Introduction to North Fort Myers, Florida
North Fort Myers, Florida, in Lee county, is 8 miles NE of Cape Coral, Florida (center to center) and 95 miles S of Tampa, Florida. The town is conveniently located inside the Fort Myers-Cape Coral metropolitan area.
North Fort Myers History
North Fort Myers, named in honor of Colonel Abraham C. Myers, was one of the first operation bases during the Seminole Indian Wars. It was built along the Caloosahatchee River, and by 1885 it was the second largest town on Florida's Gulf Coast. 1914 saw the opening of the first Ford Car Dealership in Fort Myers. By 1920, the Tamiami Trail was built to link Fort Myers to Tampa and Miami. However, there were two devastating hurricanes in 1921 and 1926 that greatly detracted from the progress of North Fort Myers. Fort Myers is also famous as the hometown of inventing genius Thomas Alva Edison.
North Fort Myers and Nearby Attractions
- Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
- Fort Myers Historical Museum.
- Pine Island Shopping Center.
- Edison & Ford Winter Estates.
- Imaginarium Hands-On Museum.
- Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium.
Things To Do In North Fort Myers
North Fort Myers offers visitors the rare opportunity of stepping back in time by taking a tour of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford's winter estates. It is a historic home with a museum, laboratory and gardens. Visitors can find out about the early settlers of Southwest Florida, the Calusa, Paleo and Seminole Indians, and go through an extensive artifact collection at the Fort Myers Historical Museum. The Imaginarium has interactive and educational exhibits of animals, marine life, puppet theatre, a touch pool and a hurricane simulator. It is the ideal place to take the kids. The Captiva Beach is perfect for nature lovers, and is also a romantic getaway.
North Fort Myers Transportation
Air transportation is available from the Southwest Florida International Airport.
North Fort Myers Higher Education
Edison Community College is the local college.