Siesta Key, Florida
Encyclopedia
Siesta Key is a barrier island off the central western coast of Florida
in the United States of America. It is situated between Sarasota Bay
and the Gulf of Mexico
. A portion of it lies within the city boundary of Sarasota, but the majority of the key is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Sarasota County
. After the probable Amerindian name of Zarazote for the area and the bay, the key was originally named Sarasota Key by European cartographers during exploration beginning in 1513. That name can be seen on maps from the early 18th century as well as on all local maps drawn before the name change to Siesta Key in the 1920s. The population was 7,150 at the 2000 census.
Siesta Key is part of the Bradenton
–Sarasota
–Venice
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which, 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it (33.62%) is water.
of 2000, there were 7,150 people, 3,783 households, and 2,273 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 3,120.1 people per square mile (1,205.5/km²). There were 7,885 housing units at an average density of 3,440.9/sq mi (1,329.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.63% European American, 0.10% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races
, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 3,783 households out of which 9.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples
living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.34.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 9.0% under the age of 18, 1.8% from 18 to 24, 15.6% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 39.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 60 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,397, and the median income for a family was $81,345. Males had a median income of $55,240 versus $32,263 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $53,290. About 3.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
stretches from a site named Point of Rocks, just below the middle point of Siesta Key, north to the Siesta Village region. It might be considered Siesta Key’s premier claim to fame. Siesta Key's Siesta Beach has accumulated numerous awards in recognition of its soft, clean, pure-white sand (see awards list below). Consistently, it is rated among the top ten beaches of Florida, the U.S., and the world. Harvard University
's geology department found the sand of Siesta Beach was 99% pure quartz. Unlike most beaches that are composed of crushed shells, rocks or lava, this sand is pure white and finer in texture than most refined sugar. The sand has been described as "dazzling" and it is stated that it never feels hot. Siesta Key's remarkable sand and the azure, warm water of its beaches are a great attraction for tourists and local beachgoers alike who come to experience the sand and the water.
Point of Rocks is a shallow formation of limestone
rock that extends into the Gulf of Mexico
from the middle of the western shore of Siesta Key. This very distinctive site, geologically unusual for Southwest Florida
, provides habitat
to a wide variety of fish. For centuries, Point of Rocks has been a landmark for mariners and "legend" has it as the starting point for maps to burial places of treasures plundered by pirates.
Siesta Beach is one of the largest beaches in the area, but its 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land might not have become the wide and deep expanse of public-accessible beachfront they are today. According to a local Siesta Key publication, The Pelican, one Otis A. Kiesow could be credited with single-handedly making certain that this beachfront---then, as always coveted by real estate developers and builders---would not later become filled with homes, condos and hotels, as are much of the rest of the Gulf of Mexico’s beachfronts. According to the Pelican and Mr. Kiesow, who died in January 2001, he had traveled to the Capitol in Tallahassee to ensure that the beach, in fact, was being set aside into perpetuity for the people of Sarasota: His discovery and impression from this visit was that it was not. He was told to go home and not to worry . . . that everything had been ‘taken care of’. Mr. Kiesow would then personally collect the needed signatures for a referendum that voters would later approve. Today, the site is wide and white with mainly a pavilion and gift shop as man-made counterpoints to nature. Thanks to Otis Kiesow the beach today is one of the beaches that have been the least affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. Siesta Beach, like Crescent Beach that extends south from it and Siesta Village, boasts white sand of a similarly fine, powdery white quality; Crescent Beach public access, however, comprises a relatively narrow strip of beachfront when compared to Siesta Beach’s. Turtle Beach, farther south still and nearing the southern end of the key, is a fairly large beach featuring a small mangrove-surrounded tidal lagoon; Turtle Beach, is noted for its abundance of seashells, as opposed to the sugary white sand to be found in other portions of the Siesta Key Gulf shoreline.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the United States of America. It is situated between Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay is an estuary located off the west coast of Florida in the United States.The bay and its surrounding area appeared on the earliest maps of the area, being named Zarazote on one dating from the early 18th century...
and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. A portion of it lies within the city boundary of Sarasota, but the majority of the key is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Sarasota County
Sarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
. After the probable Amerindian name of Zarazote for the area and the bay, the key was originally named Sarasota Key by European cartographers during exploration beginning in 1513. That name can be seen on maps from the early 18th century as well as on all local maps drawn before the name change to Siesta Key in the 1920s. The population was 7,150 at the 2000 census.
Siesta Key is part of the Bradenton
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
–Sarasota
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
–Venice
Venice, Florida
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Siesta Key is located at 27°16′31"N 82°33′9"W (27.275150, -82.552631).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which, 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it (33.62%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,150 people, 3,783 households, and 2,273 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,120.1 people per square mile (1,205.5/km²). There were 7,885 housing units at an average density of 3,440.9/sq mi (1,329.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.63% European American, 0.10% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 3,783 households out of which 9.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.34.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 9.0% under the age of 18, 1.8% from 18 to 24, 15.6% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 39.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 60 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,397, and the median income for a family was $81,345. Males had a median income of $55,240 versus $32,263 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $53,290. About 3.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
Beaches of Siesta Key
Siesta BeachSiesta Beach
Siesta Beach is a beach located on Siesta Key, Florida, United States. The sand is 99% pure quartz, soft and cool on the feet.The many awards it has earned include:...
stretches from a site named Point of Rocks, just below the middle point of Siesta Key, north to the Siesta Village region. It might be considered Siesta Key’s premier claim to fame. Siesta Key's Siesta Beach has accumulated numerous awards in recognition of its soft, clean, pure-white sand (see awards list below). Consistently, it is rated among the top ten beaches of Florida, the U.S., and the world. Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's geology department found the sand of Siesta Beach was 99% pure quartz. Unlike most beaches that are composed of crushed shells, rocks or lava, this sand is pure white and finer in texture than most refined sugar. The sand has been described as "dazzling" and it is stated that it never feels hot. Siesta Key's remarkable sand and the azure, warm water of its beaches are a great attraction for tourists and local beachgoers alike who come to experience the sand and the water.
Point of Rocks is a shallow formation of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rock that extends into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
from the middle of the western shore of Siesta Key. This very distinctive site, geologically unusual for Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is a region of Florida , United States located along its gulf coast, south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee and mostly north of the Everglades...
, provides habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
to a wide variety of fish. For centuries, Point of Rocks has been a landmark for mariners and "legend" has it as the starting point for maps to burial places of treasures plundered by pirates.
Siesta Beach is one of the largest beaches in the area, but its 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land might not have become the wide and deep expanse of public-accessible beachfront they are today. According to a local Siesta Key publication, The Pelican, one Otis A. Kiesow could be credited with single-handedly making certain that this beachfront---then, as always coveted by real estate developers and builders---would not later become filled with homes, condos and hotels, as are much of the rest of the Gulf of Mexico’s beachfronts. According to the Pelican and Mr. Kiesow, who died in January 2001, he had traveled to the Capitol in Tallahassee to ensure that the beach, in fact, was being set aside into perpetuity for the people of Sarasota: His discovery and impression from this visit was that it was not. He was told to go home and not to worry . . . that everything had been ‘taken care of’. Mr. Kiesow would then personally collect the needed signatures for a referendum that voters would later approve. Today, the site is wide and white with mainly a pavilion and gift shop as man-made counterpoints to nature. Thanks to Otis Kiesow the beach today is one of the beaches that have been the least affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. Siesta Beach, like Crescent Beach that extends south from it and Siesta Village, boasts white sand of a similarly fine, powdery white quality; Crescent Beach public access, however, comprises a relatively narrow strip of beachfront when compared to Siesta Beach’s. Turtle Beach, farther south still and nearing the southern end of the key, is a fairly large beach featuring a small mangrove-surrounded tidal lagoon; Turtle Beach, is noted for its abundance of seashells, as opposed to the sugary white sand to be found in other portions of the Siesta Key Gulf shoreline.