The Sarasota metropolitan area is a metropolitan area located in Southwest Florida. The metropolitan area is defined by the Office of Management and Budget as the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area as a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) consisting of Manatee County and Sarasota County. The largest cities in the MSA are North Port, Sarasota, and Bradenton. At the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 833,716. The federal government defines the North Port–Sarasota combined statistical area as a combined statistical area (CSA) consisting of the combination of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton MSA, the Punta Gorda, Florida MSA (Charlotte County), and the Arcadia, Florida, micropolitan statistical area (DeSoto County). At the 2020 census, the CSA had a population of 1,054,539. History of the metropolitan area designations The Sarasota standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) was first defined in 1973, and included only Sarasota County. The Bradenton SMSA was defined after the 1980 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 2007, the MSA was renamed the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice MSA because Bradenton's population then exceeded that of Sarasota. In 2009, the area was designated the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota MSA after North Port qualified as a "principal city" under the metropolitan statistical area definition and was determined to be the largest of the area's three principal cities. As of 2013, the MSA was renamed to its current name: North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area. The North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton MSA is a component of the larger North Port–Sarasota combined statistical area (CSA), which also includes the Punta Gorda, Florida MSA, and the Arcadia, Florida, micropolitan statistical area (μSA). Demographics Counties Cities Largest cities The following is a list of the five largest cities in the Sarasota metropolitan area as ranked by population. Other cities and towns Census designated places The following is a list of census-designated places (CDPs) ranked by population. CDPs in the combined statistical area are included. Climate The Sarasota metropolitan area, like most of Florida, is located in the humid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), closely bordering on a tropical climate like Southern Florida. There are hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and relatively drier and mild winters. Transportation Roads Freeways Interstate 75 Interstate 275 U.S. highways U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 301 State roads State