth (Verified fact, SmartAsset study cited locally).
• 2020 to 2022 saw the post-COVID surge common across coastal Florida, with double-digit annual price increases.
• 2022 to 2024 saw the cool-down driven by mortgage rate increases and insurance cost shocks.
• 2025 saw price moderation, with some sources reporting median sold prices down year over year alongside an inventory build.

5c. External shocks and how to read the data (Opinion)

A raw price number for Stuart between 2020 and 2026 is not directly usable without acknowledging four overlapping shocks:

1. COVID boom (2020 to 2022). Northeast US migration, low mortgage rates, and remote-work flexibility pushed coastal Florida prices up sharply. Stuart benefited even though it was not the primary destination for the migration wave.

1. Mortgage rate hike (2022 to 2024). US 30-year fixed rates moved from roughly 3% to above 7%, cutting purchasing power for financed buyers and slowing transaction volume.

1. Florida insurance crisis (2022 to present). Statewide homeowner insurance premiums rose materially, with Florida averaging more than triple the national rate by 2024. This affected affordability calculations directly, especially for waterfront and older properties.

1. Hurricane impact (Jeanne 2004, Wilma 2005, Frances 2004, Nicole 2022). Stuart sits in a recurring landfall corridor. Insurance pricing reflects this even when individual recent years have been calm.

Reading any year-on-year price change for Stuart without context risks drawing the wrong conclusion. (Opinion.)

5d. Local fault lines

Several geographic lines define materially different sub-markets within and around Stuart:

• The St. Lucie River. Separates the city of Stuart proper from Palm City to the west and Rio/Jensen Beach to the north. Crossing the river often means crossing into a different price band and different community character.

• The Indian River Lagoon and the Intracoastal Waterway. Separate mainland Stuart from Hutchinson Island (barrier island, condo-dominant, beach-front). Hutchinson Island is its own market: condo product, vacation rentals, hurricane-exposed.

• US-1 (Federal Highway, Dixie Highway corridor). Old commercial corridor running north-south through Stuart. East of US-1 generally trends toward more established and higher-value residential; west of US-1 trends toward newer, more affordable, more car-dependent.

• I-95. West of I-95 is mostly Palm City, equestrian and golf-community territory, more inland and less hurricane-exposed but also less waterfront premium.

• The Sewall's Point peninsula. A separate municipality, materially more expensive than the city of Stuart, with average property values reported above 1.9 million USD. Crossing into Sewall's Point is a clear step up in price tier.

5e. Neighbourhoods to know

Downtown Stuart. Historic, walkable, restaurants, galleries, the Lyric Theatre, the Riverwalk, the proposed Brightline station site. Older housing stock, condos, mixed-use product. Suits a buyer who values walkability over square footage.

Sewall's Point (town of). Peninsula between the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. Single-family only, large lots, water views, top-rated schools. The most expensive sub-market in the Stuart area, with average values reported around 1.9 million USD (Verified fact, Homes.com). Suits a Canadian buyer with significant capital looking for a prestige waterfront address.

Hutchinson Island. Barrier island east of mainland Stuart, accessed via the Stuart Causeway. Mix of oceanfront condos (significant pre-2000 inventory), beachfront single-family homes, and the gated Sailfish Point luxury community at the southern tip. High flood and wind exposure, mandatory flood insurance for most parcels, special attention required to SB-4D condo milestone inspections (see Section 5f).

Palm City. Unincorporated community west of Stuart across the St. Lucie River. Family-oriented, larger lots, golf and equestrian communities (Martin Downs, Hammock Creek), strong schools. Average values around 700,000 USD (Verified fact, Homes.com). Suits a family buyer or a snowbird wanting a single-family home with outdoor space, away from the coastal flood and wind risk.

Jensen Beach. Just north of Stuart, technically unincorporated but functionally a separate small downtown. Quieter beach-town atmosphere, mixed condo and SFH inventory, popular with snowbirds.

Rio. Across the Roosevelt Bridge from downtown Stuart, more affordable, mixed residential and small-commercial character.

North River Shores. Waterfront and near-waterfront neighbourhood north of downtown, established, lower density.

Golden Gate. Mixed historic and waterfront, blends urban and coastal living, properties span a wide price range with average values around 600,000 USD (Verified fact, Homes.com).

Port Salerno. South of Stuart, working-waterfront character with a fishing village heritage, more affordable than the city core.

5f. Special mentions

SB-4D milestone inspections. Florida Senate Bill 4D (passed 2022, in response to the Surfside collapse) requires structural milestone inspections for condo buildings three stories or more, starting at age 30 (25 if within three miles of the coast). Stuart has a significant inventory of older oceanfront and waterfront condos on Hutchinson Island, much of which dates to the 1970s and 1980s. A Canadian buyer looking at any Hutchinson Island condo, or any Stuart-area condo over 25 to 30 years old, must read the most recent milestone inspection report and any structural integrity reserve study before signing. See our companion article SB-4D condo milestone inspections for the full mechanism and the special-assessment risk it has created.

55+ communities. Several active-adult communities exist around Stuart and Palm City (Verified fact, locally documented), enforcing federal Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) eligibility rules: at least one resident 55 or older per unit, and at least 80% of occupied units must meet the age rule. Canadian buyers who do not meet HOPA requirements (for example, a buyer in their 40s with school-age children) are categorically ineligible for these communities regardless of price.

Pre-FBC housing stock. A material share of Stuart's housing stock predates the 2002 Florida Building Code (FBC) update that strengthened post-Hurricane Andrew wind and debris protection requirements. (Typical range, exact percentage not separately published.) Pre-FBC homes carry higher hurricane risk and insurance premiums regardless of construction material. See Section 7.

6. Total cost of ownership

6a. Worked example, median single-family home

Inputs for a Canadian non-resident buyer purchasing a median Stuart single-family home in early 2026:

• Purchase price: 500,000 USD
• Assessed value (Martin County, typical 80 to 90% of market): 425,000 USD (Typical range)
• Property tax at total Stuart millage of 15.79 mills: 425,000 × 0.01579 = 6,711 USD per year (Verified fact, Martin County Property Appraiser 2025 final millage)
• Homeowners insurance HO-3 (single-family, inland Stuart, no flood): 4,500 to 9,000 USD per year (Typical range, Florida insurance premiums have escalated materially since 2022)
• Flood insurance NFIP, if in zone AE: 2,000 to 5,000 USD per year (Typical range, depends on elevation and policy)
• Lawn service: 100 to 180 USD per month → 1,200 to 2,160 USD per year (Typical range)
• Pool service if pool: 120 to 180 USD per month → 1,440 to 2,160 USD per year (Typical range)
• Pest control: 30 to 80 USD per month → 360 to 960 USD per year (Typical range)
• AC service (biannual): 200 to 400 USD per year (Typical range)
• Hurricane preparation and shutter maintenance: 200 to 500 USD per year (Typical range)
• Annual total, inland SFH, no flood zone, no HOA: roughly 14,000 to 21,000 USD per year (Typical range)
• Equivalent in CAD at 1.36 USD/CAD: roughly 19,000 to 28,500 CAD per year (Typical range)

6b. Worked example, median condo on Hutchinson Island

Inputs for a Hutchinson Island oceanfront condo at 400,000 USD:

• Purchase price: 400,000 USD
• Assessed value: 340,000 USD (Typical range)
• Property tax at 15.79 mills: 340,000 × 0.01579 = 5,369 USD per year
• Homeowners insurance HO-6 (condo, coastal): 3,000 to 6,000 USD per year (Typical range)
• HOA / condo association fees: 600 to 1,500 USD per month → 7,200 to 18,000 USD per year (Typical range, depends materially on building age, amenities, reserve status post SB-4D)
• Flood insurance: usually carried by the association master policy, but unit owners often need supplemental HO-6 flood coverage at 500 to 1,500 USD per year (Typical range)
• Special assessments (SB-4D era): unpredictable, can range from zero to 100,000 USD per unit for older buildings (Typical range, see SB-4D condo milestone inspections)
• Annual total, oceanfront condo, excluding special assessments: roughly 16,000 to 30,000 USD per year (Typical range)
• Equivalent in CAD: roughly 22,000 to 41,000 CAD per year (Typical range)

6c. Interactive calculator data

The interactive calculator embeds here on the published page. Inputs: purchase price, property type (SFH or condo), residency status. Data feeding the calculator for Stuart:

• Martin County total typical millage rate: 15.79 mills (City of Stuart parcel, including county general fund, city of Stuart 4.9 mills, Martin County School Board, special districts, and water management district).
• Assessed-to-market ratio: 0.80 to 0.90 (Typical range, depends on year and assessment cycle).
• Martin County sales tax rate: 6.5% (effective 1 January 2026).
• Tourist Development Tax (Bed Tax): 5% (paid by short-term rental operators).

6d. Homestead exemption and Save Our Homes

This calculation assumes a Canadian non-resident buyer, who is not eligible for the Florida homestead exemption (-50,000 USD off assessed value) and not eligible for the Save Our Homes 3% annual assessment cap. Both are reserved for Florida residents who claim the property as their primary residence. A Canadian snowbird, by definition of their visa status and Canadian tax residency, cannot claim Florida homestead. See Florida Homestead exemption and Save Our Homes 3 % cap for the full mechanism and the effective-rate gap this creates between a Canadian buyer and a Florida-resident neighbour.

7. Physical risks

Hurricane risk. Stuart is in a recurring Atlantic landfall corridor. Maximum recorded category at direct landfall: Cat 3 (Hurricane Jeanne, 26 September 2004, with sustained winds of 120 mph at landfall on the southern tip of Hutchinson Island). The 1949 unnamed storm produced Cat 4 winds near West Palm Beach, and locally is considered the historical worst case. (Verified fact, NOAA Historical Hurricane Tracks, HurricaneCity records.) Average return interval for a hurricane affecting Stuart: once every 5.9 years.

Storm surge zones. Martin County uses three storm surge evacuation zones (Verified fact, Martin County official evacuation zone documentation):

• Zone AB (red): barrier islands and most low-lying coastal areas. Likely inundated by surge of up to 6 feet.
• Zone CD (yellow): likely inundated by surge of up to 13 feet.
• Zone E (blue): likely inundated by surge of up to 16 feet.

Hutchinson Island and most of Sewall's Point fall in Zone AB. Downtown Stuart and waterfront mainland parcels fall in Zones CD and E depending on elevation.

FEMA flood zones. Stuart parcels fall in zones A, AE, AH, AO, VE, X, and X-shaded. (Verified fact, Martin County GIS flood map.)

• Zone VE: coastal high-velocity wave action zone, applies to oceanfront Hutchinson Island. Mandatory flood insurance for any federally backed mortgage. Premiums materially higher.
• Zone AE: 1% annual chance flood zone, base flood elevation determined. Common on Hutchinson Island interior and along the Indian River Lagoon shoreline.
• Zone X (shaded): moderate risk, 0.2% annual chance flood zone. Flood insurance not federally required but recommended.
• Zone X: minimal risk.

Flood insurance premiums (Typical range). NFIP coverage for a single-family home in Zone AE in Stuart typically runs 1,500 to 5,000 USD per year. Zone VE properties on Hutchinson Island can exceed 8,000 USD per year. Private flood insurance has become increasingly common in Florida post-2022.

HVHZ and WBDR designation. Stuart and Martin County are NOT in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). HVHZ applies only to Miami-Dade and Broward counties (Verified fact, Florida Building Code). Stuart is in the Wind-Borne Debris Region (WBDR), which covers areas within one mile of the coast where ultimate design wind speed is 130 mph or greater, and any inland area where ultimate design wind speed is 140 mph or greater. (Verified fact, Florida Building Code.) WBDR requires impact-rated windows and doors, or approved shutter protection, on new construction and major renovations.

Pre-2002 FBC housing share. A material share of Stuart's housing stock predates the 2002 Florida Building Code update. (Typical range, exact percentage not publicly broken out for Stuart specifically.) Pre-FBC homes carry materially higher hurricane risk and insurance premiums regardless of construction material.

Sinkholes. Not a primary risk in Martin County. Sinkhole-prone geography sits further west and north in central Florida (Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas counties).

8. Rental investment

Short-term rental (STR) regulation

A short-term rental in Florida is defined as a dwelling unit rented to guests more than three times per calendar year for stays shorter than 30 days, per Florida Statute 509.032. (Verified fact.)

1. Does Stuart prohibit, restrict, or permit STRs? STRs are permitted in Stuart. Florida state law (Fla. Stat. 509.032(7)) preempts local governments from prohibiting STRs or regulating the duration or frequency of rentals (with grandfathering for ordinances adopted before 1 June 2011). Stuart did not have a pre-2011 prohibition. (Verified fact.)

2. Local STR licensing. Stuart and Martin County apply licensing and registration requirements alongside the state DBPR license. The State of Florida (DBPR) requires every STR to be licensed as either a Vacation Rental Dwelling or Vacation Rental Condominium. (Verified fact, Fla. Dep't of Business and Professional Regulation.) Local license-specific fees vary; the published practitioner sources for Stuart show that registration with the City of Stuart is required, but exact dollar fees should be verified directly with the City of Stuart Business Tax Receipt office at the time of application.

3. Zoning or neighbourhood-level restrictions. Stuart applies zoning rules; not every parcel is zoned for transient rental. Buyers should verify zoning for the specific address before purchase if STR is part of the investment thesis.

4. Tourist Development Tax (TDT). Martin County imposes a 5% Tourist Development Tax (also called Bed Tax or Resort Tax) on the total rental amount for stays of six months or less. (Verified fact, Martin County Tax Collector.) This is collected and remitted directly to the Martin County Tax Collector, NOT to the Florida Department of Revenue.

5. Florida Sales Tax. Stays of six months or less are subject to the 6% Florida state sales tax plus the 0.5% Martin County discretionary surtax, totaling 6.5% effective 1 January 2026. This is collected by the Florida Department of Revenue. Some online platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) collect Florida state sales tax automatically; however, Martin County's Tourist Development Tax does NOT have an active collection agreement with these platforms, so the host remains responsible for collecting and remitting the 5% TDT separately. (Verified fact, Martin County Tax Collector website.)

6. HOA and condo association restrictions. Many Stuart-area HOAs and condos apply minimum lease terms longer than 30 days, effectively prohibiting daily/weekly Airbnb-style use. Hutchinson Island condos in particular vary widely: some are explicitly STR-friendly and operate as vacation buildings, while others impose 30-day, 90-day, or even 6-month minimums. The condo declaration is the controlling document and must be read before purchase.

STR market reality. Stuart hosts reportedly earn a median of approximately 34,000 USD per year with an average daily rate around 175 USD and 67% occupancy (Typical range, third-party STR market analytics). The market is small relative to South Florida coastal hotspots. Top performers pull in 50,000+ USD per year. Seasonal swing is pronounced: high season (November to April) drives most of the revenue.

Long-term rental (LTR) regulation

LTRs (six months or more) are not subject to the Tourist Development Tax and are exempt from most STR-specific licensing. Stuart applies standard Florida landlord-tenant rules. Yields on long-term rental are typically lower than STR gross yields but the management overhead is materially lower and the regulatory exposure smaller.

Typical LTR yields (Typical range). Gross annual rent on a single-family home in Stuart typically runs 5% to 6% of purchase price. Net yields after taxes, insurance, HOA, and management fees are commonly 2% to 4%.

Last verified. STR rules for Stuart and Martin County last verified 15 May 2026. STR regulation in Florida is volatile (e.g., the 2024 SB280 veto). Verify current rules with the City of Stuart Business Tax Receipt office and the Martin County Tax Collector before underwriting any investment.

9. Daily life

9a. Healthcare

Cleveland Clinic Martin North Hospital (200 SE Hospital Avenue, Stuart). 24-hour Emergency Department, full-service acute care. Part of the Cleveland Clinic Florida network (Verified fact). Ranked #21 in Florida and rated High Performing in 13 adult procedures and conditions (Verified fact, US News Best Hospitals).

Cleveland Clinic Martin South Hospital (2100 SE Salerno Road, Stuart). 24-hour Emergency Department, fully integrated medical campus with outpatient surgery and diagnostic centre.

Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center (3801 S. Kanner Highway, Stuart). 90 exam rooms, primary care, specialty services, imaging, lab. Outpatient only.

For specialist care beyond the local network, residents typically travel to West Palm Beach (Jupiter Medical Center, JFK Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center) or Miami/Fort Lauderdale for the highest-acuity cases.

Bilingual French providers. Not formally advertised in Stuart. Cleveland Clinic publishes language capabilities for individual physicians on its provider directory, and some staff with French capability exist on an ad hoc basis, but Stuart does not have the dedicated francophone medical infrastructure seen in Hollywood and Hallandale.

9b. Canadian banks

RBC Bank (US subsidiary, distinct from RBC Royal Bank in Canada). Maintains branches across Florida, including Stuart-area accessibility via PalmCity and the Palm Beach corridor. (Verified fact, RBC Bank locator; specific branch list should be reconfirmed at the time of need.)

TD Bank (US East Coast retail bank, parent: Toronto-Dominion Bank). Multiple branches in Stuart and Martin County. (Verified fact, TD Bank locator.)

BMO Bank (US subsidiary of Bank of Montreal). Limited US footprint, presence in Florida is regional rather than dense; Stuart-area access typically via Palm Beach County branches.

Canadian buyers using a Florida banking relationship should expect to either open a US bank account locally on a first trip (with US tax ID or ITIN as needed) or use a cross-border relationship through RBC US or TD US. See [LIEN-BANKING-CHAPTER] for the cross-border banking mechanism.

9c. Walkability

WalkScore for Stuart is rated as moderate-to-low overall, with downtown Stuart (around Osceola Street) rated walkable, and most outlying residential neighbourhoods (Palm City, Sewall's Point, Hutchinson Island interior, North River Shores) rated car-dependent. (Typical range, WalkScore.com.)

9d. Access from Canada

Palm Beach International Airport (PBI). The primary commercial airport for Stuart, 40 miles south, approximately 46 minutes by car (Verified fact, road distance). Direct flights from Canada:

• Toronto (YYZ): Air Canada, Porter Airlines, Air Transat, WestJet. Approximately 15 direct flights per week as of April 2026 (Verified fact, Skyscanner aggregate). Flight time ~3h16.
• Montreal (YUL): Air Canada operates direct service, approximately 3 to 4 flights per week in winter season (Verified fact). Flight time ~3h48.
• Other Canadian cities (Vancouver YVR, Calgary YYC, Ottawa YOW): typically one-stop connections through Toronto or US hubs.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL). 87 miles south, approximately 1h30 by car (less in off-peak, longer in season). Materially more direct service from Canadian cities than PBI: WestJet, Air Canada, Air Transat, Flair, Sunwing all operate FLL routes. For a Canadian who values flight options over drive time, FLL is the better choice despite the distance.

Miami International Airport (MIA). 114 miles south, approximately 2h by car. Hub airport with extensive Canadian service from YYZ, YUL, YVR, YOW. Reachable from Stuart by car or by Brightline train (board at West Palm Beach, ride to Miami in ~1h20).

Orlando International Airport (MCO). 132 miles north, approximately 2h30 by car. Heavily used by Canadian leisure travellers, Sunwing and WestJet operate substantial Canadian capacity into MCO, including from secondary Canadian markets (YHM, YHZ, YUL, YYZ, YWG).

Witham Field (SUA). Stuart's own airport, 1 mile from downtown. General aviation only. No scheduled commercial service. Useful for private aircraft, fractional jet, and air charter.

9e. Highways and regional access

I-95. Runs north-south through western Stuart. Primary corridor north (to Vero Beach, Daytona, Jacksonville) and south (to West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami).

Florida's Turnpike. Western alternative to I-95, accessed via FL-714 or FL-76. Generally less congested than I-95 in season but tolled.

US-1 (Federal Highway). Local north-south arterial through downtown Stuart. Heavy in season.

FL-A1A. Coastal route on Hutchinson Island.

Brightline rail station (planned). A Brightline station is planned for downtown Stuart at 500 SE Flagler Avenue, near the Old Martin County Courthouse. Opening was originally projected for late 2026, then 2028 after a federal funding setback in 2025 (Verified fact, multiple Florida news sources, last reviewed May 2026). When operational, it will provide direct rail access to West Palm Beach (~40 minutes), Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando International Airport. This will materially change the airport-access calculus for Stuart, particularly for travel to MIA and MCO.

Public transit. Martin County Public Transit (MARTY) operates a basic fixed-route bus service, limited frequency. Stuart is functionally car-dependent for daily life.

10. City-specific traps

1. Buying a Hutchinson Island condo built before 2000 without reading the SB-4D milestone inspection report. Many of these buildings face potential special assessments of 30,000 to 100,000+ USD per unit for structural repairs and reserves. (Typical range, SB-4D-driven assessments are still rolling out.)

1. Underestimating the Florida insurance shock. A Canadian comparing a Stuart home insurance quote against their Canadian quote will routinely see Florida premiums two to four times higher. This is structural, not negotiable, and not temporary post-2022. Budget for 4,000 to 9,000 USD per year on a 500,000 USD SFH (Typical range).

1. Assuming the Brightline station is operational. The Stuart Brightline station is planned, funded by 2028 at the earliest, and not currently operational. Underwriting a property purchase on the assumption of immediate rail access is premature.

1. Buying in Sewall's Point assuming it is part of the City of Stuart. Sewall's Point is a separate municipality with its own zoning, taxes, and rules. Permits, utility setups, and code enforcement go through the Town of Sewall's Point, not the City of Stuart.

1. Assuming Stuart STR rules match Hollywood or Fort Lauderdale. Each Florida city is preempted from banning STR, but applies its own registration, zoning, and inspection rules. Stuart's rules are not identical to Hollywood's. Verify before underwriting.

1. Misreading flood zones. A property "near the water" in Stuart is not automatically in Zone VE or AE. Conversely, a property well inland in Stuart can still flood (inland flooding from storms, especially in low-lying areas around the St. Lucie River). Pull the FEMA Flood Map for the specific address before buying.

1. Buying a pre-2002 FBC home assuming it has the same wind resistance as new construction. Pre-2002 homes were built to looser wind and debris standards. Insurance, retrofit cost, and hurricane risk all reflect this. Many Stuart homes from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s fall into this category.

1. Overestimating Canadian community density. Quebecois snowbirds who want a daily Quebec experience find more of it in Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, or Pompano Beach. Stuart is anglophone-dominant.

11. Owner's toolkit

Permits and construction. City of Stuart Building Department issues permits for construction, renovation, roofing, and major mechanical work within city limits. Properties in unincorporated Martin County, Palm City, and Hutchinson Island file with Martin County Building Department. Typical residential permit approval timeline: 2 to 6 weeks (Typical range), longer for major work or any structural change in a flood zone.

Property taxes. Martin County Property Appraiser (https://www.pa.martin.fl.us) maintains property valuations, parcel records, and the official millage code tables. Martin County Tax Collector (https://martintaxcollector.com) issues the annual tax bill. Florida tax calendar: TRIM notice mailed in August, tax bill mailed November 1, payment due 31 March of the following year, with early-payment discounts of 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February.

Code enforcement. Stuart Code Enforcement handles violations within city limits. Reports can be filed via the City of Stuart's online portal or by phone.

Utilities. Water and sewer in the City of Stuart are operated by the City of Stuart Public Works. Electricity is supplied by Florida Power & Light (FPL). Garbage and recycling within city limits are managed via the City of Stuart's contracted hauler. Account setup typically requires proof of ownership or lease and a deposit.

Hurricane preparation. Martin County publishes its evacuation zone map (AB / CD / E) at https://www.martin.fl.us/EvacuationZones. Verify your address's zone before hurricane season. The county distributes sandbags ahead of named storms; locations are published on the Martin County Emergency Management page. Establish an evacuation plan that does not assume last-minute hotel availability inland.

Emergency numbers. 911 for fire, police, and emergency medical. Cleveland Clinic Martin North Emergency Department: 772-287-5200. Cleveland Clinic Martin South Emergency Department: 772-223-2300. Martin County Sheriff non-emergency: 772-220-7000.

12. Further reading

Companion guides on canadaflorida.com that apply to Stuart specifically:

• FIRPTA 15% withholding at sale: FIRPTA : 15 % withholding on US property sales by foreign persons
• Florida homestead exemption (and why Canadians cannot claim it): Florida Homestead exemption
• Save Our Homes 3% cap: Save Our Homes 3 % cap
• SB-4D milestone inspections and condo special assessments: SB-4D condo milestone inspections
• Choosing East coast vs West coast vs Central Florida: East vs West vs Central Florida : Florida's three zones for Canadians
• Canadian banking in Florida (RBC US, TD US, BMO US): [LIEN-BANKING-CHAPTER]
• Intangible tax and closing costs in Florida: [LIEN-INTANGIBLE]
• Cross-border tax mechanics on US rental income: [LIEN-RENTAL-TAX]

Editorial team. This guide was researched and written by the canadaflorida.com editorial team. We are not lawyers, tax advisors, real estate agents, or insurance brokers, and nothing in this guide constitutes professional advice. We publish reference material for Canadians considering Florida and we link directly to primary sources so readers can verify and act on their own.

Essential disclaimer. This article is published for educational purposes only. Rules, rates, statutes, and market conditions change. The figures and rules in this guide were verified as of the Last reviewed date in the article header. Before making any acquisition, sale, rental, or tax decision based on this content, consult a Florida-licensed real estate broker, a cross-border tax professional (CPA or accountant qualified in both Canadian and US tax), a Florida-licensed insurance broker, and where applicable a Florida real estate attorney. We disclaim liability for any decision made on the basis of this content.