Sarasota City Map Poster

About Sarasota

The Sarasota metropolitan area is served by Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, located across the bay in Manatee County. The community is also served by Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT), with bus routes connecting to neighboring cities and communities. Siesta Key Beach, just south of the city, has been voted numerous times as one of the top beaches in the United States and was ranked #1 on "Dr. Beach's" 2008 list of Top 10 Beaches for Families in America; it was also named Best Family Beach by "Sunshine Magazine". In 2011 it had a population of 53,603 people: 35% were under 18 years old (compared to 38% statewide) while only 12% were 65 or older (compared to 15%). According to a 2007 estimate from Florida State University professor Jay Reedy there are 34 million birds per year that migrate through this region making it among North America's most important birding areas.