Sarasota Sister Cities Association

Citizen Diplomats - Carving a Path toward Peace Since 1963

MANATEE COUNTY was created in 1855. It was named for the manatee or sea cow. County seat is Bradenton.
The county has a total area of 2,312 km² (893 mi²). 1,919 km² (741 mi²) of it is land and 393 km² (152 mi²) of it (16.99%) is water

Cities in Manatee County include Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Longboat Key & Palmetto. Unincorporated communities include Bayshore Gardens, Cortez, Ellenton, Memphis, Oneco, Parrish, Samoset, South Bradenton, West Bradenton, West Samoset, and Whitfield