Home › Florida › Fort Myers

Fort Myers, Florida

Located in Lee County, Florida, Fort Myers was established in 1866. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were winter neighbors in Fort Myers. Hurricane Ian in 2022 was one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Trending in Fort Myers
Latest updates coming soon
2 hours ago
More local news on the way
5 hours ago
Founded 1866 | Population 105,000 | Peak 105,000 (2024) | County Lee County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Fort Myers, Florida

undefined
1866Fort Established: Named for Colonel Abraham Myers.
undefined
1885Edison Winter Estate: Thomas Edison builds winter home; Henry Ford follows.
undefined
1926Tamiami Trail: Road connects Tampa to Miami through Fort Myers.
undefined
2022Hurricane Ian: Category 4 hurricane devastates Fort Myers area; 150+ killed.
🧠
How Well Do You Know Fort Myers?
5 questions • 2 minutes
Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Fort Myers

Feb 20, 2026
Grandpa Opens Fire On Armed Criminals During Home Invasion – His Granddaughter Orchestrated The Whole Heist
Among those arrested was the homeowner’s granddaughter, the orchestrator of the crime.
Feb 20, 2026
Dad And Son Charged With 216 Counts Of Incest, Pay The Price
A father and son in West Virginia has been charged with over 216 counts of incest, sexual assault and sexual abuse that involved t…
Feb 20, 2026
Trump Admin Mocked Over This Small Detail In Venezuela ‘Situation Room’ Photo
In the wake of a bold and controversial U.S. military operation in Venezuela…

Complete Historical Timeline

1866 Government
Fort Established
1885 Culture
Edison Winter Estate
1926 Transport
Tamiami Trail
2022 Disaster
Hurricane Ian

Did You Know?

1
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were winter neighbors in Fort Myers.
2
Hurricane Ian in 2022 was one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
3
Edison's Fort Myers lab and gardens are now a museum.
4
Fort Myers is located in Lee County, Florida.
5
Fort Myers was founded in 1866.

Famous People from Fort Myers, Florida

HB
Haley Bennett
Actor, Singer · Born Jan 7, 1988 · Age 38
MM
Mindy McCready
Singer, Songwriter · Born Nov 30, 1975 · Died Feb 17, 2013 (age 37)
P
Plies
Songwriter, Rapper · Born Jul 1, 1976 · Age 49
DS
Deion Sanders
Musician, Baseball Player · Born Aug 9, 1967 · Age 58
ES
Elissa Steamer
Skateboarder · Born Jul 31, 1975 · Age 50
See something that needs correcting?
We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Fort Myers's history right.