1513History
In 1513, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León explored the region and encountered the Calusa, who resisted attempts by de León to establish a Spanish colony in Florida.
1851Disaster
=== Hurricanes ===
National Weather Service records that date back to 1851, indicate 74 tropical storms have passed within 85 nautical miles (157 km; 98 mi) of Naples, or once e...
1886Military
The city of Naples was founded in 1886 by former Confederate general and Kentucky U.S.
1888History
With a population of approximately 80 in 1888, Naples saw the opening of its pier that year and welcomed its first hotel the following year.
1919Government
== Arts and culture ==
=== Attractions ===
The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens was founded in 1919.
1938History
In 1938, John Glenn Sample, a pioneer in radio advertising from Chicago, came to Naples.
1949Architecture
In 1949, Naples officially became a city, and the Bank of Naples, the city's first banking service, opened on 5th Avenue.
1956Civil Rights
In March 1956, the first modern medical facility was opened in Naples with the name Naples Community Hospital.
1969Culture
It started as a garden but officially became a zoo in September 1969.
1971Culture
In May 1971 passenger train service to the city was discontinued by Amtrak; the station is now called Naples Depot Museum, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Pl...
1977Architecture
In 1977, the city's first mall, the Coastland Center, was opened.
1989Culture
The Naples Half Marathon is a half marathon held every year in Naples since 1989, with record participation in 2013 of 2,038 runners.
2000History
=== 2000 census ===
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,981 people, 10,803 households, and 6,568 families residing in the city.
2003Culture
Representative and former Florida Representative
Glennon Doyle, author, blogger, and activist
Mike Duke, Ex-CEO of Walmart
Keith Eloi, 2003 Lely high graduate, football wide rec...
2005History
In 2005, Naples was voted the best all-around beach in America by the Travel Channel.
2009Infrastructure
In 2009, Naples was placed 10th in a report by U.S.
2010History
== Demographics ==
=== 2010 and 2020 census ===
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,115 people, 10,453 households, and 6,193 families residing in the city.
2012Infrastructure
In 2012, a report by Kiplinger ranked Naples with the sixth-highest per capita income in the country, along with the second-highest proportion of millionaires per capita in the US.
2013History
Since 2013, it has been played at the Gold Course of the Tiburón Golf Club.
2016Government
Open Pickleball Championships, which have been held annually since 2016., Because of this Naples and East Naples Community Park is known as the Pickleball Capital of the world.
2017Disaster
2017 Hurricane Irma (Category 5) – Irma had maximum wind strength of 180 miles per hour (290 km/h), but when it made landfall near Marco Island, its winds were 115 miles per hou...
2019Architecture
In 2019, Baker Park, a $15 million park close to the intersection of 5th Avenue and Goodlette-Frank Road, was opened.
2020History
Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island metropolitan area, which had a population of about 375,752 as of 2020.
2021Education
Hodges University sold its campus in North Naples in 2021.
2022History
Power was lost to much of the Naples area including Pelican Bay and Bay Colony for several days, but repairs allowed power to be turned back on, beginning on October 1, 2022.
2024Disaster
2024 Hurricane Milton (Category 5) – Milton had a maximum wind strength of 180 miles per hour (285 km/h) just north of the Yucatan Peninsula and made landfall near Siesta Key as...
2025Government
Naples also has a professional soccer club called FC Naples, which was founded in 2025 and currently competes in USL League One.