The first recorded reference to Martin in written sources is dated to 1284 under the name of Vila Sancti Martini.

In the turbulent 15th century, Martin suffered from many disasters, for example from the attack of the Hussites in 1433, when the town was burned down.

Just ten years later, it was destroyed again by an earthquake and Martin started to be slowly degraded from royal to the privileged town and under direct influence of the Révay family.

Most political activities leading to the Slovak national emancipation in the 19th and early 20th centuries were organized in or from Martin.

[4] Martin lies at an altitude of 395 metres (1,296 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 67.74 square kilometres (26.2 sq mi).

Martin has 10 boroughs: Jahodníky, Ľadoveň, Stred, Sever, Košúty, Podháj, Stráne, Priekopa, Tomčany and Záturčie.

Martin lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climate with four distinct seasons.

[9] The oldest building is a Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours (13th century).

The Danish shoe company ECCO is located near the Kosuty II borough in an industrial park.

The university hospital employs approximately two thousand personnel: doctors, nurses and other staff.

[10] Many inhabitants work in nearby town Žilina, that is an important industrial center and major city of region.

Public transport is not only in Martin itself, but it also extends to the surrounding town of Vrútky and to three villages (Bystrička, Lipovec, Turčianske Kľačany).