Southwest Florida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Florida |
| Largest city | Cape Coral |
| Other cities | |
Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of theU.S. state ofFlorida. The area is known for its beaches, subtropical landscape, and winter resort economy.[1]
Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are generally considered to put it south of theTampa Bay area, west ofLake Okeechobee, and mostly north ofthe Everglades and to includeManatee,Sarasota,Charlotte,Lee, andCollier counties. For some purposes, the inland counties ofDeSoto,Glades, andHendry, and the thinly populated mainland section ofMonroe County, south of Collier, are also included.[1]
The region includes four metropolitan areas: theNorth Port-Bradenton-Sarasota MSA, theCape Coral-Fort Myers MSA, theNaples-Marco Island MSA, and thePunta Gorda MSA. The most populous county in the region isLee County (760,822 population), and the region's largest city isCape Coral with a population of 194,016 as of 2020.[1]
NomadicPaleo-Indians inhabited southwestern Florida during the last ice age around 10,000 BC. The Paleo-Indians gave way to the Calusa, the "shell people." TheCalusa thrived on the southwest Florida coast and numbered over 50,000 when the first Spaniards reached the peninsula in the 16th century.[2] The arrival of the Europeans was devastating to the Calusa, as diseases such as smallpox and measles decimated the population. Eventually the Seminole would arrive from points to the north and establish themselves on the peninsula. Southwest Florida was mostly not developed until theFlorida land boom of the 1920s. TheSeaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) expanded south fromTampa. There has been a major real estate boom focusing on downtownFort Myers (high-rise residential condominiums); southernLee County (commercial development andhigh-technology); easternCollier County (residential development); and eastern parts ofBradenton. Numerous efforts in recent years have been made to reduce development and preserve open space and recreational areas.[1][further explanation needed]
Inland counties (DeSoto,Hendry andGlades Counties) are notably rural, with the primary economic driver beingagriculture. Important products grown in this area includetomatoes,beef,sugarcane, andcitrus products includingoranges. Agricultural harvesting in Southwest Florida employs approximately 16,000 seasonal workers, 90 percent of which are thought to bemigrants.[3]
Each county in the region has its own county government. Within each county, there are also self-governing cities, towns and villages. The remaining majority of land in each county is controlled directly by the county government. It is also very common for incorporated municipalities to contract county services in order to save costs and avoid redundancy. The region is designated as one of Florida's 4 districts for the Committee of Southern Historic Preservation (C-SHP). The district has been represented by Tommy Stolly since 2013.[4]
Southwest Florida is served by several major highways, including theTamiami Trail (U.S. 41) and theInterstate 75freeway, both of which connect the area toTampa to the north, andGreater Miami–Ft. Lauderdale to the east. Long-term cooperative infrastructure planning is coordinated by the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council (web site), and in heavily populatedLee County, theMetropolitan Planning Organization.[5]
Greyhound Lines serves several locations in Southwest Florida, includingBradenton,Fort Myers,Naples,Port Charlotte,Punta Gorda andSarasota.
Southwest Florida International Airport, located to the south of Fort Myers, is the area's primary airport for commercial traffic, serving 10.3 million passengers in 2021 and becoming one of the 50 busiest airports in the United States. Since 2022, theLufthansa subsidiaryEurowings Discover operates a direct route between Fort Myers andFrankfurt Airport, the sole nonstop flight to Europe in the region; the airport also facilitates travel between 28 states as well as the Canadian provinces ofQuebec andOntario andHavana.[6][7][8]
Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport serves as the secondary airport for the region and the primary airport for American and Canadian travelers hoping to travel to the northern part of Southwest Florida, flying as far west asDenver, as far north asToronto Pearson andMinneapolis, and as far east asBoston. In 2021, the airport served 3.16 million passengers, a new record for the airport.[9][10]
General aviation airports sprawl across the region, with theairport in Naples being the twelfth busiest in the nation for private jet traffic. The region also hosts general aviation facilities at namesake airports in various locations includingImmokalee,Buckingham,LaBelle,Arcadia,Marco Island,Punta Gorda, andVenice, as well as at Fort Myers'Page Field, Placida'sCoral Creek Airport,Everglades Airpark nearEverglades City, and theDade-Collier Training and Transition Airport straddling the line between Southwest Florida and theMiami metropolitan area.
SeaPort Manatee provides a full range of port services for commercial, industrial and cruise ship purposes.
Seminole Gulf Railway provides freight services throughout Southwest Florida.[11] The Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line, and the Florida East Coast provide Florida with an intriguing history since most of the South's classic lines are operated here.[citation needed]
Tourism is a major economic driver in the area. The warm winter climate draws tourists from across the United States, Canada, and Europe.[5]
Major attractions/destinations:
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a public university located just south of theSouthwest Florida International Airport in South Fort Myers inLee County, Florida. The university belongs to the 12-campusState University System of Florida. FGCU competes in theASUN Conference inNCAA Division I sports. FGCU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools to awardassociate's, 51 different types ofbachelor's, 29 differentmaster's, and 6 types ofdoctoral degrees.[12][4]
The following table shows the professional teams and major NCAA Division 1 teams that play in Southwest Florida.
| Club | Location | Sport | League | Tier/Division | Venue (capacity) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Everblades | Estero | Ice hockey | ECHL | Mid-level minor league | Hertz Arena (7,100) |
| Fort Myers Mighty Mussels | S. Fort Myers | Baseball | Florida State League | Minor league — Class A | Hammond Stadium (7,500) |
| Bradenton Marauders | Bradenton | Baseball | Florida State League | Minor league — Class A | LECOM Park (8,500) |
| Charlotte Stone Crabs | Port Charlotte | Baseball | Florida State League | Minor league — Class A | Charlotte Sports Park (7,000) |
| Gulf Coast League Red Sox | Fort Myers | Baseball | Gulf Coast League | Rookie League | JetBlue Park (10,823) |
| Florida Gulf Coast Eagles | Fort Myers | Basketball | ASUN Conference | NCAA Division I | Alico Arena (4,500) |
| FC Naples | Naples | Soccer | USL League One | Paradise Coast Sports Complex (5,000) | |
| Sarasota Paradise | Lakewood Ranch | Soccer | USL League Two | South Florida Division | Premier Sports Complex (3,000+) |
Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League." As of 2004[update], Southwest Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:
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| County | County Seat | 2000 Population | 2010 Population | 2020 Population | 2018 Estimated (2010 to 2018) | % change (2010 to 2018) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte County | Punta Gorda | 141,627 | 159,978 | 184,998 | +15.64% | 186,847 | 184,998 | +15.64% |
| Collier County | East Naples | 251,377 | 321,521 | 378,488 | +17.72% | 375,752 | 378,488 | +17.72% |
| DeSoto County | Arcadia | 32,209 | 34,862 | 37,489 | +7.54% | 33,976 | 37,489 | +7.54% |
| Glades County | Moore Haven | 10,576 | 12,881 | 13,724 | +6.54% | 12,126 | 13,724 | +6.54% |
| Hendry County | LaBelle | 36,210 | 39,143 | 41,556 | +6.16% | 39,619 | 41,556 | +6.16% |
| Lee County | Fort Myers | 440,888 | 618,754 | 754,610 | +21.96% | 760,822 | 754,610 | +21.96% |
| Manatee County | Bradenton | 296,385 | 322,833 | 394,855 | +22.31% | 399,710 | 394,855 | +22.31% |
| Sarasota County | Sarasota | 325,957 | 379,448 | 426,718 | +12.46% | 434,006 | 426,718 | +12.46% |
Communities listed have a population greater than 30,000 according to the 2000census.
Southwest Florida travel guide from Wikivoyage