A city of southwest Florida on the estuary of the Caloosahatchee River southwest of Fort Myers. It is a popular resort and retirement community. Population: 151,000.
Cape Coral
| Dictionary: Cape Coral |
A city of southwest Florida on the estuary of the Caloosahatchee River southwest of Fort Myers. It is a popular resort and retirement community. Population: 151,000.
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| Columbia Encyclopedia: Cape Coral |
Cape Coral, city (1990 pop. 74,991), Lee co., SW coastal Fla., located on an estuary of the Caloosahatchee River; inc. 1970. It is mostly a residential city that has grown rapidly along with the southern Florida area. Two industrial parks are in the vicinity, and boat building is an industry. The Univ. of South Florida is located in nearby Ft. Meyers. Cape Coral has a cultural center and a historical museum. The city's population more than doubled between 1980 and 1990.
| Weather: Cape Coral, FL |
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| Wikipedia: Cape Coral, Florida |
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (August 2008) |
| City of Cape Coral, Florida | |||
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| — City — | |||
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| Coordinates: 26°38′23″N 81°58′57″W / 26.63972°N 81.9825°WCoordinates: 26°38′23″N 81°58′57″W / 26.63972°N 81.9825°W | |||
| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County | Lee | ||
| Founded | 1965 | ||
| Incorporated | 1970 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Council-Manager | ||
| - Mayor | John Sullivan | ||
| - District 1 | Kenneth McClain | ||
| - District 2 | Peter Brandt | ||
| - District 3 | William Deile | ||
| - District 4 | Chris Chulakes-Leetz | ||
| Area [1] | |||
| - City | 115.10 sq mi (298.1 km2) | ||
| - Land | 105.19 sq mi (272.4 km2) | ||
| - Water | 9.91 sq mi (25.7 km2) 8.61% | ||
| Elevation | 5 ft (2 m) | ||
| Population (April 2008)[2] | |||
| - City | 165,774 | ||
| - Metro | 623,725 | ||
| University of Florida estimate | |||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP codes | 33900-33999 | ||
| Area code(s) | 239 | ||
| FIPS code | 12-10275[3] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0279997[4] | ||
| Website | www.capecoral.net | ||
Cape Coral is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. With over 400 miles (640 km) of navigable waterways, Cape Coral has more miles of canals than any other city on earth. According to estimates as of 2009, the city had a population of 167,917, making it the largest city in Southwest Florida. The population estimate for the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area was more than 623,725 as of April 2008.[2]
Contents |
Geography
Cape Coral is located at 26°38′23″N 81°58′57″W / 26.639600°N 81.982471°W.[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 115.10 square miles (298.1 km2), making it the second largest city in Florida in terms of area. 105.19 square miles (272.4 km2) of it is land and 9.91 square miles (25.7 km2) of it (8.61%) is water.[1]
Cape Coral is bordered on the south and east by the Caloosahatchee River and on the west by Matlacha Pass. The city of Fort Myers lies across the Caloosahatchee River to the south and east, and Matlacha and Pine Island lie across Matlacha Pass to the west.
Canals
Cape Coral Florida has over 400 miles (640 km) of canals, more than any other city in the world[6]. Cape Coral's canal system is so extensive that local ecology and tides have been affected.[7]
Bridges
Cape Coral is connected to Fort Myers by two bridges. The Cape Coral Bridge connects Cape Coral Parkway to College Parkway in Fort Myers. The Midpoint Memorial Bridge connects Veterans Parkway to Colonial Boulevard.
Hancock Bridge Parkway, after intersecting Santa Barbara Boulevard, sweeps north to its approximate terminus on Pine Island Road, with the east end of Hancock Bridge Parkway terminating at U.S. Highway 41.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 102,286 people, 40,768 households, and 30,209 families residing in the city. The population density was 972.4/mi² (375.4/km²). There were 45,653 housing units at an average density of 434.0/mi² (167.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.01% White, 2.00% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.20% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.33% of the population.
There were 40,768 households out of which 29.5% 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 the city the 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.
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. About 5.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
Over the course of a few years, beginning in 1958, canals were dug, homes and businesses built, and a city was born. Celebrities were brought in to tout the benefits of "the Cape," as it is known by the locals. The first building was a four-plex at the corner of Coronado and Cape Coral Parkway. This building was the Rosen's company headquarters and the temporary home of Cape Coral's first permanent resident, Kenny Schwartz, the Rosens' new general manager. Cape Coral's first four homes were completed in May 1958 on Riverside and Flamingo drives.[8]
Through the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, development moved quickly, 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; 80 miles (130 km) of road had been built, and 160 miles (260 km) of canals had been dug. The 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 Cape Coral Bridge, which opened in early 1964. Before the bridge, a trip to Fort Myers was more than 20 miles (32 km), following the long haul up Del Prado, then over to the Edison Bridge to cross the river.
Since its inception Cape Coral had been known as a "sleepy" community with its large retirement population. This all changed with the population boom of the 1990s that brought with it young working class families. There is still a larger than normal retirement population. While the majority of the community still has to cross the river to Fort Myers for work and entertainment, this has improved in recent years with new stores, restaurants and nightclubs opening up. Today, Cape Coral offers a lively strip of restaurants and stores along Cape Coral Parkway, Del Prado Blvd. and Pine Island Road.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 11,470 |
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| 1980 | 32,103 | 179.9% | |
| 1990 | 74,991 | 133.6% | |
| 2000 | 102,286 | 36.4% | |
| Est. 2007 | 156,891 | 53.4% | |
The Real Estate Bubble
Southwest Florida was hit hard by the declining real estate market. After years of double digit property value increases beginning late 2006 the market started to slow to a crawl. As of April 23, 2009 the area is listed number 1 out of 25 for the highest Foreclosure Cities in the US according to RealtyTrac. This has also caused the closing of many businesses which in turn has lead to an unemployment rate of over 13.2% as of July 2009.
City Events
- The city holds an annual Independence Day fireworks festival known as Red, White & BOOM!! This is the biggest single day event in the city and also the biggest July 4 display in Southwest Florida. Red, White and BOOM is presented annually by the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral.[9]
- Every October the local German-American Club holds an annual Oktoberfest styled after the original held in Germany. This has been the case since 1985.[10]
- The Cape Coral Festival of the Arts is held the second weekend of January every year. The event takes place on Cape Coral Parkway and attracts over 100,000 visitors.[11] Nearly 300 artists and craftspeople from across the nation line the street to make this one of the largest and best attended art festivals in Southwest Florida.
Education
Three public high schools in Cape Coral are operated by the Lee County School District: Cape Coral High School, built in the late 1970s, Mariner High School, which opened in 1987, and Ida S. Baker High School, founded in 2004 and named after one of the early principals of Cape Coral High School, with the building opening in 2005. The newest high school, Island Coast High School, opened its doors for the 2008-2009 school year.
Notable residents
- Echo Chernik, illustrator.
- The members of Twisted Method grew up and first formed their band in Cape Coral.
- Angela Watson, actress.
- Bill Cunningham, talk radio host.
- Greg Spires, NFL player
- Earnest Graham, NFL Running Back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Lela Star, pornographic actress was born in Cape Coral.
- Stacy Carter, professional wrestler.
- Seth Petruzelli- mixed martial arts fighter
- The members of Godsmack live in Cape Coral.
- Hilary Hemingway, writer, producer and niece of Ernest Hemingway
References
- ^ a b "Florida by Place. Population, Housing, Area, and Density: 2000". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=ST-7. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- ^ a b University of Florida population estimates for Cape Coral for April 2008
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Cape Coral History, City of Cape Coral, http://www.capecoral.net/About/History/tabid/470/Default.aspx, retrieved October 9, 2008
- ^ (PDF) Cape Coral Canals: A Public Conference on Water Quality and Quantity, http://www.chnep.org/Events/PublicConf/CapeCoral06/CapeCoralConfReport.pdf
- ^ Historical Photos, Cape Coral Historical Museum, http://www.capecoralhistoricalmuseum.org/page8.html, retrieved October 9, 2008
- ^ Special Events, Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, http://www.capecoralchamber.com/chamber/events.asp, retrieved October 9, 2008
- ^ Oktoberfest Information, German American Social Club of Cape Coral, http://www.gasc-capecoral.com/e_start.htm
- ^ Cape Coral Festival of the Arts, http://www.capecoralfestival.com
Pat Burke NBA was from Cape Coral
External links
- City of Cape Coral Official site
- Satellite view of the canals
- Cape Coral Historical Museum
- Pictorial History of Cape Coral
- Cape Coral Gardens
- Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral
- What's Up Cape Coral
- Cape Coral Barometer
- Cape Coral Weather
- Cape Coral Sailing Club
- Cape Coral Festival of the Arts
- Community Redevelopment Agency of Cape Coral
- Cape Coral Parks and Recreation
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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- Fort Myers (city of southwest Florida)
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