Sarasota National Cemetery

Sarasota National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Sarasota, Florida. VA lists it as open for burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Sarasota National Cemetery

"Sarasota" comes from the Calusa Indian language. While its exact meaning is unknown, it may mean "Point of Rocks." Native Americans settled in Florida at least 12,000 years ago. Over the millennia native Floridians developed complex cultures and some societies began to farm.

In April 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon led the first European expedition to the peninsula. He named it La Florida in recognition of the lush landscape, and because it was the Easter season known as Pascua Florida (Festival of Flowers). Ponce de Leon's fleet explored both east and west coasts, and though the exact locations are in dispute, he may have come ashore in Charlotte Harbor about 50 miles south of Sarasota.

Sarasota's location on the west coast, protected by barrier islands, created an ideal marine environment for fish. As early as the mid 18th century, fishermen from Colonial America and Cuba established seasonal fishing camps in Sarasota Bay.

The Territory of Florida, established in 1821, attracted American settlers and speculators drawn by real estate opportunities. By 1840 the population exceeded 54,000-nearly half being African-American slaves-with most settlement found in the north. In 1845 Florida became a state.

Ranching expanded throughout Florida in the 1840s as cattlemen migrated southward and opened new range in the upper St. Johns River basin, the Kissimmee Prairie, and the Peace and Caloosahatchee river valleys. Tampa, 58 miles north of Sarasota, became a shipping port for 1,000 cattle per month.

In 1898, national attention focused on Florida during the Spanish-American War. Tampa served as the primary staging area for U.S. troops bound for combat in Cuba.

In the Sarasota area, the ranching industry grew quickly in the early 20th century, and thousands of cattle roamed the swamps and the countryside. By the 1920s, cattlemen began fencing in their property to protect livestock from disease; some of these ranches still exist.

Sarasota was incorporated as a city in 1913. In the early 1920s Sarasota began to enjoy the overall real estate boom sweeping Florida that was facilitated by an improving transportation infrastructure and a strong U.S. economy. However, much of the boom was fueled by land speculation and by 1925 the bubble burst and Sarasota fell into an economic depression.

Despite the locale's financial woes, the mild climate led businessman John Ringling in 1927 to make Sarasota the winter headquarters of the Ringling Brothers' and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The move provided performers with a reprieve, while Ringling and other managers planned new shows. Other circuses followed Ringling's lead, and soon Sarasota was dubbed "Circus City, U.S.A."

During World War II, the U.S. Army identified Florida as an ideal location for military flight training, due to its year-round good weather and abundance of flat, open terrain. The army operated two air stations in Sarasota County. The Sarasota Army Airfield, near the border with Bradenton County, opened in spring 1942 to train bomber pilots; it transitioned into a fighter station later in the year. The Venice Air Base opened in December 1942 as a training school for fighter pilots. Over the course of the war, over 6,000 personnel were stationed at the two installations. Soon after the armistice, both bases were deactivated and turned over to local governments.

Florida's population tripled between 1950-1980 as retirees flocked there for the warm climate, and as immigrants arrived for employment opportunities. Sarasota County shared in the expansion. While agriculture and ranching continued to be an important part of the local economy, the service sector grew considerably.

With the passage of the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, Congress directed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish six new national cemeteries. A demographic study of the nationwide veteran population identified the Sarasota area as lacking burial options. NCA considered three southwestern Florida sites before purchasing from J. Arlin Hawkins, in 2007, acreage that was operated as a family-operated ranch since the 1870s. Sarasota National Cemetery was formally dedicated in 2008 and opened for burials the following year. It is the sixth national cemetery established in Florida and the 127th in the national cemetery system.

Directions

Take Interstate 75 to exit 205 (Clark Road) travel east four miles (toward Myakka River State Park), cemetery site is on the right.

Flowers and grounds rules

Our cemetery floral regulations exist only to reflect the honor and respect we hold for our Nation's Veterans, by preserving the dignity and solemnity of their final resting place.

We welcome and encourage fresh-cut flowers throughout the year and provide flower containers for gravesite display.

Who can be buried at Sarasota National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Sarasota National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Sarasota National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Sarasota National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Sarasota National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Sarasota National Cemetery directly at 877-861-9840.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Florida law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Florida and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Sarasota National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Bay Pines National Cemetery, St. Petersburg, FL: 46 mi, status not listed
• Atlantic Garden Veteran Cemetery, Aguadilla, PR: 66 mi, open for burials
• Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL: 95 mi, open for burials