Naples & Collier County

Collier County was created in 1923 from Lee County. It was named for Barron Collier, a New York City advertising mogul and real estate developer who had moved into Southwest Florida and established himself as a prominent land owner. The East-West portion of U.S. 41 was largely made possible by the investments of Mr. Collier, who offered to bankroll the completion of the project after the State of Florida ran out of funding in 1922. In exchange, the State carved Collier County out of a large portion of southern Lee County. The Tamiami Trail, as it came to be known, took 13 years, $8 million, and 2.6 million sticks of dynamite to build. Collier County is the largest county in the state with a total area of 2,305 square miles, of which at least 80% is set aside as preserve lands including Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, two national wildlife refuges, one national research reserve, three state parks, one state forest and many county, city and private parks and nature preserves. As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 251,377 people, 102,973 households, and 71,257 families residing in the county. Collier County is home to 3 municipalities, Naples, Everglades City, and Marco Island. Whether you have a passion for golf, fishing, shelling, shopping, bird watching, wildlife viewing, boating, the beach or the arts, you’ll find plenty of choices in the Naples area. Blessed with a mild winter climate and a summer tempered by Gulf breezes, The City of Naples has grown from a sleepy Florida town in the 1970’s to a sophisticated city in the 21st century. Although upscale shopping and dining opportunities abound in Greater Naples, the Everglades, the Corkscrew Swamp, unspoiled beaches, and a myriad of offshore islands keep Naples grounded in a simpler past. From breakfast at the Ritz to an Everglades airboat ride among alligators and egrets you can experience all that Florida has to offer in Collier County and the Naples area.

Marco Island

The City of Marco Island is located in Collier County a short drive from the City of Naples. Marco Island is the largest barrier island within Southwest Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands extending from Marco Island to Cape Sable. With six miles of beach and over 100 miles of waterways within its 24 square miles Marco Island is a boaters paradise. In addition to boating the island boasts a bustling art scene, shops, boutiques, fine restaurants and world class beaches and shelling. The island has a permanent population of about 15,000 and a peak winter season population of 35,000. Marco Island was developed by the Mackle Brothers and their Deltona Corporation back in 1962. They paid $7 million for their initial interest purchased from the heirs of Barron Collier. Between 1962 and 1976 Deltona continued development of the island. In 1976 Deltona lost it’s drilling and dredging permits resulting in the final two phases of development being denied by the Army Corps of Engineers. Deltona fought this decision all the way to the supreme court. In 1982 the Supreme Court upheld the lower courts decision and the Mackles turned their undeveloped holdings into nature preserves. There are about 2,000 remaining vacant lots on the island. New homes are constructed at a rate of about 200-300 each year. The recent trend has been the demolition of older homes with the replacement of larger residential structures.

Government Links

The State of Florida
Collier County
Collier County Parks
Collier County Tourism
Collier Economic Development Council

Chambers of Commerce

Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce
Everglades City Chamber of Commerce
Immokalee Chamber of Commerce

Collier County Parks and Recreation

Big Cypress National Preserve
The Florida Everglades
Delnor Wiggins Pass State Park
Collier Seminole State Park
Naples Zoo
Naples Philharmonic
Collier County Museums
Coconut Point Shopping Center
Coastland Center Mall

Schools

Florida Gulf Coast University
Edison State College
Ave Maria University
Collier County Public Schools