Fort Myers Beach

 Fort Myers Beach is a seven mile long island with a wide, white-sand beach stretching its length along the Gulf Coast. The Beach gained a reputation as the World's Safest Beach because of no undertow and shallow water. Numerous hotels, condos, holiday homes, restaurants and bars line the beach front, making this area one of Lee County’s favorite playgrounds and a vacation mecca to tourists from around the globe. The island attracts family vacationers but also lures about 12,000 students during Spring Break every March and April. Over a million people visit each year, ensuring that Fort Myers Beach remains the County’s hub of activity. Tourism fuels the restaurant, hotel and amenities industries on the island, particularly around Times Square – a favorite place to shop, watch the sunset or just hang out.

Fort Myers Beach has approximately 6,900 residents. Some properties line its intricate web of back bays, others are beach-front properties, particularly along its central and southern shoreline. With the island being no more than one mile across at its widest point, all residents have easy access to the beach and the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico!

Fort Myers Beach has a healthy economy with the unemployment percentage being significantly below state average. As one would expect, the industry providing the bulk of employment on Estero Island is the hospitality industry (accounts for around 25%). Other industries providing employment include construction, real estate, education & health services and retail trade. To keep the island from uncontrolled growth, residents vigorously fought to incorporate in the 1990s and officially became a town on New Year’s Eve 1995.