Longboat Key, Florida is a barrier island that was not incorporated until 1955. The history of the island dates back into the 1500s when the Calusa and Timucan Indians controlled the area for hundreds of years. In 1891, a veteran of the Civil War, Thomas Mann came to the area, from Indiana, with his sons and was awarded a homestead of 144 acres in the northern portion of the island. In the early part of the 1900s the settlers on the island were farmers. Crops of tomatoes, guavas, and citrus were grown and shipped out on the steamboat, Mistletoe that ran out of Tampa. When the hurricane of 1921 hit the island, flooding and destroying the town dock, farming inevitably slowed. During this same year the Sarasota County line was marked, thus dividing Longboat Key in half. The northern part of the island falls in the Manatee County Line, the southern part in the Sarasota county line. During WWII, Army Air Force Pilots used the center of the island for a target range, as the island was scarcely populated at the time, gates were constructed to block of the Gulf of Mexico during practice.

Today the island consists of roughly 7,500 residents. Longboat Key, Florida has become an attraction area to many of our winter friends, drawn to the sun, sea and surf! Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and year-round 73-degree temperatures, Longboat Key consists of ideal weather for the ideal surroundings. Opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming and gazing at some of the most beautiful sunsets from the shores of the Gulf are in abundance 365 days a year. Rich in wildlife, the island provides pristine opportunities for photographing dolphins, manatee and a large variety of shorebirds!

Real estate opportunities on Longboat Key, Florida, consist of mostly single family homes, condominiums and luxury waterfront homes. Relocating to this charming island will promise relaxation, water recreation and a lifetime of beautiful natural surroundings.