Sarasota County located on the West Coast of Florida, about 60 miles south of Tampa, encompasses an area of 573 square miles and includes the cities of Sarasota, Venice and North Port, town of Longboat Key and Englewood.
The county's approximately 600 square miles extend west from rustic ranch land to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay. With more than 35 miles of gulf beaches, most Sarasota County residents are within a 15-minute drive of the most spectacular white sand beaches in the world.
Temperatures in Sarasota County average 61.5 degrees in January and 80 degrees in August. The average year-round temperature is a pleasant 71 degrees. The average annual rainfall is 60 inches.
Sarasota County residences include over 15,000 homes located on the gulf or bay. Four barrier islands - Casey Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key and Siesta Key - feature some of the county's most unique residential communities.
Flight Facts
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), a modern $61 million terminal complex, provides charter and general aviation services and air cargo processing, and serves 2 million passengers a year. The airport has Port of Entry Status, with full-time U.S. Customs service to handle baggage, air cargo, and private aircraft inspections.
Port Points
Port Manatee is Florida's fourth largest deep-water port, with regular connections to Central and South America and Western Europe. The Regal Empress cruise ship sails from this port during some months of the year.
The Port of Tampa, largest in the state and 11th largest in the U.S. provides container service to Europe, North and South America, and Asia. The Seminole Gulfcoast Railway and CSX lines serve both ports. Carnival Cruise Lines has regular cruise ship sailings from Tampa.
Things To Do
There may not be enough space on your hard drive to list all the things there are to do in the Sarasota area, so here's a brief synopsis.
It's no surprise that water sports top the list, including sailing, skiing, snorkeling, swimming, wind surfing, canoeing, kayaking and all types of fishing. By land, we offer spectacular golf courses, some of the world's finest tennis facilities, exciting nature trails, bicycle paths and picnic areas. We're tempted to say the sky is the limit, but it isn't. You'll even find places to parasail and skydive.
One of the most popular vacation trends these days is ecotourism and Sarasota's unspoiled beauty makes it a natural. Here you'll discover pristine beaches and safari tours, state parks and wildlife preserves, bird sanctuaries and jungle gardens.
There are dozens of family-oriented attractions in Sarasota, as well as romantic little hide-aways. And the area is filled with fabulous restaurants and shopping options that cater to your every whim.
This one fact speaks volumes about the ageless appeal of the Sarasota area; It was ranked as the number one family beach destination by Family Fun & Attractions magazine. To find out how keep the kids entertained, visit the following locations.
DOCKSIDE MARINE - For all your boating needs
Sales - service - storage - fuel
Contact Chuck Varneke @ 941 966 9541, 480 1/2 Blackburn Point Road, Osprey, Fl 34228
DEEP SEA FISHING from Siesta Key on THE RUMRUNNER from Midnight Pass Marina
A new 36' yacht clean & Air conditioned
Only the finest tackle, electronics and safety gear
Half, full and long days - groups arranged
Special trips for families with small children
Capt. Joe Bonaro - over 18 years local experience
Phone 941 349 3119
Albritton Fruit Trolley Tour
5947 Clark Center Avenue
925-7155
Join us for a trolley tour of 1,000 acres of citrus groves and a packing facility, and learn how fruit is picked fresh from the tree and processed for gift giving. While touring the groves, you may even spot some native wildlife as you learn about one of Florida’s oldest and largest industries. After the tour you will have the opportunity to visit the original grove store established in 1948. Tours at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Mondays only. Call for reservations.
G.WIZ
Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone
1001 Blvd of the arts
906-1851
Bring your friends and family to Sarasota’s Interactive Science Center—G.WIZ! Over 60 user-friendly exhibits to touch, learn and explore. Do you want to dig for fossils? Stand inside a giant bubble? Freeze your shadow? How about pet a snake or turtle?
Historic Spanish Point
P.O. Box 846
337 North Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41)
Osprey
966-5214
Explore and experience over 4,000 years of history at a 30-acre site on Little Sarasota Bay. Discover a prehistoric community with archaeological exhibits, the pioneer era with a turn-of-the-century homestead, citrus-packing house, chapel and pioneer cemetery and formal gardens from the winter estate of Mrs. Potter Palmer as well as nature trails. Only 2.2 miles south of Sarasota Square Mall.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore Road
359-5700 or 351-1660
Art lovers and circus buffs won’t want to miss the opportunity to meander about the lushly landscaped grounds where circus magnate John Ringling and his wife Mable lived in the 1920s. Wander through Ca d’Zan, the 30-room Ringling winter residence built on the beautiful waters of Sarasota Bay. The Art Museum, housed in a pink Italian Renaissance villa, contains over 500 years of European and American art and the world’s most significant collection of 17th-century Baroque paintings. Experience life under the "big top" in the Museum of the Circus, where circus memorabilia including parade wagons, calliopes, costumes and a scale model of the circus grounds are on display.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 South Palm Avenue
366-5731
http://www.selby.org
Horticulture buffs and anyone who delights in nature's miraculous wonders must visit Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a tranquil, nine-acre "supernova in the constellation of botanical gardens" overlooking Sarasota Bay. A spectacular display greenhouse replicates a mini rain forest, showcasing exquisite orchids, colorful bromeliads and other unusual tropical plants. Exhibits in the museum at Selby Gardens feature 16th-through 20th-century botanical art.
Mote Marine Aquarium
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
388-2451
http://www.mote.org
Come face to face with nature’s predators in the 135,000-gallon shark tank. Visit with resident manatees and endangered sea turtles in the aquarium’s newest exhibits. Reach out and hold a stingray, sea urchin or even a horseshoe crab in a 30-foot touch tank. Also available, an eco-tour of the coastal waters on a Sarasota Bay Explorer cruise. Mote Aquarium is located on City Island, just south of Longboat Key.
Myakka River
State Park & Wilderness Preserve
State Road 72, nine miles east of I-75
365-0100
Florida's largest park, covering more than 29,000 acres of wetlands, prairies and dense woodlands along the twisting Myakka River and Upper Myakka Lake. Myakka River State Park is one of America's outstanding wildlife sanctuaries, home to hundreds of species of plants, trees and flowers, as well as deer, alligators and more than 200 species of birds. For a close up view, take a boat or tram ride leaving from the boat basin. There are numerous nature trails in Myakka River State Park, as well as a small natural history museum and a bird walk. You can also camp, fish, boat, bicycle and hike here. Daily tours available aboard the world's largest airboat. Call for schedule information. Open year-round from 8 a.m. to sunset.
Oscar Scherer State Park
U.S. 41 North of Venice
483-5956
A great recreational haven, Oscar Scherer State Park is a 1,384-acre pine and scrub woodland. There are streams for canoeing, a swimming lake, fresh and saltwater fishing, campgrounds, nature trails, bicycle paths, a recreation hall, and picnic areas. The park is five miles north of Venice and two miles south of Osprey.
Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary
1708 Ken Thompson Parkway
City Island
388-4444
A must-see for bird lovers, the Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary is next to Mote Marine on City Island. About 200 permanently injured birds live in safety at the sanctuary. Staff and hundreds of volunteers have rescued, rehabilitated and released thousands of pelicans and other birds. Free admission; donations appreciated.
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
3701 Bay Shore Road
355-5305
Ten lush tropical acres are filled with winding trails, beautiful gardens and exotic waterfowl, as well as a petting zoo and shell museum. Your "jungle experience" continues with fascinating shows featuring snakes, turtles, alligators and other Florida reptiles. Jungle Gardens is two blocks west of Tamiami Trail and two miles north of the Sarasota bayfront.
Sarasota Water Taxi
P.O. Box 49334
359-2837
South Florida Museum, Bishop Planetarium & Parker Manatee Aquarium
201 10th Street West
Bradenton
746-4131
Experience Florida’s history, from prehistoric times to the present, in this education and entertainment complex. Exhibits include life-sized dioramas of Native American life, a replica of Spanish 16th-century buildings and courtyard, and an indoor aquarium, home of "Snooty," the oldest manatee born in captivity. The adjacent Bishop Planetarium features dazzling laser light shows and star gazing activities.
Top Tours and Visitor Services
P. O. Box 1902
Tallevast
(941) 355-2741
Top Tours and Visitor Services, a destination management company, specializes in guided sightseeing tours of Scenic Sarasota, The Circus City. Learn about our city's arts, culture and fascinating history. Discover the influences of John and Charles Ringling, two brothers who built their mansions here and brought their world-famous Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus here for the winter. Enjoy visits to museums, top attractions, historic neighborhoods, unique shops and galleries, special events and wilderness areas. Other services include: customized local charter/excursions via minivan or bus, including ecotours; excursions to neighboring cities and attractions; step-on guide services for visiting bus groups;and concierge-type visitor services (Meet and Greet, business client/spouse itineraries and activities, and many others). We are your one-stop, professional business and visit contact in Sarasota. For more information please e-mail mitzylilly@earthlink.net.
Walk on the Wild Side
629 41st St
Sarasota
351-6500
We offer a variety of guided Eco-Tours such as Kayaking, canoeing, hiking, birdwatching, camping, etc.. We provide all equipment, transportation and meals if required.
Warm Mineral Springs
12200 San Servando Avenue
Warm Mineral Springs
941-426-1692
This natural spring is a focal watering place and spa of world renown forming a two-and-a-half-acre lake and some nine million gallons of water per day. Temperature of the lake holds at a year-round 87°F.
Residency
To become an official Florida resident, file a declaration of domicile. The document states that you reside at a certain address and is notarized by the Clerk of the County Court. Contact the Sarasota County Clerk of Circuit Courts, 2000 Main St., Sarasota, (941) 951-52069.
Vehicle Registration
New residents must register their vehicles in Florida within 10 days of gaining employment or enrolling children in school. To register a vehicle, be prepared to provide the Sarasota County Tax Collector's office with your current driver's license, proof of Florida auto insurance, prior registration certificate and ownership title. The vehicle identification number will be verified, and you will need to apply for a Florida license plate. The fee depends on the vehicle's weight. Newcomers also must apply for a Florida Title Certificate if there is a lien on the vehicle; you should bring your payment book to the Tax Collector's office. Contact the Sarasota Tax Collector 1015 S. Washington, (941) 362-9898.
Driver's License
Florida law requires that new state residents apply for a Florida driver's license within 30 days. Register your car, first (see Vehicle Registration, above). The Department of Motor Vehicles will need to see proof of your Florida vehicle registration, your out-of-state driver's license and your social security card. If you own a Florida-registered vehicle, bring the registration, as well. If your out-of-state license is valid, you need only take a vision test. A written exam and driver's test is required if your license is invalid or if you are applying for your first license. The written exam is based on the Florida Driver's Handbook and the driver must supply the vehicle for the test. A license is valid for six years and costs $20. Contact the driver license office at 601 S. Pompano Ave., (941) 361-6217, or call (941) 361-6222 for an appointment. Another office is located at 4412 Bee Ridge Rd., (941) 361-6567; (941) 361-6569 for appointments.
Voter Registration
To vote, you must register in your county of residence. You are eligible to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, county resident and at least 18 years old by the next election. To register, fill out a form and swear an oath that you live in the county. Your voter registration card will be mailed to you before the next election. For information on registration locations near you, call the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office at 1660 Ringling Blvd. (941) 951-5307.
Homestead Exemption
You can reduce your ad valorem tax bill by seeking a homestead exemption on the first $25,000 of your home's value. To file for exemption, establish residency by Dec. 31 prior to the year you will claim exemption, then file for exemption in January or February. You may prove residency with a voter registration card, a valid Florida driver's license and titles and registration certificates for motor vehicles you own. To prove that your residency was established in the required timeframe, provide a recorded deed for the home or a vehicle registration/title for a mobile home. Contact the Sarasota County Property Appraiser at 2001 Adams Lane (941) 951-5650
Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce
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