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.