Manatee

Formed January 9, 1855 (32^nd county)

Manatee County (399,705), Bradenton (55,713)

The tan brick, white columned Classical Revival courthouse is unique.  It was built in 1913 on Manatee Avenue at 12^th Street.  Florida State Highway 64 is Manatee Avenue in this part of the city.  McGucken and Hyer Engineers are the courthouse designers.  There was an addition in 1925 and remodeling in 1954.  A Judicial Center was added in 2008.  A gazebo sits in the park in front of the courthouse and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Manatee County was established on January 9, 1855 from Hillsborough County as the 32^nd county.  Manatee, Pine Level, and Bradenton have all served all the county seat.  The county is named for the manatee sea creature.  Landowner Joseph Braden is the source for the county seat. 

Manatee County government consists of a manager, sheriff, and appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Thirty-one Circuit Court Judges serve Manatee, DeSoto, and Sarasota counties and Three County Court Judges, clerk, and county attorney serve Manatee County (judicial.) Manatee County is in the southwest part of the state just south of Tampa, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico.  The center of the county is 15.7 miles East of Bradenton nearer Ellenton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee, De Soto, and Sarasota counties and the Gulf of Mexico. 

The area of the county is 741 square miles.  It is 31 out of 67 counties in the state.  It ranks 15 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 539.4 persons per square mile making it 14 out of 67 in the state.  Manatee County has 19.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate 75 comes into the county from Hillsborough County on the north and goes south into Sarasota County.  United States Highway 41 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Hillsborough to Sarasota County.  United States Highway 301 enters from Hillsborough County to the north and terminates.  The county is shaped like the number 7 with a very big head to the number.  Bradenton is on the northwest coast.  Bradenton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced MAN-A-TEE.  This county is in the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.