The city is known mostly for its high-priced homes, white-sand beaches, and numerous golf courses.[3] Naples is the self-titled "Golf Capital of the World", as it has the second most holes per capita out of all communities, and the most holes of any city in Florida.[4][5][6] The city is also known for being appealing to retirees, who make up a large percentage of the population.[7]
History
Before the period of European colonization, the indigenousCalusa lived in Florida (including the region of present-day Naples) for thousands of years, from Charlotte Harbor to Cape Sable. In 1513, Spanish conquistadorJuan Ponce de León explored the region and encountered the Calusa, who resisted attempts by de León to establish a Spanish colony in Florida. This initiated nearly two hundred years of conflict between the Spanish and the Calusa. In the early 18th century, following slave raids from Muscogee and Yamasee raiders allied with European settlers in Carolina, the majority of the remaining Calusa moved south and east to escape the raids.[8]
After a hurricane in 1945, a fill was required to repair the damage. A local dredging company, Wyatt Brothers, created a lake north of 16th Avenue S, between Gordon Drive and Gulf Shore Boulevard. In 1949, Reginald Wyatt II asked Mr. Rust to sell him the 296 acres (120 ha) from Jamaica Channel to today's 14th Avenue S. The Jamaica Channel was widened, one canal was dredged, and 14th Avenue S was created. That same year, Naples officially became a city.
Today, the Wyatt family is credited with the construction of Naples' first beach. Additional channels were eventually added to the south of 14th Avenue S and are named alphabetically for local water birds. The first channel south of 14th Avenue S is Anhinga Channel, then Bittern Channel is south of 15th Avenue S, Crane Channel is south of 16th Avenue S, Duck Channel is south of 17th Avenue S, and Egret Channel is north of 21st Avenue S. From the channels there are coves named Flamingo, Gull, Heron, and Ibis, as well as the original Aqua Cove. These initial channels, canals, and coves were dredged and bulldozed from the mangrove swamps. Where shallow rock precluded digging, the land was filled to create lots with navigable water.[citation needed]
The Aqualane Shores Association was incorporated as a 'not for profit' corporation on February 3, 1966. It served lot owners in the area roughly bounded by the Bay of Naples to the east, Gordon Drive to the west, and the land between 14th Avenue and 21st Avenue S, as well as Marina Drive, Forrest Lane, and Southwinds Drive. Thirty years later, in 1996, a state-mandated city master plan renamed the area the Aqualane Shores Neighborhood and extended its boundary west to the Gulf of Mexico, east to the Bay of Naples, and the area from 14th Avenue S all the way south to Jamaica Channel. The numerous canals and waterfront homes add a distinctive feature to the south portion of Naples and provide access to the Gulf of Mexico for many homeowners.
Geography
Naples is located in southwest Florida on U.S. Highway 41 between Miami to the east and Fort Myers to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.4 square miles (42.5 km2), of which 12.3 square miles (31.9 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (10.7 km2), or 25.09%, is water.[11]
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 every 2.2 years (as of a 2014 data).[12]
2005 Hurricane Wilma (Category 5) – Wilma reached maximum wind strength of 185 miles per hour (298 km/h), but its winds were 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) when it made landfall near Cape Romano (below Naples, just beyond the southwestern tip of Marco Island and northwest of the Ten Thousand Islands in Collier County).[13][14] Wilma caused 87 deaths and $22.4 billion in damage.[citation needed]
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 hour (185 km/h). As Irma hit Florida, tropical-storm-force winds extended out to 400 miles (640 km) from the center and hurricane-force winds extended up to 80 miles (130 km). This storm left over 7.5 million homes (70% of the state) without electricity for days. Irma caused 134 deaths and $50 billion in damage.
2022 Hurricane Ian (Category 5) - Ian had a maximum wind strength of 160 miles per hour (260 km/h) while approaching Florida, and it made landfall at Cayo Costa slightly below peak strength as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour (240 km/h). 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.[15] Ian caused 149 deaths in the state of Florida and an estimated $989 million in damages to the city of Naples and approximately $2.2 billion in damages to buildings in Collier County.[16][17]
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Naples has a tropical savanna climate or Aw. Naples is normally frost-free and the growing season is 365 days. Like much of central and south Florida there are two basic seasons in Naples; From May through October there is a hot and wet season in Naples, when hot temperatures (average high temperature is 92 F) and frequent thundershowers are common. From November through April, is the dry season, when sunshine, dry weather, and milder temperatures with daily highs around 74 F. Naples is in USDA hardiness zone 10b.[18]
Climate data for Naples, Florida (Naples Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–present
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,115 people, 10,453 households, and 6,193 families residing in the city.[25] Median household income (in 2022 dollars), 2018-2022 $135,657. The Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2022 dollars), 2018-2022 is $141,245 [26]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 19,537 people, 9,991 households, and 6,041 families residing in the city.[27]
As of the census of 2000, there are 20,981 people, 10,803 households, and 6,568 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,744.3 inhabitants per square mile (673.5/km2). There were 16,957 housing units at an average density of 1,410.0 units per square mile (544.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city is 92.50% White, 4.65% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2000, there were 10,803 households, out of which 10.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.38.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 10.9% under the age of 18, 2.3% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 42.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 61 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city is $65,641, and the median income for a family is $83,831. Males have a median income of $50,092 versus $30,948 for females. The per capita income for the city is $61,141. 5.9% of the population and 3.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.1% of those under the age of 18 and 3.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Companies based in Naples include Beasley Broadcast Group and ASG Technologies in addition to numerous small businesses. Due to the wealth present in Collier County, Naples is also home to many small non-profit organizations. The surrounding Naples metro area is also home to major private employers such as Fortune 1000 company Health Management Associates and technology company NewsBank.
In 2009, Naples was placed 10th in a report by U.S. News & World Report titled "10 Pricey Cities That Pay Off." The report ranked cities by its "amenity value", a measurement based on the amount of satisfaction an asset brings to its owner.[29] In 2012, a report by Kiplinger ranked Naples with the sixth-highest per capita income in the country,[30] along with the second-highest proportion of millionaires per capita in the US.[31]
Arts and culture
Attractions
The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, was founded in 1919.[32]
Downtown Naples is home to The Naples Players, the 5th Avenue South, and 3rd Street South shopping districts, which feature a variety of antique luxury shops and fine dining restaurants. Gallery Row is a concentration among the numerous art galleries spread throughout the downtown area. Near downtown Naples Bay and the Gordon River is the shopping district of Tin City. This open-air shopping center specializes in antiques and handmade local novelties, as well as several seafood restaurants.
Naples is home to The Naples Players, Naples Shakespeare Festival (and sister company Marco Island Shakespeare Festival),[34] Opera Naples, the equity theatre company Theatre Zone, and Gulfshore Playhouse.[35] The Naples Philharmonic and The Baker Museum are located at Artis—Naples, which also serves as the educational campus for the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Youth Chorus, Youth Jazz Orchestra and Youth Symphony.[36] The Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Southwest Florida educates about 155,000 students each year both in its facility and with a locally traveling exhibit.
Sports
The last LPGA golf tournament played each year, the CME Group Tour Championship, has been held in Naples since 2012. Since 2013, it has been played at the Gold Course of the Tiburón Golf Club. It claims the largest purse and the largest winner's share of any women's golf tournament, presently at $5,000,000 and $1,500,000 respectively.[37] The purse and winner's share increase in 2022, to $7,000,000 and $2,000,000 respectively.[38]
Swamp Buggy races in Naples
Pickleball is an increasingly popular sport in Naples. Because of this, many parks have added pickleball courts. Naples is home to the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, which have been held annually since 2016.[39]
Naples is also the home of swamp buggy races, held three times each year at the Florida Sports Park. The swamp buggy was invented in Naples.[41]
Parks and recreation
The Naples Fishing Pier was one of the area's better-known landmarks but was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian
The beach on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico is more than 10 miles (16 km) long and is known for its cleanliness and pristine white sand. In 2005, Naples was voted the best all-around beach in America by the Travel Channel.[42][43]
Since February 2001, Naples has been served by several bus routes operated by the Collier Area Transit.[48] The service runs seven days a week and end times depend on the route.[49] Highways that pass through Naples are I-75 and US-41.
Air
The city is served by the Naples Airport, and although it doesn't have any scheduled commercial service, it is one of the busiest municipal airports in the United States.[50] The closest airport with regular-scheduled commercial service for both domestic and international destinations is Southwest Florida International Airport.
Healthcare
The region is served by the NCH Healthcare System, which currently has 716 beds between two hospitals, and Physician's Regional Healthcare System, which has two hospitals that contain 201 beds and is owned by the Health Management Associates, headquartered in Pelican Bay. In addition to the two hospitals, the company operates six clinics in Naples.[51]
Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida (HCN) was founded in 1977 to serve migrant farmworkers and their families in Immokalee. It now provides care to over 41,000 residents of Collier County through 20 practices, including internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, behavioral health[52] and dental care.[53]
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