Longboat Key, FL - We Build an Island Out of Trash for Our Banana Ball Game

Welcome to Longboat Key, Florida!  Longboat Key is located on a barrier island of the same name off the Gulf Coast of Central Florida in Manatee and Sarasota Counties.  Longboat Key along with several other barrier islands separate Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  Longboat Key was originally inhabited by the Timucuan and Caloosa tribes.  The island was sparsely inhabited until the late 1880s when Thomas Mann and his family became the first permanent residents on the island.  The town developed slowly and growth was continually stymied by hurricanes through the 1920s.  The town was officially incorporated in 1955 and development surged in the 60s and 70s.  Longboat Key has become a popular vacation destination with beautiful beaches, sport fishing, and various other activities available year round.  We hope you enjoy our trip to Longboat Key!Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov