Bradenton is a city of around 55,000 people in Manatee County, Florida, United States. Originally 'discovered' by Hernando De Soto at Shaw's Point in 1539. The city took the name of Dr. Joseph Braden, whose nearby fortlike house was a refuge for early settlers during Native American attacks. It is the county seat of Manatee County. Bradenton is located on US 41 between Tampa and Sarasota. The area is surrounded by waterways, both fresh and saltwater. Along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay are over 20 miles of Florida beaches - many which are shaded by tall Australian pines.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.4 km² (14.4 mi²). 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²) of it is land and 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²) of it (16.14%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 49,504 people, 21,379 households, and 12,720 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,578.3/km² (4,088.5/mi²). There were 24,887 housing units at an average density of 793.5/km² (2,055.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.14% White, 15.11% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.91% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races.