Sarasota County, Florida

Sarasota County
U.S. county
Images, from top down, left to right: Downtown Sarasota skyline; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Sarasota's Bayfront; Sunset at Siesta Beach; Sarasota County Courthouse; Beachfront on Venice Beach; Front walkway of Ca' d'Zan
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Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 27°11′N 82°22′W / 27.19°N 82.37°W / 27.19; -82.37
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	May 14, 1921
Seat	Sarasota
Largest city	North Port
Area
• Total	725 sq mi (1,880 km2)
• Land	556 sq mi (1,440 km2)
• Water	169 sq mi (440 km2)  23.4%
Population
• Estimate  (2023)	469,013[1]
• Density	781/sq mi (302/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	34223, 34229–34278, 34284–34289, 34292-34293, 34295
Area code	941
Congressional district	17th
Website	www.scgov.net

Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006.^[2] Its county seat is Sarasota^[3] and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, FL metropolitan statistical area. The county includes barriers islands with beaches and beach communities. It is hone to colleges, a network of libraries, and various parks and preserves. Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the count in 2024.

The area was home to indigenous peoples. Angola was a maroon settlement in its Bradenton area. Bertha Palmer owned substantial lands in the area including what is now Palmer Ranch.