The initial development of Hi Hat Ranch happened when Ross Beason, a New York businessman, acquired the land in 1937.[3] Beason put the land up for sale after World War II. Hi Hat Ranch was then bought by Herman Turner in a series of transactions from 1943 to 1945. Turner assumed full control of the ranch on April 1, 1945, consisting 26,200 acres (10,600 ha) of land, which is about one-eighth of Sarasota County by total area.[2][3]
The community development project is still in its planning stages. In 2021, a comprehensive plan for the development of rural Hi Hat Ranch was unanimously approved. An application for the development of a Village,[4] separate from the community project approved in 2021, was approved in 2023 and construction is set to start in February 2024 and expected to finish in 2034.[4]
†This populated place also has portions within the city limits of North Port, ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties