Bradenton is a city in Florida, United States. It's the main city of Manatee County. In 2020, about 55,698 people lived here. Bradenton is part of a bigger area that includes North Port and Sarasota. The city's downtown area sits right next to the beautiful Manatee River. Here, you can find the Bradenton Riverwalk, a fun park along the river, and the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature.

Bradenton is located on the mainland of Florida. To its south is Sarasota. To the west, you'll find beach communities on Anna Maria Island. The Manatee River is to the north, with the city of Palmetto on the other side.

Bradenton's History

Early Settlements and First Residents

Before Bradenton became a city, a community called Angola existed here. It was a settlement of Maroons, or escaped slaves, from the late 1700s to 1821. This community was spread out from the Manatee River to Sarasota Bay. It's thought that 600 to 750 people lived there. Angola was a large settlement because the Manatee River was too shallow for US Navy ships. The community was left after the Creeks, who were allies of Andrew Jackson, attacked it.

In 1842, Josiah Gates and his family moved to the Bradenton area. He was attracted by its natural beauty. Gates built an inn called Gates House, thinking new settlers would need a place to stay. He is known as the first American settler in what is now Manatee County.

How Bradenton Got Its Name

Bradenton is named after Dr. Joseph Braden. His strong house nearby was a safe place for early settlers during the Seminole Wars. Dr. Braden owned a large sugar plantation in the area. He built a pier in downtown Bradenton to help ship the sugar. Where the pier met the land, he built a fort-like structure called Fort Braden. In 1856, during the Third Seminole War, Seminole Indians attacked Braden's fortified home.

Growth and Changes in the 1800s

In 1876, Major Alden Joseph Adams bought a large piece of land and built his home, Villa Zanza, in 1882. He was known for having many animals and plants. Adams had served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He also worked for the United States Secret Service and as a newspaper reporter.

William I. Turner bought land in 1877 and created what is now Bradenton. He sold lots and built a store and warehouse.

The town was first spelled "Braidentown" because of a mistake when it applied for a post office in 1878. In 1886, the first bridge across Wares Creek was built. Bradenton became the county seat in 1887. This happened after DeSoto County was formed from part of Manatee County. A county courthouse was built in 1890.

Bradenton in the 20th Century

Early 1900s Developments

In 1902, railroad service reached Bradenton. The city was officially formed on May 19, 1903. A.T Cornwell was elected as the first mayor. The city's name was changed to "Bradentown" shortly after, and the US Postal Service made it official in 1905. A streetcar line started in 1905, connecting Bradenton to nearby Manatee and Fogartyville, but it closed in 1906 due to low ridership. The Manavista Hotel opened in 1907 on Main Street, next to the Manatee River.

The Davis Bridge, the first bridge for general traffic across the Manatee River, opened in 1910. It was a wooden toll bridge. In 1912, the first road from Bradenton to Sarasota was built. A new county courthouse was built in 1913, replacing the old one which became a school for Black students. The Victory Bridge opened in 1919, connecting Bradenton to Palmetto. It was named after the United States' victory in World War I.

The Roaring Twenties and Beyond

Baseball spring training began in Bradenton in 1923 at Ninth Street Park. The St. Louis Cardinals were the first team to train here. In 1925, the city officially removed the "w" from "Bradentown," making it "Bradenton." All city streets were renamed with a numbering system in 1926.

After an economic downturn in the late 1920s and the start of the Great Depression, Bradenton faced financial challenges. The city had borrowed money for new projects. To help, the city reduced its boundaries. Despite these issues, new projects continued. A municipal pier was built in 1927. The Green Bridge was built in 1927 to replace the unsafe Victory Bridge. In 1931, there was a discussion about merging Bradenton, Manatee, and Palmetto, but it didn't happen. A new post office, built as a Works Progress Administration project, opened in 1937 and is still in use today.

World War II and City Growth

Bradenton was affected by World War II. Manatee County had a Civil Defense battalion, and a recreation center for soldiers opened in downtown Bradenton in 1942. About 350 soldiers were trained at Camp Weatherford, a training center for the US Army Signal Corps. Bradenton merged with the nearby city of Manatee in 1943.

Mayor A. Sterling Hall took office in 1948 and served for 20 years. During his time, the city changed a lot. He worked to improve housing for Black residents, paving streets and adding sewage and water services. In the 1960s, the Manatee River was dredged, creating new land. Mayor Hall also worked to peacefully end segregation in the city. Lunch counters were desegregated around 1960.

In 1970, Bradenton built a new city hall. In 1974, the 8-floor Hotel Dixie Grande, which opened in 1926, was taken down. The Green Bridge was replaced in 1986. The city hall moved to a new location in 1998.

Bradenton in the 21st Century

The old city hall building was taken down in 2004. The Bradenton Riverwalk, a 1.5-mile long park along the Manatee River, opened in October 2012. McKechnie Field, the spring training stadium for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was renamed LECOM Park in 2017.

Historic Places to Visit

Bradenton has many historic buildings and areas. Some of these include:

Bradenton Bank and Trust Company Building, built in 1925
Bradenton Carnegie Library
Braden Castle Park Historic District
Iron Block Building, built in 1896
Manatee County Courthouse, built in 1913
Old Manatee County Courthouse, built in 1860
Peninsular Telephone Company Building, built in 1925

Geography and Climate

Bradenton is located in Florida at about 27°29′N 82°35′W / 27.483°N 82.583°W / 27.483; -82.583. The city covers about 14.44 square miles (37.40 km2), with 12.11 square miles (31.36 km2) of land and 2.33 square miles (6.03 km2) of water.

The area around Bradenton has many waterways, both fresh and saltwater. Along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay are over 20 miles (32 km) of Florida beaches. Bradenton is on the mainland, separated from Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key by the Intracoastal Waterway.

Downtown Bradenton is in the northwest part of the city. It has many offices and government buildings. The tallest building is the Bradenton Financial Center, which is 12 stories high.

What is Bradenton's Weather Like?

Bradenton has a typical Central Florida humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and warm winters. It's almost a tropical climate, with only January having an average temperature below 64°F (18°C).

Climate data for Bradenton, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	91 (33)	88 (31)	91 (33)	94 (34)	100 (38)	100 (38)	100 (38)	101 (38)	98 (37)	96 (36)	91 (33)	89 (32)	101 (38)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	82.8 (28.2)	84.1 (28.9)	86.1 (30.1)	89.9 (32.2)	93.4 (34.1)	95.7 (35.4)	95.8 (35.4)	95.3 (35.2)	94.0 (34.4)	91.0 (32.8)	86.6 (30.3)	83.4 (28.6)	96.6 (35.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	72.0 (22.2)	75.0 (23.9)	78.4 (25.8)	83.0 (28.3)	88.2 (31.2)	91.1 (32.8)	92.0 (33.3)	91.8 (33.2)	90.0 (32.2)	85.2 (29.6)	78.6 (25.9)	74.0 (23.3)	83.3 (28.5)
Daily mean °F (°C)	62.1 (16.7)	64.9 (18.3)	68.4 (20.2)	73.0 (22.8)	78.4 (25.8)	82.4 (28.0)	83.6 (28.7)	83.7 (28.7)	82.1 (27.8)	76.7 (24.8)	69.3 (20.7)	64.5 (18.1)	74.1 (23.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	52.2 (11.2)	54.8 (12.7)	58.4 (14.7)	63.0 (17.2)	68.5 (20.3)	73.7 (23.2)	75.2 (24.0)	75.5 (24.2)	74.2 (23.4)	68.3 (20.2)	60.1 (15.6)	55.0 (12.8)	64.9 (18.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	34.3 (1.3)	38.0 (3.3)	42.8 (6.0)	49.5 (9.7)	58.8 (14.9)	68.4 (20.2)	70.1 (21.2)	71.4 (21.9)	67.7 (19.8)	54.9 (12.7)	44.9 (7.2)	38.5 (3.6)	32.8 (0.4)
Record low °F (°C)	23 (−5)	21 (−6)	30 (−1)	38 (3)	46 (8)	52 (11)	62 (17)	60 (16)	58 (14)	40 (4)	27 (−3)	20 (−7)	20 (−7)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.76 (70)	1.99 (51)	3.11 (79)	2.53 (64)	3.49 (89)	9.03 (229)	8.91 (226)	10.07 (256)	7.43 (189)	2.88 (73)	1.82 (46)	2.26 (57)	56.28 (1,430)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	7.5	5.7	5.7	5.6	6.9	14.0	17.2	18.1	14.1	7.5	5.1	6.2	113.6
Source: NOAA

Bradenton's Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	1,886	—
1920	3,868	105.1%
1930	5,986	54.8%
1940	7,444	24.4%
1950	13,604	82.8%
1960	19,380	42.5%
1970	21,040	8.6%
1980	30,228	43.7%
1990	43,779	44.8%
2000	49,504	13.1%
2010	49,546	0.1%
2020	55,698	12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Bradenton is a main city in the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan area. This larger area had a population of 833,716 people in 2020.

Population Changes Over Time

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Bradenton, based on the 2010 and 2020 census:

**Bradenton racial composition**
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	31,918	33,568	64.42%	60.27%
Black or African American (NH)	7,693	7,840	15.53%	14.08%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	84	110	0.17%	0.20%
Asian (NH)	523	773	1.06%	1.39%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	30	53	0.06%	0.10%
Some other race (NH)	85	242	0.17%	0.43%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	789	1,883	1.59%	3.38%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8,424	11,229	17.00%	20.16%
Total	49,546	55,698

In 2020, Bradenton had 55,698 people, with 22,350 households and 13,033 families. In 2010, there were 49,546 people, 21,120 households, and 12,341 families.

Bradenton's Economy

Tropicana Products, a famous juice company, started in Bradenton in 1947. It was founded by Anthony T. Rossi, an immigrant from Italy. By 2004, Tropicana had over 8,000 employees. PepsiCo bought Tropicana in 1998. Tropicana's special "Juice Trains" have been sending juice to northern markets since 1971. Even though PepsiCo moved Tropicana's main office to Chicago, the juice production facilities are still in Bradenton.

Champs Sports, a national sports clothing store, has its main office in Bradenton. The department store chain Bealls is also based here.

Bradenton's housing market faced challenges around 2008. However, it has been getting better since 2012.

Getting Around Bradenton

Bradenton water tower

Bradenton is served by the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. It is connected to St. Petersburg by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This bridge is about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long and rises 250 feet (76 m) above the bay. Parts of the old Skyway bridge are now used as a fishing pier.

Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) buses provide public transportation in Bradenton. They also serve nearby cities like Palmetto and Anna Maria. Free trolleys run on Anna Maria Island.

Media and News

Local Newspapers

The Bradenton Herald is the daily newspaper for Manatee County.
The Bradenton Times is an online-only newspaper for the area.
Bradenton Patch is another local online newspaper.
You can also find daily editions of the Sarasota Herald Tribune and the Tampa Bay Times in Bradenton.

Radio Stations

Bradenton is part of the Sarasota-Bradenton radio market. It also gets many stations from the nearby Tampa-St. Petersburg market.

Some radio stations located in or licensed to Bradenton or Manatee County include:

WWPR – 1490 AM
WBRD – 1420 AM
WJIS – 88.1 FM
WPBB – 98.7 FM
WHPT – 102.5 FM
WRUB – 106.5 FM

Television Stations

WSNN-LD is based in Sarasota but broadcasts from Manatee County. WWSB channel 40, the local ABC station, is based in Sarasota. WXPX-TV channel 66, an Ion Television station, is licensed in Bradenton.

Education in Bradenton

Manatee County Public Schools manages the public schools in the area. Some schools within the city limits include:

Manatee High School

The main campus of the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) is located near Bradenton. The State College of Florida Collegiate School also has a campus there.

Culture and Arts

Bradenton is home to the Washington Park neighborhood, a historic African American community. Lincoln Academy was located here.

Some of the restored homes in the Village of the Arts

The Village of the Arts is a special neighborhood just south of downtown. Here, artists can live and work in their homes. Many old houses have been turned into art studios, galleries, small restaurants, and shops. The Village of the Arts is the largest arts district on the Gulf Coast.

The Manatee Players perform at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. They have won many awards for their theater productions.

The South Florida Museum, Bishop Planetarium, and Parker Manatee Aquarium are located in downtown Bradenton. This place lets you explore Florida history, see a star show, and learn about marine life. The Parker Manatee Aquarium was home to Snooty, a famous manatee who was the oldest manatee in captivity. Snooty was born in 1948 and lived to be 69 years old. He sadly passed away in 2017.

ArtCenter Manatee is a hub for art and art education. It has three galleries, classrooms, a gift shop, and an art library. The nonprofit organization Realize Bradenton helps promote downtown Bradenton as a place for arts and culture.

The band We the Kings wrote a song called "This Is Our Town" about Bradenton. The band Have Gun, Will Travel is also from Bradenton.

Sports in Bradenton

Bradenton is the spring training home for Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their games at LECOM Park downtown. During the regular baseball season, the stadium is home to the Bradenton Marauders, a minor league team.

The State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota Manatees also have sports teams.

Manatee County high schools have strong sports programs. Manatee High School's football team has won five state championships. Bradenton is also home to the IMG Academy, a well-known sports training center.

The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton hosted the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship. Bradenton and Sarasota together hosted the 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup.

Fun Places to Visit

Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, where Snooty the manatee lived
Bradenton Riverwalk
De Soto National Memorial
Manatee Village Historical Park
Neal Preserve
Pittsburgh Pirates spring training at LECOM Park
Robinson Preserve
Village of the Arts

Famous People from Bradenton

Hank Aaron (1934–2021) – Baseball Hall of Famer
Freddy Adu (b. 1989) – Soccer player
Hugo Armando (b. 1978) – Tennis player
Sekou Bangoura (b. 1991) – Tennis player
Chase Brown (b. 2000) – NFL player
Sydney Brown (b. 2000) – NFL player
An Byeong-hun (b. 1991) – Golfer
Sandra Cacic (b. 1974) – Tennis player
Gene Clines (1946–2022) – MLB player
Kimberly Couts (b. 1989) – Tennis player
Jordan Cox (b. 1992) – Tennis player
Ed Culpepper (1934–2021) – NFL player
Tiffany Dabek (b. 1990) – Tennis player and coach
Taylor Dent (b. 1981) – Tennis player
Bill Doak (1891–1954) – MLB player
Eric DuBose (b. 1975) – MLB player
Brian Dunn (b. 1974) – Tennis player
Victoria Duval (b. 1995) – Tennis player
Tyler Dyson (b. 1997) – MLB player
Zach Edey (b. 2002) – NBA player
Graeme Edge (1941–2021) – Co-founder of The Moody Blues
Alfred Ellis (1941–2021) – Saxophonist and composer
Deshaun Fenwick (b. 1991) – NFL player
Tommie Frazier (b. 1974) – Football player and coach
Colton Gordon (b. 1998) – MLB player
Sammy Green (b. 1954) – NFL player
Rod Harper (b. 1985) – NFL player
Christian Harrison (b. 1994) – Tennis player
Jamea Jackson (b. 1986) – Tennis player
Helen Jepson (1904–1997) – Opera singer
Hank Johnson (1906–1982) – MLB player
Shang Juncheng (b. 2005) – Tennis player
Al Klink (1915–1991) – Saxophonist
Jessica Korda (b. 1993) – LPGA Tour golfer
Nelly Korda (b. 1998) – LPGA Tour golfer
Sebastian Korda (b. 2000) – Tennis player
Michaëlla Krajicek (b. 1989) – Tennis player
Rick Lamb (b. 1990) – PGA Tour golfer
JC Latham (b. 2003) – NFL player
Kelvin McKnight (b. 1997) – NFL player
Adrian McPherson (b. 1983) – NFL player
Ahmad Miller (b. 1978) – NFL player
Shintaro Mochizuki (b. 2003) – Tennis player
Johnny Moore (1902–1991) – MLB player
Jamie Moyer (b. 1962) – MLB player
Naoki Nakagawa (b. 1996) – Tennis player
Sharrod Neasman (b. 1991) – NFL player
Ingrid Neel (b. 1998) – Tennis player
Ryan Neuzil (b. 1997) – NFL player
Whitney Osuigwe (b. 2002) – Tennis player
Brian Poole (b. 1992) – NFL player
Maria Sharapova (b. 1987) – Tennis player
Satnam Singh (b. 1995) – NBA player and wrestler
Myles Straw (b. 1994) – MLB player
Sunitha Rao (b. 1985) – Tennis player
John Reeves (b. 1975) – NFL player
Austin Reiter (b. 1991) – NFL player
Patrik Rikl (b. 1999) – Tennis player
Anthony Rossi (1900–1993) – Founder of Tropicana
Clifford Rozier (1972–2018) – NBA player
Ace Sanders (b. 1991) – NFL player
Robby Stevenson (b. 1976) – NFL player
Willie Taggart (b. 1976) – Football player and coach
Sarah Taylor (b. 1981) – Tennis player
Charles Trippy (b. 1984) – Bassist for We the Kings and YouTuber
Peter Warrick (b. 1997) – NFL player
Fabian Washington (b. 1983) – NFL player
Benny Williams (b. 2002) – College basketball player
Todd Williams (b. 1978) – NFL player
Tyrone Williams (b. 1973) – NFL player
Sam Woolf (b. 1996) – Singer-songwriter

Bradenton, Florida facts for kids

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