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Sarasota County, Florida

County in Florida, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sarasota County, Florida
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Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006.[1] Its county seat is Sarasota[2] and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, FL metropolitan statistical area. The county includes barrier islands with beaches and beach communities. It is home to colleges, a network of libraries, and various parks and preserves. The area was home to indigenous peoples. Angola was a maroon settlement in its Bradenton area. Bertha Palmer owned substantial lands in the area including what is now Palmer Ranch.

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History

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Main article: History of Sarasota, Florida
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Downtown Sarasota, the county seat, from the John Ringling Causeway

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.[3]

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.[4]

An early map of the area from 1763 shows the word "Zarazote" across present day Sarasota.[5]

Following exploration, the area was occupied by fishing camps, called ranchos.[6] 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.[7][8] During the war, the area was occupied by the U.S. army and Fort Armistead was built.[9]

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.[10]

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Geography

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A great egret in Myakka River State Park
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Black-necked stilt in Myakka River State Park

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.[11]

Adjacent counties

Parks and preserves

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

Climate

See Also: List of Florida hurricanes (2000–present)

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.

As is the case with all of Florida, Sarasota County is subject to Hurricanes. Notable recent storms that have brought impacts to the county include storms such as Hurricane Charley in 2004, Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Hurricane Ian in 2022. In 2024, Hurricanes Debby and Helene caused serious flooding within the county despite making landfall over 200 miles to the north, and Hurricane Milton made landfall in the county at Siesta Key on October 9, 2024 as a Category 3 Hurricane.

More information Climate data for Sarasota, Florida (), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present, Month ...
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Government and politics

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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.[12]

Like most of Southwest Florida, Sarasota County has been a stronghold for the Republican Party. It was one of the first parts of Florida to begin to favor the Republicans over the Democrats. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. The closest any Democratic candidate has come since was Barack Obama in 2008, who lost in the county by just 211 votes.[13] The Republican edge has narrowed somewhat since the 1990s, however; Democrats have managed at least 40 percent of the vote in every election since 1996. Yet the county has seen trends towards the Republican party, alongside the rest of Florida, since 2020, with Donald Trump's 2024 victory in the county being the best performance by a Republican since 1988.

Republicans have historically dominated the county commission and all but two countywide elected positions. Democratic strength is concentrated in Sarasota, which has an all-Democratic city commission.

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Public safety

Aside from the typical law enforcement and fire departments, Sarasota County also utilizes an Emergency Management agency. The agency's main area of focus is disaster preparedness and response. The agency is responsible for what are called Community Emergency Response Teams as well as the county emergency evacuation shelters.[15]

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.[16]

Law enforcement

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (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 Sarasota, 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 maintained roads in the county (Florida State Highway System) and investigating motor vehicle accidents that occur in unincorporated areas.[17]

Three specialist law enforcement agencies have jurisdiction in the county: the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Police Department,[18] the New College/USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Police Department,[19] the Seminole Gulf Railway (SGLR) Police Department[20] and the Sarasota County Schools Police Department.[21] Each agency, except for the SCS Police Department, has jurisdiction in neighboring Manatee County as well, as each agency's properties extend into that county.

Voter registration

All voter information is since October 31, 2024 and provided by Florida Department of Elections:[22]

Party statistics

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Government officials

United States Senate

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United States House of Representatives

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Florida State Senate

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Florida House of Representatives

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Sarasota County Commission

The Board of County Commissioners include the following:[23]

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    Sarasota County School Board

    The School Board members include the following:[24]

    More information Position, Incumbent ...
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      Transportation

      Airports

      Major highways and state roads

      See also: List of county roads in Sarasota County, Florida

      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).[25]
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      Demographics

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      More information Census, Pop. ...
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      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, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the percentage of religious affiliations in Sarasota County were:[35]

      More information Religion or denomination, Percentage of adherents ...
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      Economy

      Top private employers

      As of February 2021, the top private employers for Sarasota County are as follows:[36]

      1. Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (healthcare, actually a public entity)
      2. PGT Innovations (manufacturing)
      3. Sun Hydraulics (manufacturing)
      4. HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital (healthcare)
      5. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (hospitality)
      6. Ringling College of Art and Design (private higher education)
      7. FCCI Insurance (commercial insurance)
      8. Xfinity (wired telecommunications)
      9. Gettel Automotive (new/used car dealership)
      10. Pope Properties (golf courses and country clubs)

      Top public and private employers

      As of October 2018, the top employees for Sarasota County, including public sector jobs, are as follows:[37]

      1. School Board of Sarasota County (4,563)
      2. Sarasota Memorial Hospital (4,244)
      3. Sarasota County Government (3,533)
      4. Publix Supermarkets (2,793)
      5. PGT Industries (2,079)
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      Sports and recreation

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      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.[38] CoolToday Park opened on March 24, 2019.[39][40]

      Sarasota County is home to the Sarasota Paradise, a soccer team established in 2023, competing in USL League Two. The team played its first two seasons at Cleland Stadium at Ihrig Field at Sarasota High. In its 2024 Season the Sarasota Paradise took home a Division championship[41] and qualified for playoffs for the first time in the team's history on July 15th, 2024.[42] The City of Sarasota recognized August 19th, 2024 as Sarasota Paradise Day to commemorate the achievement.[43]

      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.[44][45]

      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.[citation needed]

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      Education

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      Primary and secondary education

      Higher education

      Museums and libraries

      Main article: Sarasota County Library System

      Library branches:[46]

      • 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

      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 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.[47] 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.[48] 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.[48] 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 Archived April 10, 2018, at the Wayback Machine have been placed at thirteen different county parks and recreation centers.[49]

      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.[50]

      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."[51]

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      Local media

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      Newspapers

      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

      Other unincorporated communities

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      See also

      Notes

      1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[31][32]

      References

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