Punta Gorda is located on Southwest Florida’s coast, south of Sarasota and to the north of Fort Myers. It lies just south of Port Charlotte, the two communities being separated by the Peace River. Punta Gorda sits on a broad piece of land which juts out into Charlotte Harbor, one of the United States’ largest natural harbors. The city is bounded by the harbor on one side and by rural land on the other, home to large citrus and cattle farms.

Punta Gorda is the only incorporated city in Charlotte County, incorporated on December 7, 1887. This small, historic town is the county seat, and covers an area of 18.5 square miles. The population of Punta Gorda was 14,344 at the 2000 census, and this figure had increased to 17,215 by 2004 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Punta Gorda has economic stability, reflected in the booming real estate market. The influx of people to the area is also driving businesses forward across a wide range of industries. The largest industry sectors in the area include distribution services, construction, design, retail, hospitality and tourism, health services, life sciences and real estate. In 2001 Forbes Magazine's Milken Institute ranked Punta Gorda the 5th "Best Small Place for Business and Careers" in the United States.