Southwest Florida facts for kids

Southwest Florida is a beautiful area along the Gulf coast in the U.S. state of Florida. It's famous for its sunny beaches, warm weather, and amazing nature. Many people visit or live here, especially in winter.

This region is generally south of the Tampa Bay area and west of Lake Okeechobee. It's mostly north of the Everglades. It includes counties like Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier. Sometimes, inland counties like DeSoto, Glades, and Hendry are also included.

Southwest Florida has four main city areas. The biggest county is Lee County, with over 760,000 people. The largest city in the region is Cape Coral, which had about 194,000 people in 2020.

Map of Southwest Florida. Counties in red are always included, while pink ones sometimes are.

History of Southwest Florida

Fishermen wading in Fort Myers Beach.

Long, long ago, about 12,000 years ago, early people called Paleo-Indians lived in Southwest Florida. They were nomads, meaning they moved around a lot. Later, the Calusa people, also known as the "shell people," lived here. They were very successful along the coast. When the first Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s, there were over 50,000 Calusa people.

Sadly, the arrival of Europeans brought new diseases like smallpox. These diseases greatly reduced the Calusa population. Later, the Seminole people moved into the area from the north.

Southwest Florida didn't have many big towns until the 1920s. This was a time when many people wanted to buy land in Florida. A railroad company, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, built tracks south from Tampa. This helped more people move to the area.

Recently, there's been a lot of new building. This includes tall apartment buildings in downtown Fort Myers. There's also new business and technology development in southern Lee County. Many homes are being built in eastern Collier County and eastern Bradenton. People are also working hard to protect natural areas and open spaces.

The inland counties, like DeSoto, Hendry, and Glades, are mostly rural. This means they have a lot of farms. Their main business is agriculture, which is farming. Important crops grown here include tomatoes, sugarcane, and citrus fruits like oranges. Raising beef cattle is also important. Many seasonal workers help with the harvests.

Getting Around Southwest Florida

Main Roads

Southwest Florida has several big roads. These include the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) and Interstate 75. Both roads connect the area to Tampa in the north. They also connect to the Greater Miami–Ft. Lauderdale area in the east.

You can also travel by bus. Greyhound Lines has stops in many Southwest Florida cities. These include Bradenton, Fort Myers, Naples, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, and Sarasota.

Airports

The main airport for commercial flights is Southwest Florida International Airport. It's located south of Fort Myers. In 2021, over 10 million passengers used this airport. It's one of the busiest airports in the United States. You can fly directly to Europe from here, with flights to Frankfurt, Germany. The airport also connects to many U.S. states and parts of Canada.

Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport is another important airport. It's used by travelers going to the northern part of Southwest Florida. In 2021, over 3 million passengers used this airport.

There are also many smaller airports for private planes. The airport in Naples is very busy for private jets. Other general aviation airports are in places like Immokalee, Punta Gorda, and Venice.

Seaport

SeaPort Manatee is a port that handles many types of ships. It's used for commercial goods, industrial materials, and even cruise ships.

Railway

The Seminole Gulf Railway provides freight services in Southwest Florida. This means they transport goods by train. Florida has a rich history with railroads.

Fun Things to Do in Southwest Florida

Bonita Beach

Tourism is a huge part of the economy here. The warm winter weather brings many visitors from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Southwest Florida has many different places to visit. It has a mix of classic Florida charm and modern, busy areas. There's something for everyone!

Here are some popular places and attractions:

• Beaches in these areas:

* Bonita Beach * Fort Myers Beach * Longboat Key, near Bradenton and Sarasota * Marco Island, near Naples * Naples * Sarasota * Sanibel and Captiva Islands, near Fort Myers and Cape Coral * Venice

Edison's winter home.

• Other cool places to visit:

* Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers. This was the winter home of famous inventors Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. * Lake Okeechobee, which is great for fishing and seeing nature. * Naples Botanical Garden, a beautiful garden with many plants. * Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, a fun zoo to visit. * Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation, where the Seminole nation has a casino. * Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, an art museum. * Sarasota Jungle Gardens in Sarasota, a botanical garden and animal attraction. * St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, a popular shopping and dining area.

Learning in Southwest Florida

FGCU's Academic Core

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a public university. It's located south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in Lee County, Florida. FGCU is part of Florida's state university system. Students at FGCU can earn many different types of degrees. These include associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university also has sports teams that compete in NCAA Division I.

Sports Teams

Southwest Florida is home to several professional and college sports teams.

Spring Training Baseball

Florida is a traditional place for Major League Baseball teams to train in the spring. This is often called the "Grapefruit League." As of 2004, several major league teams hold their spring training in Southwest Florida:

• Atlanta Braves in North Port
• 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

Counties in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida includes these counties:

• Charlotte County (County Seat: Punta Gorda)
• Collier County (County Seat: East Naples)
• DeSoto County (County Seat: Arcadia)
• Glades County (County Seat: Moore Haven)
• Hendry County (County Seat: LaBelle)
• Lee County (County Seat: Fort Myers)
• Manatee County (County Seat: Bradenton)
• Sarasota County (County Seat: Sarasota)

Main Cities

These are some of the biggest cities in Southwest Florida:

• 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

These are large communities that are not officially cities:

• Lehigh Acres, Lee County
• North Fort Myers, Lee County
• Port Charlotte, Charlotte County
• South Fort Myers, Lee County