Fort Myers, FL

Fort Myers started as a military post, not a town. In 1850, during the Third Seminole War, the U.S. Army built a fort on the south bank of the Caloosahatchee River and named it for Colonel Abraham Myers. The site had earlier been known as Fort Harvie. During the Civil War, Fort Myers saw some of the southernmost land fighting of the whole war — Union forces held it against Confederate "cow cavalry" raids in February 1865. After the Army abandoned the post, the first civilian settlers moved into the empty buildings in 1866 and kept the fort's name.

What turned Fort Myers from a quiet cattle-and-citrus river town into a place people knew was one man's winter visit. Thomas Edison arrived in 1885, bought 13 acres on the Caloosahatchee, and built the winter home he called Seminole Lodge. He talked his friend Henry Ford into buying the house next door — The Mangoes — and together with Harvey Firestone they ran a botanical research laboratory on the grounds, hunting for a domestic source of rubber. Edison even wired his own home with electric lights years before the town had power. Today the Edison and Ford Winter Estates sit side by side on McGregor Boulevard as Southwest Florida's best-known historic attraction, gardens, giant banyan tree and all.

Locals call it the City of Palms, and that's Edison's doing too. He planted the first of the royal palms that still line McGregor Boulevard into downtown, and the city took the trees as its name. Fort Myers also anchors the region's baseball culture — it's the longtime spring training home of the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins.

Fort Myers anchors Southwest Florida from the Caloosahatchee River in Lee County — about 30 minutes from Sanibel and Captiva, 45 from Naples, with I-75 and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) making travel easy.

 Population: ~99,900 (2024 U.S. Census estimate) · Schools: School District of Lee County 

Who moves here: retirees, snowbirds, young families, and remote workers. The downtown River District's revival, spring training (Twins and Red Sox), and genuine affordability for a city this complete keep drawing people.

Housing: downtown condos, suburban family homes, 55+ communities, and riverfront estates. Median listing price is near $325,000 — solid value.

Thinking Fort Myers? Let's find your spot — FL 941-322-4444.

• Edison and Ford Winter Estates — 20-acre riverfront estate with the historic homes, gardens, and laboratory of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
• Fort Myers River District — Downtown historic district along the Caloosahatchee River with restaurants, shops, and public art.
• Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve — 3,500-acre wetland preserve with an elevated boardwalk for spotting alligators, turtles, and wading birds.
• Lakes Regional Park — 279-acre park with walking and biking trails, a miniature train, playgrounds, and community gardens.
• Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium — 105-acre nature center with rescue-animal exhibits, nature trails, and Southwest Florida's only planetarium theater.
• Manatee Park — Seasonal warm-water refuge where manatees gather in winter, with boardwalks and educational exhibits.
• IMAG History & Science Center — Interactive science and history museum with a stingray touch tank and 3D theater.
• Hammond Stadium (Lee Health Sports Complex) — Spring training home of the Minnesota Twins with games February through March.
• Florida Repertory Theatre — Professional year-round theater company staging plays and musicals in the historic Arcade Theatre downtown.

Holiday Nights at Edison & Ford Winter Estates — Nov 27, 2026–Jan 3, 2027: the 51st annual Holiday Nights turns the historic winter estates into a walk-through display of thousands of lights, with a children's holiday tree trail, live music, and Santa visits on select nights, at 2350 McGregor Blvd.

Fort Myers Asian Food Festival — Dec 4–6, 2026: a weekend food festival at Centennial Park celebrating Asian cuisine and culture, with food vendors and family activities.

Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival — Jan 29–31, 2027: three days of seafood vendors, live music, and an arts-and-crafts marketplace on the Caloosahatchee riverfront at Centennial Park, 2000 W. First St.

ArtFest Fort Myers — Feb 5–7, 2027: the 27th annual ArtFest brings more than 200 artists to the downtown River District waterfront for a free weekend of fine art, family activities, and an opening-night celebration.

Edison Festival of Light — Feb 2027 (dates TBA), downtown River District. Fort Myers' signature February festival honoring Thomas Edison, with the Grand Parade of Light on Feb 20, 2027, plus a junior parade, 5K run, classic car show, and crafts on the river.

Minnesota Twins Spring Training — Feb–Mar 2027 (dates TBA), Hammond Stadium. The Minnesota Twins play their Grapefruit League home games at Hammond Stadium, drawing baseball fans to Fort Myers each spring.

Boston Red Sox Spring Training — Feb–Mar 2027 (dates TBA), JetBlue Park at Fenway South. The Red Sox host spring training at JetBlue Park, a Fenway-style ballpark on the south side of Fort Myers.

Fort Myers Film Festival — May 2027 (dates TBA; typically mid-May), venues across the region including the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The 17th annual Fort Myers Film Festival screens independent films at downtown venues, with filmmaker parties and special gatherings.

(Festival dates change — confirm with event organizers before making plans.)