About the Cape Coral, Florida Area 

Cape Coral is a city of approximately 145,000 people, encompassing a delightful diversity of ages, interests and nationalities. This waterfront wonderland is one of the largest master-planned communities in the country, a sprawling community with over 400 miles of beautiful canals. Its friendliness, beauty, and great weather combine well with its thriving businesses and rich educational, cultural and recreational opportunities. It doesn’t get much better than this! 

Location 

Cape Coral is located in Lee County, on the southwest Florida Gulf Coast. It is the largest city in the Southwest Florida area, and the third-largest city in Florida. Along with Fort Myers, it makes up the Cape Coral-Fort Myers MSA. The city is situated between Fort Myers and Punta Rassa. It is a large peninsula, west of Fort Myers and north of Sanibel Island. It is bordered on the east by the Caloosahatchee River and on the west by Matlacha Pass. 

Cape Coral is located 95 miles southeast of Saint Petersburg, 116 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, and 140 miles southwest of Orlando. 

Geography 

Cape Coral has a total area of 115.1 square miles, 105.2 square miles of which is land and 9.9 square miles, or 8.61% of which is water. It sits at an altitude of 5 feet above sea level on the Caloosahatchee River. The Caloosahatchee River provides a navigable link between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. When the developers originally platted this community, they created over 400 miles of canals. 

Jobs 

Cape Coral is located in Lee County, which is economically flourishing, and was rated the 6th highest county in the nation for job growth between September 2003 and September 2004. INC Magazine ranked Fort Myers-Cape Coral 9th among its top 25 medium metropolitan cities for entrepreneurs in 2005. In the same year, Forbes Magazine ranked Ft. Myers-Cape Coral 2nd of 150 cities for job growth. Cape Coral is the fastest growing city in the Eastern United States and Florida for populations over 100,000, with a current 12% growth rate.

This area has the economic advantages of prime location, a youthful, educated labor force, good investment opportunities, availability of resources, affordable cost of living, and an excellent quality of life. Businesses and industries, such as aerospace, marine fabrication, defense contracting, transportation and the business services sector, are locating in Cape Coral. 

Educational, health and social services provide 18.5% of the employment in the city, retail trade provides 16.4%, construction provides 12.3%, and professional, scientific, management, administrative services provide 10.5%. 

Cape Coral has had job growth during the last year of 6.19%. The average time to travel to work is 25.2 minutes, and the unemployment level is 3.2%. 

Housing 

Cape Coral has many beautiful waterfront residential properties on canals, lakes and basins. Many have direct, access to the Gulf of Mexico and Charlotte Harbor. These scenic waterfront sites make Cape Coral one of the most attractive communities on the Gulf Coast. High-end homes and small, gated communities are developing in the northwest section of the city. 

U.S. Housing Markets has ranked Ft. Myers-Cape Coral area as the number one housing market in a metropolitan area in the nation for 2003 and 2004. 

The housing market has been changing from a seller's market to a buyer's market. Properties are staying on the market longer. Housing prices range from the high $200,000's to more than 5 million. The median price for a single-family home is $275,000. 

Recreation 

Cape Coral has one of the best recreation departments in the state, providing a full range of recreational activities for all ages, including golf courses, tennis courts, boat ramps, athletic parks and natural preserves.  

The city is crossed with a network of canals offering river and lake access. The 400 miles of canals, plus the river and Gulf, make Cape Coral a prime location for boating, fishing, and a wealth of water sports. It is a premier boating community, both in the Gulf and the nearby freshwater lakes. 

The city has a wealth of parks and preserves, birds and wildlife, and new parks are planned throughout the city.  

You can visit Four Mile Ecological Park, where you can wind through the mangroves on the boardwalk or go canoeing or kayaking in the river. This area is the only significant saltwater wetland left in eastern Cape Coral. The park encompasses 365 acres of mangroves, open areas of marshlands, and 5000 ft. of shoreline on the Caloosahatchee River. 

Cape Coral's riverfront sandy beach and public fishing pier are tucked behind Sanibel near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River.  

The area’s glorious beaches and sunny weather are optimal for all types of water-related activities, from sailing, water-skiing, and snorkeling to shelling, scuba diving and sun bathing.  

Southwest Florida is renowned for its excellent golf facilities, and Cape Coral has its share of top-notch courses. The Coral Oaks is a public 18-hole course. The Cape Coral Executive and Royal Tee Country Club are semi-private courses, while the Palmetto-Pine Country Club is a private course.  

The Cape Coral Golf and Tennis Resort hosted the 1972 NCAA Championships and the 1996 Southwest Florida PGA Championship. 

Special Attractions/Events 

The Cape Coral Historical Society Museum is a great place to visit, offering a multitude of exhibits, activities and displays. 

The Yacht Club Community Park is a riverfront park with a beach, a 1,000 square foot fishing pier and marina. 

The Children’s Science Center is superb, with interesting exhibits on such things as dinosaurs, electricity, optical illusions, and live reptiles. 

Sun Splash Water Park is an exciting 12-acre water park that the whole family can enjoy, with over 2 dozen attractions, both wet and dry.  

Towards the end of the year, the Cape Coral version of a Christmas Winter Wonderland happens on the water at the annual Christmas Boat Parade.  

Cape Coral does offer several cultural attractions, such as the excellent Cape Chorale Chorus and the local Cultural Park Theatre, comprised of local residents. 

Nearby Sanibel has a thriving cultural scene, with BIG ARTS, the Tower Gallery Cooperative, and the Schoolhouse Theatre. 

Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places 

Cape Coral was built over 40 years ago by the Rosen brothers, two land speculators, who believed that its location on the Gulf Coast would be extremely attractive to homebuyers. They purchased the land, platted the community, and created a system of canals spanning more than 400 miles.

Cape Coral was incorporated as a city in 1970, and is one of the fastest growing areas in Florida. 

Cape Coral is the birthplace of: Pat Burke, a NBA player for the Phoenix Suns; Josh Raven, a college football player for the Iowa State Cyclones; and Rob Ferguson, a college basketball player for the Saint Joseph's Hawks. 

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