Route #25 Fort Myers - Punta Gorda - Port Charlotte

This route runs along the southwest coast of Florida, connecting Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte, three cities whose development was closely tied to maritime transport, the railroad, and expansion toward the Gulf of Mexico. The route follows coastal and inland corridors that reflect different stages of urban and economic growth.

Fort Myers was a strategic military enclave during the Seminole Wars and later a key point for river navigation and regional commerce. Punta Gorda, founded as a railroad terminal in the late nineteenth century, retains an urban layout that recalls its origins as a gateway port to the southwestern peninsula.

The final stretch toward Port Charlotte presents a landscape shaped by twentieth-century planned development, with broad residential subdivisions, artificial canals, and roadways designed to accommodate residential growth. The route allows observation of the transition from historic settlements to modern communities formed around mobility and tourism.

The complete route and its historical context are part of Discovering Florida – Volume 1.