This route links the small island of Matlacha with the city of LaBelle, crossing the Caloosahatchee River corridor and connecting coastal landscapes with the rural interior of southwest Florida. The route shows the transition from former fishing villages to agricultural and cattle-ranching areas that historically depended on river and rail transport.
Matlacha preserves the character of traditional Gulf Coast communities, tied to fishing and maritime exchange. Cape Coral, in contrast, represents the planned urban growth of the mid-twentieth century, with an extensive network of artificial canals designed for residential development and recreational navigation.
As the route continues eastward, the landscape shifts again to agricultural land and ranches until reaching LaBelle, founded in the late nineteenth century as a cattle-ranching center and a strategic point along the Caloosahatchee. The city retains features of interior Florida, shaped by rural life and regional commerce.
The complete route and its historical context are part of Discovering Florida – Volume 2.
