Best Web Design in Sarasota, FL (2026)

Web Design for Sarasota, Florida

Sarasota sits on Florida's Gulf Coast as the county seat of Sarasota County and the cultural anchor of a metro of roughly 830,000 people. It is defined by two legacies: John Ringling's circus, whose winter quarters moved here in 1927, and the sugar-white quartz sand of Siesta Key, repeatedly ranked America's best beach. The result is an unusual mix of big-league arts institutions and a laid-back Gulf beach town.

AppWT works with Sarasota, FL businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Sarasota

Also known as. Circus City / Circus Capital of the World. Florida's Cultural Coast. SRQ. Paradise.

History. Settled in the mid-19th century; the modern town grew after December 1885 when Scottish settlers arrived following land purchases by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company of Edinburgh. Incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902, with Scottish aristocrat John Hamilton Gillespie as first mayor; reincorporated as a city on May 13, 1913. Sarasota County was created in 1921 and the city was designated county seat. In 1927 John Ringling relocated the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to Sarasota, reshaping the city's identity. A 1920s real-estate boom collapsed after 1926, shrinking the city's footprint dramatically; tourism carried the economy through the Great Depression. In July 1974, WXLT (now WWSB) news anchor Christine Chubbuck died by suicide on-air, a nationally noted event.

Local economy. Tourism is the historic core, built on Gulf beaches, the arts, and seasonal 'snowbird' winter residents. Healthcare is a major sector, anchored by large regional hospital systems. Real estate and construction, tied to affluent winter and retirement residents. Education and the arts, including Ringling College of Art and Design and New College of Florida. Marine science and research via Mote Marine Laboratory.

Culture and community. Home to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the official State Art Museum of Florida, including a dedicated Circus Museum. Deep performing-arts scene: Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Orchestra (founded 1949), Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The Sarasota Film Festival, held annually since 1998, is one of Florida's largest. Living circus tradition through the Circus Arts Conservatory, which runs Circus Sarasota and the Sailor Circus, billed as one of the oldest youth circuses. Spring-training home of the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium since 2010; the pro soccer club Sarasota Paradise (USL League One) launched in 2023. The Jazz Club of Sarasota is one of the largest and most active jazz clubs in the U.S.; rock figures including Joe Perry, Brian Johnson, and Dickey Betts have settled in the area.

What makes Sarasota distinct. Siesta Key's sand is about 99% quartz (silicon dioxide) that reflects sunlight, so it stays cool underfoot even in peak summer. Siesta Beach was twice named America's Best Beach by 'Dr. Beach' (2011 and 2017) and topped Tripadvisor's Best of the Best Beaches list for 2025 (No. 1 U.S., No. 4 world). Cecil B. DeMille filmed and premiered 'The Greatest Show on Earth' (1952) in Sarasota, drawing on its circus community. Pinecraft is a small, relatively liberal Amish-Mennonite winter community tucked inside the city. The mid-century 'Sarasota School of Architecture' movement blended Bauhaus ideas with Frank Lloyd Wright's organic style. The Ringling Museum's Historic Asolo Theater was imported piece by piece from Asolo, Italy.

The county seat and cultural center of Florida's Gulf Coast, known for its arts scene, bayfront, and circus heritage.

Sarasota Landmarks and Local Life

• The Ringling (John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art) - 66-acre bayfront estate with the State Art Museum of Florida, Ca' d'Zan mansion, and Circus Museums
• Marie Selby Botanical Gardens - 15-acre bayfront garden known for one of the world's finest collections of orchids and bromeliads
• St. Armands Circle - Upscale shopping and dining district envisioned by John Ringling in the 1920s
• Payne Park - 29-acre downtown park with a tennis center, skate park, and disc golf on a former spring-training baseball field
• Bayfront Park - Waterfront park with a walking trail, splash pad, and the well-known Dolphin Fountain

Sarasota at a Glance

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023.

• Median household income: About $70,065
• Adults with a bachelor degree or higher: About 42%
• Housing: Owner-occupied homes make up about 56% of occupied units, reflecting a sizable downtown rental base
• Housing: Single-family detached houses account for roughly 40% of housing, with condominiums and multifamily units common near the bayfront