Whitfield, also known as Whitfield Estates, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,989. It is part of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. It receives its mail from the Sarasota post office located in Sarasota County. History Whitfield Estates was formerly a wooded area that had been homesteaded by General John Riggin, aide-de-camp to Ulysses S. Grant. The property included the bayfront estate of Alfred Ringling. In 1924, the property was purchased from Richard T. Ringling, son of Alfred, by a corporation called Whitfield Estates, Inc., held by Louis Broughton Whitfield, D. G. Haley, E. H. Price, and E. S. Delaplane, Jr., all residents of Alabama. Louis Whitfield, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and president and primary investor of the development, was founder and president of the Alaga Syrup Company and the W. W. Pickle Company. Many streets in the subdivision were named for the Whitfield family, including Broughton and Pearl. The original plan for Whitfield Estates called for a housing development, an 18-hole golf course, hotel, yacht basin and man-made islands in the bay. Donald Ross was retained as the golf course architect. Sometime during late 1925 or very early into 1926, L. B. Whitfield would leave the development and his interest was taken over by Adair realty. In 1926, the developing neighborhood was incorporated as a city with E.S. Bond acting as mayor. Like many other Florida Land Boom developments, it would never end up reaching the goals set by its developers. One of the first signs of financial trouble came when a decision was made to open membership of the Whitfield Estates County Club for residents of Sarasota and Bradenton if they agreed to take over the operating expenses associated with it. After the collapse of the boom, the residents of Whitfield would have difficulties staying there. Some homes would go through a series of different rentals while those that were under construction would end up being left unfinished for several years. With the 1929 stock market crash and the arrival of the Great Depression, the conditions further worsened for residents there. During the years of the Great Depression there would be very little construction in Whitfield. In 1937 a group of club members ended up buying the golf course and club house, renaming it "Sarasota Bay Country Club".