City in Florida, United States
Fort Myers, Florida
|
---|
|
Sidney and Berne Davis Art Museum in downtown Fort Myers
|
Seal
|
Motto:
"City of Palms"
|
|
Fort Myers
Show map of Florida
Fort Myers, Florida (the United States)
Show map of the United States
|
Coordinates:
26°37′N
81°50′W
/
26.617°N 81.833°W
/
26.617; -81.833
[1]
|
Country
|
United States
|
---|
State
|
Florida
|
---|
County
| Lee
|
---|
Founded
| March 24, 1885
|
---|
Incorporated
| August 12, 1885
[2]
|
---|
|
? Type
| Council?Manager
|
---|
?
Mayor
| Kevin B. Anderson
|
---|
?
Councilmembers
| Teresa Watkins Brown,
Fred Burson,
Darla Bonk,
Liston “Lin” Bochette, III,
Terolyn Watson, and
Johnny W. Streets, Jr.
|
---|
?
City Manager
| Marty K. Lawing
|
---|
|
? Total
| 49.04 sq mi (127.00 km
2
)
|
---|
? Land
| 39.84 sq mi (103.19 km
2
)
|
---|
? Water
| 9.20 sq mi (23.81 km
2
)
|
---|
Elevation
| 10 ft (3 m)
|
---|
|
? Total
| 86,395
|
---|
? Estimate
| 95,949
|
---|
? Rank
| 370th
in country (as of 2021)
[5]
|
---|
? Density
| 2,168.44/sq mi (837.24/km
2
)
|
---|
Time zone
| UTC−5
(
Eastern (EST)
)
|
---|
? Summer (
DST
)
| UTC−4
(
EDT
)
|
---|
ZIP Codes
| 33900?33999
|
---|
Area code
| 239
|
---|
FIPS code
| 12-24125
[6]
|
---|
GNIS
feature ID
| 0282700
[4]
|
---|
Website
| cityftmyers.com
|
---|
Fort Myers
(or
Ft. Myers
) is a city in and the
county seat
[7]
of
Lee County, Florida
, United States. The
Census Bureau
's
Population Estimates Program
calculated that the city's population was 95,949 in 2022, ranking the city the
370th-most-populous in the country
.
[5]
Together with the larger and more residential city of
Cape Coral
, the smaller cities of
Fort Myers Beach
,
Sanibel
, and
Bonita Springs
, the village of
Estero
, and the unincorporated districts of
Lehigh Acres
and
North Fort Myers
, it anchors the
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
metropolitan statistical area
(MSA) which comprises Lee County and has a population of 834,573 as of 2023.
Fort Myers is a gateway to the
Southwest Florida
region and a major tourist destination within Florida. The
winter estates
of
Thomas Edison
("Seminole Lodge") and
Henry Ford
("The Mangoes") are major attractions.
[8]
The city takes its name from a local former fort that was built during the
Seminole Wars
. The fort in turn took its name from Colonel
Abraham Myers
in 1850; Myers served in the United States Army, mostly the Quartermaster Department, in various posts from 1833 to 1861 and was the quartermaster general of the
Confederate States Army
from 1861 to 1864.
[9]
[10]
[2]
Fort Myers has substantial African American and Latin American populations. Centennial Park downtown along the
Caloosahatchee River
, the
IMAG History & Science Center
,
Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium
, and other historical sites are among the attractions.
History
[
edit
]
According to some historians, the
Calusa
capital was located near Fort Myers.
[11]
Following European contact, Spain had colonial influence in Florida, succeeded by Great Britain and lastly the United States.
Seminole Wars
[
edit
]
During the
Second Seminole War
, between 1835 and 1842, the U.S. Army operated Fort Dulaney at
Punta Rassa
, at the mouth of the
Caloosahatchee River
. When a hurricane destroyed Fort Dulaney in October 1841, army operations were moved up the Caloosahatchee River to a site named Fort Harvie.
[12]
[13]
Fort Harvie was abandoned in 1842, as the Second Seminole War wound down. After a white trader was killed by
Seminoles
on the
Peace River
in 1849, the Army returned to the Caloosahatchee River in 1850.
Major
David E. Twiggs
, then stationed at
Fort Brooke
(present day-Tampa), gave orders for two companies of artillery to "select a suitable place for the establishment of a post and immediately throw up such light works as may secure [their] stores, and remove from the Indians any temptation to which [their] isolated position may give rise."
[14]
The new Fort Myers was built on the burned ruins of Fort Harvie.
[15]
The fort was named for
Brevet
Colonel
Abraham Charles Myers
, quartermaster for the Army's Department of Florida and future son-in-law of Major Twiggs.
[16]
It covered about 139 acres (56 ha), and soon had 57 buildings, including a two-story blockhouse that was pictured in
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
, and a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) wharf at which ships could dock. Irvin Solomon notes that Fort Myers was described "as 'one of the finest and largest' forts of the Seminole Wars". It was abandoned in 1858, at the end of the
Third Seminole War
.
Civil War
[
edit
]
During the
American Civil War
,
Confederate blockade runners
and cattle ranchers were based in Fort Myers. These settlers prospered through trading with the Seminole and Union soldiers.
[18]
The United States Army set up a camp on
Useppa Island
, near the entrance to
Charlotte Harbor
, in December 1863. It was intended as a place from which to recruit Union sympathizers and Confederate
deserters
and
conscription-evaders
and to raid into the interior and interfere with Confederate efforts to round up cattle for supply to the Confederate Army.
[19]
After some probes along the
Peace
and
Myakka
rivers, which had mixed results, operations were moved to the mainland.
Troops from the
47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
and the 2nd Regiment of Florida Rangers, later reorganized as the
2nd Florida Cavalry Regiment
, left
Key West, Florida
for Fort Myers early in January 1864. The Union soldiers reached Fort Myers quickly enough to capture three Confederate sympathizers before they could act on orders to burn the fort to keep it out of Union hands. Beyond the principal cause for occupying the fort of providing support for Union sympathizers and local residents disaffected with Confederate taxation and conscription, the fort provided access to the large cattle herds in southern Florida, support for the blockade of the southwest Florida coast being conducted by the U.S. Navy, and a haven for any escaped slaves in the area.
In April 1864, after the troops from the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment had been transferred to Louisiana, Companies D and I of the
2nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment
were transferred from Key West to Fort Myers, and remained at the fort until it was abandoned.
Company G of the regiment had also been sent to Fort Myers by early May.
Solomon argues that
Brevet
Brigadier General
Daniel Phineas Woodbury
, commandant of the District of Key West and the Tortugas, intended that action to be an irritant to the Confederacy. The presence of the black soldiers, who made up the majority of troops used in raids into Confederate territory, played on Confederate fears of armed blacks. It was reported that Woodbury took pleasure in placing a "prickly pear cactus under the Confederate saddle".
By the spring of 1864, Fort Myers was protected by a 500-foot-long (150 m)
breastwork
, 7 feet (2.1 m) high and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, extending in an arc around the land side of the fort. The Seminole War-era blockhouse had been repaired and another two-story blockhouse built. The fort was soon harboring more than 400 civilians and Confederate army deserters. Many of the white men enlisted in the
2nd Florida Union Cavalry
. Although designated as cavalry, the members of the regiment stationed at Fort Myers were never mounted. Escaped slaves that came to the fort were recruited into the
2nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment
.
The Union achieved control of the full length of the Mississippi River after the
fall of Vicksburg
in July 1863. The Confederate Army then became dependent on Florida for most of its supply of beef. By the end of 1863 between 1,000 and 2,000 head of cattle were being shipped to the Confederate Army from Florida every week.
As 1864 progressed, Union troops and sympathizers began driving cattle to Punta Rassa to supply Union ships on blockade duty and Union-held Key West, reducing the supply of cattle available to Confederate forces. The increased shipping from Punta Rassa led the Union Army to build a barracks and a wharf there.
By one Confederate estimate, the Union shipped 4,500 head of cattle from Punta Rassa.
The
Battle of Fort Myers
was fought on February 20, 1865, in
Lee County, Florida
, during the last months of the American Civil War. This small engagement is known as the "southernmost land battle of the Civil War."
[29]
However, see
Battle of Palmito Ranch
.
Settlement and founding
[
edit
]
The Fort Myers community was founded after the American Civil War by Captain
Manuel A. Gonzalez
on February 21, 1866.
[30]
[31]
Captain Gonzalez was familiar with the area as a result of his years of service delivering mail and supplies to the Union Army at the fort during the Seminole Indian Wars and Civil War.
[30]
[31]
When the U.S. government abandoned the fort following the Civil War, Gonzalez sailed from Key West to found the community.
[30]
[31]
[32]
Three weeks later, Joseph Vivas and his wife, Christianna Stirrup Vivas, arrived with Gonzalez's wife, Evalina, and daughter Mary.
[33]
Gonzalez settled his family near the abandoned Fort Myers, where he began the area's first trading post. He traded tobacco, beads, and gunpowder, and sold otter, bobcat, and gator hide to the neighboring Seminole.
[18]
A small community began to form around the trading post.
In the late 19th century, northerners began to travel to Florida in the winter. Some saw development opportunities. In 1881, the wealthy industrialist
Hamilton Disston
of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, came to the Caloosahatchee Valley. He planned to dredge and drain the
Everglades
for development. Diston connected
Lake Okeechobee
with the Caloosahatchee River; this allowed steamboats to run from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Okeechobee and up the
Kissimmee River
.
[18]
On August 12, 1885, the small town of Fort Myers—all 349 residents—was incorporated. At that time, it was the second-largest town on Florida's Gulf Coast south of
Cedar Key
.
[2]
In 1885, inventor
Thomas Alva Edison
was cruising Florida's west coast and stopped to visit Fort Myers.
[2]
He soon bought 13 acres along the Caloosahatchee River in town. There he built his home "Seminole Lodge", as a winter retreat. It included a laboratory for his continuing work. After the lodge was completed in 1886, Edison and his wife, Mina, spent many winters in Fort Myers. Edison also enjoyed local recreational fishing, for which Fort Myers had gained a national reputation.
[34]
Despite an initial offer by Edison to light the town, on New Year's Day in 1898 Fort Myers was first electrified by the Seminole Canning Company, a local company that canned and preserved fruit.
[35]
[36]
In 1898, the Royal Palm Hotel was constructed. This luxury hotel attracted tourists and established Fort Myers nationally as a winter resort destination.
[37]
20th century
[
edit
]
On May 10, 1904, access to the Fort Myers area was greatly improved with the opening of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
, connecting
Punta Gorda
to Fort Myers. This route provided Lee County both passenger and freight railroad service.
[38]
The arrival of the railroad, however, also led to greater segregation in Fort Myers. With the railroad came the need for more unskilled labor and the arrival of a more uneducated workforce, compared to many African Americans who had already resided in town, some of whom had been tradespersons, vendors, and landowners. These more middle-class black citizens, as well as the new African-American laborers, were increasingly pressured to move to the segregated area that would become known as Safety Hill. This area of town, as can be seen by contemporary photographs, had a lower quality of houses and street surfaces.
[39]
The area, now known as Dunbar, is still highly segregated from the rest of Fort Myers.
[40]
In 1907, the Seminole tribes' Federal Agency headquarters was relocated to Fort Myers. It remained there until 1913.
[41]
In 1908, the Arcade Theater was constructed in Downtown Fort Myers. Originally a vaudeville house, Edison viewed films here for the first time with friends
Henry Ford
and
Harvey Firestone
.
[42]
With the growth of the film industry, the Arcade Theatre was converted into a full movie house. A wall divided the stage in order to form two screening rooms. Changes in moviegoing habits since the late 20th century have led to the renovation of the theater for use again in live performance. It is now host to the Florida Repertory Theatre, a performing arts hall.
During World War I, Edison became concerned about America's reliance on foreign supplies of rubber. He partnered with tire producer Harvey Firestone (of the
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
) and Henry Ford (of the
Ford Motor Company
) to try to find a rubber tree or plant that could grow quickly in the United States. He sought one that would contain enough latex to support his research endeavor. In 1927, the three men contributed $25,000 each, and created the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in an attempt to find a solution to this problem.
[2]
In 1928, the Edison Botanic Research Corporation laboratory was constructed. It was in Fort Myers that Edison conducted the majority of his research and planted exotic plants and trees. He sent results and sample rubber residues to
West Orange, New Jersey
, for further work at his large Thomas A. Edison "Invention Factory" (now preserved in the
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
). Through Edison's efforts, the
royal palms
lining Riverside Avenue (now McGregor Boulevard) were imported and planted. They inspired Fort Myers' nickname as "City of Palms".
[2]
After testing around 17,000 plant samples, Edison eventually discovered a source in the goldenrod plant (
Solidago leavenworthii
). The rubber project was transferred to the
United States Department of Agriculture
five years later.
[2]
In 1916, automobile magnate Ford purchased the home next to Edison's from Robert Smith of New York. Ford named his estate "the Mangoes". Ford's craftsman-style "bungalow" was built in 1911 by Smith. Ford, Firestone, and Edison were leaders in American industry and part of an exclusive group titled "the Millionaires' Club". The three men have been memorialized in statues in downtown Fort Myers' Centennial Park.
In 1924, with the beginning of construction of the
Edison Bridge
, named for Edison, the city's population steadily grew. The bridge was opened on February 11, 1931, the 84th birthday of its namesake. Edison dedicated the bridge, and was the first to drive across it.
In the decade following the bridge's construction, the city had a real estate boom. Several new residential subdivisions were built beyond downtown, including Dean Park, Edison Park, and Seminole Park.
[34]
Edison Park, located across McGregor Boulevard from the Edison and Ford properties, includes a number of Fort Myers' most stately homes.
[43]
The population of Fort Myers City had been 575 citizens in 1890. By 1930, it had climbed to 9,082.
[44]
In 1947, Mina Edison deeded Seminole Lodge to the city of Fort Myers, in memory of her late husband and for the enjoyment of the public. By 1988, the adjacent Henry Ford winter estate was purchased by the city and opened for public tours in 1990. The combined properties today are known as the
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
.
Hurricane Ian
[
edit
]
Fort Myers suffered catastrophic damage from
Hurricane Ian
on September 28, 2022.
[45]
Geography and climate
[
edit
]
The approximate coordinates for the City of Fort Myers is located at
26°37′N
81°50′W
/
26.617°N 81.833°W
/
26.617; -81.833
.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 40.4 square miles (105 km
2
), of which 31.8 square miles (82 km
2
) is land and 8.6 square miles (22 km
2
) (21.25%) is water.
Fort Myers has a
tropical monsoon climate
(
Am
).
The temperature rarely rises to 100 °F (38 °C) or lowers to the freezing mark.
[46]
Rainfall averages just over 57 inches per year, strongly concentrated during the rainy season (June to September) with its frequent showers and thunderstorms; on average, these four months deliver 67 percent of annual rainfall. From October to May, average monthly rainfall is less than 3.5 inches. In years with drier than average conditions from winter into mid-spring, drought can develop, and brush fires can be a significant threat. Reflecting the June to September wet season, Fort Myers has 89 days annually in which a thunderstorm is close enough for thunder to be heard, the most in the nation.
[47]
The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 64.7 °F (18.2 °C) in January to 83.4 °F (28.6 °C) in August, with the annual mean being 75.4 °F (24.1 °C).
Records range from 24 °F (?4 °C) on
December 29, 1894
up to 103 °F (39 °C) on June 16?17, 1981.
Climate data for Fort Myers, Florida (
Page Field
), 1991?2020 normals,
[a]
extremes 1892?present
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °F (°C)
|
88
(31)
|
92
(33)
|
94
(34)
|
96
(36)
|
99
(37)
|
103
(39)
|
101
(38)
|
100
(38)
|
98
(37)
|
95
(35)
|
95
(35)
|
91
(33)
|
103
(39)
|
Mean maximum °F (°C)
|
84.6
(29.2)
|
85.7
(29.8)
|
88.0
(31.1)
|
91.3
(32.9)
|
94.8
(34.9)
|
96.0
(35.6)
|
95.8
(35.4)
|
95.5
(35.3)
|
94.1
(34.5)
|
91.7
(33.2)
|
87.9
(31.1)
|
85.1
(29.5)
|
96.7
(35.9)
|
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)
|
75.0
(23.9)
|
78.0
(25.6)
|
81.1
(27.3)
|
85.3
(29.6)
|
89.5
(31.9)
|
91.0
(32.8)
|
91.6
(33.1)
|
91.7
(33.2)
|
90.0
(32.2)
|
86.6
(30.3)
|
81.3
(27.4)
|
77.3
(25.2)
|
84.9
(29.4)
|
Daily mean °F (°C)
|
64.7
(18.2)
|
67.3
(19.6)
|
70.3
(21.3)
|
74.8
(23.8)
|
79.3
(26.3)
|
82.3
(27.9)
|
83.2
(28.4)
|
83.4
(28.6)
|
82.2
(27.9)
|
78.0
(25.6)
|
71.5
(21.9)
|
67.3
(19.6)
|
75.4
(24.1)
|
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)
|
54.3
(12.4)
|
56.6
(13.7)
|
59.6
(15.3)
|
64.3
(17.9)
|
69.1
(20.6)
|
73.6
(23.1)
|
74.7
(23.7)
|
75.1
(23.9)
|
74.3
(23.5)
|
69.4
(20.8)
|
61.8
(16.6)
|
57.3
(14.1)
|
65.8
(18.8)
|
Mean minimum °F (°C)
|
38.1
(3.4)
|
41.5
(5.3)
|
45.5
(7.5)
|
53.5
(11.9)
|
61.2
(16.2)
|
69.5
(20.8)
|
71.5
(21.9)
|
72.3
(22.4)
|
70.4
(21.3)
|
57.8
(14.3)
|
49.1
(9.5)
|
43.0
(6.1)
|
36.4
(2.4)
|
Record low °F (°C)
|
27
(?3)
|
27
(?3)
|
33
(1)
|
39
(4)
|
50
(10)
|
58
(14)
|
66
(19)
|
65
(18)
|
63
(17)
|
45
(7)
|
34
(1)
|
24
(?4)
|
24
(?4)
|
Average
precipitation
inches (mm)
|
2.43
(62)
|
1.78
(45)
|
2.07
(53)
|
2.44
(62)
|
3.46
(88)
|
9.66
(245)
|
9.38
(238)
|
10.43
(265)
|
9.00
(229)
|
3.08
(78)
|
1.78
(45)
|
1.90
(48)
|
57.41
(1,458)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.01 in)
|
5.8
|
5.1
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
8.1
|
16.7
|
18.5
|
18.4
|
15.8
|
7.7
|
4.3
|
5.4
|
115.8
|
Source: NOAA
[48]
[49]
|
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Census
| Pop.
| Note
| %±
|
1890
| 575
| | ?
|
---|
1900
| 943
| | 64.0%
|
---|
1910
| 2,463
| | 161.2%
|
---|
1920
| 3,678
| | 49.3%
|
---|
1930
| 9,082
| | 146.9%
|
---|
1940
| 10,604
| | 16.8%
|
---|
1950
| 13,195
| | 24.4%
|
---|
1960
| 22,523
| | 70.7%
|
---|
1970
| 27,351
| | 21.4%
|
---|
1980
| 36,638
| | 34.0%
|
---|
1990
| 45,206
| | 23.4%
|
---|
2000
| 48,208
| | 6.6%
|
---|
2010
| 62,298
| | 29.2%
|
---|
2020
| 86,395
| | 38.7%
|
---|
2022 (est.)
| 95,949
| [5]
| 11.1%
|
---|
Fort Myers racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(
NH = Non-Hispanic
)
Race
|
Pop 2010
[51]
|
Pop 2020
[52]
|
% 2010
|
% 2020
|
White
(NH)
|
27,786
|
41,044
|
44.60%
|
47.51%
|
Black or African American
(NH)
|
19,495
|
18,891
|
31.29%
|
21.87%
|
Native American
or
Alaska Native
(NH)
|
142
|
135
|
0.23%
|
0.16%
|
Asian
(NH)
|
946
|
2,085
|
1.52%
|
2.41%
|
Pacific Islander
or
Native Hawaiian
(NH)
|
30
|
16
|
0.05%
|
0.02%
|
Some other race
(NH)
|
459
|
666
|
0.74%
|
0.77%
|
Two or more races/Multiracial
(NH)
|
1,002
|
3,157
|
1.61%
|
3.65%
|
Hispanic or Latino
(any race)
|
12,438
|
20,401
|
19.97%
|
23.61%
|
Total
|
62,298
|
86,395
|
|
|
Fort Myers is one of two cities that make up the
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area
of
Lee County
. The 2020 population for the
metropolitan statistical area
(MSA) in 2020 was 760,822, and it was the 73rd highest populated MSA in the US, as of 2020.
The population of the
Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples, FL
Combined Statistical Area
in 2020 was 1,188,319, and it was the 47th highest populated
combined statistical area
(CSA) in the US, as of 2020.
As of the
2020 United States census
, there were 86,395 people, 31,598 households, and 18,313 families residing in the city.
[53]
As of the
2010 United States census
, there were 62,298 people, 24,352 households, and 14,192 families residing in the city.
[54]
Government
[
edit
]
Fort Myers has a
council?manager government
in which the city council consists of a mayor and six council members. The city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local ordinances, voting appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. The
mayor
is elected by registered voters city-wide. The mayor of Fort Myers is Kevin B. Anderson. Council members are elected by registered voters in their ward and represent that particular ward for a four-year term. Council members must continue to reside in that particular ward.
[55]
Policing of Fort Myers is performed by the
Fort Myers Police Department
.
Education
[
edit
]
Secondary schools
[
edit
]
See:
Lee County School District
for other public schools in the area.
- Secondary schools in the city include:
Higher education
[
edit
]
Institutions of higher learning in the city include:
Libraries
[
edit
]
Library Services include:
- Fort Myers Regional Library: The Fort Myers Regional Library is the hub for the
Lee County Library System
, holding the main collections of legal, business, news, and financial information. The library is located in downtown Fort Myers.
[60]
- Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon Public Library: The library opened on October 7, 1974. The founders named the library in honor of the first African poet to have his work published,
Jupiter Hammon
. Dunbar, the community's name, was added at the request of its residents. The library was moved in 1996 to its current location on Blount Street. It is home to the largest African-American book collection in southwest Florida.
[61]
Sports
[
edit
]
The
City of Palms Classic
is an annual high school basketball tournament held in Fort Myers since 1973. By 2015, 120 players that had participated in the tournament had been named
McDonald's All-Americans
and 94 had been drafted into the
NBA
.
[62]
The Florida Eels is a
Tier III junior hockey
program in the
USPHL
with two teams; one in the Premier Division and one in the Elite Division. Both teams have performed well in their regular season and playoffs, advancing to Nationals on multiple occasions. The Fort Myers Skatium is their home rink.
[63]
JetBlue Park
is the
spring training
home of the
Boston Red Sox
.
[64]
During the summer, JetBlue Park is home of the
Florida Complex League Red Sox
, the Red Sox's
rookie league
team competing in the
Florida Complex League
.
[65]
Points of interest
[
edit
]
- The
Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium
[66]
is a private, not-for-profit, environmental education organization. Set on a 105-acre (0.42 km
2
) site, it has a museum, three nature trails, a
planetarium
, butterfly and bird
aviaries
, a gift shop and meeting and picnic areas.
- City of Palms Park
, former home of the
Boston Red Sox
spring training program, close to downtown Fort Myers
- Edison and Ford Winter Estates
- Edison Mall
- Historic Downtown
, waterfront entertainment district
- Murphy-Burroughs House
- IMAG History & Science Center
- Southwest Florida Museum of History
Public transportation
[
edit
]
Airports
[
edit
]
The Fort Myers metropolitan area is served by two nearby airports.
Southwest Florida International Airport
(RSW) is located southeast of the city. The airport, which sits on 13,555 acres of land, is the 45th busiest airport in the United States (by annual passengers). In 2018 the airport served 9,373,178 passengers.
Page Field
is a small
general aviation
airport whose primary traffic consist of smaller aircraft.
Ground transport
[
edit
]
Buses run by
LeeTran
provide local service in Fort Myers.
[67]
Fort Myers in popular culture
[
edit
]
In film
[
edit
]
- The abandoned city scene with the Edison Theatre, from the movie
Day of the Dead
(1985) was filmed in downtown Fort Myers.
[68]
- Some courthouse and other "city" scenes in
Just Cause
(1995) were filmed in downtown Fort Myers.
[69]
- Part of the independent film
Trans
(1999) was filmed in Fort Myers.
[70]
- The animated film
Leo
(2023) is set in Fort Myers, with one of the main locations in the film being the fictional Fort Myers Elementary School.
[71]
In print
[
edit
]
Notable people
[
edit
]
Present
[
edit
]
- Nate Allen
, safety for
Miami Dolphins
- Haley Bennett
, actress
- Jason Bartlett
,
Tampa Bay Rays
shortstop
- Bob Beamon
,
track and field
athlete, gold medalist in
1968 Summer Olympics
long jump, world record holder 1968 to 1991
- Liston Bochette
, Olympian; Fort Myers City Council member
[73]
- Bert Blyleven
,
Hall of Fame
pitcher for
Minnesota Twins
,
Texas Rangers
,
Pittsburgh Pirates
,
Cleveland Indians
and
California Angels
[74]
- James Carlos Blake
, author and former faculty member of Edison Community College
- Phillip Buchanon
,
cornerback
for the
Washington Redskins
,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
,
Houston Texans
,
Oakland Raiders
[75]
- Stacy Carter
, former
WWE
wrestler
[76]
- Stew Cliburn
, Baseball player and coach.
[77]
- Terrence Cody
,
nose tackle
for
Baltimore Ravens
[78]
- Casey Coleman
, former pitcher for
Chicago Cubs
[79]
- Noel Devine
,
running back
for CFL's
Montreal Alouettes
[80]
- Richard Fain
, former NFL player
- Earnest Graham
, NFL running back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Mike Greenwell
, former
Boston Red Sox
left fielder and
NASCAR
driver
[81]
- Nolan Henke
, professional golfer
[82]
- Anthony Henry
, cornerback,
Detroit Lions
,
Dallas Cowboys
,
Cleveland Browns
- Adam Johnson
, former pitcher for Minnesota Twins
[83]
- Tarah Kayne
, figure skater, 2016 national champion
- Jevon Kearse
,
defensive end
, Philadelphia Eagles,
Tennessee Titans
- Terri Kimball
,
Playboy
Playmate of the Month
for May 1964
[84]
- Derek Lamely
, professional golfer
[85]
- Craig Leon
, music and visual producer of the
Ramones
,
Blondie
,
Luciano Pavarotti
,
Joshua Bell
- George McNeill
, professional golfer
- Peter Mellor
, English-born American footballer and coach
- Terry-Jo Myers
, professional golfer, winner of three
LPGA Tour
tournaments
[86]
- Seth Petruzelli
, professional
MMA
fighter
[87]
- Plies
(Algernod Lanier Washington), rapper
[88]
- Lennie Rosenbluth
(born 1933), college and
NBA
basketball player
- Deion Sanders
, Hall of Fame NFL cornerback for six teams, inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboy, and Major League Baseball
outfielder
for five teams
[89]
- Peggy Schoolcraft
, professional bodybuilder, 1997
NPC
Team Universe Champion
[90]
[91]
- Chad Senior
, two-time Olympian (Sydney Australia, 2000 - Athens Greece, 2004), competed in pentathlon
- Vonzell Solomon
,
American Idol
third-place finisher
[92]
- Greg Spires
, former NFL player
[93]
- Elissa Steamer
, professional skateboarder
- Mike Venafro
, former relief pitcher for
Oakland Athletics
and 4 other MLB teams
[
citation needed
]
- Dan Vogelbach
, MLB player
- Jaylen Watkins
,
safety
for
Los Angeles Chargers
- Sammy Watkins
,
wide receiver
for
Buffalo Bills
,
Los Angeles Rams
, Kansas City Chiefs
- Tommy Watkins
, former
Minnesota Twins
baseball player
[94]
- Jeremy Ware
, cornerback for
Oakland Raiders
[95]
- Walt Wesley
, professional basketball player (1966?1976) for
Cincinnati Royals
and six other NBA teams
[96]
- Cliff Williams
, bass player for
AC/DC
- Julio Zuleta
, former first baseman for
Chicago Cubs
Past
[
edit
]
- Verna Aardema
, children's book author
- Patty Berg
, Hall of Fame golfer, one of
LPGA
's founders
- Gerard Damiano
, adult film director
- Thomas Edison
, improved and perfected the incandescent
light bulb
and
audio recording
methods, had a winter estate next to Henry Ford's
- Harvey Firestone
, founded
Firestone Tire Company
, had a winter estate near Edison and Ford's homes
[97]
- Henry Ford
, founded the
Ford Motor Company
, and father of the
assembly line
, had a winter estate next to Thomas Edison's
- Charles Ghigna
, poet and children's author known as "Father Goose;" boyhood home 1950-1973
- Mario Henderson
, offensive tackle, Oakland Raiders
[98]
- Sara Hildebrand
, United States
Olympic
diver (2000, 2004)
[99]
- Jan Hooks
, American actress and comedian, best known for
Saturday Night Live
- Andrew Jacobson
(born 1985), Major League Soccer player
- Jerry Lawler
,
WWE
wrestler and announcer
[76]
- Clyde Lassen
,
U.S. Navy
Commander
,
Medal of Honor
recipient
- Denise Masino
, professional bodybuilder
- Mindy McCready
,
country music
artist
[100]
- Norma Miller
, Lindy Hop dancer, choreographer, actress, author, and comedian known as the Queen of Swing
- Diamond Dallas Page
, former
WCW
and
WWE
wrestler, actor
- Kimberly Page
, former member of the
WCW
Nitro Girls
and
Playboy
model
- Charles Rogers
, Former NFL running back
- Marius Russo
, professional baseball player
- Jean Shepherd
, storyteller, humorist, media personality
- Walt Wesley
, professional basketball player
Sister cities
[
edit
]
Fort Myers has a sister city agreement with:
Notes
[
edit
]
Explanatory notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
Citations
[
edit
]
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2011
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b
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.
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,
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.
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.
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"Exclusive: History Uncovered along Fort Myers Riverfront"
.
News-Press
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the original
on June 30, 2013
. Retrieved
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.
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"Influential Local Capt. Manuel Gonzalez /Archived copy"
. July 29, 2009. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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.
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.
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. National Park Services. p. 21
. Retrieved
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2022
.
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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Turner, Gregg M.
A Journey Into Florida Railroad History
. University Press of Florida, p. 156.
ISBN
978-0-8130-3233-7
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Harrison, Jonathan (Summer 2015).
"The Rise of Jim Crow in Fort Myers, 1885-1930"
.
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.
94
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JSTOR
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. Retrieved
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2022
.
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Dean, Evan (February 16, 2021).
"Segregated City: How Fort Myers neighborhoods are divided by race"
. NBC-2. Archived from
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2022
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Kersey, Harry A. (1989).
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. Boca Raton: Florida Atlantic University Press. p. 7.
ISBN
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.
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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Archived
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, Fort Myers Online
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(PDF)
. Retrieved
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2022
.
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"Hurricane Ian made landfall in SW Florida on Sep. 28, 2022. A look at recovery one year later"
.
The News-Press
. Retrieved
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2024
.
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"NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data"
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2019
.
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"Weather Variety - Annual Days With Thunderstorms"
. Weatherpages.com. Archived from
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on February 20, 2012
. Retrieved
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2012
.
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"NOWData ? NOAA Online Weather Data"
.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
.
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from the original on June 16, 2019
. Retrieved
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2021
.
- ^
"Summary of Monthly Normals 1991?2020"
.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2021
.
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. Retrieved
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.
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.
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.
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.
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General and cited sources
[
edit
]
- Buker, George E. (1993).
Blockaders, Refugees, & Contrabands: Civil War on Florida's Gulf Coast, 1861-1865
. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press.
ISBN
0-8173-1296-X
.
- Dillon, Rodney E. Jr. (January 1984). "
"The Little Affair": The Southwest Florida Campaign, 1863?1864".
The Florida Historical Quarterly
.
62
(3): 314?31.
JSTOR
30146289
.
- Solomon, Irvin D. (October 1993).
"Southern Extremities: The Significance of Fort Myers in the Civil War"
.
The Florida Historical Quarterly
.
72
(2): 129?152.
External links
[
edit
]
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