Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the south western coast of the state of Florida.
Its current official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
European settlers arrived in significant numbers in the late 1840s. The area already had a Spanish name—'Zara Zote'—on maps dating back to the early 1700s and it was retained as, Sara Sota. The initial settlers were attracted by the climate and bounty of Sarasota Bay.
In the early 1900s, Charles Ringling invested in land, developed property and founded a bank in Sarasota. He donated land to the newly formed county—upon which he also built its government offices and courthouse as a gift to the community.
Ringling Boulevard was named for Charles Ringling. It is a winding road leading east from Tamiami Trail toward the Winter Circus Headquarters.
Charles Ringling and his wife, Edith, began building their bay front residence in the early 1920s. Charles Ringling died in 1926, just after it was completed.