Sarasota, Florida

"Sarasota" redirects here. For other uses, see Sarasota (disambiguation).

Sarasota, Florida
City
Skyline of Sarasota from Bird Key in 2018
Skyline of Sarasota from Bird Key in 2018
Flag of Sarasota, Florida
Flag
Official seal of Sarasota, Florida
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Paradise,[1] SRQ, Circus City
Motto(s): 
"May Sarasota Prosper",
"Where Urban Amenities Meet Small-Town Living"[2]
Location in Sarasota County and the U.S. state of Florida
Location in Sarasota County and the U.S. state of Florida
Sarasota, Florida is located in the United States
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 27°20′14″N 82°32′7″W / 27.33722°N 82.53528°W / 27.33722; -82.53528
CountryUnited States United States
StateFlorida Florida
CountySarasota
Zarazote1539
Fort Armistead1840[3]
Sara Sota1842
Sarasota (town)October 14, 1902[4]
Sarasota (city)May 13, 1913[4]
Government
[5]
 • TypeCommission–Manager
 • Mayor (ceremonial, rotating yearly)Liz Alpert
 • Vice MayorJen Ahearn-Koch
 • CommissionersErik Arroyo,
Kyle Battie, and
Debbie Trice
 • City ManagerMarlon Brown
 • City ClerkShayla Griggs
Area
[6]
 • City
24.08 sq mi (62.38 km2)
 • Land14.70 sq mi (38.07 km2)
 • Water9.39 sq mi (24.31 km2)  42.58%
Elevation
[7]
16 ft (7 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City
54,842
 • Density3,731.51/sq mi (1,440.74/km2)
 • Urban
779,075 (US: 57th)
 • Urban density1,927.1/sq mi (744.0/km2)
 • Metro
833,716 (US: 71st)
 • Metro density542.0/sq mi (209.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
34230–34243, 34249, 34260, 34276-34277
Area code941
FIPS code12-64175[8]
GNIS feature ID0290675[9]
Websitewww.sarasotafl.gov

Sarasota (/ˌsærəˈsoʊtə/) is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Greater Tampa Bay Area, and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Sarasota is a principal city of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 U.S. census, Sarasota had a population of 54,842,[10] up from 51,917 at the 2010 census.

The Sarasota city limits contain several islands, called keys, including Lido Key, St. Armands Key, Otter Key, Coon Key, Bird Key, and the northern portion of Siesta Key as well as Bay Island. Longboat Key is the largest key separating Sarasota Bay from the Gulf of Mexico but is a separate municipality.

The city limits expanded significantly with the real estate rush of the early twentieth century, reaching almost 70 square miles (180 km2). The speculation boom began to crash in 1926 and the city limits began to contract, shrinking to less than a quarter of that area.[11]

  1. ^ LaHurd, Jeff (1995). Come on Down! : Pitching Paradise During the Roaring 20s. Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation. ISBN 978-1-888438-00-0.
  2. ^ "Utilies Master Plan". City of Sarasota. p. 3. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  3. ^ "A Military Post on Sarasota Bay | Sarasota History Alive!". www.sarasotahistoryalive.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SaraHist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "City Commission". City of Sarasota. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  7. ^ "Sarasota, United States Page". Falling Rain Genomics. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  8. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  9. ^ "Sarasota, Florida". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "QuickFacts for Sarasota city, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau. August 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Cummings, Ian (June 15, 2014). "Razing nears for city icon". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved August 10, 2023.