Bradenton Beach is a city on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico. Its population is about 900, making it one of the smaller municipalities in the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice metropolitan area. The city occupies the southern end of the barrier island, fronting the Gulf on the west and the Intracoastal Waterway on the east. The island's 27 miles of white-sand beaches draw more than two million visitors a year, and Bradenton Beach sits at the heart of that tourism economy. The city's character is defined by its narrow, walkable layout, with Gulf Drive running the length of the island and the historic Bridge Street district anchoring the downtown. Bridge Street, with its shops, restaurants, and pier, is the community's social and commercial core, and the nearby Coquina Beach offers picnic areas and Gulf shoreline. The town is connected to the mainland by the Cortez Bridge and to the rest of Anna Maria Island by the free island trolley, which links Bradenton Beach with Anna Maria and Holmes Beach. Students attend Manatee County public schools. For residents and visitors, Bradenton Beach offers a low-rise, old-Florida beach town character — small cottages and vacation rentals, a working pier, and direct access to both the Gulf and the bay — set within easy reach of the larger Bradenton and Sarasota region. Fishing, boating, and watching sunsets over the Gulf are woven into daily life, and the town's compact scale keeps nearly everything within walking or biking distance. Its year-round population is small, but its role as a Gulf-front destination gives it a steady seasonal rhythm of visitors and activity.