Sarasota County, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarasota County
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      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
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 Florida's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| 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)
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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
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| Area code | 941 | ||
| Congressional district | 17th | ||
Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006. Its county seat is Sarasota and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, FL metropolitan statistical area.
Contents
History
The area that is now known as Sarasota County has been inhabited by humans for some 10,000 years. Evidence of human remains as well as a burned out log at the Warm Mineral Springs, in North Port, were discovered that date to the early Archaic period.
Although the name was associated with the area from the beginning of European contacts, the origin of the name "Sarasota" is unknown. In the early twentieth-century, a fanciful story was created to go hand-in-hand with a pageant held in Sarasota. The story held that the town was named after the daughter of famous explorer Hernando de Soto's daughter Sara.
An early map of the area from 1763 shows the word "Zarazote" across present day Sarasota.
Following exploration, the area was occupied by fishing camps, called ranchos. In 1842, the Armed Occupation Act was passed, which deeded land to settlers who were willing to cultivate land in Florida. The act brought settlers to Sarasota but also led to the Second Seminole War. During the war, the area was occupied by the U.S. army and Fort Armistead was built.
Sarasota County was created in 1921 from the southern part of Manatee County. After acquisition by the United States as a territory, the area now included in Sarasota county had been part of St. Johns County (1821), Alachua County (1824), Hillsborough County (1834), and Manatee County (1855) as new counties were created from older counties to accommodate population growth and settlement in new areas.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 725 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 556 square miles (1,440 km2) is land and 169 square miles (440 km2) (23.4%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Manatee County – north
- DeSoto County – east
- Charlotte County – south
Parks and preserves
In addition to local parks there are several preserve areas including:
- Bayonne Parcel
- Circus Hammock
- Curry Creek Preserve
- Deer Prairie Creek
- Jelks Preserve
- Lemon Bay Preserve
- Legacy Trail
- Manasota Scrub Preserve
- Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park
- Myakka Islands Point
- Old Miakka Preserve
- Pinelands Reserve
- Pocono Trail Preserve
- Red Bug Slough
- Sleeping Turtles South
- Sleeping Turtles North
- South Lemon Bay Preserve
- T. Mabry Carlton Reserve
Climate
Sarasota County has a humid subtropical climate, bordering on a tropical savanna climate, with hot, humid summers and warm, drier winters. The high temperatures and high humidity in the summer regularly push the heat index over 100 °F (38 °C). There are distinct rainy and dry seasons, with the rainy season lasting from March to November and the dry season from December to February.
| Climate data for Sarasota, Florida (Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport), 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) |
90 (32) |
91 (33) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
101 (38) |
98 (37) |
99 (37) |
92 (33) |
90 (32) |
101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 82.6 (28.1) |
83.6 (28.7) |
86.1 (30.1) |
89.7 (32.1) |
93.4 (34.1) |
94.9 (34.9) |
95.2 (35.1) |
95.3 (35.2) |
94.0 (34.4) |
91.3 (32.9) |
87.2 (30.7) |
83.6 (28.7) |
96.6 (35.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 72.5 (22.5) |
74.9 (23.8) |
78.2 (25.7) |
82.5 (28.1) |
87.5 (30.8) |
90.0 (32.2) |
91.1 (32.8) |
91.5 (33.1) |
90.2 (32.3) |
86.3 (30.2) |
80.0 (26.7) |
75.2 (24.0) |
83.3 (28.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 62.4 (16.9) |
64.8 (18.2) |
68.1 (20.1) |
72.6 (22.6) |
77.8 (25.4) |
81.8 (27.7) |
83.1 (28.4) |
83.4 (28.6) |
82.2 (27.9) |
77.3 (25.2) |
70.1 (21.2) |
65.2 (18.4) |
74.1 (23.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 52.3 (11.3) |
54.6 (12.6) |
58.1 (14.5) |
62.7 (17.1) |
68.2 (20.1) |
73.6 (23.1) |
75.2 (24.0) |
75.3 (24.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
68.3 (20.2) |
60.1 (15.6) |
55.2 (12.9) |
64.8 (18.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) |
37.5 (3.1) |
42.5 (5.8) |
49.2 (9.6) |
58.6 (14.8) |
68.3 (20.2) |
70.3 (21.3) |
71.7 (22.1) |
68.1 (20.1) |
55.3 (12.9) |
44.9 (7.2) |
38.9 (3.8) |
32.3 (0.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 23 (−5) |
21 (−6) |
30 (−1) |
37 (3) |
45 (7) |
52 (11) |
62 (17) |
60 (16) |
58 (14) |
40 (4) |
27 (−3) |
20 (−7) |
20 (−7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.79 (71) |
1.92 (49) |
2.85 (72) |
2.46 (62) |
2.58 (66) |
7.05 (179) |
7.39 (188) |
9.11 (231) |
6.00 (152) |
2.76 (70) |
1.81 (46) |
2.33 (59) |
49.05 (1,246) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.5 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 5.1 | 6.0 | 12.8 | 15.6 | 17.5 | 13.7 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 7.6 | 112.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Transportation
Airports
- Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, in Manatee County (runway), Sarasota County (terminal), and Sarasota.
- Venice Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport in Venice.
- Hidden River Airport, a private airport in the eastern part of the county.
- Buchan Airport, in Englewood.
Major highways and state roads
Interstate 75 – north–south limited-access freeway, and has ten interchanges within Sarasota County. A major north–south highway in Sarasota County. It is a high-speed connection with other cities such as Tampa, Florida and Fort Myers, Florida. In Venice, Interstate 75 turns east, passing through North Port, before again turning south to cross Charlotte Harbor.
U.S. Highway 41 – The main north–south road through the county is known as Tamiami Trail. It was created in the 1920s to connect Tampa with Miami, hence the contracted name.
U.S. Highway 301 – This highway begins in the city of Sarasota with an intersection at US-41 just south of Downtown Sarasota, and runs north–south through the county.
State Road 72 – Stickney Point Road and Clark Road
State Road 681 – Venice Connector, this road was formerly the southern terminus of Interstate 75 in the early 1980s
State Road 758 – Midnight Pass Road, Higel Avenue, Siesta Drive, South Osprey Avenue, Bee Ridge Road
State Road 776 – Englewood Road/North Indiana Avenue
State Road 777 – River Road from US-41 to I-75
State Road 789 – Begins at an intersection with US-41 at the Sarasota Bayfront, going west across the Ringling Bridge, connecting to St. Armands Key, before turning north and becoming Gulf of Mexico Drive on Longboat Key, Florida
State Road 780 – Fruitville Road
Public transportation
- Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) provides public transportation for Sarasota County, Florida. SCAT is operated by Sarasota County. It maintains 19 fixed-line bus routes plus a dial-a-ride paratransit service (SCAT Plus).
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 12,440 | — | |
| 1940 | 16,106 | 29.5% | |
| 1950 | 28,827 | 79.0% | |
| 1960 | 76,895 | 166.7% | |
| 1970 | 120,413 | 56.6% | |
| 1980 | 202,251 | 68.0% | |
| 1990 | 277,776 | 37.3% | |
| 2000 | 325,957 | 17.3% | |
| 2010 | 379,448 | 16.4% | |
| 2020 | 434,006 | 14.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 469,013 | 23.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010-2020 |
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| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 321,978 | 349,700 | 84.85% | 80.57% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 17,036 | 16,165 | 4.49% | 3.72% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 667 | 695 | 0.18% | 0.16% |
| Asian (NH) | 4,818 | 8,407 | 1.27% | 1.94% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 102 | 168 | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 545 | 1,902 | 0.14% | 0.44% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 4,269 | 13,733 | 1.13% | 3.16% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30,033 | 43,236 | 7.91% | 9.96% |
| Total | 379,448 | 434,006 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 434,006 people, 189,228 households, and 117,532 families residing in the county. 3.5% of that population was under the age of 5 years old, 14.0% was under 18 years old, and 37.4% was 65 years or older. 52.4% was female.
The median household income was $64,644 with a per capita income of $44,402. 8.7% of population below the poverty threshold. The median value of owner-occupied housing-units between 2016 and 2020 was $269,300 and the median gross rent was $1,342.
There were 41,215 veterans living in the county. 12.2% of the population was foreign born. 93.2% of the population that was 25 years or older had completed a high school education, and 36.4% of those 25 years or older had a bachelor's degree or higher.
As of 2020[update], according to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the percentage of religious affiliations in Sarasota County were:
| Religion or denomination |
Percentage of adherents |
|---|---|
| Catholic | 27.1% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 18% |
| Mainline Protestant | 5.3% |
| Other | 1.6% |
| Judaism | 1.1% |
| Black Protestant | 0.7% |
| Buddhism | 0.2% |
| Hinduism | 0.2% |
| Orthodox | 0.2% |
| Islam | 0.1% |
Economy
Top private employers
As of January 2018[update], the top private employers for Sarasota County are as follows:
- Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (4,563)
- PGT Innovations (2,000)
- Publix (1,733)
- Venice Regional Medical Center (812)
- Sun Hydraulics (632)
- Tervis Tumbler (570)
- Shared Services Center Sarasota (455)
- FCCI Insurance (426)
- Doctors Hospital (415)
- Jackson Hewitt, Inc. (337)
Top public and private employers
As of October 2018[update], the top employees for Sarasota County, including public sector jobs, are as follows:
- School Board of Sarasota County (4,563)
- Sarasota Memorial Hospital (4,244)
- Sarasota County Government (3,533)
- Publix Supermarkets (2,793)
- PGT Industries (2,079)
Sports and recreation
Sarasota County is home to Ed Smith Stadium, where the Baltimore Orioles currently have spring training. The Orioles also have minor league facilities at Twin Lakes Park. In January 2017, the Braves announced a formal agreement to move their Spring Training home to North Port. CoolToday Park opened on March 24, 2019.
Sarasota County is also home to Nathan Benderson Park. The facility has played host to the 2017 World Rowing Championships and subsequent World Rowing events in 2018 and 2019. It has also been the host of the 2016 Olympic Time Trials - Rowing and will host the delayed 2020 Olympic rowing time trials. NBP has also been the site of multiple NCAA national rowing championship regattas, the USRowing Youth National Championships, and other rowing regattas and dragon boat festivals since 2011. The park will host the 2021 U.S. Dragon Boat Federation National Championships and the 2022 International Dragon Boat Federation Club Crew World Championships, after holding the 2014 International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission world regatta.
Nathan Benderson Park is also the site of Olympic qualifying events in triathlon and paratriathlon, with several ITU Triathlon World Cup and Americas Triathlon Cup events over the years. Numerous community running and walking events, music and food festivals and other community events are held in the park, including the annual NBP Fireworks On The Lake, held every July 3, and NBP Trick Or Treat On The Lake, held the last week of October.
Education
Primary and secondary education
- Sarasota County Public Schools – public K–12 School district serving all of Sarasota County
Higher education
- New College of Florida – public liberal arts college. Honors college of the state of Florida
- Ringling College of Art and Design – private, 4-year, not-for-profit, fully accredited college with concentrations in art and design
- State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota – South Venice Campus of SCF
- University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee – branch campus of USF
- Florida State University College of Medicine – branch campus for 3rd/4th Year Medical Students and PA Students in Clinical Years
Museums and libraries
Library 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
- North Port Public Library
- The Osprey Public Library at the Historic Spanish Point
- Selby Public Library
- Shannon Staub Library
- William H. Jervey, Jr. Venice Public Library
Sarasota County residents may obtain library cards for free and valid library cards may be used to check out materials at all ten Sarasota County libraries. Manatee and Charlotte County residents, as well as library users from any of the Tampa Bay Library Consortium libraries may register as reciprocal borrowers and check out materials in Sarasota County. Non-resident cards are available for purchase and offer the same privileges as resident cards.
The library system provides a variety of services which include adult, teen and children's materials. Computers for public use are available at all ten Sarasota County Libraries and free wireless access in the libraries is provided by the Sarasota County Government. The library system has licensing to the cloudLibrary, Hoopla and Freegal Music. On April 27, 2022, Sarasota County Libraries migrated all digital content to from Overdrive to cloudLibrary to provide a fuller, more streamlined digital collection and discontinued using Overdrive. Ask a Librarian, the on-line Florida librarian reference system is available through the Sarasota County Public Library System. Sarasota County residents have access to the Pinellas Talking Book Library as well as a Books-by-Mail service. The Selby Public Library has been a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program and receives almost 50% of the government publications distributed through the program. Additionally, the Sarasota County Library System is an organization member of the Florida Library Association.
The Little Free Library program was introduced to Sarasota County in 2014 as the result of a collaborative effort between the Libraries and Historical Resources department, the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department and the UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension and Sustainability department. The Sarasota County Little Free Libraries have been placed at thirteen different county parks and recreation centers.
History
The first library, which was established in 1907 by the Sarasota Town Improvement Society. County libraries have been established in response to community demands and needs.
The first libraries were autonomous with the Head Librarians reporting directly to the County Administrator. Sarasota Public Library was managed by Betty Service, the Englewood library by Harriet Ives, and Venice by Jean McGuire. Joan Hopkins directed and coordinated library services for the rapidly growing population. She directed the establishment of Gulf Gate Public Library, North Port Public Library, Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library and the new downtown Sarasota library, and laid the groundwork for building future libraries in the county.
In November 2023, the Sarasota County Board of Commissioners voted to cease the Sarasota County library system's membership with the American Library Association and the Florida Library Association, referencing concern over Marxist influences and that the associations' were "acting like political action committees."
Local media
Newspapers
- North Port Sun – an edition of the Charlotte Sun newspapers
- Sarasota Herald Tribune – primarily serves Sarasota County for news, but also serves Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. Circulation is 110,817 daily and 132,185 on Sunday (2005 averages) Also operates an online news portal, HeraldTribune.com
- Scene Magazine, a civic, business and social publication serving Sarasota and Manatee counties.
- Observer Media Group newspapers: East County Observer, Longboat Observer, Sarasota Observer, Siesta Key Observer
- The Sarasota News Leader – online weekly news
- Venice Gondolier Sun
Television
Sarasota County is part of the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Sarasota DMA, however the following stations have facilities located in the county:
- WWSB – a local ABC affiliate based in Sarasota, which serves as the primary ABC affiliate for Sarasota County and a Secondary ABC affiliate for the rest of the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Sarasota DMA
- WSNN-LD – local twenty-four-hour news station based in Sarasota
- Various government and local access channels. Access 19 (Local Government channel), Education Channel (School Board) and BLAB TV (local programming)
Television stations serving all or part of Sarasota County but located in Saint Petersburg or Tampa include:
- WTVT - the local Fox affiliate based in Tampa
- WFLA - the local NBC affiliate based in Tampa
- WTSP - the local CBS affiliate based in St. Petersburg
- WFTS - the primary ABC affiliate for the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Sarasota DMA, based in St. Petersburg
Radio
- WCTQ – (92.1 and 103.1 Country)
- WSLR-LP – (96.5 Community Radio)
- WSDV - (103.9 Top-40)
Communities
Cities
Town
Census-designated places
- Bee Ridge
- Desoto Acres
- Desoto Lakes
- Fruitville
- Gulf Gate Estates
- Kensington Park
- Lake Sarasota
- Lakewood Ranch (part)
- Laurel
- Nokomis
- North Sarasota
- Old Miakka
- Osprey
- Palmer Ranch
- Pinecraft
- Plantation
- Ridge Wood Heights
- Sarasota Springs
- Siesta Key
- South Gate Ridge
- South Sarasota
- South Venice
- Southgate
- The Meadows
- Vamo
- Venice Gardens
- Warm Mineral Springs
Other unincorporated communities
- Manasota
- Wellen Park
- Woodmere
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Sarasota para niños
