Lakewood Ranch, Florida
Lakewood Ranch is a community of 43,945 people in Manatee County, Florida, founded in February 24, 1994.
Why visit Lakewood Ranch
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 44 parks and trails, 102 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Fort Hamer Bridge, Lakewood Ranch Cinema, Lakewood Ranch Community Park and Nathan Benderson Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 52°F.
Weather in Lakewood Ranch
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lakewood Ranch
Lakewood Ranch is a planned community and a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Manatee County and northeastern Sarasota County, Florida, United States, consisting of approximately 35,000 acres (14,000 ha). It is part of the Sarasota metropolitan area. According to the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 34,877.
From the Wikipedia article Lakewood Ranch, Florida (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
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Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds44
32 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes102
Fitlife Foods
Restaurant · Regional, Italian, Mexican, Asian, American, Breakfast, Barbecue, Mediterranean, Dessert, Brunch · 5.3 mi
5275 University Pkwy, University Park
Mo 07:00-21:00, Tu 08:00-21:00, We 08:00-20:00, Th 09:00-20:00, Fr...
Happy Dragon
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.8 mi
11161 East State Road 70
Tu-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 12:00-22:00
Hummus Bay
Restaurant · Mediterranean · 5.1 mi
7309 52nd Place East, Bradenton
Su 12:00-20:00; Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00
Mission BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue · 5.4 mi
5231 University Parkway, Sarasota
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:30-20:00
Peppercorns Steak and Seafood
Restaurant · Steak House, Seafood · 5.3 mi
7175 53rd Ave E / E State Rd 70, Bradenton
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Wheat + Water Italian Kitchen
Restaurant · Italian · 5.1 mi
7303 52nd Place East, Bradenton
Su 16:00-20:00; Mo-Sa 11:00-14:00, 16:00-21:00
Linger Lodge
Restaurant · 3.9 mi
7205 85th Street Court East, Bradenton
Su-Th 11:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Allswell
Restaurant · Burger, Chicken, Fish And Chips, Fine Dining, Brunch, Bistro, European, Dessert, Sandwich, Salad, Fish, Steak House · 4.5 mi
7500 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00, Fr-Su 11:00-01:00
GROVE - Restaurant - Patio - Ballroom
Restaurant · American, Regional · 3.7 mi
10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch
90 more on the map.
History
The area originally was assembled in 1905 by John Schroeder as Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (SMR). The land was purchased by members of Milwaukee's Uihlein family in 1922 for ranch operations such as timber and cattle.
In 1977, the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority announced intentions to build a new airport near the Sarasota-Manatee county line about 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 km) east of its current location, linking to future Interstate 75. The airport authority struck down the idea in 1985 and expanded the existing airport facility. The airport proposal and the construction of Interstate 75 resulted in SMR's board of directors to pursue creating a planned community for the land.
In the 1980s, SMR designed a destination resort project called Cypress Banks. The project consisted of 1,800 acres (730 ha) and included 5,000 mixed residential units, three golf courses, and a 300-room hotel. The project and development of regional impact (DRI) were initially denied by Manatee County in 1987 but later approved in December 1989. The project never broke ground and SMR maintained vested rights to the land. The first neighborhood development, Summerfield, was built and completed in 1995.
From the History section of Lakewood Ranch, Florida on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Homewood Suites Sarasota Lakewood Ranch
Motel and hotel · 5.2 mi
305 North Cattlemen Road, Sarasota
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bradenton East-Lakewood Ranch
Motel and hotel · 4.4 mi
Churches and places of worship7
Cornerstone Church of Lakewood Ranch
Church · Presbyterian · 2.4 mi
14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch
Harvest United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 2.2 mi
14305 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch
Lakewood Ranch Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.2 mi
5600 Deer Drive, Sarasota
Risen Savior Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.0 mi
14605 59th Avenue East, Lakewood Ranch
Shopping29
The Mall at University Town Center
Shopping center · 4.9 mi
140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries26
Lakewood Ranch High School
School · 3.3 mi
5500 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Bradenton
Out of Door Academy - Middle and Upper School - Lakewood Ranch
School · 3.4 mi
5950 Deer Drive, Sarasota
Culinary Innovation Lab at USF Sarasota-Manatee
School · 3.6 mi
8130 Lakewood Main Street, Lakewood Ranch
Community Haven For Adults And Children With Disabilities
School · 5.9 mi
4405 Desoto Rd, Sarasota
Gilbert W Mcneal Elementary School
School · 0.5 mi
6325 Lorraine Rd, Lakewood Ranch
Imagine Charter At Lakewood Ranch
School · 5.1 mi
10535 Portal Crossing, Bradenton
Healthcare7
MD Now Urgent Care - East Bradenton
Clinic and pharmacy · 5.2 mi
10735 State Road 64 East, Bradenton
Map of Lakewood Ranch
245 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72°F | 52°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 75°F | 55°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 78°F | 58°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 83°F | 63°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 88°F | 68°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 91°F | 74°F | 9.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 75°F | 8.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 76°F | 10.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 90°F | 74°F | 7.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 85°F | 68°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 79°F | 60°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 74°F | 55°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Bradenton 5 Ese (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Manatee County has had 34 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-11: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-10-07: Hurricane Milton (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-28: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-24: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-10: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-03: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Fruitville 8 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Bee Ridge 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Bayshore Gardens 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
- Bradenton 13 mi west, about 20 min by car
- Apollo Beach 23 mi north, about 38 min by car
- St. Petersburg 28 mi northwest, about 46 min by car
- Riverview 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Gibsonton 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Gulfport 30 mi northwest, about 48 min by car
- Fish Hawk 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall - panoramio, Mark Collins, CC BY 3.0
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall - panoramio (1), Mark Collins, CC BY 3.0
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall - panoramio (2), Mark Collins, CC BY 3.0
- Fort Hamer Bridge, Mykhaylovdimitriy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Osborn2, Wikivol, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018 Age Group Awards Wall, Ejmamawama, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS065-E-8521 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS046-E-39970 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-456065 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS046-E-39971 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS041-E-67953 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS050-E-15778 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS041-E-67952 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- 2019 wall of racing awards, Ejmamawama, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IPad kid 4502, Cbutcher02, CC0
- Lecom-dmd-bradenton, Oceanside810, CC0
- Bidens mitis, Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M26S000 Manatee County us (725419003669295, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M27S000 Manatee County us (1429755035020164, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M28S000 Manatee County us (798741249389471, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M25S000 Manatee County us (1275619227483145, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M29S000 Manatee County us (637394285557082, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M30S000 Manatee County us (25111054288483468, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M24S000 Manatee County us (1887235675459020, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M31S000 Manatee County us (1285228726656411, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M23S000 Manatee County us (1506446210342623, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M32S000 Manatee County us (2009567516486660, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M22S000 Manatee County us (2491201551272715, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M33S000 Manatee County us (1913231909524502, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M34S000 Manatee County us (631267589567067, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M21S000 Manatee County us (749061951312137, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mapillary 21H45M35S000 Manatee County us (1090529813048218, I0kHozCATum8pUPYbNLfEg) (cubanoboi) 2025-08-02, cubanoboi, CC BY-SA 4.0
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