Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida. It is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1897 Palmetto was incorporated and in the following years expanded. In 1902 with the arrival of the railroad, the center of town moved from the waterfront to the train station. The city has a total area of 4.4 square miles. The city includes the Palmetto Estuary Preserve, Palmetto Historic District, Palmetto Historical Park.