Fort Myers City Map Poster

About Fort Myers

The city was founded in 1886 with the establishment of a post office and became incorporated as "Fort Myers" in 1912. The town grew steadily, from less than 1,000 residents in 1900 to over 5,000 by 1910; however it experienced a reversal of fortune when Florida went through economic difficulties during the Great Depression. Fort Myers first appeared on a map in 1893 showing its location relative to Tampa and Charlotte Harbor (the latter is now known as Punta Gorda). The city also underwent periods of growth during World War II and again around 1969 due to the influx of retirees from northern states like New York. In recent years Fort Myers has seen explosive growth: between 2000-2005 alone population nearly doubled according to census estimates; while this period saw record highs for many areas throughout Southwest Florida such as Cape Coral or Lehigh Acres which have grown more rapidly than any other region outside metro Orlando since 2010 -2015 , Fort Meyers' rate has been even higher at almost 50% per decade .