Sarasota County is located on the West Coast of Florida, about 60 miles south of Tampa. The county's approximately 600 square miles extend west from rustic ranch land to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay. With more than 35 miles of gulf beaches, residents are within a 15-minute drive of the most spectacular white sand beaches in the world. The average year-round temperature is a pleasant 72 degrees; averaging 61.5 degrees in January and 80 degrees in August. The average annual rainfall is 60 inches.

Sarasota offers a diversity of neighborhoods to suit every taste and budget, each with a unique personality. Residents enjoy all the hospitality of a small town combined with the amenities and modern infrastructure of a large city. Sarasota County's communities include: Sarasota, Englewood, North Port, Venice, St Armands Circle; and the barrier islands of Casey Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key and Siesta Key.

Apart from the sun, what residents love most is the range of cultural opportunities. These include an opera, a symphony, a film society, a theater scene (from Broadway classics like Porgy and Bess to a cabaret where you can dine while watching original productions), lots of art galleriesóand The Ringling Museum of Art (with paintings by Rubens as well as circus props).