Learn More About Venice, Florida
Venice, FL
Venice is a city located in the Sarasota County in the southwest coast of the Florida Peninsula. With a population of a little over 20,000 people, the town consists of large part of mainland and another section on Venice Island, just off the coast in Gulf of Mexico. The city is delimited by Nokomis on the north side and Englewood on the South.
Venice took its first steps towards developing into a city in 1911, when the railroad finally reached that side of the peninsula. However, despite the railroad expansion, development in Venice was very slow and the town remained a small fishing community until the latter half of the 1920s. It was only when the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers purchased the land in 1925, and started putting the plan to turn that small, tiny town into a city into action, that Venice really took off.
Within two years, there were already six miles of streets, residential buildings and a hotel, called Hotel Venice. By 1927, Venice had been incorporated into Florida State and already had its first Mayor. During World War II, however, the Venice Army Air Base was established and the city became headquarters to a few airs training units. To this day, Venice still retains the air base from the United States government.
Today, Venice boasts of attractions and points of interest for visitors and residents. Voted one of the top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns by Coastal Living, Venice offers calm beaches on the Gulf coast, museums, parks and several other attractions. It is home to the famous Shark's Tooth Festival, which happens every year to celebrate the abundance of fossilized shark's teeth that can be found on its coastal shores. That festival is such a tradition in town, that Venice has been named the Shark's Tooth Capital of the World.
Living in Venice is not as expensive as one might think, despite its famous name. The cost of living in the city is actually pretty on par with the rest of the country, with the average rate being only 0.8% lower than other cities in the United States. The average annual income per family is approximately $47,000.
As far as education goes, Venice is served by the Sarasota County Public School System and it offers three elementary schools, like Garden Elementary, one middle school, named Venice Middle School, and one high school. There is also a number of charter and private institutions, such as Auburn Rose Presbyterian Academy, Island Village Montessori School, Sky Academy and Epiphany Cathedral School.
