La Monte County, Montverde

Government

Area

Population

**La Monte County** is a county located in the Province of Montverde. As of the July census, the population was 154,473. Its county seat is Rio Santo, which is also the capital of Montverde. It is the second most populous county, after St. Matthew's.

La Monte County is included in the St. Matthew's Metropolitan Area.

## History

La Monte County was founded by Steam User Trxppy, however the original map was created as "Roanoke" by Steam User **Bart.**

## Geography

According to the Union Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 148 square miles, of which 101.4 square miles is land and 47.6 square miles (32.1%) is water. The county is bounded by water on the two sides; The Baroda Ocean to the east and the Queen Mary Bay to the west.

### **National protected areas**

* Queen Mary Bay (restricted development and commerical fishing)
* Rockland National Forest
* Wentworth Hill National Park

### **Adjacent Counties**

* Concorde County (North)

* Hurst County (Southwest)
* St. Matthew's County (West)

## Demographics

La Monte County has the second highest land value of any county in the Cities Union, with an average land value of $117,000 per square mile.

## Government

### **County Government**

La Monte County is governed by five county commissioners, a "commission" being the traditional form of county government in Montverde.

Each commissioner is responsible for a different district depending on where they are assigned.

### **State Government**

Because Rio Santo is the provincial capital of Montverde, almost all provincial government departments and agencies are located in the county.

## Economy

### **Principal employers**

The following five employers were the principal employers in the county in July 2016 (including public institutions of higher education).

 2
 3
 4
 5

### **Tourism**

The county is one of two counties located on the coast of Montverde. Because of this, many tourists visit the beaches of Rio Santo, Eastwood Beach and Palos Heights during the summer, drawing thousands of tourists to the area. In addition, many residents of St. Matthew's and other cities in the valley will visit the beaches during the weekend which further crowd the beaches.

### **Port**

The Port of Rio Santo handles more industrial and commercial traffic than any other port in the Cities Union and handles almost all the industrial cargo that is shipped to Montverde.

## Education

The La Monte Public School system is the second largest school district in the state of Montverde. LMCPS operates the La Monte Community College, which has several campuses spread through the county.

Isaac Newton University, a small private college, is located in Rio Santo.

### **Major Highways**

* Interstate 21; bisects Rio Santo and runs through most of the beach cities in the southeastern corner of the county.
* Route 1 (Baroda Coast Highway)

### **Mass Transit**

The La Monte Department of Transportation (LMDOT) provides bus service with twenty-three routes, collectively branded Rio Santo Transit. The system serves mostly the Rio Santo area with recreational areas, shopping centers, educational and medical facilities, and employment hubs. SMTA commuter buses also transport passengers to St. Matthew's. Rural parts of the county don't have bus service.

The county has six rail stations within its boundaries, three of which are passenger terminals. The remaining three are used as cargo terminals and are located in the industrial districts of Rio Santo.

### **Airport**

Franklin D. Roosevelt Municipal Airport serves Rio Santo and the surrounding area. The airport is located in the southeastern corner of the city, and does not handle international flights; the closest international airport is St. Matthew's International Airport (SMX) in St. Matthew's.

## Communities

### **Cities**

* Rio Santo *(county seat)*
* Palos Heights

### **Towns**

* Eastwood Beach
* East Glade Park
* Glade Park