Sarasota County, Florida
| Sarasota County, Florida | ||
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The Sarasota County courthouse in June 2011
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 Location in the U.S. state of Florida |
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 Florida's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | May 14, 1921 | |
| Seat | Sarasota | |
| Largest city | North Port | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 725 sq mi (1,878 km2) | |
| • Land | 556 sq mi (1,440 km2) | |
| • Water | 169 sq mi (438 km2), 23.4% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 405,549 | |
| • Density | 683/sq mi (264/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 16th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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| Country | United States of America |
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| Type | Public Library |
| Established | 1907 |
| Location | Sarasota |
| Branch of | All |
| Branches | 8 |
| Collection | |
| Size | 900,975 |
| Other information | |
| Budget | 9,667,680 (2012) |
| Website | https://www.scgov.net/library/Pages/default.aspx |
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 379,448. Its county seat is Sarasota, and its largest city is North Port. A majority (over 60%) of Sarasota County's residents live in unincorporated areas outside of its four municipalities.
Sarasota County is included in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Sarasota County was created in 1921. After acquisition by the United States as a territory and once Florida obtained state status, the area now included in the county had been governed by Hillsborough County, then Manatee County as the state was divided into smaller and smaller governmental organizations. Manatee County was carved up to allow the creation of three more counties as well.
Although the name was associated with the area from the beginning of European contacts the origin of the name, Sarasota, is unknown. Some believe a fanciful story created for a popular early twentieth-century pageant held in Sarasota, that it was named after the daughter of famous explorer Hernando de Soto's daughter Sara.
According to the Florida League of Cities, the name first appeared in print as "Zarazote" on a 1763 land grant map.
Joseph Daniel Anderson was one of the pioneers of the Sarasota area. He established his homestead in the Forked Creek area in 1886 and became an early leader in what now is southern Sarasota County (having been Manatee County from 1855 until 1921).
The following is a transcript from a Sarasota County historical marker that was erected in a park dedicated to Anderson on Manasota Key.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 725 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 556 square miles (1,440 km2) is land and 169 square miles (440 km2) (23.4%) is water.
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