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66-530: The current Matanzas Pass Bridge opened in 1979, and is 65 feet (20 m) tall. It was the tallest bridge in Lee County when it was built, but it was surpassed in 2007 by Bridge A of the Sanibel Causeway , which is 70 feet (21 m) tall. The current bridge has two traffic lanes, one for northbound traffic and one for southbound traffic. There is also a pedestrian lane, which is separated from

132-624: A U.S. territory in 1821, a number of settlers moved into Florida, causing conflict with the local Seminole Indians. Fort Myers was built in 1850 as a military fort to fend off Seminole Indians during the Seminole Wars . 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, Chief Billy Bowlegs and his warriors were persuaded to surrender and move west, and

198-766: A center of tourism in Southwest Florida. It is about 120 miles (190 km) south of Tampa at the meeting point of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caloosahatchee River . Lee County is the home for spring training of the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball teams. The area that is now Lee County has several archaeological sites that show evidence of habitation by peoples belonging to

264-557: A computer and 87.2% of households had a broadband internet subscription. As of 2010, 78.99% of residents spoke English as their first language, and 15.19% spoke Spanish, 1.28% French Creole (mostly Haitian Creole,) 0.88% German, 0.59% Portuguese, and 0.55% spoke French as their main language. In total, 21.01% of the population spoke languages other than English as their primary language. Lee County's stronger economic sectors include construction, retail, leisure, and hospitality. Hertz moved its headquarters from New Jersey to Estero in 2016,

330-574: A first language, and 17.56% spoke Spanish, 0.96% spoke French Creole (mainly Haitian Creole ), 0.74% spoke French, and 0.50% spoke Russian as their primary language. In total, 22.43% of the population spoke a main language other than English. Monroe County cultural organizations include the Key West Literary Seminar , The Studios of Key West , the Red Barn Theatre, Key West Symphony, Sculpture Key West, Fantasy Fest ,

396-399: A household in the county was $ 42,283, and the median income for a family was $ 50,734. Males had a median income of $ 31,266 versus $ 25,709 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 26,102. About 6.80% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.80% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over. As of 2010, 77.57% spoke English as

462-416: A hurricane evacuation. This concern led to the construction of Bonita Beach Causeway at the southern end of the island in 1965. The swing bridge's age and continued structural weakness led the state to ultimately replace the bridge in the late 1970s. Construction began on the current bridge in 1977 and it opened to traffic on October 15, 1979. The current bridge is a 65 foot tall fixed span to accommodate

528-534: A total area of 3,738 square miles (9,680 km ), of which 983 square miles (2,550 km ) (26.3%) is land and 2,754 square miles (7,130 km ) (73.7%) is water. It is the largest county in Florida by total area. More than 99.9 percent of the Monroe County population lives in the island chain known as the Florida Keys . Two thirds of the large area in what local residents call "mainland Monroe"

594-460: A year-round warm, monsoon -influenced climate that is close to the boundary between tropical and subtropical climates (18 °C (64 °F) 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

660-403: Is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. It was one of the first areas of Florida to break away from a Solid South voting pattern. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. Since then, Adlai Stevenson II , Lyndon Johnson , Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama have been the only Democrats to manage 40 percent of the vote. Lee County

726-940: Is a public university located just south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in South Fort Myers. The university belongs to the 12-campus State University System of Florida . FGCU competes in the ASUN Conference in NCAA Division I sports. The school is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate's , 51 different types of bachelor's , 29 different master's , and six types of doctoral degrees. The parks are maintained by

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792-630: Is also responsible for corrections, court operations, and civil proceedings. There are multiple specialized units within the agency including Aviation, K9, SOU, Fugitive Warrants, Marine, Electronic Surveillance, and Tactical Narcotics Teams. Colleges in Lee County include Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Barry University , Nova Southeastern University , Florida SouthWestern State College , Cape Coral Technical College, Fort Myers Technical College, Hodges University , Keiser University , Southern Technical College , and Rasmussen College . FGCU

858-555: Is coterminous with the Key West-Key Largo, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), with Key Largo and Key West designated as principal cities . The μSA was first defined in 2003 as the Key West-Marathon, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area. The name was changed to Key West, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area in 2006, and to Key West-Key Largo, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area in 2023. The μSA

924-537: Is from Fort Myers, and was instrumental in bringing his team to the city for spring training. The deal for JetBlue Park left City of Palms Park without a tenant. County officials have discussed the possibility of securing another team for City of Palms. Terry Park Ballfield (also known as the Park T. Pigott Memorial Stadium) in East Fort Myers is also not currently in use by a Major League Baseball team, though it

990-502: Is home to a large LGBT community, particularly in Key West . Due to the influence of this community, Monroe County was the only county in Florida to reject 2008 Florida Amendment 2 , which banned same-sex marriage and civil unions in the state. The amendment passed in the state with 60% of the vote. Monroe County is politically divided by geography, with Key West voting reliably Democratic, Stock Island being politically variable, and

1056-472: Is located in southwestern Florida , United States, on the Gulf Coast . 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

1122-403: Is now San Carlos Island from the mainland, making the road impassible. The body of water created by the hurricane separating San Carlos Island from the mainland was appropriately named Hurricane Pass. In 1927, a concrete swing bridge was installed to replace the original. San Carlos Boulevard was also constructed at this time as a more direct route to replace the original road. The swing bridge

1188-703: Is part of the Miami-Port Saint Lucie-Fort Lauderdale Combined Statistical Area . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 82,874 people, 32,839 households, and 18,586 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2010, there were 73,090 people, 32,629 households, and 18,219 families living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White (71.3% Non-Hispanic White), 5.7% Black or African American , 0.4% Native American , 1.1% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.4% from other races , and 1.8% from two or more races. 20.6% of

1254-549: Is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Byron Donalds of the 19th district and by Greg Steube of the 17th district . Most of the county is in the 19th, while the far eastern portion is in the 17th. As of May 31, 2024. A small port operation continues in Boca Grande , being used as a way-point for oil distribution. However, Port Boca Grande has been in decline for many years as

1320-643: Is the former home of the Philadelphia Athletics , Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , and Kansas City Royals . Monroe County, Florida Monroe County is the southernmost county of the state of Florida . As of the 2020 census , the population was 82,874. Its county seat is Key West . Monroe County includes the islands of the Florida Keys and comprises the Key West-Key Largo Micropolitan Statistical Area . Over 99.9% of

1386-993: Is the primary college education provider with main campus in Key West, Florida. FKCC also operates two additional campuses in the Florida Keys; one in Marathon and another in Key Largo. Like much of the Solid South, in the first two-thirds of the 20th century, Monroe was a solidly Democratic county, supporting landslide losers like James M. Cox and John W. Davis . However, unlike most Southern Democrats, Monroe County voters tended to be far more liberal on social issues such as civil rights and later gay rights, voting powerfully for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and even supporting Hubert Humphrey in 1968, one of only three counties to do so. Despite this, Richard Nixon did easily carry

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1452-599: Is uninhabited by virtue of being part of the Everglades National Park , and the remainder by the Big Cypress National Preserve in the northeastern interior. The area, officially named Cape Sable Census County Division , is virtually uninhabited. This area has 87.4 percent of the county's land area (859.6 out of 983 sq mi (2,546 km )), but it had only 0.022 percent of the county's population (18 out of 82,170) as of

1518-637: 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

1584-698: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,212 square miles (3,140 km ), of which 428 square miles (1,110 km ) (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 125 miles (201 km) south of Tampa , 115 miles (185 km) west of Fort Lauderdale via Interstate 75 , and roughly 125 miles (201 km) west-northwest of Miami via U.S. Highway 41 . Lee County has

1650-555: 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

1716-465: The 2021 American Community Survey. The Census Bureau defines this area as Census Tract 9800 of Monroe County, Florida. In mainland Monroe, the only three populated places appearing on detailed maps and in the USGS geographic name database are Flamingo , Pinecrest , (not to be confused with much larger Pinecrest of neighboring Miami-Dade County ), and Trail City . Flamingo, on the south coast and at

1782-579: 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. Fort Myers was the frequent winter home of Thomas Edison , as well as Henry Ford . In 1911, Fort Myers was incorporated as a city. In 1923, Collier and Hendry Counties were created by splitting these areas from Lee County. Construction of

1848-735: The Arts Corporation. The name was changed to the Florida Keys Council of the Arts in 2001. Today the organization is the liaison among cultural organizations, all levels of government and the private sector in encouraging and promoting the arts throughout Monroe County. The council endeavors to make the arts a part of the fabric of daily life. From its inception through fiscal year end 2006, FKCA has awarded $ 433,916 in privately raised funds and grants to literary, visual and performing artists and cultural organizations. Add to that sum

1914-511: The Arts, a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation in a public-private partnership with local county government since 1997 serves 76,329 local residents and three million visitors annually. A ten-member board of directors guides the council, assisted by three alternate directors, two directors Emeritus and twenty-five advisory board members. The Monroe County School District serves the entire county, as well as several private schools for primary and secondary education. Florida Keys Community College

1980-625: The Caloosahatchee. Likely established in the latter part of the 1600s, they were precursors to the larger European settlements that would be established in the following centuries. As the 18th century came to an end, the Calusa who had once inhabited the area were replaced with the Seminole . In particular, in 1799, an Indian agent noted the existence of a Seminole town on the "Cull-oo-saw-hat-che" or Caloosahatchee River. After Florida became

2046-724: 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

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2112-684: The Cultural Umbrella event funding, the South Florida Cultural Consortium Visual & Media Artists Fellowships and The Art in Public Places commissions, and the total distributed in the Keys cultural community through FKCA's efforts come to $ 2.5 million to date. The annual economic impact of the non-profit cultural community in the Keys is estimated at over $ 22 million. The Florida Keys Council of

2178-674: The Downtown Intermodal Transfer Center ; in addition, suburb-to-suburb routes are operated, as well as park-and-ride service to and from both Fort Myers Beach and Southwest Florida International Airport. The Downtown Intermodal Transfer Center in Fort Myers also serves as an intermediate stop on Greyhound Lines bus service. Newspapers include The News-Press and Florida Weekly . Arbitron standard radio market: Ft Myers-Naples- Marco Island . With an Arbitron-assigned 783,100 listening area population,

2244-554: The Fort Myers area. A cross-town rivalry has developed with the Minnesota Twins , which conduct their spring training at Hammond Stadium in south Lee County, which has a capacity of 7,500 and opened in 1991. The Red Sox' lease with Fort Myers ran through 2019, but the Red Sox were considering exercising the early out in their contract that would have allowed them to leave following the 2009 spring season. On October 28, 2008,

2310-520: The Lee County commission voted 3–1 to approve an agreement with the Boston Red Sox to build a new spring-training facility for the team in south Lee County. That stadium, named JetBlue Park at Fenway South, is located off Daniels Parkway near Southwest Florida International Airport. The stadium opened in time for the 2012 season. City of Palms Park had been built in 1992 for the Red Sox' spring training. Former Red Sox left fielder Mike Greenwell

2376-673: The Loop Road Education Center. Trail City is 4 mi (6 km) west of Pinecrest on Loop Road. Loop Road can be found on most maps as CR 94, although the roadway no longer has a numbered designation and is now managed by the National Park Service. Between the south coast of Florida's mainland and the Florida Keys is Florida Bay , which is encompassed by the Everglades National Park and contains numerous islets or keys. The county

2442-429: The Monroe County community, including job finding tools. There is a program that preserves the history of the Keys for use by customers. In 2010 the library worked to digitize historical photographs of the Keys. Annual visitors cards can be purchased for $ 30. The library provides access to PCs with internet and word processing capabilities. The library also provides free Wi-Fi for all. The Monroe County Public Library

2508-550: The San Carlos Institute, Hemingway House and Museum , Customs House Museum , and Key West Art and Historical Society. The Florida Keys Council for the Arts is the primary cultural umbrella for the Florida Keys, and serves the population from Key Largo to Key West . A non-profit local arts agency, it makes grants, operates the Monroe County Art in Public Places program, sponsors seminars, and manages

2574-632: 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 . During World War II , Page Field served as an advanced fighter training base and home to

2640-415: The annual mean being 75.1 °F (23.9 °C). Records range from 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 29, 1894 up to 103 °F (39 °C) on June 16–17, 1981. As of the 2020 United States census , 760,822 people, 288,916 households, and 187,877 families resided in the county. About 4.6% of that population was under 5 years old, 17.3% was under 18, and 29.2% was 65 or older; 51.0% was female; 89.3%

2706-589: The area's large shrimping vessels without disrupting traffic. The current bridge was built one block east of the swing bridge to accommodate its height, and the old bridge's approach is now known as Old San Carlos Boulevard on the island side. The road linking Estero Boulevard to Old San Carlos Boulevard was subsequently closed to vehicular traffic and is now a pedestrian-only street known as Times Square. 26°27′26.55″N 81°57′13.09″W  /  26.4573750°N 81.9536361°W  / 26.4573750; -81.9536361 Lee County, Florida Lee County

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2772-408: The bridge originally ran from the bridge along the coast to present-day Bunche Beach where it connected to John Morris Road, which goes on to McGregor Boulevard . The original wooden bridge had a 54-cent toll. At this point, San Carlos Island was part of the mainland. A major hurricane in 1926 destroyed the original bridge, only five years after it was built. This same hurricane also separated what

2838-451: The city experienced a significant influx of settlers. In 1885, when Fort Myers was incorporated, its population of 349 residents made it the second-largest city only to Tampa on Florida's west coast south of Cedar Key, even larger than Clearwater and Sarasota, also growing cities at the time. 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

2904-575: The county in his 1972 landslide, becoming the first Republican winner since 1888 and taking over 70% of the vote. Since the 1970s, Monroe has been a competitive swing county in presidential elections. Although Monroe County has voted mostly for the Democratic candidate since 1992 , it is a competitive county in presidential elections; it was won by the Democratic Party by margins of 5% in 2008 and 0.5% in 2004 and 2012 . Barack Obama

2970-1006: The county's Parks & Recreation Department. The department also maintains spring training facilities for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins . Some of the main tourist attractions in Southwest Florida are its beaches. Lee County is home to ten beach parks and an additional seven beach accesses, maintained by Lee County Parks & Recreation. Popular beaches include Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva Island, Bonita Beach, Bunchee Beach, and Lovers Key. The Lee County Library System has 13 branches. The towns of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, though located in Lee County, maintain their own independent public library entities. The Lee County Library System currently provides more than 294,000 county residents with over 1.5 million items and materials available for use or patron circulation, as well as an online library materials catalog, free wi-fi, public computer access, and scanning and printing capabilities. Unlike most urban counties, Lee County

3036-526: The county's population lives on the Florida Keys. The mainland, which is part of the Everglades , comprises 87% of the county's land area and is virtually uninhabited with only 17 people recorded in the 2020 census. Monroe County was created in 1823. It was named for James Monroe , the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has

3102-725: The end of State Road 9336 (Flamingo Lodge Highway), is the location of the Flamingo Lodge and the Flamingo Ranger Station (with Visitor Center & Marina). 7 mi (11 km) northeast on the highway is the West Lake Trail (station). Pinecrest, located in the northern interior of the county (in the Big Cypress National Preserve) on Loop Road (given that name since it forms a loop with U.S. Highway 41 further north), hosts

3168-738: The first major corporation to relocate to Lee County. The largest employers in Lee County as of 2019 are: The Lee County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for Lee County, Florida headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida . The Lee County Sheriff's Office responds to all calls for service within unincorporated Lee County and employs civilian dispatchers who provide dispatch for LCSO Deputies and Florida Southwestern State College Police. The Cape Coral Police Department , Fort Myers Police Department , Sanibel Police Department and Lee County Port Authority Police maintain their own police dispatch centers. The Lee County Sheriff's Office

3234-623: 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. 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

3300-478: 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. The Union's garrison, led by Captain James Doyle, successfully held

3366-434: The hotel on the corner of First and Fowler was torn down. Lee County has been the host to several Major League Baseball teams for spring training over the past several decades. The county received a boost in 1983 when Southwest Florida Regional Airport (now known as Southwest Florida International Airport ) opened. On August 13, 2004, the county was struck by Hurricane Charley , a category 4 storm, particularly on

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3432-710: The metropolitan area ranks 62/299 for the fall of 2006. The metropolitan area is home to 32 radio stations . Nielsen Media Research designated market area : Ft. Myers-Naples Number of TV homes: 479,130 2006–2007 U.S. rank: 64/210 Fort Myers is home to Florida Gulf Coast University . Its teams, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles , play in NCAA Division I in the ASUN Conference . The Eagles' men's basketball team had an average attendance of 2,291 in 2013. The Boston Red Sox hold their annual spring training at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in

3498-469: The northwestern islands of Captiva , Gasparilla , and North Captiva . On September 10, 2017, Lee County was struck by Hurricane Irma as a category 2 storm. On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Lee County as a category 4 storm, causing major damage to Sanibel , Pine Island , and surrounding areas. Sanibel Causeway partially collapsed in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. 71 deaths occurred in Lee County as of October 4. According to

3564-534: The on-line cultural calendar for the region. It also manages the county's Tourism Development Council arts marketing grants and serves as a leading advocate for cultural tourism in lower Florida. In 1998, the Florida Keys Council of the Arts was designated by the Board of Monroe County Commissioners as the area's Local Arts Agency as provided by Florida Statute 286.011. Established in 1997 as the Monroe Council of

3630-545: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 79,589 people, 35,086 households, and 20,384 families living in the county. The population density was 80 people per square mile (31 people/km ). There were 51,617 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (20/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 90.65% White, 4.77% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. 15.77% of

3696-515: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2005 Monroe County had a population that was 75.1% non-Hispanic white, 17.7% Latino, 5.4% African-American and 1.1% Asian. In 2000 there were 35,086 households, out of which 20.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.80% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.90% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who

3762-574: The rest of the archipelago voting reliably Republican. The western part of Key West is more strongly Democratic than the eastern part of the island. On July 17, 2014, a county court judge ruled the state's ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional, ordering the county clerk of court to issue marriage licenses on July 22, 2014. The Monroe County Public Library system serves residents of the Florida Keys in five locations: Key West , Big Pine , Marathon , Key Largo , and Islamorada . The Monroe County Public Library provides various programs and services to

3828-528: The rest of the bridge by a concrete barrier. Fishing piers also exist underneath the bridge on each side. The bridge's current blue color was added in 2011, making it resemble the Jewfish Creek Bridge in Key Largo . The bridge was damaged but not destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The original Matanzas Pass Bridge was a small wooden drawbridge built in 1921. The roadway connecting to

3894-418: The 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,

3960-564: The shipping industry has moved north, especially to the Port of Tampa . In addition, a private enterprise operates a high-speed, passenger-only ferry service between Fort Myers Beach from San Carlos Island and Key West . Another ferry service is offered from Fort Myers to Key West. Fixed-route bus service is provided by the Lee County Transit Department , operated as " LeeTran ". Several routes extend outward from

4026-519: The year's rainfall occurring from June to September. The temperature rarely rises to 100 °F (38 °C) 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 64.2 °F (17.9 °C) in January to 83.4 °F (28.6 °C) in August, with

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4092-413: Was 25 years or older were high-school graduates and 28.5% of those 25 years or older had a bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income was $ 59,608 with a per capita income of $ 34,818. About 10.5% of population below the poverty threshold . The median value of owner-occupied housing units between 2016 and 2020 was $ 235,300 and the median gross rent was $ 1,225. Around 94.2% of the households had

4158-459: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.73. In the county, the population was spread out, with 17.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 30.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 113.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.80 males. The median income for

4224-401: Was a recycled bridge that formerly operated on the east coast of Florida. An electric motor was installed on the bridge in 1950 due to the area's rapidly growing shrimping industry, which caused the span to be opened frequently. Despite being motorized, the bridge was old and unreliable, and island residents feared that the bridge would fail and strand them in the event of an emergency, such as

4290-463: Was burned and scuttled. He then turned to another means of livelihood – fishing. When the government claimed his land, he was disinclined to set up another ranch, so moved with his wife further down the island and as before, simply homesteaded. 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,

4356-423: Was the first candidate for president to win a majority, 51.7%, of the vote since George H. W. Bush 's national 7.7% victory in 1988 . In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to carry the county in almost three decades, winning a majority and winning it by an even larger margin than Obama had won it by in 2008. In 2020, he won it by a still wider margin, and in 2024 he won by double digits. Monroe County

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