Rayfield Realities

* Southwest  Florida Links*

   Quality of Life

Southwest Florida consistently ranks near the top of lists of the best places to live and work. In 1996, Money magazine ranked all of southwest Florida's major cities in the top 20 "best places." Punta Gorda was ranked 2, Fort Myers/Cape Coral 6 and Naples 15. Residents are proud of their communities and embrace a solid work ethic. The costs of doing business and the unemployment rate are low

Southwest Florida consists of five counties: Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Henry and Lee. Lee County is at the center of the area and encompasses 811 square miles. It is located 123 miles south of Tampa on the Gulf of Mexico. Although Cape Coral is the largest city in the county based on population and land area, Fort Myers is the governmental seat and the hub of the five-county trade area

Average Annual Air Temperatures             

• 73.9F average annual temperature

• 83.8F average annual high temperature

• 63.9F average annual low temperature

Average Annual Water Temperatures

• 77.5F Average annual temperature
• 70.8F average fall/winter temperature
• 84.1F average spring/summer temperature
• 66.0F average winter low temperature
• 87.0F average summer high temperature

      Lee County 

• Total Area: 1,212 square miles. Until 1923, Lee County was the largest county in Florida.
• Location: 15 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico with Collier County to the South and Charlotte County to the North.
• History/Culture: Lee County was Established in 1887 and named after General Robert E. Lee. Today, Lee County is perfect for outdoor activities. Lee County has more than 800 square miles of both shoreline and pristine waterways.  The annual rainfall is just over 53 inches.
• Major Attractions: Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter homes, Mound Key, SunSplash Waterpark, Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track, Minnesota Twins spring training, Boston Red Sox spring training, Miracle Professional Baseball (April to August), the Edison Festival Parade of Light including the largest nigh light parade in Florida, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Harborside Convention Center, J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel-Captiva beaches, Everglades Wonder Gardens, Koreshan State Historic Site
• MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $25,028

 

• Cape Coral's history began in 1957, the year Jack and Leonard Rosen decided to make the area into a tropical paradise. Before settling on the area that became Cape Coral, the Rosens looked for the ideal spot to develop an exclusive residential and commercial community. After flying over areas such as Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs and Punta Rassa, Leonard Rosen choose an area Northwest of Fort Myers, just across the Caloosahatchee River. According to Eileen Bernard in her book Lies that Came True, L. Rosen threw a silver dollar out of the little plane to indicate he had decided to build a new development in Florida--Cape Coral. Jack and Leonard Rosen purchased the land for $678,000.
  

  • Cape Coral is Lee County's largest city in both population and land size. It is also the fastest growing city in the county. The city's population has doubled every decade since the city was incorporated in 1970. From 1980 to 1990, Cape Coral's population grew an amazing 133.6 percent. Cape Coral attributes its phenomenal growth to a combination of factors such as: An extensive labor force with great work ethics ·A mixture of affordable housing  Easy access to regional and national markets   Cost effective industrial space Progressive tax structures
    

  • Unparalleled quality of life: At 114 square miles, it's the second-largest city in terms of land mass in Florida, second to Jacksonville. It's population rank's 14th in the state of Florida. With about 400 miles of salt and fresh water canals, it is said to have more canals than Venice, Italy. Cape Coral is located conveniently between I-75 and Southwest Florida International Airport. Cape Coral also offers unparalleled quality of life due to its outstanding climate, excellent health services, affordable housing, low crime rate, education facilities, parks and recreation, and an increasing labor force.
    

  • Cape Coral ranks among the nation's top housing markets with an average annual price of a house in 1992 of $94, 646

  • The city is expected to be the second fasted growing job market in the United States by the year 2000. Businesses ranging from industrial to High-Tec are all looking to start or relocate to the areas commercial and industrial parks

Population

350,809 residents in Lee County
45,043 residents in Fort Myers
5,534 residents in Sanibel Island
79,278 residents in Cape Coral
1.5 million visitors annually

Airports
Southwest Florida International Airport which is southeast of Fort Myers. Serves Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties, opened in 1984, serviced by most major domestic carriers.

Page Field Executive Airport, near downtown Fort Myers.

Major Access Roads
Interstate 75 and U.S. 41 north-south
AlligatorAlley and U.S. 41 (east of Naples) east-west.

Mileage from Florida Cities
Miami: 148 miles (2 1/2 hours drive time)
Orlando: 167 miles (3 1/2 hours drive time)
Tampa: 134 miles (2 1/2 hours drive time)
Daytona: 219 miles (4 1/2 hours drive time)
Jacksonville: 311 miles (6 hours drive time)

Peak season
January 15 through April 30

Hotel/Motel/Condominium/Resort Accommodation
More than 20,000 rooms, ranging from idyllic cottages to condominiums to deluxe resort properties and inexpensive motels.

Camping
More than 3,500 campsites, countywide, in: 40 R V parks, equipped with electrical and sewer hookups, 17 R V parks, offering additional tent camping.

Golf
1,549 holes on 95 courses in Southwest Florida, including 15 public courses, 34 semiprivate courses and 46 private clubs.

Marinas
58 marinas, 15 of which offer boat rentals or charters.

Education

Southwest Florida boasts 205 public and private schools with nearly 98,000 students enrolled during the 1995-96 calendar year. All public schools are accredited by both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and by the Florida Department of Education. Several schools have been recognized both statewide as well as nationally. Southwest Florida is particularly proud of the area vocational-technical schools, which cater to the demands of local business and industry. The Southwest Florida Private Industry Council sponsors a highly successful job training partnership which provides employers a low cost, customized workforce training program. Edison Community College offers Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Arts degrees. Florida’s tenth public university, Florida Gulf Coast University, will offer Bachelors and Masters degree programs and will be opening in 1997. At that time, it will absorb the University of South Florida at Fort Myers. It is the first public university established in Florida in 25 years

 

 

Just some of the things to see and do

• Arcade theater: 2267 First Street, 338-2244 - Experience Theater in old downtown.
• Balloon Odyssey: See the area by balloon - 5100-318 S. Cleveland Ave. Phone: 458-5750
• Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall: Edison Community College, corner of Summerlin Rd. and College Parkway.
• Broadway Palm Dinner Theater: 1380 Colonial Boulevard, Royal Palm Square, 278-4422
• Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium: 3450 Ortez Avenue.
• Classic Flight Biplane Rides: Phone 939-7411
• Edison Festival of Light: 2210 Bay Street, Fort Myers., Tribute to the man who gave us light...
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates: 2350 McGregor Boulevard. Phone 334-3614
• Ft. Myers Historical Museum: 2300 Peck Street. Phone 332-5955
• Funkruz: 2500 Main Street. Phone 463-5000
• Harborside Convention Hall: Downtown Ft. Myers. Phone 334-4958
• Imaginarium: 2000 Cranford Street. Phone 332-6666 (Bring the kids!)
• Manatee Tours: Phone 693-1434
• Burroughs Home: Corner of First and Fowler. For information phone 332-1229 and travel back to 1918 with tour of this Georgian revival home.
• Attend a spring training game: Boston Red Sox Spring Training
• Sun Splash Family Waterpark 400 Santa Barbara Blvd. (941) 574-0557
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