Accolades
Sarasota County has won a number of accolades for its places to stay, play, and dine over the years. Below are a few examples of the recognitions we are proud to have earned.
YEAR |
DESIGNATION/ACCOLADE |
WHERE |
GIVEN BY |
| 2022 | The Best Cities for Fishing | Sarasota (#2) | Apartment Guide |
| 2022 | Yelp’s Top 100 Florida Restaurants 2022 |
Antoine's Restaurant (#22), Que-Rico Colombian Flavors (#40), Max's Table (#54), Tikka Indian Cuisine (#66), La Dolce Vita (#84), Tortellino Bistrot (#97) |
Yelp |
| 2022 | The 25 Healthiest Communities in Florida | Sarasota (#3) | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2022 | Top Cities in the U.S. That Have Seen the Most Growth from 2021-2022 | Sarasota (#1) | PODS |
| 2022 | Best Small Airports in the U.S. for Avoiding Flight Delays and Cancellations | Sarasota-Bradenton International (SRQ) Airport (#10) | Travel & Leisure |
| 2022 | Best Places to Visit in Florida | Sarasota (#1) | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2022 | Siesta Key Beach named in Traveler's Choice Awards Best of the Best Beaches - World | Siesta Beach (#14) | Tripadvisor |
| 2022 | Siesta Key Beach named in Traveler's Choice Awards Best of the Best Beaches - United States | Siesta Beach (#2) | Tripadvisor |
| 2022 | Sarasota makes New York Times' 52 Places for a Changed World List | Architecture Sarasota | New York Times |
| 2021 | Venice Named Top Escape Destination for Snowbirds by National Self-Storage Company | Venice | The Herald-Tribune |
| 2021 | Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2021-22 | Sarasota (#1) | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2021 | Moving Company Says Sarasota Ranks as #1 Relocation Destination | Sarasota | The Herald-Tribune |
| 2021 | Best Beach Bars Across Florida | O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill, Sharky's on the Pier | USA Today |
| 2021 | 150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2021-2022 | Sarasota (#9) | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2021 | The Top 15 Islands in the Continental U.S. | Longboat Key (#5) | Travel & Leisure |
| 2021 | America's 25 Best Steakhouses, According to Yelp | Summer House Steak & Seafood, Siesta Key (#12) | 24/7 Wall St |
| 2021 | 10 Best U.S. Beach Towns to Live In | Sarasota | Travel & Leisure |
|
2021 |
10 Best Beach Towns on the East Coast | Siesta Key | Condè Nast Traveler |
| 2021 | 100 Most Popular Small Cities to Relocate | Venice (#3) | moveBuddha |
| 2021 | Couples' Choice Awards® - Flowers, Cakes, Dresses | Beneva Weddings, Cakes by Ron, The Perfect Dress of Sarasota | WeddingWire |
| 2021 | Couples' Choice Awards® - Transportation | Siesta Trolley | WeddingWire |
| 2021 | Couples' Choice Awards® - Catering Winners | Mattison's Catering, Sarasota Catering Company | WeddingWire |
| 2021 | Couples' Choice Awards® - Venue Winners | Lido Beach Resort, The Pavilion at Mixon Farm, Zota Beach Resort | WeddingWire |
| 2021 | The 9 Best Dog-Friendly Beaches in Florida | Brohard Paw Park, Venice (#1) | Oyster |
| 2021 | Top 25 U.S. Growth Cities | North Port (#1) | U-Haul |
| 2021 | The Top-Selling Multi-Generational Community in the U.S. | Lakewood Ranch (#1) | RCLCO Real Estate Advisors |
| 2021 | The Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities of 2020 | Lakewood Ranch (#2), Wellen Park (#4) | RCLCO Real Estate Advisors |
| 2020 | "Top Stop" worldwide for venues with a capacity of 2,000 or fewer | Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (#1) | Venues Now |
| 2020 | Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2020-21 | Sarasota (#1) | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2020 | Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2020-21 | Sarasota (#16) | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2020 | The Best U.S. Islands: 2020 Readers' Choice Awards | Longboat Key (#8) | Conde Nast Traveler |
| 2020 | Readers' Choice Award | Visit Sarasota County | ConventionSouth Magazine |
| 2020 | Top 30 Resorts in Florida: 2020 Readers' Choice Awards | Zota Beach Resort (#9), The Resort at Longboat Key Club (#23) | Conde Nast Traveler |
| 2020 | 10 Best Kayaking Tours in the U.S. | Kayaking SRQ (#5) | USA Today |
| 2020 | America's Best Beach Towns for Retirement | Venice (#6), Sarasota (#7) | Southern Living |
| 2020 | 10 Best Coastal Small Towns | Venice (#3) | USA Today |
| 2020 | The Top 15 Resort Hotels in Florida | The Resort at Lonboat Key Club (#12) | Travel + Leisure |
| 2020 | Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® | Sarasota Memorial Hospital & Doctors Hospital of Sarasota | IBM Watson Health |
| 2020 | Top 10 Places to Live on the Coast | Venice | Coastal Living |
| 2020 | Top 25 Beaches in the World | Siesta Beach (#11) | Tripadvisor's Traveler's Choice™ Awards |
| 2020 | Top 25 Beaches in the U.S. | Siesta Beach (#1) | Tripadvisor's Traveler's Choice™ Awards |
| 2020 | 50 Best Hospitality & Tourism Schools for 2020 | University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee | Study.com |
| 2020 | Fastest-Growing Places to Travel Last-Minute | Sarasota (#1 in U.S.) | GoLastMinute |
| 2019 | The 10 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. | Sarasota (#2) | Conde Nast Traveler |
| 2019 | The Best Cities for Vegans in America | Sarasota (#1) | Rent.com |
| 2019 | Top 10 Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights | Selby Gardens | USA Today |
| 2019 | #4 place to live in Florida by Hub Pages. | Sarasota | Hubpages |
| 2019 | Florida's Friendliest Cities: - No. 6 in Most Overall Votes - No. 2 in Best Overall Feedback - No. 2 in Cities That Are Easy to Get Around |
Sarasota | TripsToDiscover |
| 2019 | Top 10 Best Places to Retire in Florida in 2019 | Sarasota | InvestmentU |
| 2019 | Sarasota Named One of the Top Buyer’s Markets in the U.S. | Sarasota | The Wall Street Journal |
| 2019 | 7 Great Places to Retire in Florida | Sarasota | Kiplinger |
| 2019 | The 10 Best Beaches in the U.S. (and Where to Stay without Breaking the Bank) | Siesta Key | TripAdvisor |
| 2019 | Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities Mid-Year 2019 | Lakewood Ranch (#2) | Real Estate Advisors |
| 2019 | 6 Travelers’ Choice Beaches That Are Great for Kids | Siesta Beach | TripAdvisor |
| 2019 | #4 Itty Bitty City in Hotwire’s Best Cities for a Quickie Index. | Sarasota | Hotwire |
| 2019 | Go here, not there: the best affordable honeymoon spots in the U.S. | Sarasota | TripAdvisor |
| 2019 | 7 of America’s Catholic Summer Travel Destinations | The Ringling, Sarasota | National Catholic Register |
| 2019 | The 100 Best Tennis Resorts & Camps | The Resort at Longboat Key Club | Healthy Living & Travel |
| 2019 | Florida’s Fastest Growing Vacation Rental Destinations [2019 Stats] | Englewood, Venice, Sarasota | FloridaRentals.com |
| 2019 | 17 Best Florida Beaches for Families To Relax and Unwind | Longboat Key | 365 Atlanta Traveler |
| 2019 | Sarasota rannks No. 6 - 2019’s Best Beach Towns to Live in | Sarasota | WalletHub |
| 2019 | Venice ranks No. 2, Englewood ranks No. 10 - "Best Cities to Live in Florida – 2019" | Venice, Englewood | U.S. Chamber of Commerce |
| 2019 | 100 Best Al Fresco Restaurants in America for 2019 | Ophelia's By The Bay (Siesta Key), Dry Dock Waterfront Grill (Longboat Key) | OpenTable |
| 2019 | The 25 Most Desirable Places to Live in the U.S. in 2019 | Sarasota | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2019 | The Short List: 50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the United States | Grand Palm Community, in Venice | WhereToRetire.com |
| 2019 | Sarasota Ranked No. 3 Most Popular Retirement Destination for Seniors | Sarasota | Lending Tree |
| 2019 | The Best Small Cities to Start a Small Business in 2019 - #2 | Sarasota | Verizon |
| 2019 | Westcoast Black Theatre Troup earns $15,000 Art Works award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) | Sarasota | National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) |
| 2019 | 2019 Best Florida Beach Bar - Sharky's On the Pier | Venice | FloridaBeachBar.com |
| 2019 | SMH (Sarasota Memorial Hospital) Named to Newsweek's List of World's Best Hospitals | Sarasota | Newsweek |
| 2019 | Best Places To Live - #18 | Sarasota | World Report US & News |
| 2019 | 13 Best Beaches on Florida's Gulf Coast | Sarasota | TripsToDiscover |
| 2019 | Cities with the biggest net gains or losses of movers | Sarasota | HireAHelper |
| 2019 | 8 Art Exhibits To Check Out In March | Ringling Museum, Sarasota | DCList |
| 2019 | 12 Best Florida Weekend Getaways with the Kids | Sarasota | Trips to Discover |
| 2019 | Top 10 Spring Break Destinations Of 2019 | Sarasota | Forbes |
| 2019 | Siesta Ranked the 15th Most Affordable Beach in the U.S. | Siesta Key | Sarasota Magazine |
| 2019 | North Port earns 19th safest city spot; Venice earns 12th spot | North Port, Venice | National Council for Home Safety and Security |
| 2019 | Safest Cities in Florida | Venice (#12), North Port (#19) | Alarms.org |
| 2019 | 10 Best Farmers Markets in Florida | Sarasota Farmers Market (#10) | Behind the Blue (valpak.com) |
| 2019 | Top Florida Beach Honeymoon Locations | Siesta Key | Travel Channel |
| 2019 | 10 Best of the Best Places to Retire | Sarasota | Top Retirements.com |
| 2019 | 25 Unique Things to Do in Southern USA | John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota | VacationIdea Dream Vacation Magazine |
| 2019 | 10 Places to Visit In The USA That Are Underrated | Sarasota | Enjoy Travelling |
| 2019 | 8 Southern cities that double as filming spots | Sarasota County | AJC |
| 2019 | 25 Most Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. | Summer House, Siesta Key | Trip Advisor / Buzzfeed / Food & Wine |
| 2019 | 10 Best Affordable Honeymoon Spots in the US | Sarasota | Liveability.com |
| 2019 | The Best Places to Travel in March | Sarasota | Travel + Leisure |
| 2018 | 9 of the Best Beaches in Florida | Siesta Key Beach | The Points Guy |
| 2018 | Sarasota is #5 Conde Nast Traveler Best Small Cities in the US | Sarasota | Conde Nast Traveler |
| 2018 | 5 Art-Filled U.S. Cities Where You Can Unlock Your Creativity | Sarasota | Artsy.net |
| 2018 | 20 Best Christmas Towns in Florida | Sarasota | Coastal Living |
| 2018 | Most Beautiful Beaches in the World That are Worthy of a Winter Vacation | Siesta Beach | MSN.com |
| 2018 | 8 Dreamy Beach Towns for Entreprenuers | Sarasota | Livability.com |
| 2018 | Worlds Best Hotels | Longboat Key Club and Resort | Travel + Leisure |
| 2018 | Best Small Cities in America | sarasota | WalletHub |
| 2018 | Best Beach Cities to Live in | Sarasota #3; Venice #15 | WalletHub |
| 2018 | Ed Smith Stadium ranked #1 for spring training in Florida | Sarasota | USA Today |
| 2018 | Sarasota rank in Top 100 places to live | sarasota | Livability |
| 2018 | #1 Botanical Garden to visit this Spring | Selby Gardens | USA Today |
| 2018 | Best small towns to retire in | City of Sarasota | MSN.com |
| 2018 | South's Prettiest Cities | Sarasota | Southern Living |
| 2018 | South's Best Cities | Sarasota | Southern Living |
| 2018 | Sarasota ranked #34 in best places to live | Sarasota | US News |
| 2018 | Penske Truck Rental: 2017 Top Moving Destinations | Tampa/Sarasota | Penske Truck Rental |
| 2018 | 84th in Top 100 places to live 2018 | Sarasota | Liveability.com |
| 2018 | 10 US cities growing and offering business opportunities | Sarasota-Bradenton-North Port (only in FL) | Business Insider Magazine |
| 2018 | No. 13 Public High School in US | Pine View High School | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2018 | No. 1 Public High School in Florida | Pine View High School | 24/7 Wall St. |
| 2017 | National Tree City | Venice | |
| 2017 | Top Hotels in Florida | Resort at Longboat Key Club | Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards |
| 2017 | Best Places to Retire | Sarasota | USNews & World Report |
| 2017 | Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs #1 | Sarasota-Manatee region | MoneyRates.com |
| 2017 | Sarasota County Sports Commission named sports tourism organization of the year | Sarasota County | National Association of Sports Commissions for cities 400,000 population or less |
| 2017 | 10th fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States | Sarasota-Manatee counties | U.S. Census Bureau |
| 2017 | 100 Best Places to Live in USA; Sarasota Top in Florida | Sarasota | U.S. News & World Report |
| 2017 | TripAdvisors Travelers Choice Awards Best Beach in US | Siesta Beach | Trip Advisor |
| 2017 | 25 most desirable places to live in the US in 2017 | Sarasota | MSN Money |
| 2017 | Annual ConventionSouth Readers Choice Award | Sarasota | ConventionSouth Magazine |
| 2016 | Sweet Sparkman Architects have won an Award In the Public Service Architecture | Siesta Key Beach Improvement Project | Americas Property Awards |
| 2016 | 10 Best Places to Travel in November to Stay Warm and Save Money | Venice | Trip Advisor |
| 2016 | Top 10 Happiest Seaside Town in America | Sarasota | Coastal Living |
| 2016 | Sarasota One of the Best Small Cities in the U.S | Sarasota | Conde Nast Traveler |
| 2016 | Top Small Cities in America Readers Choice Awards | Sarasota | Conde Nast Traveler |
| 2016 | Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community | Venice | League of American Bicyclists |
| 2016 | Best Place to start a small business | Sarasota | CNBC |
| 2016 | The "it" city in the Sunshine State | Sarasota | Houstonia Magazine |
| 2016 | Best Place to get a job | Sarasota | Wallet Hub.com |
| 2016 | Best Food Cities in the U.S. | Sarasota | Conde Nast Traveler |
| 2016 | Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community | Venice | League of American Bicyclists |
| 2016 | #3 Best Place to Retire | Sarasota | The Motley Fool |
| 2016 | America's Favorite Towns #12 | Sarasota | Travel & Leisure Readers Choice Award |
| 2016 | U.S. News 14th best place to live, top in Florioda | Sarasota | US News & World Report |
| 2016 | Sarasota Herald Tribune's Readers' Choice Awards | Sports Commission | Sarasota Herald Tribune |
| 2016 | Top Small City in US | Sarasota | Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2016 |
| 2015 | Best Spiced Rum | Siesta Key Spiced Rum | Caribeean Journal's Rum Awards 2015 |
| 2015 | Best Small Cities Quality of Life | Saraosta #6 | WalletHub.com |
| 2015 | Best Placest to Retire | Sarasota #2 | Livability.com |
| 2015 | Top 10 Snobbiest Cities | Longboat Key #8 | RoadSnacks.com |
| 2015 | B+ grade for small business owners | Sarasota | Thumbtack |
| 2015 | Top 10 Beaches in Florida | Siesta Beach | Travelchannel.com |
| 2015 | #31 Best Places to Live | Sarasota | Livability.com |
| 2015 | #4 Public Liberal Arts College in Nation | New College of Florida | US News & World Report |
| 2015 | 10 Great Places to Retire--No. 1 Place | Sarasota | Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine |
| 2015 | Best Fall Vacation Deals | Venice | Trip Advisor |
| 2015 | Top 50 Places to Wed in America | Rinlging Museum | Martha Steward Weddings |
| 2015 | Best Small Cities in America | Sarasota | Conde Naste's The Daily Traveler Enewsletter |
| 2015 | Sarasota Top City in Florida to Live | City of Sarasota | Niche.com |
| 2015 | Nerdiest City | Sarasota | Movato |
| 2015 | Siesta Beach TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award for Best Beaches 2015 | Siesta Beach | Trip Advisor |
| 2015 | Venice, Florida Coastal Living's Top 10 Seaside Town in America | Venice | Coastal Living |
| 2015 | Top 50 City to Stay for 2015--Sarasota is #32 | Sarasota County | trivago.com |
| 2015 | Florida Top 10 Places to Open a Small Business-Sarasota featured | Sarasota County | Talent Tribune |
| 2014 | Sports-Friendliest Vacation Destination | Sarasota | SportsEvents Magazine |
| 2014 | 2014 Travelers Choice Best Beaches Awards List | Lido Beach | Trip Advisor |
| 2014 | 2014 Travelers Choice Best Beaches Awards List | Siesta Key Public Beach | Trip Advisor |
| 2014 | Best Spring Break Training Facility | Ed Smith Stadium | USA Today 10 Best |
| 2013 | Runner Friendly Community | Sarasota County Running | Runners Club of America |
| 2013 | Top 10 Cities to Live | City of Sarasota | Movoto |
| 2013 | Top 10 Small Cities for Art Lovers | Arts & Culture | TravelNerd |
| 2013 | Top 10 Family Beaches | Siesta Key Beach | National Geographic Traveler |
| 2012 | Silver Bicycle Friendly Community | City of Venice | League of American Bicyclists |
| 2011 | #1 Beach in America | Siesta Key | Dr. Beach |