Anna Maria Island

The Sarasota & Manatee area guide, Florida

Forty miles of coast,
five very different places to live.

Bradenton is not Venice. Lakewood Ranch is not Sarasota. Here's what each one is actually like, how long the drives really take, and what it costs to be there.

02 / The map

Find yourself on the coast.

Five areas, north to south. Tap one to see who lives there, the measured drive times, what season does to the roads, and what is changing. Switch on the layers you care about, from beaches and schools to where the newest homes are going up.

38 mi Parrish to Venice

North to south

Real geography, not a drawing. Gold marks our five areas. Use the Map layers panel to switch places and data on and off, and the Drive button to route from your own address.

Tap an area

Not sure which of the five fits you?

Tell us where you're driving to most weeks and what matters most, and we'll narrow it to two. The questionnaire takes about a minute. Specific communities and what is selling in them are part of that conversation, on purpose. So is our one rule: the best deals are always on homes that are ready now and can close within 30 to 60 days.

Follow along