While Sarasota, Florida may be known as “The Cultural Coast of Florida,” that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of activity to keep you busy here.
From boating to dozens of golf courses, to hundreds of tennis courts, to our beautiful beaches, to some of the best fishing in Florida, Sarasota has whatever recreation you care to try.
One of Florida’s 67 counties, Sarasota County includes the municipalities of Longboat Key, North Port, Venice and Sarasota. The City of Sarasota, often proclaimed the “arts capital” of Florida, is the county seat. Venice is an island city on the coast. The southern half of Longboat Key, a barrier island, lies in Sarasota County. North Port, which has the largest population in the county, dominates Sarasota County’s southern landscape. Incorporating five square miles, it is Florida’s third-largest city based on acreage.
Historical Resources collects information and artifacts related to the history of the county from pre-historic times to the present. These collections are stored in the Sarasota County Historical Resources Center’s archives, where they are made available for public research.read more
Since its formation in the 1800s, Sarasota County has been a destination for entrepreneurs. From the Scots who founded America’s first golf course and a destination hotel for tourism in Sarasota, to the Potter-Palmers and Ringlings, local history and the community landscape bear the lasting imprints of entrepreneurial fervor. Sarasota County consistently ranks among U.S. communities generating new enterprises. Today, there are countless entrepreneurial success stories in our region. With most of these successes having occurred organically, we are applying an intentional focus to the needs of entrepreneurs.read more