Manatee County was created in 1855 and was named in honor of the Florida manatee, Florida’s official marine mammal. When Manatee County was originally created, it included all of what are now Charlotte County, DeSoto County, Glades County, Hardee County, Highlands County, Sarasota County, and a portion of Lee County. The area now known as Manatee County was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years. The southern mouth of the Manatee River was most likely the landing site of the De Soto Expedition, and is now the location of the U.S. National Park Service’s De Soto National Memorial. In 1842, the area was opened to settlement and the first two settlers in the area were Joseph and Hector Braden who moved into an area just north of the mouth of the Manatee River after having lost their land for their plantations in Northern Florida during the Panic of 1837. Tragically, Hector drowned while trying to cross the Manatee River on his horse during a hurricane just four years later, but Joseph decided to stay and build his sugar plantation, the Braden Sugar Mill at the mouth of the Manatee River and the Braden River. He later also built a dock where Main Street was, a stockade near his house, and the Braden Castle. The Braden Castle was made out of tabby and served as Joseph’s residence for six years before he moved to Tallahassee, Florida. The Braden Castle became a popular tourist attraction to Tin Can Tourists in the early 1900s. Manatee County was also the home of the Gamble Plantation, a sugar plantation that became known as one of the South’s finest.
Home Buyer Information
- Manatee County consists of 23 cities
- The Average Home Listing Price in Manatee County is $294,900
- The Average Home Listing Price Per Square Foot in Manatee County is $159
- The Average Home Selling Price in Manatee County is $266,000
- The Average Home / Apartment Rental Price in Manatee County is $2,078 per month
- The Median Household Income in Manatee County is $51,748 per year
Community Information
- Bradenton Herald – everything you need to know about the local Bradenton area news https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/
- Manatee – Sarasota Herald Tribune or Manatee County News – everything you need to know about the local Manatee County area news https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/lakewoodranch or https://www.mymanatee.org/news___events/what_s_new
- Manatee County Community Information – https://www.mymanatee.org/
- Sarasota – Bradenton International Airport – https://srq-airport.com/
- Manatee County Property Appraiser – https://www.manateepao.com/
- Manatee County Clerk of Courts – https://www.manateeclerk.com/
- Manatee County Tax Collector – https://www.taxcollector.com/
Local School Information
Manatee County Schools aims to fulfill their mission to “educate and develop all students today for their success tomorrow”, and work every day towards their motto “inspiring our students to learn, dream, and achieve”. Serving more than 47,890 students in their 51 public schools and 4,555 students in their 32 private schools. Manatee County Schools also plans to open three new schools for the 2019-2020 school year, one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school.
- Manatee County Public Schools – https://www.manateeschools.net
- Polk County Private Schools – http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/private-schools/parent-info.stml
- Polk County Charter Schools – http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/charter-schools/charter-school-faqs.stml
- Information About Florida’s School Choice Program – floridaschoolchoice.org
- School Reviews and Information – greatschools.org/florida or www.privateschoolreview.com/florida/manatee-county
- State College of Florida Bradenton – https://www.sscf.edu/
- State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota – https://www.scf.edu/
- University of South Florida Sarasota – https://usfsm.edu/
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine – https://lecom.edu/
[/iee_list_box_item][/iee_list_box][iee_list_box title=”” title_align=”center” icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”yes” circlecolor=”#3a3a3a” size=”16px” item_align=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” title_color=”” border_size=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” border_style=”solid” border_radius=”square”][iee_list_box_item icon=””]Crime Data
- Manatee County Crime Statistics – http://www.manateesheriff.com/pdf/CrimeStats/2015%20Annual%20Uniform%20Crime%20Report.pdf
- Manatee County Interactive Crime Map – https://spotcrime.com/fl/manatee+county
- Manatee County Sheriff’s Office – http://www.manateesheriff.com/
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement – fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/County-Profiles/Manatee.aspx
- Sexual Offenders and Predators Information – https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/neighborhoodSearch.jsf
Utilities Contact Information
- Florida Power and Light (FPL) – 941-917-0708 or https://www.fpl.com
- Peace River Electric Cooperative – 863-773-4116 or https://www.preco.coop/
- Peoples Natural Gas / TECO – 877-832-6747 or peoplesgas.com
- Bradenton Public Works (Water) – 941-708-6300 or https://www.cityofbradenton.com/?SEC=EE5082B6-F1E5-4B22-9B51-4721BB3A8788
- Manatee County Utilities (Water) – 941-792-8811 or https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/utilities
- Palmetto Public Works (Water) – 941-723-4580 or https://www.palmettofl.org/78/Public-Works
- Bright House Networks / Spectrum Cable, Internet, and Phone Services – 866-976-EASY or https://brighhthouse.com/ or https://spectrum.com
- Verizon FIOS Cable and Internet – 900-483-4000 or https://www.frontierbundles.com/availability/florida/bradenton
- Verizon Residential Phone Services – 800-483-4000 or https://www.verizon.com/home/phone/
- Comcast Cable Services – 941-371-4444 or https://www.xfinity.com
Shopping
- Ellenton Premium Outlets – 941-729-8615 or https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/ellenton
- Main Street at Lakewood Ranch – 941-907-6000 or https://lakewoodranch.com/town-centers/main-street/
- The Mall at University Town Center – 941-552-7000 or https://www.mallatutc.com/
- Red Barn Flea Market – 941-747-3794 or https://www.redbarnfleamarket.com/
- Siesta Key Village – simplysiestakey.com/VillageShopsMap.hhtml
- Armands Circle – https://www.starmandscircleassoc.com/
- Westfield Sarasota Square – 941-922-9609 or https://www.westfield.com/sarasota
- Westfield Siesta Key – 941-955-0900 or https://www.westfield.com/siestakey
Things To Do
- Anna Maria Island – https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/anna-maria-island.html
- DeSoto National Memorial – 941-792-0458 or https://www.nps.gov/deso/index.htm
- South Florida Museum / Bishop Planetarium / Parker Manatee Aquarium – a one-stop attraction with something for everyone 941-746-4131 or southfloridamuseum.org/
- Coquina Beach – https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/anna-maria-island.html
- TreeUmph! Adventure Course – 941-322-2130 or https://www.treeumph.com/
- Manatee Public Beach – https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/parks___natural_resources/parks__preserves___beaches/manatee_public_beach
- Lake Manatee State Park – 941-741-3028 or https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/lake-manatee-state-park
- Florida Railroad Museum – 941-776-0906 or frrm.org/
- Gamble Plantation Historic State Park – 941-723-4536 or https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/judah-p-benjamin-confederate-memorial-gamble-plantation-historic-state-park
- Robinson Preserve – 941-724-5923 or http://www.robinsonpreserve.com/
- T. Bray Park – https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/parks___natural_resources/g__t__bray_recreation_center
- Riverwalk – http://www.realizebradenton.com/riverwalk
- Palma Sola Botanical Park – 941-761-2866 or palmasolabp.org/
- Village of the Arts – https://www.villageofthearts.com/
- Manatee Village Historical Park – 941-749-7165 or manateevillage.org/
- Florida Maritime Museum – 941-708-6120 or https://www.floridamaritimemuseum.org/
- Anna Maria Island Historical Society – 941-778-0492 or https://www.amihs.org/
- Big Cat Habitat Gulf Coast Sanctuary – 941-371-6377 or bigcathabitat.org/
- Rye Preserve – https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/parks___natural_resources/parks__preserves___beaches/rye_preserve
- Myakka River State Park – https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/myakka-river-state-park
- Cortez Beach – https://www.bradentongulfislands.com/places/130/cortez-beach
- The Fish Hole Miniature Golf – 941-778-3388 or thefishhole.com/
- Little Manatee River State Park – https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/little-manatee-river-state-park
- ArtCenter Manatee –
- Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf – 727-398-7008 or https://www.smugglersgolf.com/
- Emerson Point Preserve – 941-742-5923 or https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/parks___natural_resources/parks__preserves___beaches/emerson_point_preserve
- Manatee County Agricultural Museum – 941-721-2034 or http://www.manateecountyagmuseum.com/
Professional Sports
- Bradenton Marauders (Minor League Baseball) – https://www.milb.com/bradenton