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in Sarasota County, Florida, United States.  The city includes what locals call "Venice Island", a portion of the mainland that is accessed via bridges over the artificially created Intracoastal Waterway.  The city is located south of Nokomis and north of Englewood, just 17 miles south of Sarasota.

First Settlers in the late 1860's were John and Eliza Webb a couple from New York.  Frank Higel contributed significantly to development and the name Venice.  He was originally from Venice, Italy.  He suggested the name because the intricately woven canals of the coastal town reminded him of his hometown.  In 1870 Robert Roberts settled along Roberts Bay and planted an orange grove.  

In the 1920's, Dr. Fred Albee got the famous city planner John Nolen to make plans for developing a large area of Venice.  The plan was well thought out and executed.  Venice incorporated in 1927, a lot of the original plan can still be seen in the downtown area today.

Venice has 12 structures listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Population of Venice 23,020 (2017)

Spectacular shoreline

Strolls down Venice Avenue 

Shark tooth capital of the world

Kentucky Military Academy 1932-1970

Ringling Brothers Circus

Legacy Trail

And more recently, football star Trey Burton

In 1910, Bertha Palmer of Chicago bought 140,000 acres of land around this area.  She helped in establishing a railroad terminal here.  In 1911 the Seaboard Airline Railroad extended to Venice.  In 1927 the train depot and airport were constructed.  In 2003 the historic train depot restoration completed.

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