Welcome to Cortez, FL

Cortez, FL, located in Manatee County is a small census-designated place that is best known for its commercial fishing. While the community may be named for Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, it was originally founded in the 1880s by settlers from North Carolina.

Suggest an Edit

Boating in Cortez, FL Map View

A marina is at the W end and just S of the bridge. Berths with electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, pump-out station, dry storage, water, ice, and marine supplies are available. Hull, engine, and electronic repairs can be made; lift to 77 tons. In 2010, the reported approach and alongside depth was 6 feet.
Cortez Coast Guard Station is near the E end of the bridge. There are several fish wharves at the E end of the bridge at which party fishing boats moor.
Numerous small-craft facilities are at Cortez.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this location.
At Mile 87.2, State Route 684 highway bridge crosses the waterway from Bradenton Beach, near the S end of Anna Maria Island, to Cortez on the mainland. The bridge has a bascule span with a clearance of 22 feet at the center.

Boating Resources for Cortez, FL

In The Zone: The Sabre 51 Salon Express

By US Harbors When Sabre Yachts completed construction of hull number 200 of its 48 Salon Express model, more than half the crew who built it had also worked on hull number one. The average tenure on that line was 12 years, and they produced a yacht that proved to… Learn More

Coastal News Updates See All

Physician Dr. Larry Spetka swims with his namesake, Larry the whale shark, in the Gulf in May 2025. Credit: BWRI/Jamison Smith

A Year in the Life of Larry the Whale Shark

6/8/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. One year ago today, researchers deployed a satellite tag on a whale shark off the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida. They never could have anticipated the epic journey that would ensue. On May 28, 2025, researchers set out from Boca Ciega Bay, Florida, heading into the Gulf… SEE MORE

This image is of a salt marsh in coastal Maine. The high-resolution, land cover mapping NOAA has done for the state captures the tidal creeks, pannes, pools and vegetation with far greater precision and detail than past, 30-meter mapping. (Image credit: NOAA)

The Coast Is Clear-er: NOAA Unveils New Land Cover Maps 900 Times Greater In Detail

6/7/2026

By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. NOAA is releasing new, higher-resolution land cover maps for coastal Alabama, Mississippi, Northeastern Ohio, Rhode Island, and the Puget Sound in Washington. The data will be made available through the Digital Coast website and will provide these communities with better information for decisions related to stormwater management, water quality… SEE MORE

Coral bleaching at Cheeca Rocks in the Florida Keys in 2023. [Credit: NOAA]

World’s Fourth Mass Coral Bleaching Event Likely Ended in 2025

6/7/2026

By nesdis.noaa.gov, nesdis.noaa.gov. After analyzing satellite data and bleaching observations, NOAA’s experts say the record-breaking fourth global coral bleaching event likely concluded in mid-2025. The fourth global coral bleaching event was confirmed by NOAA on April 15, 2024. From early-2023 to mid-2025, bleaching-level heat stress impacted 84% of the world’s coral… SEE MORE

Photo Credits

Florida Sunset - Image by Jms3082 from Pixabay

Cortez, FL

Welcome to Cortez, FL

Monthly Tide Chart

Weather

Maps & Charts

Boating in Cortez, FL Map View

Boating Resources for Cortez, FL

Important Contacts

Charts, Navigation, & Guides

Important Locations & Services

Weather Conditions & Forecasts

Other Resources