Sarasota County, located on the southwest coast of Florida, is home to America’s Best Beach. The director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research, Stephen Leatherman (or Dr. Beach), named Siesta Key as the best beach in the country for 2011. With its quaint village, miles of white sand beaches, the tranquil Gulf, and rustic shops and restaurants, it’s easy to see why Siesta Key is such an ideal location.
The county seat of Sarasota County is the city of Sarasota. It is located between Tampa Bay and Fort Myers. The Sarasota Bay is dotted with keys, including Siesta Key. Others include Lido Key, Bird Key, Otter Key, and St. Armands Key.
More than just a gorgeous beach town, Sarasota has a long and amazing history. The first known Europeans arrived in 1513, when a Spanish expedition explored the area. The first person to settle in the area was William Whitaker in 1821. During the 1900s, the area became a winter resort area for the wealthy. One of those wealthy guests, John Ringling, brought much of his family to the area. His Mediterranean Revival winter home, Ca’ d’Zan, is now part of the Caples’-Ringlings’ Estates Historic District.
Sarasota is home to several colleges and universities, including the Ringling College of Art and Design and the New College of Florida. The University of South Florida-Sarasota-Manatee is located nearby.
Another city in Sarasota County, Venice, is considered the best place to find shark’s teeth and is often called the Shark’s Tooth Capital. The annual Shark’s Tooth Festival celebrates the fossilized shark’s teeth found along the coastline.
Other Sarasota County communities include the city of North Port, the town of Longboat Key, and unincorporated areas such as Englewood, Osprey, Sarasota Springs, Fruitville, Laurel, Plantation, and Vamo.
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