The North Port-Bradenton–Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consisting of Manatee County

Manatee County, Florida

Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and Sarasota County

Sarasota County, Florida

Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....

 in the state of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 in the USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The principal cities in the MSA are Bradenton

Bradenton, Florida

Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...

, located in Manatee County, and Sarasota

Sarasota, Florida

Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...

, and North Port

North Port, Florida

North Port is a city in southern Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,797 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 54,308. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, both located in Sarasota County. At the 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

, the MSA had a population of 589,959. A July 1, 2009 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 688,126.

The Sarasota Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) was first defined in 1973, and included only Sarasota County. The Bradenton Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area was defined after the 1980 United States Census

United States Census

The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...

, and included only Manatee County. The two MSAs were combined in 1993 as the Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. Venice was added as a principal city after the 2000 census. In 2009, the MSA took on its present name when North Port surpassed Bradenton as the area's most populous city.

Cities

Five largest cities (2007 Census Estimate)
City	Population	County
North Port North Port, Florida North Port is a city in southern Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,797 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 54,308. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area...	54,223	Sarasota
Bradenton Bradenton, Florida Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...	53,973	Manatee
Sarasota Sarasota, Florida Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...	52,578	Sarasota
Venice Venice, Florida Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...	21,015	Sarasota
Palmetto Palmetto, Florida Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was listed as 12,606 It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Palmetto is located at ....	13,132	Manatee

Climate

The Bradenton-Sarasota area,like most of Florida, is located in the humid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification

Köppen climate classification

The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

:Cfa). There are hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and relatively drier and mild winters.

External links

• Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Definitions - retrieved July 17, 2008