Lee County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. It is located on the Gulf Coast of Southwest Florida. As of the 2020 census, its population was 760,822. In 2022, the population was 822,453, making it the eighth-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Fort Myers, with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census, and the largest city is Cape Coral, with an estimated 2020 population of 194,016.
The county comprises the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which, along with the Naples–Marco Island (Collier County) MSA and the Clewiston (Hendry County, Glades County) Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), is included in the Cape Coral–Fort Myers–Naples Combined Statistical Area (CSA).
Lee County was established in 1887 from Monroe County. Fort Myers is the county seat and a center of tourism in Southwest Florida. It is about south of Tampa at the meeting point of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caloosahatchee River.Jane Colihan "Spring Break", American Heritage, February/March 2006 Lee County is the home for spring training of the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball teams.
History Protohistory and European contact (500–1799) The area that is now Lee County has several archaeological sites that provide evidence of habitation by peoples of the Caloosahatchee culture (500 to 1750 AD). By the time of European contact, the area was more specifically occupied by the Calusa. After European contact, fishermen from Cuba and other Spanish colonies set up fishing camps, known as ranchos in Spanish, on the southern portion of the Gulf Coast of Florida. These ranchos extended from Charlotte Harbor south to San Carlos Bay and the mouth of the Caloosahatchee. Likely established in the latter part of the 1600s, they were precursors to the larger European settlements that would follow in the centuries that followed. As the 18th century came to an end, the Calusa who had once inhabited the area were replaced with the Seminole (see also the Spanish Indians). In particular, in 1799, an Indian agent noted the existence of a Seminole town on the "Cull-oo-saw-hat-che" or Caloosahatchee River.
Fort established (1850s–1860s) After Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, a number of American settlers moved into the Florida Territory, leading to conflict with local Native tribes. Several military and trading posts were established near the Caloosahatchee River during the Second Seminole War. Fort Myers was built in 1850 as a military fort to fend off Seminole Indians just prior to the Third Seminole War (Billy Bowleg's War). The fort was named after Col. Abraham C. Myers, who was stationed in Florida for seven years and was the son-in-law of the fort's establisher and commander. In 1858, after years of elusive battle, Holata Micco (Chief Billy Bowlegs) and his warriors were persuaded to surrender and move west,Covington, James W. 1993. The Seminoles of Florida. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. . and the fort was abandoned. Billy's Creek, which flows into the Caloosahatchee River, was named after a temporary camp where Billy Bowlegs and his men awaited ships to take them west. In 1863, the fort was reoccupied by federal troops during the Civil War. In 1865, in the Battle of Fort Myers, the fort was attacked by a small group of Confederates from the Cow Cavalry. The Union's garrison, led by Captain James Doyle, successfully held the fort, and the Confederate forces retreated. After the war, the fort was again deserted. The fort was later disassembled and some of its wood was used to build parts of downtown Fort Myers.
Settlement and early growth (1860s–1920s) During the Civil War, Fort Myers was occupied by federal troops with the intention of disrupting the Confederate cattle supply from Florida. In February 1865, it was the site of the Battle of Fort Myers. The first settlers in Fort Myers arrived in 1866. In the 1870s, Tervio Padilla, a wealthy merchant from the Canary Islands, came by way of Key West to Cayo Costa and established trade with natives and "ranchos" that extended northward to Charlotte Harbor. His ships often made port at Cayo Costa at the entrance to the harbor. Enchanted by the tropical island, he eventually decided to settle there. Padilla prospered until the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, when his fleet was burned and scuttled. When the government claimed his land, he moved with his wife further down the island. The Padilla family is one of the first pioneer families of Lee County, and many still reside within the county, mainly around the Pine Island area.
In 1882, the city experienced a significant influx of settlers. In 1885, when Fort Myers was incorporated,Grismer, K.H. (1984). Story of Fort Myers: The History of the Land of the Caloosahatchee and Southwest Florida (reprint ed.). Island Pr. p. 132 its population of 349 residents made it the second-largest city after Tampa on Florida's west coast south of Cedar Key.The History of Fort Myers, www.fortmyers.org. Lee County was formed in 1887 from Monroe County, with Fort Myers serving as the county seat. It was named for Robert E. Lee, Confederate general in the American Civil War. Fort Myers first became a nationally known winter resort with the opening of the Royal Palm Hotel in 1898, built by New York City department store magnate Hugh O'Neill."Remembering the first tourist attraction in Fort Myers", News-Press, February 13, 2016. Fort Myers was the frequent winter home for Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. In 1911, Fort Myers was incorporated as a city.Grismer, p. 205 In 1923, Collier and Hendry These counties were created by splitting these areas from Lee County. Construction of the Tamiami Trail Bridge, built across the Caloosahatchee River in 1924, sparked the city's growth. After the bridge's construction, the city experienced its first real estate boom, and many subdivisions sprouted around the city. In 1927, a property purchased by the City of Fort Myers was turned into an airport, eventually called Page Field.
Modern growth (1940s–present) During World War II, Page Field served as an advanced fighter-training base and as home to several bomber groups. Following the war, a small terminal was built in the mid-1950s as the airport transitioned to commercial use. Another airfield was constructed in 1942 called Buckingham Army Airfield. The base was closed down in 1945, after which the barracks served as classrooms for Edison College until 1948. Following the end of World War II, the Royal Palm Hotel was closed permanently, and in 1947, the hotel on the corner of First and Fowler was torn down.
Lee County has hosted several Major League Baseball teams for spring training over the past several decades. The county received a significant economic boost in 1983 when Southwest Florida Regional Airport (now known as Southwest Florida International Airport) opened. To accommodate the region's post-pandemic population boom, the airport launched a major $1.1 billion terminal expansion in the mid-2020s. This project, which includes the construction of a new Concourse E and a consolidated security checkpoint, officially broke ground on its second phase in late 2024.
Between 2020 and 2024 alone, Lee County's population grew by approximately 13.2% to over 860,000 residents, driven largely by domestic migration.
Infrastructure and redevelopment In the wake of recent storms, the county undertook massive infrastructure hardening projects. In 2023, construction began to replace the Big Carlos Pass Bridge, converting the aging drawbridge into a 60-foot fixed-span structure; the project was scheduled for completion in the summer of 2026. Additionally, the Sanibel Causeway, which was severed during Hurricane Ian, underwent permanent resilient repairs that included sheet pile walls and elevated roadways, fully reopening to the public in May 2025.
Hurricanes On August 13, 2004, the county was struck by Hurricane Charley, a category 4 storm, particularly impacting the northwestern islands of Captiva and Gasparilla. On September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma struck as a category 2 storm, causing widespread flooding in Lehigh Acres and Bonita Springs.
On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall as a category 4 storm, becoming the deadliest hurricane in Lee County history with over 70 confirmed deaths. The storm obliterated the Fort Myers Beach pier and historic cottage districts.
In late 2024, the county was affected by two consecutive storms. Hurricane Helene (September 2024) pushed significant storm surge into coastal properties, filling pools with sand. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton (October 2024) brought tropical storm-force winds and tornadoes to the county, with the newly reinforced Sanibel Causeway remaining passable for emergency vehicles.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (35.3%) are covered by water. Rivers and streams include the Caloosahatchee River, the Imperial River, the Estero River, Hendry Creek, and Orange River. Lee County is on the southwest coast of Florida. It is about south of Tampa, west of Fort Lauderdale via Interstate 75, and roughly west-northwest of Miami via U.S. Highway 41.
Adjacent counties Charlotte County (north) Glades County (northeast) Collier County (southeast) Hendry County (east)
National protected areas Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge
Islands
Big Hickory Island Captiva Island Cayo Costa (Cayo Costa State Park) Cabbage Key Estero Island (Town of Fort Myers Beach) Gasparilla Island (community of Boca Grande) Little Hickory Island (Beaches of Bonita Springs) Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park Matlacha Island Matlacha, Florida Mound Key Archaeological State Park North Captiva Island Pine Island San Carlos Island (Town of Fort Myers Beach) Sanibel Island (Town of Sanibel) Useppa Island
Climate Lee County has a year-round warm, monsoon-influenced climate that is close to the boundary between tropical and subtropical climates ( in the coldest month), thus is either classified as a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), which is the classification used by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Lee County has short, warm winters, and long, hot, humid summers, with most of the year's rainfall occurring from June to September. The temperature rarely rises to or lowers to the freezing mark. At 89, Lee County leads the nation in the number of days annually in which a thunderstorm is close enough for thunder to be heard. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in August, with the annual mean being . Records range from on December 29, 1894 up to on June 16–17, 1981.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 760,822, 318,303 households, and 187,877 families residing in the county.
The median age was 49.7 years. About 4.6% of residents were under the age of 5, 17.4% were under 18, and 29.1% were 65 years of age or older; 51.0% of the population was female; for every 100 females there were 95.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.2 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 69.7% White, 7.7% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 7.5% from some other race, and 12.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 22.8% of the population.
96.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.9% lived in rural areas.