Cape Coral is located on the Gulf Coast in Lee County, Southwest Florida.  The history of Cape Coral began 40 years ago when Leonard & Jack Rosen concluded that the area’s location could provide almost endless opportunities for waterfront living in the abundant sunshine.

Cape Coral occupies a large peninsula bordered by the majestic Caloosahatchee River on the east and Matlacha Pass on the west. The city is located about 120 miles south of Tampa, 159 miles from Miami, and next to Fort Myers. 

Since incorporating in August, 1970, Cape Coral' population has experienced rapid growth. With about 160,000 residents today, Cape Coral’s population is growing at about 5% per year. Cape Coral is among the fastest growing cities in the United States. As of the year 2012, the City of Cape Coral is approximately 43% developed.

With an area of 122 square miles, Cape Coral is also Florida's second largest city by land mass . The city features thousands of waterfront residential properties on more than 400 miles of canals and waterways, including many with direct saltwater access to the Gulf of Mexico.

The City of Cape Coral operates under the council-manager form of government. City Council members are elected at large from seven districts. The mayor is also elected at large and is the eighth member of the council. The mayor presides over council meetings. The City of Cape Coral provides police and fire services within the city. The City provides a comprehensive range of municipal services including general government, public safety (police and fire), public works, community development, economic development, utilities, transportation, and parks and recreation.

Cape Coral Florida, strategically situated midway between Tampa and Miami, is emerging as a top Florida growth city and market for manufacturers who need to distribute goods throughout other parts of Florida, the southeastern United States, and Latin America.

With an estimated labor force of 107,000, many of whom are white-collar workers, Cape Coral offers businesses the opportunity to tap into a local source of experienced workers who want to work, live, and shop within the city limits. 60% of Cape Coral’s workforce commutes to work outside of the city. The Economic Development Office is actively recruiting companies whose business needs match with the occupational and educational experience of our residents.

Numerous well-known national retailers and restaurant chains have located within the city, for example: BJ’s Wholesale Club, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Kohl’s Department store, Walmart, Carrabba’s, Super-Target, Belk’s, Home Goods, Michael’s, Chili’s Bar & Grill, Chick-Fil-A, Starbucks, Bonefish Grill, Uno's, Fosters Grille, and LA Fitness Gym, among many others.

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The history of Cape Coral began more than 40 years ago when the brothers Leonard & Jack Rosen started to plan and develop the city.  

The Rosens purchased property, platted the community, and created more than 400 miles of canals. The largest concentration of earth moving equipment in Florida history was used to excavate the Cape Coral canals and prepare home sites, commercial areas, and industrial districts. The brothers implemented a global marketing campaign that resulted in the sale of nearly all 350,000 residential building sites, the majority to people living in other states and nations.

In the ceaseless promotion of the City of Cape Coral, the Rosen brothers, along with other land developers, helped to introduce millions of people to the benefits of living in Florida. By selling home sites on installment, the price of waterfront real estate became affordable for even blue-collar Americans and helped Cape Coral become one of Florida's fastest growing cities. The City of Cape Coral incorporated in 1970.

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