{{short description|County in Florida, United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox U.S. county | county = Manatee County | state = Florida | type = U.S. county | official_name = | ex image = Manatee_County_Administration_Building.jpg | ex image size = | ex image cap = Manatee County Administration Building | flag size = | flag border = | flag wl = | seal = Manatee County Government Seal.png | seal size = 75 | seal wl = | logo = File:Logo of Manatee County, Florida.svg | nickname = | motto = | demonym = | ZIP codes = | area codes = 941 | founded date = January 9 | founded year = 1855 | named for = Florida manatee | leader type = | leader name = | seat = | seat wl = Bradenton | city type = | largest city = | largest city wl = Bradenton | area_total_sq_mi = 893 | area_land_sq_mi = 743 | area_water_sq_mi = 150 | area percentage = 16.8 | pop = 399710 | census yr = 2020 | pop_est_as_of = 2025 | population_est = 468200 {{gain}} | density_sq_mi = auto | district = 16th | district2 = | district3 = | time zone = Eastern | tz note = | web = www.mymanatee.org | footnotes = | coordinates = {{coord|27.48|-82.36|region:US-FL_type:county|display=title}} <!-- {{coord|lat|N|lon|W|display=title}} --> }} '''Manatee County''' is located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 399,710.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/manateecountyflorida/PST045221|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 20, 2020}}</ref> Manatee County is part of the Sarasota metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Bradenton, Florida.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=https://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The county was created in 1855 and named for the West Indian manatee,<ref>{{cite book|title=Publications of the Florida Historical Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZQ-AAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA33|year=1908|publisher=Florida Historical Society|page=33}}</ref> Florida's official marine mammal. Features of Manatee County include access to the southern part of the Tampa Bay estuary, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and the Manatee River.
==History==
===Prehistoric history=== The area now known as Manatee County had been inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years. Shell middens and other archaeological digs have been conducted throughout the county, including at Terra Ceia and Perico Island. These digs revealed materials belonging to peoples from the Woodland period.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Willey |first1=Gordon |title=Culture Sequence in the Manatee Region of West Florida |journal=American Antiquity |date=January 1948 |volume=13 |issue=3 |page=210 |doi=10.2307/275425 |jstor=275425 |s2cid=161791092 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/275425 |access-date=March 28, 2022|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bullen |first1=Ripley |title=Terra Ceia Site, Manatee County, Florida |journal=Florida Anthropological Society |date=1951 |pages=7–9 |url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00066144/00001 |access-date=March 28, 2022}}</ref>
===European exploration and early settlement=== 310px|thumb|Map of Manatee County in 1856, shortly after its creation
Some historians have suggested that the southern mouth of the Manatee River was the landing site of the De Soto Expedition.<ref>Bullen. p. 7</ref>
Due to conflict during the Patriot War and First Seminole War, many Native American and African American refugees fled to the Tampa Bay region of Florida, and some settled in now-Manatee County.<ref>Oldham, Vickie, ''[https://www.lookingforangola.org/ Looking for Angola]''</ref> The settlement they founded on the Manatee River was called Angola.<ref>Eger, Issac, ''[https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/angola-enslaved-people-florida Angola Highlights Florida’s History as a Haven for Escaped Enslaved People: The settlement has been called one of the most significant historical sites in Florida and perhaps the United States]'', Sarasota Magazine, October 19, 2023</ref> By 1819, the population of Angola may have reached as high as 700 people.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rivers |first1=Larry E. |title=Slavery in Florida : territorial days to emancipation |date=2000 |publisher=University Press of Florida |location=Gainesville |isbn=9780813018133 |pages=7–8}}</ref><ref>Time Sifters, ''[https://www.timesifters.org/rememberingthemanateemaroons/ Remembering The Manatee River Maroons Of 1821: Heritage, Archaeology, and Digital Reconstructions]'', Time Sifters Archaeology Society, Sarasota, Florida</ref>
The Manatee area was opened to settlement in 1842 with the passing of the federal Armed Occupation Act.<ref name=statutes>{{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=005/llsl005.db&recNum=539|title=An Act to provide for the armed occupation and settlement of the unsettled part of the Peninsula of East Florida|access-date=April 13, 2022}}</ref> Early settlements included the Manatee Colony led by Colonel Samuel Reid that numbered 31 individuals, both black and white.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Knetsch |first1=Joe |title=The Army Vs. The Indians Vs. The Settlers: The South Florida Frontier Between the Seminole Wars |journal=Sunland Tribune |date=2000 |volume=26 |issue=10 |page=2 |url=https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1337&context=sunlandtribune |access-date=April 13, 2022}}</ref> Other prominent early settlers were Joseph and Hector Braden who moved into an area near the Manatee River in 1842.<ref name="bradenton">{{Cite news|url=http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article34739931.html#0|title=Manatee History Matters: Braidentown, Bradentown, Bradenton - What's in a name?|work=bradenton|access-date=April 5, 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522164614/http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article34739931.html|archive-date=May 22, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The two had lost their land for their plantations in Northern Florida during the Panic of 1837. They were said to have heard that land in the area was abundant. The brothers moved into a log cabin five miles north of the mouth of the Manatee River. Four years later, Hector drowned while trying to cross the Manatee River on his horse during a hurricane. Despite this tragic event, Joseph decided he would still build the Braden sugar mill{{efn|Sugar production became a major industry in the area during the 1840s, and several major sugar works were established.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Camp |first1=Paul |title=The Attack on Braden Castle: Robert Braden Castle: Robert Gamble t Gamble's Account |journal=Tampa Bay History |date=1979 |volume=1 |issue=8 |pages=1–8 |url=https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=tampabayhistory |access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref>}} at the mouth of the Manatee and Braden Rivers. He later built a dock where Main Street was and fortified the area near his house by building a stockade. A few years later in 1851, he built the Braden Castle, which was made out of tabby and served as his residence. In spring of 1856, the fortified home was attacked by Seminole Indians during the Third Seminole War.{{sfn|Camp|1979|page=1}} It later became a popular tourist attraction in the early 1900s with Tin Can Tourists. He only stayed there for the next six years before moving to Tallahassee.<ref name="bradenton"/>
===County formation and development=== Manatee County was carved out from a vast Hillsborough County in January 1855 and led by Florida Senate President Hamlin V. Snell.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Smith, Jr. |first=Gilbert A. |title=Lawyers & Legends of Manatee County: The History of Lawyers in Manatee County from 1855-2012 |publisher=Johnson Printing, Bradenton, FL |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-615-74080-5 |pages=}}</ref> The new county covered 5,000 square miles and included all of what are now Charlotte, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, part of Lee, and Sarasota Counties.<ref>{{cite web|title = Pioneer Life in Manatee County|url = https://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/community-services/kids-pages/our-history/pioneer-life.html|website = www.mymanatee.org|access-date = January 25, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160201151358/https://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/community-services/kids-pages/our-history/pioneer-life.html|archive-date = February 1, 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Manatee County Sheriffs Office: 1855-2005 150th Anniversary History and Pictorial |date=2005 |publisher=Turner Publishing Company |location=United States |page=7}}</ref> The original county seat was Manatee, a village on the southern shore of the Manatee River in what now is eastern Bradenton. In 1866, the county seat was moved from the village of Manatee to Pine Level, as a result of a referendum mandated by the Florida Legislature.<ref name=":1" /> In 1887, the county seat was moved again due to the creation of DeSoto County within the existing boundaries.<ref name=":2" /> Braiden Town (Bradenton) was selected as the new county seat by referendum of the county residents who mostly resided near the Manatee River.<ref name=":1" /> In 1921, Sarasota County was created by the Florida Legislature, which further reduced Manatee County to its current boundaries.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Morris |first=Allen |title=The Florida Handbook 1997-1998 |publisher=The Peninsular Publishing Company, Tallahassee, FL |year=1997 |edition=26th Biennial |pages=}}</ref>
===American Civil War=== Following the Seminole Wars, Manatee County continued to grow in both population and economic output. Hogs and some sheep were raised, but the land was primarily used for cattle raising. The cattle-to-person ratio in Manatee County in 1860 was 37 to one.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Otto |first1=John Solomon |title=Open-Range Cattle Herding in Antebellum South Florida |journal=Southeastern Geographer |date=May 1986 |volume=26 |issue=1 |page=56 |doi=10.1353/sgo.1986.0001 |jstor=44370789 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44370789 |access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> Processed sugar and molasses were produced and exported. This agricultural economy, like much of the south, was increasingly becoming reliant on slave labor.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Matthews |first1=Janet |title=Edge of Wilderness |date=1983 |publisher=Caprine Press |location=Tulsa, OK |isbn=0914381008 |page=249}}</ref> A federal census in 1860 showed that the county had a population of 601 white people and 214 enslaved black people.<ref>{{cite web |title=1860 8th Federal Census |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1860/population/1860a-09.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census |access-date=December 8, 2025}}</ref> After the outbreak of the American Civil War, Manatee County provided supplies to the Confederate army. Aside from the Union blockade, the Federal army dispatched raiding parties throughout Florida to further limit the Confederate supply chain. For example in August 1864, the Union schooner USS ''Stonewall'' came up the Manatee River on a raid. According to the Florida State Archives, Dr. Braden's sugar works were destroyed during the raid.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. Joseph Addison Braden's sugar mill - Bradenton, Florida |url=https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/25724 |publisher=State Library and Archives of Florida |access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref> However, another source states that Braden's property was left untouched.{{sfn|Camp|1979|page=3}}
According to a partial list of soldiers of the Confederate States of America, the county also sent at least 100 of its citizens to fight.{{sfn|Matthews|1983|page=254}} Some of the men from Manatee were recruited to the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment, which fought as part of the Army of Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web |title=Battle Unit Details: 7th Regiment, Florida Infantry |url=https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=CFL0007RI |website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref>
Within Manatee County is the Gamble Plantation, a sugar plantation and home of Major Robert Gamble.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manatee Genealogical Society - Manatee County|url=https://mgsfl.org/cpage.php?pt=12|access-date=May 18, 2021|website=mgsfl.org}}</ref> Following the Civil War, in May 1865, the Confederate secretary of state, Judah P. Benjamin, took refuge at the mansion for several weeks before escaping to England.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Bob |title=Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble Plantation - Ellenton, Florida |url=https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/35760 |website=Florida Memory |publisher=State Library and Archives of Florida |access-date=December 8, 2025}}</ref>
==Geography== According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|893|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|150|sqmi}} (17%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>
===Adjacent counties=== * Hillsborough County – north * Polk County – northeast * Hardee County – east * DeSoto County – southeast * Sarasota County – south
===State and nationally protected areas=== [[Image:Great Egret - Myakka River State Park.jpg|thumb|right|A great egret in Myakka River State Park]] * De Soto National Memorial * Lake Manatee State Park * Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site * Myakka River State Park * Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge * Terra Ceia Preserve State Park * Wingate Creek State Park * Pillsbury Mound Preserve<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 17, 2022 |title=Conservation Management Plan |url=https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/20220217_Pillsbury_Temple_Mound_MP.pdf |url-status=live |website=Florida Department of Environmental Protection}}</ref>
===Rivers=== * Manatee River ** Wares Creek ** Braden River *** Gamble Creek * Bowlees Creek
===Lakes=== * Ward Lake * Lake Parrish * Lake Manatee
==Demographics== {{US Census population | 1860 = 854 | 1870 = 1931 | 1880 = 3544 | 1890 = 2895 | 1900 = 4663 | 1910 = 9550 | 1920 = 18712 | 1930 = 22502 | 1940 = 26098 | 1950 = 34704 | 1960 = 69168 | 1970 = 97115 | 1980 = 148442 | 1990 = 211707 | 2000 = 264002 | 2010 = 322833 | 2020 = 399710 | estyear = 2025 | estimate = 468200 | estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2025">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 6, 2026}}</ref> {{increase}} | align-fn = center | footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="Census">{{cite web |url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762158.html |website=Infoplease |title=Preference for Racial or Ethnic Terminology |access-date=February 8, 2006}}</ref><ref name="2022PopulationEstimate">{{cite web |title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2022 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |website=County Population Totals: 2020-2022 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 30, 2023 |date=March 30, 2023 }}</ref> | align = right }}
===2020 census===
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 399,710 and 168,437 households. Of those households, 23.1% had children under 18, 49.3% were married-couple households, 16.6% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, 27.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, 27.9% were someone living alone, with 15.5% 65 or older.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME,DP1_0021P,DP1_0024P,DP1_0025C,DP1_0049C,DP1_0045C,DP1_0069C,DP1_0073C,DP1_0125P,DP1_0126P,DP1_0129P,DP1_0133P,DP1_0137P,DP1_0138P,DP1_0139P,DP1_0141P,DP1_0142P,DP1_0143P,DP1_0145P,DP1_0146P,DP1_0147C,DP1_0148C,DP1_0149C,DP1_0156C,DP1_0157C,DP1_0158C,DP1_0159P,DP1_0160P&for=county%3A081&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>
The median age was 49.4 years; 18.3% of residents were under 18 and 27.9% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
The racial makeup of the county was 72.3% White, 8.0% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.6% from some other race, and 10.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 17.8% of the population.<ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N,P1_003N,P1_004N,P1_005N,P1_006N,P1_007N,P1_008N,P1_009N,P2_001N,P2_002N,H1_001N,H1_002N&for=county%3A081&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>
About 95.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.7% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME,P2_002N,P2_003N&for=county%3A081&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>
Of the 206,633 housing units, 18.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.0% were owner-occupied and 29.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.8%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
The median income for a household in the county was $59,963 in 2020, with a per capita income in the past 12 months of $35,146. A reported 10.9% of the population lived in poverty.
===Racial and ethnic composition===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Manatee County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> !Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> !Pop 1980<ref>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1980 U.S. Census - General Population Characteristics - Table 16 Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race: 1980 |website=United States Census Bureau|date=1980 |url= https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_flABCs1-02.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> !Pop 1990<ref>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1990 U.S. Census - Social and Economic Characteristics - Table 6. Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990 |website=United States Census Bureau|date=1980 |url= https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-2/cp-2-11-1.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Manatee County, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US12081&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Manatee County, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US12081&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Manatee County, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US12081&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !% 1980 !% 1990 !% 2000 !% 2010 !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020 |- |White alone (NH) |131,276 |184,568 |212,664 |236,950 |style='background: #ffffe6; |273,101 |88.44% |87.18% |80.55% |73.40% |style='background: #ffffe6; |68.32% |- |Black or African American alone (NH) |13,106 |15,971 |21,136 |27,228 |style='background: #ffffe6; |31,147 |8.83% |7.54% |8.01% |8.43% |style='background: #ffffe6; |7.79% |- |Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) |259 |439 |527 |608 |style='background: #ffffe6; |779 |0.17% |0.21% |0.20% |0.19% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19% |- |Asian alone (NH) |405 |1,192 |2,330 |5,203 |style='background: #ffffe6; |8,433 |0.27% |0.56% |0.88% |1.61% |style='background: #ffffe6; |2.11% |- |Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref> |92 |168 |style='background: #ffffe6; |246 |x |x |0.03% |0.05% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.06% |- |Other race alone (NH) |211 |113 |253 |521 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,583 |0.14% |0.05% |0.10% |0.16% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.40% |- |Multiracial (NH) |x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref> |2,460 |4,200 |style='background: #ffffe6; |13,442 |x |x |0.93% |1.30% |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.36% |- |Hispanic or Latino (any race) |3,185 |9,424 |24,540 |47,955 |style='background: #ffffe6; |70,979 |2.15% |4.45% |9.30% |14.85% |style='background: #ffffe6; |17.76% |- |'''Total''' |'''148,442''' |'''211,707''' |'''264,002''' |'''322,833''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''399,710 ''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |} ==Economy== Bealls of Florida has its headquarters and was founded 1915 in unincorporated Manatee County.<ref>"[http://www.beallsinc.com/contactus.shtml Contact Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224194231/http://www.beallsinc.com/contactus.shtml |date=December 24, 2009 }}." Bealls (Florida). Retrieved on December 14, 2009.</ref><ref>"[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=16000US1263225&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on Samoset CDP, Florida]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 14, 2009.</ref>
Tropicana was founded in Manatee County in the 1950s.<ref>Hawkins, R. Rossi, Anthony Talamo (1900-1993), businessman. American National Biography. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www-anb-org.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1002203.</ref> Tropicana was bought by PepsiCo in 2001. PepsiCo sold Tropicana to a French private equity firm in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lucas |first1=Amelia |title=PepsiCo to sell Tropicana and other juice brands for $3.3 billion |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/03/pepsico-to-sell-tropicana-and-other-juice-brands-for-3point3-billion.html#:~:text=PepsiCo%20has%20agreed%20to%20sell,a%20French%20private%20equity%20firm. |access-date=March 28, 2022 |agency=CNBC |date=August 3, 2021}}</ref>
==Libraries== {{Infobox library | name = Manatee County Public Library System | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | type = Public | scope = | established = 1964 | ref_legal_mandate = | location = 1301 Barcarrota Blvd West<br />Bradenton, Florida 34203 | coordinates = {{coord|27|29|55.2|N|82|34|29|W|display=inline}} | num_branches = 7 | items_collected = books, movies, newspapers | collection_size = 30,000 | criteria = | legal_deposit = | req_to_access = | annual_circulation = | pop_served = 322,000 | members = 20,000 | budget = $25,000 | director = | num_employees = 120 | website = {{URL|https://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library.html|mymanatee.org/library}} }}
The Manatee County Public Library System offers a collection of adult, young adult, and children's materials, as well as a genealogy section and a local history collection in the form of the Eaton Florida History Reading Room.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://manatee.hosted.civiclive.com/departments/manatee_county_public_library_system/borrow___explore_collections/history_genealogy |title=History & Genealogy - Manatee County |website=mymanatee.org |access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref> Public computers are available at all library locations. The library also has a digital collection that includes e-books through OverDrive, Inc. and Libby; television shows, movies and more e-books through Hoopla; and magazines through Flipster;<ref>{{cite web |title=E-Source Home > Entertainment: Movies, Music, & More |url=https://manatee.polarislibrary.com/polaris/Search/misc/esources.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.3&Category=172 |website=mymanatee.org |access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref> and local images and documents from the late nineteenth century to the early 1980s.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160814224338/http://cdm16681.contentdm.oclc.org/]
The libraries also offer author luncheons, children's story times, summer reading programs, job fairs, and book discussion groups.
The library system serves the county in seven locations: * Central - Bradenton * Palmetto - Palmetto * Braden River - Bradenton * Island - Holmes Beach * South Manatee - Bradenton * Rocky Bluff - Ellenton * Lakewood Ranch - Bradenton * Talking Book Library is administered through the Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library, Daytona [https://web.archive.org/web/20160628025649/http://dbs.myflorida.com/Talking%20Books%20Library/]
In September 2021, a seventh branch was approved by county commissioners, to be built in Lakewood Ranch.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mendoza |first1=Jesse |title=New library coming to Lakewood Ranch |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2021/10/27/lakewood-ranch-getting-new-library-after-6-1-vote-manatee-county/8551720002/ |access-date=April 6, 2022 |agency=Sarasota Herald Tribune |date=October 27, 2021}}</ref> The library's grand opening was on January 12, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lakewood Ranch Library Grand Opening January 12 |url=https://www.mymanatee.org/news___events/what_s_new/lakewood_ranch_library_grand_opening_january_12 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=www.mymanatee.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
Library cards are free to those who reside, own property, attend school, or work in Manatee County. Non-residents may obtain a temporary card upon payment of a $25.00 annual fee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Library Cards |url=https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/manatee_county_public_library_system/library_services/library_cards |access-date=March 23, 2022 |website=www.mymanatee.org |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library/library-cards.html |title="Library Card Policies" Retrieved March 15, 2015 |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326221552/http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library/library-cards.html |archive-date=March 26, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library/locations-hours.html| {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101122/http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library/locations-hours.html%7C |date=March 4, 2016 }} "Locations and Hours: Manatee County Public Library System" Retrieved April 19, 2013</ref>
Manatee County participates in the Little Free Library program. Several Little Free Libraries are at parks and other public places around the county.<ref>{{cite web |title=Little Free Library Map and Search Tool |url=https://littlefreelibrary.org/map/ |website=littlefreelibrary.org |access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref>
===History of libraries=== thumb|alt=Original Bradentown Library |Original Bradenton Library thumb|alt=Palmetto's Carnegie Library |Palmetto's Carnegie Library, built in 1914 thumb|alt=Bradenton's Carnegie Library |Bradenton's Carnegie Library, built in 1918 Manatee County's first public library was a privately owned rental library created by Julia Fuller at the Mrs. Bass Dry Goods store in 1898. The county's first independent library opened in Bradenton in 1907, followed a Carnegie Library in Palmetto in 1914 and another in Bradenton in 1918. For much of the twentieth century, both cities' libraries were free to city residents while county residents had to pay a non-resident fee. In 1964, the Bradenton and Palmetto library associations merged with the Manatee County government to create the Manatee County Public Library System. This was followed by the establishment of a bookmobile for rural areas in 1964 and a Talking Books program for the blind in 1966.<ref>Jasper, C. & McCook, K. (1998). The Florida Library History Project. University of South Florida, Tampa. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED422005.pdf on February 19, 2022. pp. 180-181.</ref>
As demands on the bookmobile grew and the library collection outstripped the existing buildings in Bradenton and Palmetto, the first branch of the Manatee County Public Library system was built in Bayshore in 1967, followed by a new branch on East Ninth Street in 1969 and an Island branch in 1971, the last of which was moved into a new building in 1983. A new building for the Palmetto Library was built in 1969, followed by the modern Central Public Library in downtown Bradenton in 1978.<ref>Jasper & McCook. p. 182</ref>
The 1990s saw a period of rapid growth in Manatee County and the library system grew accordingly, with the Braden River, Rocky Bluff, and South Manatee branches opening in 1991, 1994, and 1998, respectively. The Braden River branch moved to a new building in 1997. The Rocky Bluff location would be moved to a larger location, featuring a built in café, in 2011. The new location is still physically within Ellenton. The additions as well as investment into various technologies such as modern computers, a 3-D Printing Lab, as well as new loanable items, brings Manatee County Libraries to its modern services.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Library History|url=https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/manatee_county_public_library_system/about_manatee_libraries/library_history_|access-date=November 29, 2021|website=www.mymanatee.org|language=en-US|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129164548/https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/manatee_county_public_library_system/about_manatee_libraries/library_history_|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Reciprocal borrowing began in 2000 between Manatee and Sarasota County Libraries, which would be followed by statewide reciprocal borrowing programs. Starting in 2017, the Manatee County library system began offering items including musical instruments, tools, telescopes, binoculars, cake pans, hotspots, and museum passes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the library system began offering WiFi hotspots to patrons in order to provide internet service remotely to work safely and at home. This began in Spring of 2020.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}
On December 15, 2021, the county broke ground for a new East County library, which was to serve the community of Lakewood Ranch. The new library was scheduled to open mid-2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lockwood |first1=Scott |title=Construction of the new East County library in Lakewood Ranch officially breaks ground |url=https://www.yourobserver.com/article/construction-of-the-new-east-county-library-in-lakewood-ranch-officially-breaks-ground |access-date=June 14, 2022 |agency=Your Observer |date=December 17, 2021}}</ref> The new library, dubbed the Lakewood Ranch Library, had its grand opening on January 12, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lakewood Ranch Library Grand Opening January 12 |url=https://www.mymanatee.org/news___events/what_s_new/lakewood_ranch_library_grand_opening_january_12 |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=www.mymanatee.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Education== ===Primary and secondary education=== * Manatee County School District – Public K-12 School district serving all of Manatee County
===Higher education=== * Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Bradenton – Private, nonprofit graduate school of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy * State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota (SCF) – Public, four-year state college, branch campus of State College of Florida * University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus (USF)-Preeminent, Public Research University and member of the American Association of Universities (AAU)
==Communities== [[Image:Cities of Manatee County.svg|thumb|400px|Map of Manatee County indicating incorporated municipalities: {{Ordered list|list_style_type=decimal|Anna Maria|Bradenton|Bradenton Beach|Holmes Beach|Longboat Key|Palmetto}} ]]
===Cities=== * Anna Maria * Bradenton * Bradenton Beach * Holmes Beach * Palmetto
===Town=== * Longboat Key (part)
===Census-designated places=== {{div col}} * Bayshore Gardens * Cortez * Ellenton * Lakewood Ranch (part) * Memphis * Samoset * South Bradenton * West Bradenton * West Samoset * Whitfield {{div col end}}
===Unincorporated places=== {{div col|colwidth=15em}} * Cedar Hammock * Duette * Elwood Park * Fort Hamer * Foxleigh * Gillette * Lake Manatee * Manavista * Manhattan * Marsh Island * Memphis Heights * Myakka City * Oak Knoll * Oneco * Palm View * Palma Sola * Parrish * Rattlesnake Key * Rubonia * Rye * Snead Island * Tara * Terra Ceia * Verna * Village of the Arts * Ward Lake * Waterbury * Willow {{div col end}}
==Transportation== Manatee County has a county transportation service, MCAT. It serves this county, Pinellas County, and Sarasota County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ridemcat.org/|title=MCAT|website=www.ridemcat.org|language=en-US|access-date=April 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402081256/http://www.ridemcat.org/|archive-date=April 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Airports=== * Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport * Airport Manatee 48X, a small local airport located near US Highway 41 and SeaPort Manatee.
===Major Roads=== ===Interstates=== * 25px Interstate 75 – the county's major north-south limited-access freeway * 30px Interstate 275 – the Interstate begins westward from I-75 near Palmetto and has an interchange with US Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) and begins a concurrency with US Route 19 for {{convert|13|miles}} including the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
===U.S. Highways===
* 25px U.S. Route 19 * 25px U.S. Route 41, Tamiami Trail * 30px U.S. Route 301
===State and County Roads===
* 25px State Road 64 * 25px State Road 70 * 30px State Road 684 (Cortez Road) * 30px State Road 789 * 30px State Road 62 * 30px State Road 37 * 25px Rutland Road * 25px University Parkway
===Waterways=== * Intracoastal Waterway * Manatee River
===Ports=== * SeaPort Manatee
==Government==
===Political history=== Manatee County is part of the strongly Republican Sun Belt. The area became a Republican stronghold following World War II and has remained so since: the last Democrat to win Manatee County was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944.<ref name="americamag">{{cite web |url=http://www.americamagazine.org/content/unconventional-wisdom/how-red-and-blue-map-evolved-over-past-century |last1=Sullivan |first1=Robert David |title=How the red and blue map evolved over the past century |website=America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture |date=June 29, 2016 |access-date=July 26, 2018}}</ref>
During the peak of the Socialist Party's prominence in the early 20th century, Manatee County would elect the only socialist to the state legislature, Andrew Jackson Pettigrew to the Florida House of Representatives in 1906 for one term defeating John A. Graham (who was a Democrat) in the general election.<ref name=":0">Griffin, R. Steven; [https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/01/33/96/00001/griffin_r.pdf WORKERS OF THE SUNSHINE STATE UNITE!: THE FLORIDA SOCIALIST PARTY DURING THE PROGRESSIVE ERA, 1900-1920]</ref> As a state legislator he would make several proposals that were inline with what the Party reflected at the national level such as making US Senators popularly elected and creating a national income tax. Overall as a state legislator he would make little progress in getting legislation proposed by him passed.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Paul|first=Brad|date=1999|title=Rebels of the New South: the Socialist Party in Dixie, 1892-1920.|url=https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2270&context=dissertations_1|journal=ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst|pages=129–132|via=University of Massachusetts Amherst}}</ref> Prior to the 1906 race he would run in 1904 for the same position unsuccessfully losing to A.T. Cornwell (also a Democrat) who had served as Bradenton's first mayor and in a variety of positions at the county level. Pettigrew would later go on to run for governor in 1908 and Secretary of Agriculture in 1912 being unsuccessful in both races.<ref name=":0" />
In 1970, Governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. fired Manatee County's superintendent along with the entire school board and appointed himself in their place in an attempt to end desegregation busing.<ref>{{Citation |title=Governor Claude Kirk presides Over School Board Meeting |date=June 19, 1970 |url=https://cdm16681.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16681coll1/id/8153 |publisher=Manatee County Public Library System |format=Photograph, JPEG |access-date=August 4, 2022}}</ref> This situation would last from April 6 to 13 before Kirk left his position as the superintendent.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sanders |first=Randy |date=Winter 2001 |title=Rassling a Governor: Defiance, Desegregation, Claude Kirk, and the Politics of Richard Nixon's Southern Strategy |url=https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4310&context=fhq |journal=The Florida Historical Quarterly |publisher=Florida Historical Society |volume=80 |issue=3 |via=STARS from the University of Central Florida}}</ref>
===Law enforcement and justice===
====Sheriff's Office==== Unincorporated Manatee County is served by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manateesheriff.com/|title=Manatee County Sheriff's office|website=Manatee County Sheriff|access-date=April 2, 2017}}</ref>
====Justice====
=====Circuit Court===== Manatee County is a part of the Twelfth Circuit Court of Florida.
=====Court of Appeals===== Manatee County is part of the Second District of Appeals.
===Recent presidential election results=== {{PresHead|place=Manatee County, Florida|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{cite web|author=David Leip |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |publisher=Uselectionatlas.org |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>}} <!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{PresRow|1892|Democratic|0|348|70|Florida}} {{PresRow|1896|Democratic|135|480|20|Florida}} {{PresRow|1900|Democratic|60|535|93|Florida}} {{PresRow|1904|Democratic|91|592|172|Florida}} {{PresRow|1908|Democratic|93|644|172|Florida}} {{PresRow|1912|Democratic|55|712|269|Florida}} {{PresRow|1916|Democratic|289|1,033|226|Florida}} {{PresRow|1920|Democratic|884|1,790|193|Florida}} {{PresRow|1924|Democratic|629|1,064|240|Florida}} {{PresRow|1928|Republican|2,705|1,472|58|Florida}} {{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,280|2,894|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,455|3,487|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,983|5,131|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1944|Democratic|2,218|4,544|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1948|Republican|3,371|2,766|1,473|Florida}} {{PresRow|1952|Republican|9,055|4,583|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1956|Republican|11,904|5,394|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1960|Republican|16,462|8,814|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1964|Republican|17,147|13,074|0|Florida}} {{PresRow|1968|Republican|18,247|8,286|8,214|Florida}} {{PresRow|1972|Republican|32,664|8,058|218|Florida}} {{PresRow|1976|Republican|29,300|24,342|718|Florida}} {{PresRow|1980|Republican|40,535|21,679|3,362|Florida}} {{PresRow|1984|Republican|55,793|20,889|6|Florida}} {{PresRow|1988|Republican|51,187|26,624|302|Florida}} {{PresRow|1992|Republican|42,725|33,841|23,654|Florida}} {{PresRow|1996|Republican|44,136|41,891|10,851|Florida}} {{PresRow|2000|Republican|58,023|49,226|3,095|Florida}} {{PresRow|2004|Republican|81,318|61,262|1,041|Florida}} {{PresRow|2008|Republican|80,721|70,034|1,712|Florida}} {{PresRow|2012|Republican|85,627|66,503|1,736|Florida}} {{PresRow|2016|Republican|101,944|71,224|7,589|Florida}} {{PresRow|2020|Republican|124,987|90,166|2,319|Florida}} {{PresRow|2024|Republican|140,486|86,674|2,652|Florida}} {{PresFoot}}
===Government officials===
====United States Senate====
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Office !! Senator !! Party |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | Class 3 Senator || Ashley Moody || Republican |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | Class 1 Senator || Rick Scott || Republican |}
====United States House of Representatives====
{| class="wikitable" |- ! District !! Representative !! Party |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | Florida's 16th Congressional District || Vern Buchanan || Republican |}
====Florida State Senate====
{| class="wikitable" |- ! District !! Senator !! Party |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | 21 || Jim Boyd || Republican |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | 22 || Joe Gruters || Republican |}
====Florida House of Representatives====
{| class="wikitable" |- ! District !! Representative !! Party |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | 70 || Michael Owen || Republican |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | 71 || Will Robinson |Republican |- {{Party shading/Republican}} | 72 || Bill Conerly ||Republican |}
====Manatee County Board of County Commissioners==== The Board of Commissioners includes the following:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mymanatee.org/cms/one.aspx?portalid=7588390&pageid=11582828 |title=Board of County Commissioners |website=Manatee County Government |access-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref> {| class=wikitable |- !Position !Incumbent |- |{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 1 |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Carol Ann Felts |- |{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 2 |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Amanda Ballard |- |{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 3 |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Tal Siddique |- |{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 4 |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Mike Rahn |- |{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 5 |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Bob McCann |- |{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 6{{refn|group=note|name=noteA|At-large, representing the entire county.}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Jason Bearden |- |{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 7{{refn|group=note|name=noteA}} |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|George Kruse (Chair) |}
{{reflist|group=note}}
====Public education==== {| class=wikitable |- ! colspan = 3 | Manatee County School Board<ref>{{cite web |title=School Board Members |url=https://www.manateeschools.net/domain/1115|access-date=July 3, 2024 |website=School District of Manatee County}}</ref> |- !Position !Incumbent !Term ends |- |{{Party shading/None}} |District 1 |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|Heather Felton |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|November 2028 |- |{{Party shading/None}} |District 2 |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|Cindy Spray |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|November 2026 |- |{{Party shading/None}} |District 3 |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|Charlie Kennedy |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|November 2028 |- |{{Party shading/None}} |District 4 |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|Chad Choate III |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|November 2026 |- |{{Party shading/None}} |District 5 |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|Richard Tatem |{{Party shading/None}} align="center"|November 2026 |}
{{reflist|group=note}}
====Other offices====
{| class="wikitable" style= margin:10px" |+Constitutional officers |- ! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;"| Office ! style="text-align:center;" | Name ! valign=bottom | Party ! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;"| First elected |- | style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | | Clerk of the Circuit Court | Angelina M. Colonneso | style="text-align:center;" | Republican | style="text-align:center;" | 2015† |- | style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | | Property Appraiser | Charles E. Hackney | style="text-align:center;" | Republican | style="text-align:center;" | 1992 |- | style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | | Sheriff | Rick Wells | style="text-align:center;" | Republican | style="text-align:center;" | 2016† |- | style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | | Supervisor of Elections<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.votemanatee.gov/|title=Manatee County Supervisor of Elections > Home |work=VoteManatee.gov | access-date= April 30, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250430172729/https://www.votemanatee.gov/|archive-date= April 30, 2025 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | Scott Farrington | style="text-align:center;" | Republican | style="text-align:center;" | 2024 |- | style="background-color:{{party color | Republican Party (United States)}}" | | Tax Collector<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taxcollector.com/docs/gen/kenbio.pdf|title=Biography of Manatee County Tax Collector, Ken Burton, Jr. |date=April 2019 | work=TaxCollector.com|access-date=June 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206214334/http://taxcollector.com/docs/gen/kenbio.pdf|archive-date=December 6, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> | Ken Burton, Jr | style="text-align:center;" | Republican | style="text-align:center;" | 1992 |}
===Voter registration=== Information as of November 4, 2025.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 4, 2025 |title=Manatee County, FL : Supervisor of Elections |url=https://www.votemanatee.gov |access-date=November 4, 2025 |website=Manatee County, FL : Supervisor of Elections}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable float" |- ! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment |- ! colspan = 2 | Party ! Number of voters ! Percentage |- | {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}} | Republican | style="text-align:center;"| 135,990 | style="text-align:center;"| {{percentage|135,990|273,873|2}} |- | {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}} | Democratic | style="text-align:center;"| 65,699 | style="text-align:center;"| {{percentage|65,699|273,873|2}} |- | {{party color cell|Independent (United States)}} | Others | style="text-align:center;" | 72,184 | style="text-align:center;" | {{percentage|72,184|273,873|2}} |- ! colspan="2" | Total ! style="text-align:center;" | 273,873 ! style="text-align:center;" | 100% |}
==See also== {{Portal|Florida}} * National Register of Historic Places listings in Manatee County, Florida
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} {{AmCyc Poster|Manatee (county)|Manatee County, Florida}} *{{Official website|http://www.mymanatee.org}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20190724040014/http://www.manateechamber.com/ Manatee Chamber of Commerce]
{{Geographic Location |Centre = Manatee County, Florida |North = Hillsborough County |Northeast = Polk County |East = Hardee County |Southeast = DeSoto County |South = Sarasota County |Southwest = |West = Gulf of Mexico |Northwest = }} {{Manatee County, Florida}} {{Geography of Florida}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Manatee County, Florida Category:Florida counties Category:1855 establishments in Florida Category:Florida placenames of Native American origin Category:Sarasota metropolitan area Category:Counties in the Tampa Bay area