Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is known for its beaches, subtropical landscape, and winter resort economy.
Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are generally ...
. The metropolitan area is defined by the
Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, pol ...
as the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area as a
metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
Sarasota
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...
, and
Bradenton
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries
A settlement established by Maroons or escaped sl ...
. At the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 833,716.
The federal government defines the North Port–Sarasota combined statistical area as a
combined statistical area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
(CSA) consisting of the combination of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton MSA, the Punta Gorda, Florida MSA ( Charlotte County), and the Arcadia, Florida, micropolitan statistical area ( DeSoto County). At the 2020 census, the CSA had a population of 1,054,539.
History of the metropolitan area designations
The Sarasota standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) was first defined in 1973, and included only Sarasota County. The Bradenton SMSA was defined after the
1980 United States census
The United States census of 1980, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 census. It was th ...
, and included only Manatee County. The two MSAs were combined in 1993 as the Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area. Venice was added as a principal city after the 2000 census. In 2007, the MSA was renamed the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice MSA because Bradenton's population then exceeded that of Sarasota. In 2009, the area was designated the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota MSA after North Port qualified as a "principal city" under the
metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
definition and was determined to be the largest of the area's three principal cities. As of 2013, the MSA was renamed to its current name: North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area.
The North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton MSA is a component of the larger North Port–Sarasota
combined statistical area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
The following is a list of the five largest cities in the Sarasota metropolitan area as ranked by population.
Other cities and towns
Census designated places
The following is a list of
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
s (CDPs) ranked by population. CDPs in the combined statistical area are included.
Climate
The Sarasota metropolitan area, like most of Florida, is located in the humid
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
zone as it is in the southern part of Florida. There are hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon
thunderstorms
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...
and relatively drier and mild winters.
Transportation
Roads
Freeways
*
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie.
The highway's southern ...
*
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
Both Sarasota and Manatee counties have their own transit networks, SCAT and
MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Ostepathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Caribbean Islands. It is designe ...
, which runs bus services in the area.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
does operate a Thruway Route going through the area starting in
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
Fort Myers
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
, with Sarasota and Ellenton operating as stops along the route.
Bradenton Herald
''The Bradenton Herald'' is a newspaper based in Bradenton, Florida, in the United States.
History
On September 15, 1922, Volume 1, Number 1 was published as ''The Evening Herald''. It was a merger of two weekly papers: the ''Manatee River Jour ...
''
* '' Business Observer'', a business newspaper that is published in Sarasota, but serves several other regions of Florida.
* ''
East County Observer
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
''
* ''
Longboat Observer
The ''Longboat Observer'' is an American free newspaper published by Observer Media Group. It is distributed primarily in Longboat Key, Florida as well as other parts of the Sarasota metropolitan area, Sarasota-Bradenton area. It was founded and f ...
Siesta Key Observer
The ''Siesta Key Observer'' (previously known as the ''Pelican Press'') is an American weekly free newspaper serving Siesta Key, Florida. Founded in 1971 by John and Elizabeth Davidson, it is now a part of a family of twelve community and busines ...
''
* ''
Sarasota Observer
The ''Sarasota Observer'' is one of twelve community and business publications published by The Observer Group, which was formed in 1995, and whose headquarters are located in Sarasota, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeaste ...
WBRD
WBRD (1420 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Palmetto, Florida, United States, the station serves the Bradenton
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United Stat ...
*
WCTQ
WCTQ (92.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting with a classic country music format. Licensed to Venice, Florida, United States, the station serves the Sarasota area. It is currently owned by iHeartMedia.
History
Before the 2011 holiday season ...
*
WDIZ (AM)
WDIZ (1320 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Venice, Florida, United States, the station serves the Sarasota metropolitan area. WDIZ is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and calls itself "Oldies 1320", ''Venic ...
*
WHPT
WHPT (102.5 FM, currently known as "102.5 The Bone") is a Cox Radio station located in the Sarasota, Tampa Bay, and St. Petersburg, Florida areas, but can be heard as far south as Fort Myers and Naples, from its transmitter near SR 70, near th ...
WKES
WKES (91.1 MHz) is a non-commercial, listener-supported FM radio station broadcasting a Christian talk and teaching radio format. Licensed to Lakeland, Florida, it serves the Tampa Bay area from its studios at Keswick Christian School in Seminol ...
WRUB (FM)
WRUB (106.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish hits format. Licensed to Sarasota, Florida, United States, it serves the Sarasota / Bradenton and Tampa Bay Areas. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station rebroad ...
*
WSDV
WSDV (1450 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Sarasota, Florida, and broadcasting to the Sarasota - Bradenton radio market. The station airs a hot adult contemporary format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.
WSDV is powered at 1,000 ...
*
WSLR-LP
WSLR-LP (96.5 FM, "WSLR-LPFM") is a listener-supported, non-profit LPFM radio station based in Sarasota, Florida, United States. The station also streams on line.
See also
*List of community radio stations in the United States
This is a lis ...
WSRQ (AM)
WSRQ, broadcasting on 1220 Amplitude modulation, AM is a radio station with a format that features Oldies from the 60s, 70s, 80s. Licensed to Sarasota, Florida, the station is owned by Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Inc..
It was annou ...
*
WTMY
WTMY is an AM broadcasting, AM radio station in Southwest Florida broadcasting a regional Mexican format at 1280 AM. WTMY is not licensed for HD Radio, HD (hybrid digital) operation.
Licensed to Sarasota, Florida, United States, the station is o ...
*
WWPR (AM)
WWPR (1490 kHz) is an American AM radio station licensed to serve the community of Bradenton, the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. The station is currently owned and operated by Vidify Media, Inc.
Programming
On weekdays, ...
Sarasota County Public Schools
The District School Board of Sarasota, commonly known as Sarasota County Schools, is a public school district serving all of Sarasota County, Florida. As of 2017, the total number of students is approximately 43,150.
The school district's leader ...
.
Colleges and universities
The following college/university campuses exist in the metropolitan area.
*
Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training
The Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training or FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training is a three-year graduate program culminating in a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting. The program is operated by Florida State Unive ...
*
East West College of Natural Medicine
East West College of Natural Medicine (EWCNM) is an acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and massage
Massage is the manipulation of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, ...
Florida State University College of Medicine
The Florida State University College of Medicine, located in Tallahassee, Florida, is one of sixteen colleges composing the Florida State University. The college, created in 2000, is an accredited medical school, offering the Doctor of Medicine ...
*
Keiser University
Keiser University is a private university with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and flagship residential campus in West Palm Beach, Florida. Additional branches are located in other parts of Florida and internationally. Keiser provide ...
Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) is a private art and design school in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded by Ludd M. Spivey as an art school in 1931 as a remote branch of Southern College but separated by 1933.
History
The origins of ...
gross metropolitan product
Gross metropolitan product (GMP) is a monetary measure of the value of all final goods and services produced within a metropolitan statistical area during a specified period (''e.g.'', a quarter, a year). GMP estimates are commonly used to compare ...
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
__NOTOC__
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature (formerly the South Florida Museum), located in Bradenton, Florida, is a natural history museum specializing in the history of Florida's gulf coast. It houses exhibits highlighting Florida hist ...
*
Florida Maritime Museum
The Florida Maritime Museum is a museum, sponsored by Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Courts, located on of land within the historic fishing village of Cortez, Florida.
The museum tells a number of stories pertaining to all aspects of Florida’ ...
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the official state art museum of Florida, located in Sarasota, Florida. It was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable Burton Ringling and John Ringling for the people of Florida. Florida State Univ ...
*
Palmetto Historical Park
Palmetto Historical Park is located in the heart of Palmetto Historic District in Palmetto, Florida, Manatee County, Florida. This site is the original location of Palmetto's first city hall and school building. The Park includes Palmetto's first P ...
Florida Studio Theatre
Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is a professional, non-profit theater company located in Sarasota, Florida and represents one of the major cultural institutions in the Gulf Coast region. Founded in 1973 as a touring troupe, FST is currently a region ...
Sarasota County, Florida
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–Sarasota–Bradenton, FL ...
*
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is known for its beaches, subtropical landscape, and winter resort economy.
Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are generally ...
*
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the Unite ...