Martensville, Saskatchewan: History, Things to Do and Travel Guide
Martensville is a fast-growing city just north of Saskatoon, with a commuter-town origin, strong recreation facilities, and easy access to both urban services and prairie roads. Travellers usually come for family, sports, work, or Saskatoon-area events, but the city has a clear local story of its own.
How Martensville Started
Martensville began in 1939 when Isaac and Dave Martens bought land north of Saskatoon and subdivided it for people who wanted rural living close to the city. The first lots were small acreages, and the early community grew as families built homes while still depending on Saskatoon for many jobs and services.
The place developed differently from many older Saskatchewan towns. It was not founded as a railway market town or a single-industry settlement. Its growth came from proximity: enough distance from Saskatoon for a quieter residential setting, but close enough for daily travel to the city.
By the 1960s, Martensville had become a defined community with local government, school activity, recreation, and commercial services. It became a village in 1966, a town in 1969, and a city in 2009. Those status changes help explain the pace of growth visitors see today, where newer subdivisions, sports fields, and community buildings sit beside a much younger civic history than older railway towns nearby.
The Martens family name remains part of the city’s identity, but the broader story is about how metropolitan Saskatchewan expanded after the Second World War. Martensville grew because people wanted space, local facilities, and a short road connection to Saskatoon.
What Martensville Is Like Today
Martensville had a 2021 Census population of 10,549 and was one of Saskatchewan’s fastest-growing cities. It has schools, sports fields, parks, retail areas, restaurants, recreation facilities, and residential neighbourhoods that continue to expand.
For travellers, Martensville is useful because it has Saskatoon-area convenience without being inside the city. It works well for youth tournaments, family visits, work trips, and people who want services north of Saskatoon. It is also practical for travellers driving between Saskatoon and communities along Highway 12.
The city’s public life is strongly recreation-focused. Facilities include the Martensville Recreation Centre, Martensville Athletic Pavilion, Martensville Sports Centre, Aquatic Centre, parks, pathways, and ball diamonds. These are not background details for visitors. They are often the reason people come, especially for hockey, ball, swimming, fitness, school sports, and weekend tournaments.
Martensville’s built form feels suburban and practical. Visitors should expect residential streets, service corridors, schools, recreation grounds and local businesses, with less emphasis on a heritage main-street district. That matters for planning: the city rewards people who arrive with a purpose, a schedule or family connections.
The city also gives a useful view of how the Saskatoon region is changing. Martensville, Warman, and other nearby communities show the growth of commuter towns, regional recreation networks, and family-oriented suburbs on the prairie edge.
Things to Do and Places Nearby
Use Martensville for recreation first. Check local schedules for ice time, field bookings, tournaments, swimming, fitness, and community events. If you are visiting for sport, confirm the exact venue because fields, rinks, and recreation spaces are spread across the city.
Families can use parks, pathways, playgrounds and the Aquatic Centre in warmer months. The city is especially practical for visitors travelling with children because stops can be planned around playgrounds, meals, short drives and recreation schedules.
Martensville also works as a base for Saskatoon-area trips. Wanuskewin, Saskatoon attractions, Warman, and rural roads north of the city are all reachable by car. The best approach is to treat Martensville as a comfortable service base, then choose day plans based on weather, event schedules, and the age of your group.
Travellers interested in local growth can also spend time simply reading the landscape. The contrast between small-acreage origins, newer subdivisions, and busy recreation facilities says a lot about how the city developed. It is a young city by Saskatchewan standards, and that youth is part of its identity.
For a short self-guided visit, focus on the recreation precincts, newer residential areas, and the road connection back toward Saskatoon. Those three pieces tell the clearest story.
Quick Facts
- Province: Saskatchewan
- Region: West Central Saskatchewan
- Population: 10,549 in the 2021 Census
- Municipal status: City
- Main routes: Highway 12 and Saskatoon-area roads
- Traveller focus: recreation facilities, family visits, sports tournaments, Saskatoon-area services
Travel Notes
Martensville is easiest to visit by car. Traffic can be busy during Saskatoon commuter periods and tournament weekends. Book accommodations early for major sports events, and check city facility schedules before assuming public access.
If you are using Martensville as a Saskatoon-area base, compare drive times before booking. A location that is convenient for northern Saskatoon or Highway 12 may be less convenient for attractions on the south or east side of the city.