Interstate Highway 75 runs north and south through western Sarasota County. U.S. Highway 41, a.k.a. the Tamiami Trail, almost parallels I-75; it's even farther west, close to the coastline and heavily traveled. The local mass transit system sports an impressive time-conscious acronym. It's called the Sarasota County Auto Transit (SCAT) and runs from the international airport on the north to the Englewood area on the south. Monday through Saturday, the Sarasota Trolley transports travelers around downtown Sarasota. Siesta Key and Venice also provide trolley service for the very reasonable fee of $1 per day. Railroad freight service is available via CSX and Seminole Gulf, and Greyhound also serves the area.

The Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, just north of Sarasota's city limits, serves approximately 1.7 million passengers with more than 50 daily flights provided by eight major carriers and seven commuter lines. Tampa International Airport is also comparatively convenient. Offering a 5,000 foot asphalt-surface runway, Venice Municipal Airport welcomes many private pilots to its south-county location. Twenty miles away from Sarasota in the other direction, the Port of Manatee offers deep-water berths; 52 miles away and also to the north, even more deep-water berths are part of the Port of Tampa facilities.