Lee County, named in honor of Robert E. Lee, General during the Civil War, was established in 1887 from a portion of Monroe County. In 1885, Thomas Alva Edison was cruising along the west coast of Florida when he came upon Ft. Myers, the county seat of Lee County; he was so taken with the area that he built his home and his laboratory on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. Edison's love for nature prompted the lining of what is now known as McGregor Blvd with royal palms, which later gave the city of Ft. Myers the nickname "City of Palms". Edison was responsible for the patent of nearly 1100 inventions, including the phonograph, ship-to-shore radio, ticker tape machine, microphone and movie camera. Edison shared his love for Ft. Myers with his lifelong friend and fellow inventor Henry Ford, who purchased the property that adjoined Edison's estate. Ford became a frequent winter resident of Ft. Myers and opened the first Ford Car Dealership in Ft. Myers in 1914.

Today Lee County is home to cities such as Alva, Boca Grande, Bokeelia, Bonita Springs, Captiva, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers Shores, Fort Myers Villas, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Page Park, Pine Island Center, Punta Rassa, Sanibel, San Carlos Park, St. James City, Tice and Waterway Estates. Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world reside in Lee County, including Sanibel, Captiva and Pine Island. It's these beaches, along the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, that draw many of our northern friends between the months of November and April every year. Boating, fishing, parasailing, swimming and gazing at incredible sunsets are only part of the attraction to Lee County. The many festivals, such as the Festival of Lights, a three week celebration hosted in honor of Thomas Edison, offer a little something for everyone. Ft. Myers Beach is celebrating the 23rd Annual American Sandsculpting Championship this year, drawing in some of the world's best master sculptors creating incredibly stunning works of art, using only the natural resources along the beaches, sugar sand! The Caloosahatchee River runs from Lake Okeechobee through Ft. Myers and into the Gulf of Mexico, providing ample opportunities for paddling, fishing and nature watching.

Relocating to Lee County provides everything from the quiet, relaxing country living of Alva to the big city life of Ft. Myers. The real estate options are endless in Lee County. Single family homes in the cozy beach community of Sanibel to the luxury water front property of "Beautiful Bonita Springs"; provide a little something for everyone. Rich in history, nature and some of the friendliest people in the state, living in Lee County is like being on vacation everyday!