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.

Demographics

Counties

Cities

Largest cities

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

Other cities and towns

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.

Transportation

Roads

Freeways

U.S. highways

State roads

County roads

Ports

Airports

Public airports

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.

Media

Newspapers

Magazines

Television

Radio

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.

Economy

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

Recreation and culture

Parks/nature reserves

Federally owned

DeSoto National Memorial

State owned

Museums

Theatres