Sarasota metropolitan area

The Sarasota metropolitan area is a metropolitan area located in Southwest Florida. The metropolitan area is defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) consisting of Manatee County and Sarasota County. The principal cities listed by the OMB for the MSA are North Port, Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice. At the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 833,716. The Census Bureau estimates that its population was 891,411 in 2022.

The North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota MSA is a component of the larger North Port–Bradenton Combined Statistical Area, a combined statistical area (CSA) consisting of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota 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. The Census Bureau estimates that its population was 1,129,384 in 2022.

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, 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 definition and was determined to be the largest of the area's three principal cities. In 2013, the MSA was renamed North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area. In July 2023, the MSA was renamed to the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota MSA, and the CSA was renamed to the North Port–Bradenton CSA. Lakewood Ranch was also added as a principal city within the MSA.

Largest cities
The following is a list of the five largest cities in the Sarasota metropolitan area as ranked by population.

Census designated places
The following is a list of census-designated places (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 subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), closely bordering on a tropical climate like Southern Florida, characterized by hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, and relatively drier and mild winters.

Freeways

 * I-75.svg Interstate 75
 * I-275.svg Interstate 275

U.S. highways

 * US 19.svg U.S. Route 19
 * US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
 * US 301.svg U.S. Route 301

State roads

 * Florida 37.svg State Road 37
 * Florida 62.svg State Road 62
 * Florida 64.svg State Road 64
 * Florida 70.svg State Road 70
 * Florida 72.svg State Road 72
 * Florida 681.svg State Road 681
 * Florida 684.svg State Road 684
 * Florida 758.svg State Road 758
 * Florida 776.svg State Road 776
 * Florida 777.svg State Road 777
 * Florida 780.svg State Road 780
 * Florida 789.svg State Road 789

County roads

 * List of county roads in Charlotte County, Florida
 * List of county roads in DeSoto County, Florida
 * List of county roads in Manatee County, Florida
 * List of county roads in Sarasota County, Florida

Ports

 * SeaPort Manatee

Airports

 * Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Public airports

 * Buchan Airport
 * Venice Municipal Airport

Public transportation
Both Sarasota and Manatee counties have their own transit networks, SCAT and MCAT, which runs bus services in the area. Amtrak does operate an Amtrak Thruway route going through the area starting in St. Petersburg-Clearwater and ending in Fort Myers, with Sarasota and Ellenton operating as stops along the route.

Newspapers

 * Anna Maria Island Sun
 * Bradenton Herald
 * Business Observer, a business newspaper that is published in Sarasota, but serves several other regions of Florida.
 * East County Observer
 * Longboat Observer
 * The Bradenton Times, an online newspaper.
 * The Islander
 * Sarasota Herald-Tribune
 * Siesta Key Observer
 * Sarasota Observer
 * Tempo News
 * Venice Gondolier Sun

Magazines

 * Sarasota Magazine 
 * SRQ Magazine
 * Venice: Gulf Coast Living Magazine

Television

 * ABC 7
 * WSNN (SNN)

Radio

 * WBRD
 * WCTQ
 * WDIZ (AM)
 * WHPT
 * WJIS
 * WKDW-LP
 * WKES
 * WLSS
 * WRUB (FM)
 * WSDV
 * WSLR-LP
 * WSMR (FM)
 * WSRQ (AM)
 * WTMY
 * WWPR (AM)

Education
Public education is provided by Manatee County School District and Sarasota County Public Schools.

Colleges and universities
The following college/university campuses exist in the metropolitan area.


 * Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training
 * East West College of Natural Medicine
 * Everglades University
 * Florida State University College of Medicine
 * Keiser University
 * LECOM
 * Ringling College of Art and Design
 * New College of Florida
 * State College of Florida Sarasota-Manatee
 * USF Sarasota-Manatee

Economy
The Sarasota Metropolitan Area has a gross metropolitan product of $36.45 billion as of 2021.

Federally owned
DeSoto National Memorial

State owned

 * Lake Manatee State Park
 * Myakka River State Park
 * Oscar Scherer State Park
 * Terra Ceia Preserve



Museums

 * Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
 * Florida Maritime Museum
 * Florida Railroad Museum
 * John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
 * Palmetto Historical Park
 * Sarasota Classic Car Museum

Theatres

 * Florida Studio Theatre
 * Sarasota Opera House
 * Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall