From historic sites such as the Edison, Ford and Burroughs homes to the new Gulf Coast University, Lee County has it all. Beautiful sandy beaches, cruises to Cayo Costa, Cabbage Key or the Everglades, J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Lovers Key State Park, Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Calusa Nature Center/Planetarium or a manatee tour are a few of the attractions to be seen.

If you are a sports fan, the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins and Miracle baseball teams as well as the Everblades hockey team hold sporting events in this area. Golfing, boating, fishing and shopping are year round attractions. Several malls and outlet stores are easily accessed from either Cape Coral or Fort Myers.

A Little History
In July of 1957 a company by the name of Gulf American Land Corporation was incorporated. Leonard and Jack Rosen (the Rosen brothers) purchased 7000 acres which is now part of Cape Coral and covers over 113 square miles. Many people think Cape Coral was originally swamp land, actually Cape Coral was only surrounded by some marshy areas and most of the land was covered with tall pines and grazing cattle.

By July 1958 the first four homes were completed in Cape Coral. Canals were dug and the fill was used to bring areas of ground level up to the required 5' 6". In September of 1959 the Rutenberg Company opened 8 model homes.
Riverfront property could be purchased for as little as $6,000, prime canal property for as little as $3,500 south of Cape Coral Parkway and commercial lots on Cape Coral Parkway for around $1,000. The largest mass mailing in history was started and people were flying in to see the new "Water Wonderland".

Temperatures rarely drop below freezing in the winter. This makes Lee County an attractive place for “Snow Birds”, seasonal residents that come from Thanksgiving to Easter for the warm winter weather. Tourist season generally runs from January to April. Worldwide travel to Lee County has been made easy through Southwest International Airport. Many visitors come to enjoy our warm winter weather.

Cape Coral Bridge opened in 1964 connecting Cape Coral to Fort Myers. In 1994 15.9 million vehicles made the crossing.

Veterans Memorial Bridge was opened in 1997 connecting midtown Cape Coral to midtown Fort Myers making for easy access to both communities .

Cape Coral Parks & Recreation maintains dozens of parks and recreational sites throughout the city. Planned activities are offered along with locations, amenities, call 941-574-0801.

Caloosahatchee River borders Cape Coral on the Southeast & Southwest. The Caloosa Indians established communities 3,500 years ago along these banks. "Hatchee" is the Indian word for "river." This inter-coastal waterway connects Florida's East and West Coast.

Cape Coral is considered one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The city consists of 113.7 square miles with 1,700 miles of paved roads, making it the second largest city in area in the State of Florida. Cape Coral consists of over 138,000 platted lots, 400 miles of both salt and fresh-water canals, plus lakes, basins & riverfront property.

Population is estimated that Cape Coral has almost 100,000 year-round residents and 20,000 part-time seasonal residents. Of course, this figure is changing daily and based on the latest available data in 1998.

Cape Coral Canals, Lakes & Basins consist of both fresh and salt water. All salt-water canals have access to the Gulf of Mexico. The value of waterfront property is based on a number of features including travel time from your property to the Caloosahatchee River & Gulf of Mexico. Travel within the city limits by boat must be at a "no wake". Sailboat access property could include property that is Direct Access with no restrictions such as a boat lock or bridge as well as property without a bridge but a boat must pass through a lock prior to entrance to the river. Their are various widths to canals ranging from 80' +. A 200' canal for example would have a greater value than a canal on the other side of the street that was 90'. Areas of the city vary to value based on many different aspects, including whether city water/sewer services are installed and/or paid.

Cape Coral Roads are confusing to newcomers. Newcomers to Cape Coral will not want to travel about without a street map of the area. With the large number of canals, one can easily find themselves at a dead end and must navigate to their desired location. All Avenues, Boulevards, Courts & Places run North and South while all Lanes, Parkways, Streets & Terraces run East and West.