Cape Coral is a city located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a planned community, the city's population has grown to 194,016 as of the 2020 Census, a rise of 26% from the 2010 Census, making it the 130th most populous city in the United States. With an area of , Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and Miami in both population and area. It is the largest and principal city in the Cape Coral – Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city has over of navigable waterways, more than any other city on earth.
History
Cape Coral history began in 1957 when two brothers from Baltimore, Maryland, Leonard and Jack Rosen, flew over the peninsula known as Redfish Point, across the Caloosahatchee River near present-day Fort Myers. Cape Coral was founded as Redfish Point. Leonard and Jack Rosen, who were real-estate developers, and a small group of partners purchased a tract known as Redfish Point for $678,000 in that year and, in 1958, began development of the city as a master-planned, pre-planned community.
The Gulf American Land Corporation (GALC) was formed to develop the area. GAC developed a marketing model that was a total departure from traditional selling methods. Approval was secured from the Lee County to master-plan the entire property into lots. Instead of listing the lots with real estate agents, GAC developed the land-sales, dinner-party model, operating from banquet rooms in local hotels. People were invited to attend by offering a free dinner for two. The model, referred to as team-selling, allowed for a well-trained team to close deals in 90 minutes. Buyers would sign a contract and agree to come to the property within six months and cancel if not satisfied. Ezio Valentini, an Italian real estate developer, joined GAC and became Director of Sales. The program was so successful that offices were opened in 24 states and an arrangement was made with an airline to charter flights to fly buyers to the property.
Instead of borrowing from banks and lenders, the developers factored the sales contracts to pay for building the infrastructure. Canals were dug, streets paved, houses and businesses built. Cape Coral was promoted like no other Florida development. Celebrities were brought in to tout the benefits of "the Cape", as it is known locally. The first building in Cape Coral was the Rosens' sales office. It was built where George's Auto now stands, at Cape Coral and Coronado Pkwys. Cape Coral's first permanent resident was Kenny Schwartz, the Rosens' general manager. Cape Coral's first four homes were completed in May 1958, on Riverside and Flamingo Drives.
Development continued through the early 1960s, mostly on Redfish Point, south of Cape Coral Parkway. By 1963, the population was 2,850; 1,300 buildings had been finished or were under construction; of road had been built, and of canals had been dug. The public yacht club, a golf course, medical clinic and shopping center were up and running. A major addition for Cape Coral was the construction of the 3,400 feet (1,000 m) long Cape Coral Bridge across the Caloosahatchee River, which opened in early 1964. Before the bridge, a trip to Fort Myers was more than via Del Prado Boulevard and over the Edison Bridge (Florida) to cross the river.
The city incorporated in August 1970, and its population continued to grow rapidly until the real estate slowdown that gripped the region beginning in 2008.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (9%) is water.
Cape Coral is a large peninsula and is bordered in the south and east by the Caloosahatchee River and in the west by Matlacha Pass. The city of Fort Myers lies across the Caloosahatchee River to the east, and Matlacha and Pine Island lie across Matlacha Pass to the west. Matlacha Pass is home to Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge and the state's Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve.
Flora and fauna
The area supports waterfowl, wading birds, migrant songbirds, gopher tortoises, dolphins and reptiles. Rotary Park is home to wading birds, raptors, butterflies, foxes and other wildlife.
Nature enthusiasts can track exotic birds and native fish from the boardwalk at Lake Kennedy and watch the West Indian manatees at Sirenia Vista Park. Cape Coral is home to the largest population of burrowing owls in Florida.
Invasive species
Cape Coral is home to three invasive species, the green iguana, the spiny-tailed iguana, and the Nile monitor, which was discovered in 2009. The iguanas are found throughout southern Florida and generally do not pose a threat. The Nile monitor is however a large (3–7 feet), fast traveling, fast swimming carnivore with a wide diet, which can include fish, fowl, and small mammals. The city's many waterways work against its capture and provide an easy transportation route around the city.
Climate
The city features a borderline tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw), bordering on a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification: Am). The area averages 355 days of sunshine each year, but experiences precipitation on 145 days per year. While the summers are very warm, humid, and rainy, the winters in Cape Coral are dry with moderate temperatures. The city receives about 56 inches of rain each year, the majority of which falls from June to September. During the summer months, afternoon rains are heavy yet brief. The city is affected by the annual hurricane season, which begins officially on June 1 and continues through November.
Demographics
, Cape Coral is the eighth largest city in Florida by population. More than 60 percent of the population is between the ages of 15–64 and residents under 25 outnumber residents over 65. Southwest Florida's 18–24 age group is growing at a faster rate than the state of Florida and the United States.
, there were 78,948 households, out of which 23.0% were vacant. In 2000, 29.5% households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.85.
In 2000, the city's population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,410, and the median income for a family was $47,503. Males had a median income of $32,320 versus $25,068 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,021. 7.0% of the population and 5.3% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.2% were under the age of 18 and 5.6% were 65 or older.
Languages
As of 2000, 87.18% of residents spoke only English at home, while 7.61% spoke Spanish, 1.70% spoke German, 1.20% spoke Italian, 0.61% spoke French, and 0.41% spoke Tagalog. In total, 12.81% of the total population spoke languages other than English.
Economy
The economy in Cape Coral is based on health care services, retail, and real estate/construction. The city's Economic Development Office promotes and incentivizes business relocation to Cape Coral. In 2016 the city's top five employers were the Lee Memorial Hospital, Lee County School System, Publix Supermarkets, City of Cape Coral and Walmart.
Arts and culture
Gator Mike's
Mike Greenwell founded an amusement park named Mike Greenwell's Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park that opened in February 1992. The facility changed ownership in April 2019, and it was renamed to Gator Mike's Family Fun Park. The facility includes a mini-golf course, Go-Karts, zip lining, bungee jumping, and more.
Library
Both city libraries are part of the Lee County Library System. Cape Coral Lee County Public Library had 175,000 books in 2002. Northwest Regional Library holds over 70,000 items.
Parks and recreation
Parks and recreation includes:
SunSplash Water Park.
A sandy beach and fishing pier on the Caloosahatchee River at the public Yacht Basin and Club.
Over 30 recreational parks which includes playgrounds, open fields, pavilions, workout equipment, walking paths, and golf courses.
The largest population of burrowing owls in Florida.
Ecological preserves, and an elevated nature trail through Florida mangroves at Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve.
Government
The City of Cape Coral operates under the council-manager government form of government. City Council members are elected at large from seven districts. The mayor is also elected at large and is the eighth member of the council. The mayor presides over council meetings. The City of Cape Coral provides police and fire services within the city.
Education
Secondary schools
Cape Coral has continuously expanded public and private school systems with high performance standards. Cape Coral is part of the Lee County School District, which is operated by the Lee County Board of Education. , the Board of Education operated 8 elementary, 6 middle, and 5 high schools in the Cape.
There are four public high schools in Cape Coral: Cape Coral High School, built in the late 1970s; Mariner High School, which opened in 1987; Ida S. Baker High School, founded in 2004 and named after one of the early principals of Cape Coral High School, which opened in 2005; and the newest, Island Coast High School, which opened its doors for the 2008–2009 school year.
In addition, the City of Cape Coral has created a municipal charter school system consisting of two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The charter schools use the Core Knowledge and Cambridge Curricula. Since the system is public, there is no tuition. The municipal charter schools are available exclusively to children who live in Cape Coral.
Higher Education
The main campus of Florida SouthWestern State College is located immediately east of Cape Coral in Fort Myers. The college offers associate and bachelor's degrees, plus technical training in fields such as allied health programs, computer networking & programming, business administration, paralegal, criminal justice and fire science. 2009 enrollment was more than 16,000 students on four campuses.
One of Florida's youngest state universities, Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), opened in 1997 in nearby Fort Myers and now serves more than 12,000 students. FGCU has established a Cape Coral satellite facility, which provides Cape students with a growing offering of core courses. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees, including an executive master's program, a college of business and engineering and biotechnology programs.
Other colleges and universities serving the area are Hodges University, Southwest Florida College and Rasmussen College.
Cape Coral is also home to the Cape Coral Technical College, a postsecondary educational institution operated by the Lee County public school system. It provides training in medical, computer and food-science fields. Employer-specific training, both on and off-site, is available through Business and Industry Services of Lee County which maintains an office in Cape Coral.
Infrastructure
Canals
The city has over of canals. Most of the canals are navigable and some have access to the Gulf of Mexico. Cape Coral's canal system is so extensive that local ecology and tides have been affected.
Cape Coral's canal system provides many residents with waterfront living with access to the Gulf of Mexico via the broad Caloosahatchee River and Matlacha Pass. The Parks and Recreation Department maintains three public boat launching facilities. The Gulf of Mexico provides access to smaller tropical islands, rookeries, and sports fishing grounds.
Roadways
Interstate 75 passes within of Cape Coral and connects northward to Tampa; and southeastward to Miami/Fort Lauderdale. Cape Coral borders on U.S. Highway 41. U.S. 41 and I-75 can be accessed from State Route 78 (Pine Island Road). Within the city a network of arterial roadways are established. Cape Coral has approximately of roadways. In general, the north/south routes are evenly spaced apart every one or two miles (3 km) and most of them have at least four lanes.
Bridges
Cape Coral is connected to the south side of the Caloosahatchee River by two bridges. The 3,400 feet (1,000 m) long Cape Coral Bridge connects Cape Coral Parkway to College Parkway in McGregor. The Midpoint Memorial Bridge connects Veterans Parkway to Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers. A number of other bridges span the Caloosahatchee River just east of Cape Coral in adjoining North Fort Myers.
Public transport
Public transit services in Cape Coral are provided by LeeTran. LeeTran operates 18 fixed-route bus services, including six within Cape Coral.
Airports
Cape Coral is from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), which serves nearly ten million passengers annually. The airport's new Midfield Terminal Complex opened in 2005, with three concourses and 28 gates. In 2010, eighteen national and two international airlines, as well as the two major cargo companies, served the airport.
In addition to Southwest Florida International Airport, Cape Coral is also served by Page Field, a general aviation airport in Fort Myers eight miles (13 km) from Cape Coral. Charlotte County Airport (PGD) is located in Punta Gorda, just north of Cape Coral.
Hospitals
Acute care is provided by Cape Coral Hospital. Trauma Services are provided by Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers or Tampa. In December 2012, the Lee County VA Healthcare Center opened on Diplomat Parkway, providing a large range of medical services to veterans.
Utilities
In 1977 Cape Coral, Florida became the first municipality in the United States to use the reverse osmosis process on a large scale with an initial operating capacity of per day. By 1985, due to the rapid growth in population of Cape Coral, the city had the largest low pressure reverse osmosis plant in the world, capable of producing 15 MGD (56,780 m³/day).
The City of Cape Coral operates water and sewer systems for the city. Sewage is collected and highly treated to produce reclaimed water, locally known as "rescued water". Reclaimed water is distributed throughout the city through a dual water pipe system, and used for irrigation. Alternatively, reclaimed water can be discharged into the Caloosahatchee River.
The Cape was among the first in Florida to deploy the new 4.9 GHz pre-WiMax wireless channel authorized by the FCC in 2003 for exclusive Public Safety use.
Notable people
Nate Allen, NFL safety
Pat Burke, NBA player
Stacy Carter, professional wrestler
Dustin Diamond, actor
Earnest Graham, NFL running back
Mike Greenwell, MLB player
Jessica Holmes, TV host and news anchor
Hilary Hemingway, author and niece of Ernest Hemingway
Jeff Lindsay, author
Joseph Mercola, physician and alternative medicine proponent
Seth Petruzelli, mixed martial arts fighter
Niko Price, mixed martial arts fighter
Jason Smith, Olympic curler
Greg Spires, NFL player
Angela Watson, actress
Michael Wendler, German singer
Karey Lee Woolsey, singer-songwriter
Mike Zunino, MLB catcher
Tony Bruno, Radio personality
