Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern
coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and
environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, connections to the Ringling family,
and its 'school' of architecture. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north
of Fort Myers. Its current official limits include Sarasota Bay and several
barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, in 2012 Sarasota had a population of 52,211. In 1986 it became
designated as a certified local government. Sarasota is a principal city of the
