Sarasota County, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarasota County
U.S. county
Images, from top down, left to right: Downtown Sarasota skyline; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Sarasota's Bayfront; Sunset at Siesta Beach; Sarasota County Courthouse; Beachfront on Venice Beach; Front walkway of Ca' d'Zan
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Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	May 14, 1921
Seat	Sarasota
Largest city	North Port
Area
• Total	725 sq mi (1,880 km2)
• Land	556 sq mi (1,440 km2)
• Water	169 sq mi (440 km2)  23.4%
Population
• Estimate  (2023)	469,013
• Density	781/sq mi (302/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	34223, 34229–34278, 34284–34289, 34292-34293, 34295
Area code	941
Congressional district	17th

Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. It is known for its beautiful beaches and many natural areas. In 2020, about 434,006 people lived here. The main government center, called the county seat, is in Sarasota. The biggest city in the county is North Port. Sarasota County is part of a larger group of cities called the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, FL metropolitan statistical area.

The county has barrier islands with lovely beaches and beach towns. It is also home to several colleges, a large library system, and many parks and nature preserves. In 2024, the county experienced hurricanes Helene and Milton. Long ago, native people lived in this area. There was also a settlement called Angola in the nearby Bradenton area, where runaway enslaved people found freedom. A famous landowner named Bertha Palmer once owned a lot of land here, including what is now Palmer Ranch.

Discover Sarasota County's Past

Downtown Sarasota, the county seat, seen from the John Ringling Causeway

People have lived in the area now known as Sarasota County for about 10,000 years. Scientists found signs of early humans and an old burned log at Warm Mineral Springs in North Port. These findings date back to a very old time called the Archaic period.

The name "Sarasota" has been used for a long time, but no one knows exactly where it came from. In the early 1900s, a fun story was made up for a local event. It said the town was named after Sara, the daughter of the famous explorer Hernando de Soto. However, this is just a story. An old map from 1763 shows the name "Zarazote" in the area where Sarasota is today.

After explorers visited, the area had fishing camps called ranchos. In 1842, a law called the Armed Occupation Act was passed. This law gave land to settlers who agreed to farm in Florida. This brought more people to Sarasota but also led to the Second Seminole War, a conflict with Native Americans. During this war, the U.S. army built a fort called Fort Armistead in the area.

Sarasota County was officially created in 1921. It was formed from the southern part of Manatee County. Before that, this land was part of several other counties as Florida grew. These included St. Johns County (1821), Alachua County (1824), Hillsborough County (1834), and Manatee County (1855). New counties were made as more people moved into different parts of Florida.

Exploring Sarasota County's Geography

A great egret in Myakka River State Park

A black-necked stilt in Myakka River State Park

Sarasota County covers about 725 square miles. About 556 square miles of this is land, and 169 square miles (23.4%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Sarasota County shares borders with these counties:

• Manatee County – to the north
• DeSoto County – to the east
• Charlotte County – to the south

Parks and Nature Preserves

Besides local parks, Sarasota County has many special nature areas. These preserves help protect Florida's natural beauty and wildlife. Some of these include:

Sarasota County's Climate

Sarasota County has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and warm, drier winters. In summer, the high temperatures and humidity often make it feel hotter than 100 °F (38 °C). The county has two main seasons: a rainy season from March to November and a dry season from December to February.

Getting Around Sarasota County

Airports

• Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport: This airport serves both Sarasota and Bradenton.
• Venice Municipal Airport: A smaller airport in Venice for general aviation.
• Hidden River Airport: A private airport in the eastern part of the county.
• Buchan Airport: Located in Englewood.

Main Roads and Highways

Sarasota County has several important roads that help people travel.

• Interstate 75: This is a major highway that runs north and south. It connects Sarasota County to other big cities like Tampa, Florida and Fort Myers, Florida.
• U.S. Highway 41: Also known as the Tamiami Trail, this road runs north and south through the county. It was built in the 1920s to link Tampa with Miami.
• U.S. Highway 301: This highway starts in Sarasota and also runs north and south.
• State Road 72: Known as Stickney Point Road and Clark Road.
• State Road 681: Called the Venice Connector.
• State Road 758: Includes Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Drive, and Bee Ridge Road.
• State Road 776: Known as Englewood Road/North Indiana Avenue.
• State Road 777: River Road.
• State Road 789: Crosses the Ringling Bridge to St. Armands Key and Longboat Key, Florida.
• State Road 780: Fruitville Road.

Public Transportation

• Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT): This is the public bus system for Sarasota County. SCAT runs many bus routes and also offers a special service for people who need extra help getting around.

People of Sarasota County

In 2020, there were 434,006 people living in Sarasota County.

• About 3.5% of the population was under 5 years old.
• About 14.0% was under 18 years old.
• About 37.4% was 65 years or older.
• More than half (52.4%) of the population was female.

The average income for a household was $64,644. About 8.7% of the people lived below the poverty line. Most adults (93.2%) had finished high school, and many (36.4%) had a college degree or higher.

Economy and Jobs

Sarasota County has many businesses that provide jobs. Here are some of the top employers:

Top Private Employers

As of 2018, some of the largest private employers were:

• Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
• PGT Innovations
• Publix (a grocery store chain)
• Venice Regional Medical Center
• Sun Hydraulics
• Tervis Tumbler

Top Public and Private Employers

When including government jobs, the top employers in 2018 were:

• School Board of Sarasota County
• Sarasota Memorial Hospital
• Sarasota County Government
• Publix Supermarkets
• PGT Industries

Sports and Fun Activities

Sarasota County is a great place for sports and recreation!

• Ed Smith Stadium: This is where the Baltimore Orioles baseball team has their spring training.
• CoolToday Park: The Atlanta Braves baseball team also has their spring training here in North Port. It opened in 2019.
• Sarasota Paradise: This is a local soccer team that started in 2023. They play in USL League Two. In 2024, they won a division championship!
• Nathan Benderson Park: This amazing park is a world-class sports venue. It has hosted many big rowing events, including the World Rowing Championships. It also holds Olympic qualifying events for sports like triathlon. Besides sports, the park hosts fun community events like fireworks shows and trick-or-treating.

Learning and Libraries

Schools and Colleges

• Sarasota County Public Schools: This is the public school district for all students from kindergarten to 12th grade in Sarasota County.

• Higher Education (Colleges and Universities):
  • New College of Florida: A public college known for its liberal arts programs.
  • Ringling College of Art and Design: A private college focused on art and design.
  • State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota: Has a campus in South Venice.
  • University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee: A branch campus of USF.
  • Florida State University College of Medicine: A branch campus for medical students.

Museums and Libraries

Sarasota County has a great public library system with many branches.

• Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Public Library
• Elsie Quirk Public Library
• Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library
• Fruitville Public Library
• Gulf Gate Public Library
• Jacaranda Library
• North Port Public Library
• Osprey Public Library at the Historic Spanish Point
• Selby Public Library
• Shannon Staub Library
• William H. Jervey, Jr. Venice Public Library

If you live in Sarasota County, you can get a free library card. This card works at all ten county libraries. People from nearby Manatee and Charlotte counties can also use the libraries. The libraries offer books, movies, and other materials for all ages. They also have public computers and free Wi-Fi. You can even borrow digital books and music through apps like cloudLibrary, Hoopla, and Freegal Music.

The Selby Public Library is special because it receives many government publications. The Sarasota County Library System is also a member of the Florida Library Association. In 2014, the county started the Little Free Library program. These small, free book-sharing boxes are placed in various county parks and recreation centers.

Library History

The very first library in Sarasota was started in 1907 by the Sarasota Town Improvement Society. Over time, more libraries were built as the community grew. Early libraries were run independently. Later, Joan Hopkins helped organize and expand library services for the fast-growing population. She helped create several new libraries, including Gulf Gate, North Port, and the new downtown Sarasota library.

Local News and Media

Newspapers

• North Port Sun
• Sarasota Herald Tribune: A major newspaper for Sarasota County and nearby areas.
• Scene Magazine: Covers civic, business, and social news.
• Observer Media Group newspapers: Includes East County Observer, Longboat Observer, Sarasota Observer, and Siesta Key Observer.
• The Sarasota News Leader: An online weekly news source.
• Venice Gondolier Sun
• Bradenton magazine
• SRQ magazine
• Sarasota Scene magazine

Television

Sarasota County is part of the larger Tampa/St. Petersburg/Sarasota TV market. However, some TV stations have offices or studios right in Sarasota County:

• WWSB: A local ABC channel based in Sarasota.
• WSNN-LD: A local twenty-four-hour news station based in Sarasota.
• There are also government and local access channels like Access 19 and the Education Channel.

Other TV stations that serve Sarasota County but are located in Saint Petersburg or Tampa include:

• WTVT: The local Fox channel.
• WFLA: The local NBC channel.
• WTSP: The local CBS channel.
• WFTS: Another ABC channel.

Radio

• WCTQ – (92.1 and 103.1 Country music)
• WSLR-LP – (96.5 Community Radio)
• WSDV - (103.9 Top-40 music)

Communities in Sarasota County

Cities

• North Port
• Sarasota
• Venice

Town

• Longboat Key (part of this town is in Sarasota County)

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities.

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or CDP.

• Manasota
• Wellen Park
• Woodmere

See Also

In Spanish: Condado de Sarasota para niños