Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2006 population at 53,986. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 682,833. It is the county seat of Manatee County, Florida. Bradenton is pronounced BRAY-din-tin.

History

Originally discovered by Hernando de Soto (explorer) at Shaw's Point in 1539, the city took the name of Dr. Joseph Braden, whose nearby fortlike house was a refuge for early settlers during Indian attacks.
The current city of Bradenton...

Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2006 population at 53,986. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 682,833. It is the county seat of Manatee County, Florida. Bradenton is pronounced BRAY-din-tin.

History

Originally discovered by Hernando de Soto (explorer) at Shaw's Point in 1539, the city took the name of Dr. Joseph Braden, whose nearby fortlike house was a refuge for early settlers during Indian attacks.
The current city of Bradenton was formed in 1943, when the Florida legislature merged the cities of Manatee (incorporated in 1888) and Bradentown (incorporated in 1903).

Geography
Bradenton is located at (27.488217, -82.577743). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of. of it is land and of it (16.14%) is water.

Bradenton is located on U.S. Route 41 between Tampa and Sarasota. The area is surrounded by waterways, both fresh and saltwater. Along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay are over 20 miles of Florida beaches - many which are shaded by Casuarina. Bordered on the north by the Manatee River, Bradenton is located on the mainland and is separated from the outer barrier islands of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, Florida by the Intracoastal Waterway. Anna Maria Bayfront Park located on the north end of Anna Maria island is a park overlooking Tampa Bay. The business district and community of Bradenton Beach on the southern end of Anna Maria island is oriented toward vacationers who come to enjoy the surrounding beaches. Longboat Key, the next barrier island south, is popular with shell hunters along its beaches.