Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of the U.S. State of Florida. The area is known for its sugar white sand beaches, lush tropical landscape, and winter resort economy.
Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are generally considered to put it south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee, and mostly north of the Everglades and to include Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties. For some purposes, the inland counties of DeSoto, Glades, and Hendry, and the thinly populated mainland section of Monroe County, south of Collier, are also included.
The region includes four metropolitan areas: the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota MSA (733,000 population) (sometimes alternately considered a part of the Tampa Bay Area to the north), the Cape Coral-Fort Myers MSA (660,000), the Naples-Marco Island MSA (340,000), and the Punta Gorda MSA (165,000). The most populous county in the region is Lee County (661,000 population), and the region's largest city is Cape Coral with a population of 165,831 as of 2013.
Development
With no large cities in its early history, Southwest Florida was largely ignored by commercial developers until the late 1800s. As a result, the region lacks the heavier development present in other parts of Florida. In recent years however, there has been a major real estate boom focusing on downtown Fort Myers (high-rise residential condominiums); southern Lee County (commercial development and high-technology); eastern Collier County (residential development); and eastern parts of Bradenton. Numerous efforts in recent years have been made to reduce development and preserve open space and recreational areas.
Inland counties (DeSoto, Hendry and Glades Counties) are notably rural, with the primary economic driver being agriculture. Important products grown in this area include tomatoes, beef, sugarcane, and citrus products including oranges. Agricultural harvesting in Southwest Florida employs approximately 16,000 seasonal workers, 90 percent of which are thought to be migrants. [1]
Government
Each county in the region has its own county government. Within each county, there are also self-governing cities, towns and villages. The remaining majority of land in each county is controlled directly by the county government. It is also very common for incorporated municipalities to contract county services in order to save costs and avoid redundancy. The region is designated as one of Florida's 4 districts for the Committee of Southern Historic Preservation (C-SHP). The district has been represented by Tommy Stolly since 2013.
Regional Transportation
Highways
Southwest Florida is served by several major highways, including the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) and the Interstate 75 freeway, both of which connect the area to Tampa to the north, and Greater Miamiâ€"Ft. Lauderdale to the east. Long-term cooperative infrastructure planning is coordinated by the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council (web site), and in heavily populated Lee County, the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Greyhound Lines serves several locations in Southwest Florida, including Bradenton, Fort Myers, Naples, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Sarasota.
Airports
Southwest Florida International Airport, located in South Fort Myers, served over 7.42 million passengers in 2009 and offers non-stop flights to 3 cities in Europe and 2 in Canada, in addition to 36 domestic airports. The area's secondary airport, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, served 1.34 million passengers in 2009.
The following table shows the airports that serve the Southwest Florida area with commercial flights:
Seaport
The Port of Manatee provides a full range of port services for commercial, industrial and cruise ship purposes.
Railway
Seminole Gulf Railway provides freight services throughout Southwest Florida.
Tourism
Tourism is a major economic driver in the area. The warm winter climate draws tourists from across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Major attractions/destinations:
- Beaches in the following locales:
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- Bonita Beach
- Cape Romano
- Fort Myers Beach
- Longboat Key, offshore from Bradenton and Sarasota
- Marco Island, offshore from Naples
- Naples
- Sarasota
- Sarasota Jungle Gardens in Sarasota
- Sanibel and Captiva Islands, offshore from Fort Myers and Cape Coral
- St. Armands Circle on St. Armands Key
- Attractions including:
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- Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers
- Lake Okeechobee renowned for fishing and ecotourism.
- Naples Botanical Garden
- Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
- Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation where the Seminole nation operates a sizable casino.
- Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota
- St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota
Education
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a public university located just south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in South Fort Myers in Lee County, Florida. The university belongs to the 12-campus State University System of Florida. FGCU competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference in NCAA Division I sports. FGCU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate's, 51 different types of bachelor's, 29 different master's, and 6 types of doctoral degrees.
Sports
The following table shows the professional teams and major NCAA Division 1 teams that play in Southwest Florida.
Spring training
Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League." As of 2004, Southwest Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:
- Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers
- Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota
- Minnesota Twins in South Fort Myers
- Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton
- Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte
Area codes
- Area code 239 Collier and Lee counties (Portions of Hendry, Charlotte and Monroe counties)
- Area code 941 Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties
- Area code 863 DeSoto, Hendry and Glades counties
Media
Counties in Fort Myers Division
Major incorporated cities
- Bradenton, Manatee County
- Bonita Springs, Lee County
- Cape Coral, Lee County
- Fort Myers, Lee County
- Naples, Collier County
- North Port, Sarasota County
- Sarasota, Sarasota County
- Punta Gorda, Charlotte County
Major unincorporated communities
Communities listed have a population greater than 30,000 according to the 2000 census.
- Lehigh Acres, Lee County
- North Fort Myers, Lee County
- Port Charlotte, Charlotte County
- South Fort Myers, Lee County
See also
- Florida Suncoast
References
External links
- Southwest Florida travel guide from Wikivoyage