Fort Myers is a city of roughly 100,000 residents in southwest Florida and the seat of Lee County, situated on the Caloosahatchee River a few miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. It anchors the Cape Coral–Fort Myers metropolitan area, one of Florida's fastest-growing coastal regions, and serves as its governmental, commercial, and cultural center. The city's defining heritage is its association with Thomas Edison, who first visited in 1885 and built a winter home, Seminole Lodge, along the river. Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone later wintered nearby, and the adjacent Edison and Ford Winter Estates now operate as a museum and botanical garden along McGregor Boulevard — the city's most famous landmark and a window into the era when Fort Myers emerged as a winter retreat. Fort Myers' modern economy centers on health care, tourism, and services, with Lee Health and the county school district among the area's largest employers. Florida Gulf Coast University, just south of the city, adds a higher-education presence and a youthful population. The city's River District downtown offers a walkable core of restaurants, shops, and nightlife along the waterfront. The city's appeal rests heavily on its coastal setting. The barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva, celebrated for shelling and beaches, lie across the Sanibel Causeway, while Fort Myers Beach, Estero Bay, and the Gulf waters define the region's recreation. Southwest Florida International Airport links the area to national and international destinations. For homebuyers, Fort Myers offers a blend of historic neighborhoods, waterfront communities, golf-and-country-club enclaves, and new master-planned development, all within minutes of Gulf beaches.