Community Information

History:

Lee County was established from Monroe County in 1823 and named for General Robert E. Lee.

Local Towns:

Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Fort Myers
Beach on Estero Island, Bonita Springs,Beaches, Fort Myers,
Pine Island, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Boca Grande on Gasparilla
Island, North Fort Myers, Cabbage Key, Useppa Island, Caya Costa
State Island Preserve, North Captiva Island

Location and Facts:

Lee County reaches in 15 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Collier County is south and Charlotte County is North. It is also bordered by Hendry County.

The Caloosahatchee River runs through the county.

Lee County has 803 square miles of land area

There are 238 square miles of water in Lee County

Lee County has 590 miles of shoreline, 50 miles of white sand beaches

Lee County Population (2000 US Census)

Fort Myers - 48,208
Cape Coral - 102,286
Fort Myers Beach - 6,561
Sanibel/Captiva Islands - 6,064
Bonita Springs - 32,797
Unincorporated Lee County - 244,292

Demographics As of the census A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). It can be contrasted with sampling in which information is only obtained from a subset of a population. As such it is a method used for accumulating statistical data.

There are 1.7 million visitors each year!

Weather & Climate:

Average annual temperature: 76 degrees F
Average January temperature: 63.8 degrees F
Average August temperature: 81.5 degrees F
Average Fall-Winter temperature: 70.8 degrees F
Average annual high temperature: 83.8 degrees F
Average annual low temperature: 63.9 degrees F
Summer average highs: about 82 degrees F
Winter average lows: about 63.8 degrees F
Average annual rainfall: 52 inches. The rainy season is usually from June to September.While summer temperatures are rarely over 95 degrees, it is humid in the summer.

Average winter water low temperature: 66.0 degrees F
Average summer water high temperature: 87.0 degrees F
Average fall/winter water temperature: 70.8 degrees F
Average spring/summer water temperature: 84.1 degrees F

Economy:

In 1992:
The largest employers in the county -
the retail trade, services and government sectors

Major employers in the Retail sector -
eating & drinking businesses and food stores

Major employers in the Services sector -
medical & health services and business services

Just a few of the things to see and do in Lee County:

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter homes, Mound Key, SunSplash Waterpark, Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track, Minnesota Twins spring training, Boston Red Sox spring training, Miracle Professional Baseball (April to August), the Edison Festival Parade of Light including the largest nigh light parade in Florida, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Harborside Convention Center, J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel-Captiva beaches, Everglades Wonder Gardens, Koreshan State Historic Site and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation.

Lee County has one of the world's largest populations of bottlenose dolphins and West Indian manatee

Vehicle Registration

Lee County Tax Collector Main Office
2480 Thompson Street, Fort Myers FL
All Offices: (239) 339-6000
Branch Offices throughout Lee County
You must apply for your Florida vehicle registration within 10 working days of making Florida your permanent residency (i.e.; registering children in school, beginning employment, filing homestead status).
If Florida is not to be your permanent residency, autos don't have to be registered. (Migrant workers are exempt). The person whose name appears on the title must be at the office to register, with proper identification. The vehicle must also be at the office.
Documents needed: Original title (copies not acceptable) and proof of insurance (at least $10,000 PIP and bodily injury).
Cost: Price of tag depends on weight of vehicle. Renewals are usually around $40/50.
Other Fees: A $100 fee is assessed for cars needing new plates for either residents or non-residents, when there is no tag to transfer.

BUS TRANSPORTATION
Lee County LeeTran
(239) 277-5012

CABLE TELEVISION

Comcast Cable
(239) 432-9277
Local Offices:
4750 Winkler Ave Ext, Fort Myers - (239) 277-2711
24830 Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs - (239) 992-8823
4290 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers - (239) 277-5679

Time Warner Cable
Serving North Ft. Myers/Alva/Estero
(239) 574-2020
1418 S.E. 10th St.
Cape Coral, FL 33990
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Lee TV - Lee County Government Access Information
(239) 335-2658
P.O. Box 398, Ft. Myers, FL 33902-0398

DECLARATION OF DOMICILE

Lee County Clerk of Courts
County Administration Bldg. - 2nd Floor
2115 Second St. Fort Myers, FL
(239) 335-2283
Declaration of Domicile is needed to apply for your Florida Homestead Exemption.

DRIVER LICENSES

Florida Dept of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles
11281 S Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers FL
(239) 278-7190 - Information (239) 278-7194
360 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral FL
(239) 772-1300 - Information -(239) 574-1788
Hours: Tues-Fri 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
If you own a vehicle, you must register it within 10 working days of becoming a Florida resident. You then have 10 days to acquire your Florida driver's license. If you don't own a vehicle, you must first sign an affidavit attesting to that before getting your Florida driver's license.
The normal license costs $25.25 and is good for six years if applicant has maintained a clear driving record.
An eye test will be performed before Florida driver's license is issued.

ELECTRICITY

Florida Power and Light
Customer Service - (239) 334-7754
Report a Power Outage - (800) 468-8243
24 hour notice required (no weekend service)

Lee County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Customer Service - (239) 656-2300
Toll Free - (800) 599-2356
Minimum deposit of $150 or 2 months bill, whatever is greater.Can be waived with credit check. Refundable after one year of on-time payment for residence, two years for business. Deposit may be waived if customer has a credit check or letter of good credit from previous electric company.


TELEPHONE SERVICE
Sprint
Areas Served: Fort Myers/Lee County
Customer Service - (800) 339-1811
Repair: 611; Directory Assistance: 411
Deposit: Based on estimated monthly bill. Waived if customer had good credit history with UTS or previous telephone company.
Installation Fee: $50; more if labor and materials are needed.
Several other companies also offer telephone service and are listed in Sprint telephone directory.


WATER AND SEWER

Cape Coral Utilities - (239) 574-7722

Bonita Springs Utilities - (239) 992-0711

North Fort Myers Utilities - (239) 992-0711

Lehigh Acres - (239) 368-1615

Sanibel - Water - Island Water Association - (239) 472-1502

Sanibel - Wastewater - Sanibel Sewer - (239) 472-1008

Town of Fort Myers Beach - Water - (239) 463-9914

Town of Fort Myers Beach - Wastewater - Lee County Utilities - (239) 936-0247

Pine Island - Water - Greater Pine Island Water Assoc. -
(239) 283-1071

Pine Island - Wastewater - Lee County Utilities -
(239) 936-0247

Gateway Services District - Water - (239) 561-1313

Gateway Services District - Wastewater - Lee County Utilities - (239) 936-0247

Unincorporated Lee County Lee County Utilities
LCUCUSTSERV@LEEGOV.COM
7391 College Pkwy., Fort Myers, FL
(239) 936-0247 or toll free 1-800-485-0214


GARBAGE COLLECTION

Unincorporated Lee County, Bonita Springs &
Ft. Myers Beach - (Charges on property tax bill)
Onyx Waste Services (Area 1, 4) (239) 334-1224
Florida Recycling, Inc. (Area 2, 3, 5) (239) 332-8500

Other Area Contacts:
Cape Coral - Waste Management - (239) 334-4115
Captiva - Florida Recycling, Inc. - (239) 332-8500
Fort Myers - Fort Myers Sanitation - (239) 332-6837
Sanibel - Florida Recycling, Inc. - (239) 332-8500

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Lee County Health Department
(239) 332-9501


SHERIFF

LEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
14750 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL
(239) 477-1200 - www.sheriffleefl.org

NEWSPAPER

News-Press - New Subscriptions
2442 Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fort Myers, FL
Customer Service/Home Delivery (239) 335-0233

Cape Coral Breeze - New Subscriptions
2510 Del Prado Blvd. Cape Coral, FL 33904
Tel: (239) 574-1110
Fax: (239) 574-3403

POST OFFICE
Fort Myers Main Office
1350 Monroe Street, Fort Myers FL
(800) 275-8777 - For all branch offices

REAL ESTATE/PROPERTY APPRAISER
Lee County Property Appraiser's Office
(239) 339-6100
Homestead Exemption (239) 339-6120

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LEE COUNTY
2055 Central Ave. Fort Myers, FL 33901
(239) 334-1102 - www.lee.k12.fl.us
School Choice: (239) 337-8247
Upon moving to Florida students should be registered for school.
Parents can call (239) 334-1102 to find out which school their
children will be attending.
Students in kindergarten and first grade must provide birth certificates. Proof of residency must be provided (i.e., Declaration of Domicile, proof that a home has been purchased or living quarters have been leased), social security numbers, a Certificate of Immunization, and proof of a physical examination within the previous year. Students do not need transcripts. The school will send for them.

FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY
www.fgcu.edu
10501 FGCU Blvd S, Fort Myers, FL
(239) 590-1000


LIBRARIES:

Fort Myers-Lee County Library
3456 Union St.
Fort Myers, Florida 33901
Phone: 239-338-3155

SELECTIVE SERVICE OFFICE
http://www.sss.gov/
Forms are available at any U.S. post office

REGISTRATION INFORMATION OFFICE
Selective Service System
Data Management Center
P.O. Box 94638
Palatine, IL 60094-4638
Phone: 847-688-6888
TTY: 847-688-2567

PUBLIC AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Selective Service System
National Headquarters
Arlington, Virginia 22209-2425
Phone: 703-605-4100
FAX: 703-605-4106
E-mail: Information@sss.gov

SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE
www.ssa.gov
10100 Deer Run Farm Rd.
(239) 931-0066 or (800) 772-1213;

STATE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE
http://myflorida.com/

VOTER REGISTRATION
Supervisor of Elections Office
2480 Thompson St. Fort Myers, FL
(239) 339-6300
Also available when applying for Florida Drivers License


Florida Vital Records Information
vitalrec.com


Lee County.com
Lee County Visitor Information & Relocation Guide
for Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades County
www.leecounty.com


Welcome to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel
Welcome to a tropical island getaway on southwest Florida's gulf.
www.leeislandcoast.com


Lee County Chamber of Commerce
... you'll say 'I Love Lee County!' Your source for business, vacation, relocation and information
www.leechamber.com