Overview

Introduction to Sanibel, Florida

Sanibel, Florida is 9 miles SW of Cape Coral, Florida (center to center) and 107 miles S of Tampa, Florida. The city is in Lee county, and is part of the Fort Myers-Cape Coral metro area.

Sanibel History

The city of Sanibel is located on Sanibel Island. Around 6,000 years ago, Sanibel and Captiva formed as one island, and the Calusa Indians lived in the area until the arrival of the Europeans. In 1768, a Spanish map labeled the island "Puerto de S. Nibel" which is probably how the area received the name Sanibel. However, another tradition claims that the community was christened "Santa Isybella" by Juan Ponce de Leon, a famous explorer believed to have discovered the island and to have named it in honor of Queen Isabella. Though the Spanish failed in their efforts to set up an establishment, they left behind a host of diseases which nearly wiped out the Calusa population in the 1700s. The Sanibel Lighthouse was constructed in 1884, and gradually a settlement began to form around it. In the 1900s, Americans started visiting the island as tourists. In 1963, the Sanibel Causeway was completed, and in 1974, Sanibel was incorporated as a city.

Sanibel and Nearby Attractions

  • Museum of the Islands.
  • Thomas Edison Winter Estate.
  • Bailey Matthews Shell Museum.
  • Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
  • Stump Pass Beach State Park.
  • Naples Zoo.

Things To Do In Sanibel

Bailey Matthews Shell Museum, and the Museum of the Islands showcase exhibits which reflect local history and nature. The Thomas Edison Winter Estate, the Henry Ford Estate and the Imaginarium Hands-On Museum and Aquarium are also close to Sanibel. Naples Zoo and Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge are two other popular attractions in the area. Because the city is on Sanibel Island, the parks offer facilities for various water sports. The Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Cayo Costa State Park and Gasparilla Island State Park provide amenities for swimming, fishing, boating, scuba diving, canoeing, camping and picnicking. In addition, the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park offers visitors the opportunity to view wildlife like sea turtles, and manatees.

Sanibel Transportation

The closest major airport is Southwest Florida International Airport.

Sanibel Higher Education

Colleges near Sanibel include the Edison Community College, Florida Gulf Coast University and Manatee Community College.

Demographics

People

Total Population7,224
Male Share of the Population47.2%
Female Share of the Population52.8%
Senior Citizens54.2%
Employed Population 16+2,243
Age of the Population66

Families

% of people married71.2%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher49.9%
Median Earnings25+$42,093
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$2
Median Earnings With High School Degree$31,042

Wealth

Median Family Income$125,491
% Above Poverty Level92.6%
% Below Poverty Level7.4%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time20 minutes
% Working from Home21.6%
% Walking and Biking to Work11.2%
% Using Public Transportation%

Housing

People Living Alone29.4%
Median Gross Rent$1,443
Median House Value$720,500

Ancestry

German23.4%
English17.6%
Irish14.5%
Italian11.7%
Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)5.9%
Polish4.4%
Norwegian4%
Scottish3.7%
French Except Basque2.9%
Dutch2.5%
Russian1.7%
Swedish1.6%
Lithuanian1.1%
Ukrainian1%
Austrian1%
Hungarian0.9%
Czech0.9%
Welsh0.8%
Danishn0.7%
Canadian0.6%
Greek0.5%
US/American0.5%
Finnish0.5%
Romanian0.3%
Belgian0.3%
Slovene0.3%
Albanian0.2%
Swiss0.2%
Serbian0.2%
Portuguese0.2%
Croatian0.2%
Macedonian0.1%
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Sanibel Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyLee County
Standard Zip Codes33957
Phone Area Codes239
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude26.44
Approximate Longitude-82.1

Sanibel Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationFORT MYERS (PAGE AP)
Distance13.4 miles
Jan Temp55 to 75 F
Apr Temp63 to 85 F
Jul Temp74 to 92 F
Oct Temp69 to 86 F
Annual Precip54.1 inches
StationIMMOKALEE 3 NNW
Distance36.5 miles
Jan Temp50 to 75 F
Apr Temp58 to 84 F
Jul Temp71 to 91 F
Oct Temp66 to 86 F
Annual Precip50 inches
StationARCADIA
Distance54 miles
Jan Temp48 to 73 F
Apr Temp57 to 83 F
Jul Temp71 to 91 F
Oct Temp64 to 85 F
Annual Precip49.3 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Bonita Springs53,812$73,848
Cape Coral178,593$65,644
Fort Myers76,591$54,762
Fort Myers Beach6,966$78,045
North Fort Myers41,690$56,945

Sanibel Public Libraries

Sanibel Public Library
770 DUNLOP ROAD
Sanibel, Florida
(239) 472-2483

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More Information for Librarians

Sanibel Public Schools

The Sanibel School
3840 Sanibel Captiva Rd
ZIP: 33957
(239) 472-1617
Primary
Total Enrollment 326
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