Venice Island Offers Florida Homes for Sale in Sarasota County

Venice Island shares an interesting history with some choice Sarasota neighborhoods such as Bird Key and San Remo. In the early 20th century, John Ringling wanted to develop Sarasota into an approximation of the magnificent Italian city of Venice. Around the same time, Frank Higel wanted to do the same in the Florida city that is now known as Venice, but he lacked the network of canals that Ringling had up north. Not to be outdone, Higel envisioned a dredging project to extend the Intracoastal Waterway from Manasota Key all the way to Roberts Bay, thus creating Venice Island.

To understand the geography of Venice, think about the three main bridges crossing over the Intracoastal Waterway: Everything to the east of Center Road, the Tamiami Trail, and East Venice Avenue is the district of Venice Island, and this is where you can find seven miles of beaches, the Historic Downtown district, the municipal airport, and the Lake Venice Golf Club. In other words, Venice Island is where all the major landmarks and attractions of southern Sarasota County are located, and this is where you really want to live.

The Venice Island housing market is not very large; however, it is very diverse. You can find imposing waterfront mansions just blocks away from beach cottages that have maintained their Old Florida charm. Closer to the beach you will find multifamily properties managed by real estate investors who offer them as vacation rentals. Duplex and townhouse properties are located all around the island. You will also find low-rise condominiums, a couple of towers, and small subdivisions where the architecture follows the aesthetic of Mediterranean and northern Italian styles.

You can never go wrong with a real estate acquisition in Venice Island. Aside from the numerous tourism attractions, this is where the prestigious Venice Medical Center is located. Opportunities can start as low as $159K for a small villa just blocks away from the beach, but there are also six-bedroom Modernist mansions close to the golf club that routinely list for $1.4M. The two major commercial districts are accessible from just about any point of the island.

Homes for Sale at Venice Island in Venice

See all Venice Island Homes & Condos for Sale.
(all data current as of 9/13/2025)

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