Sarasota County is a county located in

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 ...

. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

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 sout ...

and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Sarasota–

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 ...

, FL

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 town, incorporate ...

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. Some believe a fanciful story created for a popular early twentieth-century pageant held in Sarasota, that it was named after the daughter of famous explorer

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...

'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 The Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 () was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South (an east–west line about three miles (5 km) north of P ...

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 The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

. 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 Manatee County is a county in the Central Florida portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county s ...

. 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

(1855) as new counties were created from older counties to accommodate population growth and settlement in new areas.

Geography

Black-necked Stilt - Myakka River State Park

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (23.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

– north * DeSoto County – east * Charlotte County – south

Parks and preserves

In addition to local parks there are several preserve areas including: *

Bayonne Parcel Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...

Circus Hammock Circus Hammock is a preserve with unpaved walking trails in Sarasota, Florida. The name is a reference to the historic winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus. Habitat at the preserve includes hydric hammock. The property was purchased ...

Curry Creek Preserve Curry Creek Preserve is an 80-acre preserve with trails and a paddle boat launch in Venice, Florida. It is located at 1075 Albee Farm Road. Named after a family of early pioneer settlers to the area, the preserve was purchased in 2002 through the ...

Deer Prairie Creek Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindee ...

Jelks Preserve Jelks Preserve is a natural preserve with of trail along the Myakka River in southern Sarasota County, Florida. History The land was purchased in 1999 via the one percent county sales tax and a donation from the Jelks Family Foundation (names ...

Lemon Bay Preserve The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...

* Legacy Trail *

Manasota Scrub Preserve The Manasota Scrub Preserve is an area of protected land in Sarasota County, Florida. It is located at 2695 Bridge Street in Englewood, Florida, in a suburban area that is part of the Lemon Bay watershed.Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park is a heavily wooded park in North Port, Florida, north of Interstate 75. History In the 1970s and 1980s, new residential subdivisions were being built in North Port with development by General Development Co ...

Myakka Islands Point Myakka City (also Myakka) is an unincorporated community in southeastern Manatee County, Florida, United States. It lies along State Road 70 near the city of Bradenton, the county seat of Manatee County. Its elevation is , and it is located at ...

* Old Miakka Preserve * Pinelands Reserve * Pocono Trail Preserve *

Red Bug Slough Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

* Sleeping Turtles South * Sleeping Turtles North * South Lemon Bay Preserve *

T. Mabry Carlton Reserve T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve, also known as the Carlton Reserve, is a preserve in Sarasota County, Florida. The reserve has of hiking, equestrian and biking trails. History In the 1920s, the Ringling brothers invested in large tracts ...

Government and politics

Sarasota County is one of only 20 Florida counties with its own charter, adopted in 1971. Sarasota County is governed by a five-member county commission. Each commissioner serves a four-year term and resides in and represents a single district. Like most of Southwest Florida, Sarasota County is considered a stronghold for the Republican Party and was one of the first parts of Florida to turn Republican. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win it was

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

, although

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

lost it by just 211 votes in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. Republicans have historically dominated the county commission and other countywide elected positions. However, the city of Sarasota has an all-Democrat city commission, Democrat Michele Rayner represents a portion of the county in the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

, and there are two countywide elected Democrats.

Public safety

Fire/EMS

The Sarasota County Fire Department (SCFD) provides fire services to the City of Sarasota and all unincorporated areas of the county with the exception of areas covered by the Nokomis and Englewood fire districts. Additionally, SCFD provides EMS service to the City of Sarasota, all unincorporated areas of the county (including areas covered by the Nokomis and Englewood fire districts) plus the city of Venice.

Law enforcement

The

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SSO) is the primary law enforcement agency for Sarasota County, Florida. The agency is responsible for law enforcement services in unincorporated areas of Sarasota County, jail facilities, and courthouse secur ...

(SSO) is the county's primary law enforcement agency. It is responsible for patrolling the unincorporated areas of the county along with operating the county's jail and providing courtroom security. SSO also operates the county's primary 911 center. The cities of

, North Port, and Venice along with the Town of Longboat Key each have their own police departments. The Florida Highway Patrol is responsible for patrolling

FDOT The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...

maintained roads in the county ( Florida State Highway System) and investigating motor vehicle accidents that occur in unincorporated areas. Three specialist law enforcement agencies have jurisdiction in the county: the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Police Department, the New College/ USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Police Department and the

Seminole Gulf Railway The Seminole Gulf Railway is a short line freight and passenger excursion railroad headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, that operates two former CSX Transportation railroad lines in Southwest Florida. The company's Fort Myers Division, whic ...

(SGLR) Police Department. Each agency has jurisdiction in neighboring

as well; each agency's properties extend into that county.

Voter registration

All voter information is and provided by Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office:

Party statistics

Government officials

United States Senate

United States House of Representatives

Florida State Senate

Florida House of Representatives

Sarasota County Commission

The Board of County Commissioners include the following:

Sarasota County School Board

The School Board members include the following:<

Transportation

Airports

* Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, in both

(runway) and Sarasota County (terminal). *

Venice Municipal Airport Venice Municipal Airport is a city managed public-use airport located south of the central business district of Venice, a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. History The airport was built during the 1940s by the United States ...

, a general aviation airport in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. * Hidden River Airport, a private airport in the eastern part of the county. * Buchan Airport, in Englewood.

Major highways and state roads

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 S ...

– North–south

limited-access A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

, and has ten

interchanges Interchange may refer to: Transport * Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways * Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies * Interchange station, a rai ...

within Sarasota County. Major north–south highway in Sarasota County. It is the high-speed connection with other cities such as

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

and

Fort Myers, Florida 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 ...

. Interstate 75 heads east in Southern Sarasota County through

North Port, Florida North Port is a city located in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 74,793 at the 2020 US Census. It is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was originally developed by G ...

to cross Charlotte Harbor at a more manageable length. * US 41

U.S. Highway 41 – The main north–south road through the county is known as

Tamiami Trail The Tamiami Trail () is the southernmost of U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) from State Road 60 (SR 60) in Tampa to US 1 in Miami. A portion of the road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90 (SR 90). The north� ...

. It was created in the 1920s to connect Tampa with Miami, hence the contracted name. It runs through the county close to the coastline and is not

. *

U.S. Highway 301 – This highway begins in the city of Sarasota, east of Tamiami Trail, and runs north–south through the county. * Florida 789

State Road 789 – Gulf of Mexico Drive * Florida 758

State Road 758 – Midnight Pass Road, Higel Avenue, Siesta Drive, South Osprey Avenue, Bee Ridge Road * Florida 780

State Road 780 – Fruitville Road * Florida 776

State Road 776 – Englewood Road and North Indiana Avenue * Florida 72

State Road 72 – Stickney Point Road and Clark Road * Florida 681

State Road 681 – Venice Connector, this road was formerly the southern terminus of Interstate 75 in the early 1980s

Public transportation

Sarasota County Area Transit Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) provides public transportation for Sarasota County, Florida and is operated by the county. SCAT maintains 27 fixed-line bus routes plus a dial-a-ride paratransit service (SCAT Plus). The majority of the routes o ...

(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

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, 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 2016-2020 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 were Foreign born persons. 93.2% of the population that was 25 years or older were High school graduates and 36.4% of those 25 years or older had a Bachelor's degree or higher. Religions , the religious affiliations of the people of Sarasota County, according to

Pew Research Center The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American think tank (referring to itself as a "fact tank") based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the w ...

were:

Economy

Top private employers

, the top private employers for Sarasota County are as follows: # Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (4,563) # PGT Innovations (2,000) #

Publix Publix Super Markets, Inc., commonly known as Publix, is an employee-owned American supermarket chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a private corporation that is wholly owned by present and ...

(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

, the top employees for Sarasota County, including

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infra ...

jobs, are as follows: # School Board of Sarasota County (4,563) #

Sarasota Memorial Hospital Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) is an 839-bed health care facility located in Sarasota, Florida. The hospital was founded in 1925, and is a level II trauma center. History Early years Local residents started to raise funds for the hospital in ...

(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 Ed Smith Stadium is a baseball field located in Sarasota, Florida. Since 2010, it has been the spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles. History Ed Smith Stadium was built in 1989 to replace Payne Park as a Spring Training and Minor League ...

, where the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

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 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 ...

– public K–12 School district serving all of Sarasota County

Higher education

New College of Florida New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded in 1960 as a private institution known simply as New College, spent several years merged into the University of South Florida, and in 2001 became an aut ...

– public liberal arts college. Honors college of the state of Florida *

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 ...

– private, 4-year, not-for-profit, fully accredited college with concentrations in art and design *

State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota (SCF) is a public college with campuses in the Manatee and Sarasota counties of Florida. Part of the Florida College System, it is designated a "state college" because it offers a greater number of ba ...

– South Venice Campus of SCF *

University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

– branch campus of USF

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 'Tampa Bay Library Consortium'', Inc. (TBLC), with headquarters in Tampa, Florida, is a nonprofit library cooperative that assists hundreds of libraries in the Central and West Florida regions. TBLC serves public libraries, academic libraries, sch ...

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 nine Sarasota County Libraries and free wireless access in the libraries is provided by the Sarasota County Government. The library system has licensing to th
Cloud Library
OverDrive, Inc. an
Freegal Music
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 The Selby Public Library was the first library in Sarasota County, Florida and was established in 1907. The current building is the largest public library in Sarasota County and serves the downtown district of Sarasota, Florida. History The Selby ...

has been a selective depository in the

Federal Depository Library Program The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is a government program created to make U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. As of April 2021, there are 1,114 depository libraries in the United States and its ter ...

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 Little Free Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood book exchanges, usually in the form of a public bookcase. More than 150,000 public book exchanges are registered with the organization and branded as Little Fre ...

program was introduced to Sarasota County in 2014 as the result of a collaborative effort between the Libraries and Historical Resources department, th
Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources
department and th
UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension and Sustainability
department. Th
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.

Local media

Newspapers

* ''North Port Sun'' – an edition of the Charlotte Sun newspapers * ''

Sarasota Herald Tribune The ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' is a daily newspaper, located in Sarasota, Florida, founded in 1925 as the ''Sarasota Herald''. History The newspaper was owned by The New York Times Company from 1982 to 2012. It was then owned by Halifax Media ...

'' – primarily serves Sarasota County for news, but also serves

Manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species ...

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

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

counties. *

Observer Media Group Observer Media Group, Inc. is a media company that publishes local newspapers and magazines in the U.S. state of Florida. The company publishes twelve newspapers, three quarterly magazines and maintains six news websites. History Observer Medi ...

newspapers: ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' * ''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 WWSB (channel 40) is a television station licensed to Sarasota, Florida, United States, serving the Suncoast portion of the Tampa Bay market as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by Gray Television, WWSB maintains studios on 10th Street in the Rosema ...

– a local

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

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 WSNN-LD, virtual channel 39 (UHF digital terrestrial television, digital channel 26), is a low-power broadcasting#Television, low-powered television station city of license, licensed to Sarasota, Florida, Sarasota, Florida, United States. Owned ...

– 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 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 ...

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

include: *

WTVT WTVT (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Tampa, Florida, United States, broadcasting the Fox network to the Tampa Bay area. Owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, WTVT maintains studios on Kenne ...

- the local

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

affiliate based in Tampa * WFLA - the local

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

affiliate based in Tampa *

WTSP WTSP (channel 10) is a television station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay area as an affiliate of CBS. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios on Gandy Boulevard on St. Petersburg' ...

- the local

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

affiliate based in St. Petersburg *

WFTS WFTS-TV (channel 28), branded as ABC Action News, is a television station licensed to Tampa, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay area as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company alongside Bradenton-licensed Ion Te ...

- the primary ABC affiliate for the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Sarasota DMA, based in St. Petersburg

Radio

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 ...

– (92.1 and 103.1 Country) *

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 ...

– (96.5 Community Radio) *

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 ...

- (103.9 Top-40)

Communities

Cities

* North Port *

Town

Longboat Key A longboat is a type of ship's boat that was in use from ''circa'' 1500 or before. Though the Royal Navy replaced longboats with launches from 1780, examples can be found in merchant ships after that date. The longboat was usually the largest boat ...

Census-designated places and unincorporated communities

* Bee Ridge * Desoto Lakes * Englewood * Fruitville * Gulf Gate Estates * Kensington Park * Lake Sarasota * Lakewood Ranch (part) *

Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

Nokomis Nokomis is the name of Nanabozho's grandmother in the Ojibwe traditional stories and was the name of Hiawatha's grandmother in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, ''The Song of Hiawatha'', which is a re-telling of the Nanabozho stories. Nokomis is ...

* North Sarasota *

Osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

Plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

* Ridge Wood Heights * Sarasota Springs *

Siesta Key A ''siesta'' (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The ...

* South Gate Ridge * South Sarasota * South Venice *

Southgate Southgate or South Gate may refer to: Places Australia *Southgate, Sylvania *Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct, an area within Southbank, Victoria Canada *Southgate, Ontario, a township in Grey County * Southgate, Middlesex County, Ontario Ed ...

* The Meadows * Vamo * Venice Gardens * Warm Mineral Springs * Wellen Park (part)

Notes

References

{{authority control Charter counties in Florida Florida placenames of Native American origin 1921 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1921 Counties in the Tampa Bay area