Cape Coral, FL
| City of Cape Coral, Florida | ||
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| City | ||
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 Location in Lee County and the state of Florida |
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| Coordinates: 26°38′23″N 81°58′57″W / 26.63972°N 81.98250°WCoordinates: 26°38′23″N 81°58′57″W / 26.63972°N 81.98250°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Florida | |
| County | Lee | |
| Founded | 1957 | |
| Incorporated | 1970 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-Manager | |
| • Mayor | Marni Sawicki | |
| • City Manager | John Szerlag | |
| • District 1 | Jim Burch | |
| • District 2 | John Carioscia | |
| • District 3 | Lenny Nesta | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 120 sq mi (300 km2) | |
| • Land | 110.09 sq mi (285.1 km2) | |
| • Water | 9.91 sq mi (25.7 km2) 9% | |
| Elevation | 5 ft (2 m) | |
| Population (2016) | ||
| • City | 179,804 | |
| • Density | 1,479/sq mi (571/km2) | |
| • Metro | 645,899 | |
| 2016 City Government | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP codes | 33904, 33909, 33914, 33990, 33991, 33993 | |
| Area code(s) | 239 | |
| FIPS code | 12-10275 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0279997 | |
| Website | www.capecoral.net | |
Cape Coral /ˈkɔːrəl/ is a city located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a master-planned, pre-planned community, the city grew to a population of 154,305 by the year 2010. The city's population estimate was 165,831 for 2013 and 179,804 for 2016. With an area of 120 square miles (310 km2), Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and Miami. It is a principal city in the Cape Coral – Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population estimate for the statistical area was 679,513 for 2014. The city is known as a "Waterfront Wonderland", with over 400 mi (640 km) of navigable waterways, Cape Coral has more miles of canals than any other city in the world.
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,purchased a 103-square-mile (270 km2) 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. 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 was the Rosens' company headquarters, at the corner of Coronado and Cape Coral Parkway. 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; 80 mi (130 km) of road had been built, and 160 mi (260 km) 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 20 mi (32 km) via Del Prado Boulevard and over the Edison Bridge to cross the river.
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