Manatee County, Florida

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Manatee County, Florida
Bradenton FL newer county crths pano01.jpg
Manatee County Courthouse
Map of Florida highlighting Manatee County
Location in the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location in the U.S.
Founded January 9, 1855
Named for Florida manatee
Seat Bradenton
Largest city Bradenton
Area
 • Total 893 sq mi (2,313 km2)
 • Land 743 sq mi (1,924 km2)
 • Water 150 sq mi (388 km2), 16.8%
Population
 • (2013) 342,106
 • Density 435/sq mi (168/km²)
Congressional districts 16th, 17th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.mymanatee.org

Manatee County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 322,833.[1] Its county seat and largest city is Bradenton.[2] The county was created in 1855. It was named for the Florida manatee[3] (commonly called a "sea cow" and distantly related to the elephant), which is endangered and Florida's official marine mammal.

Manatee County is included in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Features of Manatee County include access to the Southern part of Tampa Bay, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and the Manatee River. Rowing facilities are being developed in the area and the Upper Manatee River Canoe Trail has been created. There are several parks and preserves.

History

The area now known as Manatee County was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years. The southern mouth of the Manatee River was likely the landing site of the De Soto Expedition and is the location of the U.S. National Park Service's De Soto National Memorial. The area was opened to settlement in 1842 and Manatee County had the Gamble Plantation a sugar plantation which was the south's finest plantation. The area that Manatee County is in today had a major feature for pioneers - the Manatee River. Most pioneers chosed to settle here because of the fertile soil at the Manatee River Valley. The Manatee River was also a deep river which made it a valuable place to settle at.

Every January, the Manatee County Fair takes place at the fairgrounds.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 893 square miles (2,310 km2), of which 743 square miles (1,920 km2) is land and 150 square miles (390 km2) (%) is water.[4]

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

A great egret in Myakka River State Park

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 854 —
1870 1,931 126.1%
1880 3,544 83.5%
1890 2,895 −18.3%
1900 4,663 61.1%
1910 9,550 104.8%
1920 18,712 95.9%
1930 22,502 20.3%
1940 26,098 16.0%
1950 34,704 33.0%
1960 69,168 99.3%
1970 97,115 40.4%
1980 148,442 52.9%
1990 211,707 42.6%
2000 264,002 24.7%
2010 322,833 22.3%
Est. 2014 351,746 [5] 9.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

In 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the county's population was 333,810. The racial makeup of the county was 86.6% White, 9.3% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.6% from two or more races. 15.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[10]

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 264,002 people, 112,460 households, and 73,773 families residing in the county. The population density was 356/sq mi (138/km2). There were 138,128 housing units at an average density of 186/sq mi (72/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.36% White, 8.19% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.84% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. 9.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000 there were 112,460 households out of which 23.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.70% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 24.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,673, and the median income for a family was $46,576. Males had a median income of $31,607 versus $25,007 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,388. About 7.10% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.30% of those under age 18 and 6.20% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Bealls of Florida has its headquarters in unincorporated Manatee County.[12][13]

Libraries

The Manatee County Public Library System serves the residents of Manatee County with six locations:

  • Central - Bradenton
  • Palmetto - Palmetto
  • Braden River - Bradenton
  • Island - Holmes Beach
  • South Manatee - Bradenton
  • Rocky Bluff - Ellenton
  • Talking Book Library is administered through the Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library, Daytona [1]

Library cards are free to those who reside, own property, attend school, and/or work in Manatee County. Non-residents may obtain a temporary card upon payment of a $20.00 annual fee.[14][15]

The library system provides a variety of services which include adult, young adult, and children's materials, as well as a genealogy section and the Eaton Florida History Reading Room. The libraries also offer extensive programming that includes author luncheons, children's story-times and summer reading programs. Computers for all to use are also provided at all locations, and the library system has licensing to OverDrive, Inc. and Freegal Music. Ask a Librarian, the on-line Florida librarian reference service is available through the Manatee County Public Library System as well.[16]

Manatee County participates in the Little Free Library program. The Palmetto Branch will place their Little Free Library in 2015, and then all six Manatee County Libraries will have them. Several Manatee County Parks have Little Free Libraries including Emerson Point Preserve, Robinson Preserve, Greenbrook Park, Bennett Park, Jigg's Landing and Conservatory Park.[17][18]

History of libraries

Public libraries in Manatee County began in the year 1898 with a privately owned rental library was created by Mrs. Julia Fuller in the Mrs. Bass Dry Goods store. The first independent library building in the county was opened in Bradenton in 1907, followed by Palmetto building a Carnegie Library in 1914 and Bradenton doing the same in 1918. For much of the 20th century, libraries in both cities were free to city residents while county residents had to pay a non-resident fee. In 1964, the city library associations in Bradenton and Palmetto merged with the Manatee County government to create what is now known as the Manatee County Public Library System. This was followed by the establishment of a bookmobile for rural areas in late 1964 and a Talking Books program for the blind in 1966.

As demands on the bookmobile grew and the library collection outstripped the existing buildings in Bradenton and Palmetto, the first branch of the Manatee County Public Library system was built in Bayshore in 1967, followed by a new branch on East Ninth Street in 1969 and an Island branch in 1971, the last of which later moved into a new building in 1983. A new building for the Palmetto Library was built in 1969, eventually followed by the modern Central Public Library in downtown Bradenton in 1978.

The 1990s saw a period of rapid growth for Manatee County, and the library system grew to accommodate, with the Braden River, Rocky Bluff, and South Manatee branches opening in 1991, 1994, and 1998, respectively, and the Braden River branch subsequently moved to a new building in 1997, bringing the Manatee County Library System to its modern state.

Communities

Map of Manatee County indicating incorporated municipalities. Number corresponds to list at left.

Cities

Town

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated places

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Transportation

Airports

Major Roads

See also

References

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  10. ↑ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12081.html
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ "Contact Us." Bealls (Florida). Retrieved on December 14, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Samoset CDP, Florida." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 14, 2009.
  14. ↑ http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library/library-cards.html "Library Card Policies" Retrieved March 15, 2015
  15. ↑ http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library/locations-hours.html%7C "Locations and Hours: Manatee County Public Library System" Retrieved April 19, 2013
  16. ↑ http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/neighborhood-services/library.html "Manatee County Public Library System" Retrieved March 15, 2015
  17. ↑ Palmetto Friends of the Library. (Spring 2015). Palmetto Friends of the Library Newsletter.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Government links/Constitutional offices

Special districts

Judicial branch

Education and Cultural Resources

Tourism links

 Hillsborough County Polk County
Gulf of Mexico Hardee County
  Manatee County, Florida  
Sarasota County DeSoto County

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