Sarasota County, Florida

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Sarasota County, Florida
Map
Map of Florida highlighting Sarasota County
Location in the state of Florida
Map of the U.S. highlighting Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 14 May 1921
Seat Sarasota
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
725 sq mi (1,878 km²)
572 sq mi (1,481 km²)
154 sq mi (399 km²), 21.19%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density
325,957
570/sq mi (220/km²)
Website: www.scgov.net

Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 325,957. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 366,256.[1] Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Sarasota County was created in 1921. The origin of the name is unknown. It may be named for a word in the indigenous Calusa language, whose meaning may be "point of rocks" or "Place of the Dance." Some believe it was named after the daughter of famous explorer Hernando de Soto's daughter Sara. According the Florida League of Cities [1], the name first appeared in print as "Zarazote" on a 1763 land grant map.

[edit] Geography

Downtown Sarasota from the John Ringling Bridge
Downtown Sarasota from the John Ringling Bridge
A Great Egret in Myakka River State Park
A Great Egret in Myakka River State Park
Venice Avenue in Venice
Venice Avenue in Venice
Black-necked Stilt in Myakka River State Park.
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 (1,878 km²), of which, 572 square miles (1,480 km²) of it is land and 154 square miles (398 km²) of it (21.19%) is water.

Sarasota County is part of the Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.

[edit] Adjacent counties

[edit] Places

[edit] Incorporated

  1. City of Sarasota
  2. City of North Port
  3. City of Venice
  4. Town of Longboat Key

[edit] Unincorporated

[edit] Education

[edit] Primary and secondary education

[edit] Higher education

 Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (May 2008)


[edit] Local media

[edit] Newspapers

[edit] Television

Sarasota County is part of the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Sarasota DMA, the 12th largest DMA in the country. Most of the television stations are located in St. Petersburg or Tampa except:

  • WWSB - A local ABC affiliate based in Sarasota.
  • SNN News 6 - 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)

[edit] Radio

 Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (May 2008)


[edit] Transportation

[edit] Airports

[edit] Major highways and state roads

 Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (May 2008)

[edit] 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).

[edit] Demographics

Some areas of Sarasota County, such as Casey Key near Nokomis, are very wealthy.
Some areas of Sarasota County, such as Casey Key near Nokomis, are very wealthy.

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 325,957 people, 149,937 households, and 94,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 570 people per square mile (220/km²). There were 182,467 housing units at an average density of 319 per square mile (123/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.65% White, 4.18% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 4.34% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 89.7% spoke English, 4.4% Spanish, 1.3% German and 1.0% French as their first language.

Census Estimates for 2005 show the county population as being 87.5% non-Hispanic whites, 6.3% Latinos, 4.5% African-American and 1.1% Asian.(source=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12115.html)

In 2000 there were 149,957 households out of which 18.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.00% were non-families. 30.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.61.

In the county the population was spread out with 16.20% under the age of 18, 5.00% from 18 to 24, 21.70% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 31.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 90.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,957, and the median income for a family was $50,111. Males had a median income of $32,114 versus $25,721 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,326. About 5.10% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.70% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over.

  • Population in Sarasota County as of 2006 had reached 369,535 people. [2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2005-01-12.xls
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ HeraldTribune.com - About Us: Fact Sheet - About Us: Fact Sheet - HeraldTribune.com
  4. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links

[edit] Government links/constitutional offices

[edit] Special districts

[edit] Judicial branch

[edit] Tourism links

v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Sarasota County, Florida
County seat: Sarasota
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Coordinates: 27°11′N 82°22′W / 27.19, -82.37

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasota_County,_Florida"
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