Charlotte County

Charlotte County, with a population of approximately 190,000, occupies a strategic position in Southwest Florida between the larger metros of Fort Myers and Sarasota. The county seat is Punta Gorda, a charming waterfront city on Charlotte Harbor that has become one of the most desirable small cities in Florida.

Punta Gorda's walkable downtown features Fishermen's Village — a waterfront marketplace with shops, restaurants, a marina, and a boutique hotel. The city hosts the popular Celtic Festival, the Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival, and a thriving arts community centered around the Visual Arts Center and the Charlotte Players theater company.

Port Charlotte is the commercial center of the county, with a population larger than Punta Gorda and a growing retail and dining scene along US-41. Deep Creek, Rotonda West, and Murdock are residential communities that offer affordable housing options relative to coastal counties.

Charlotte County is famous for its fishing. Charlotte Harbor is one of the premier tarpon fishing destinations in the world, and the Peace River offers kayaking, fossil hunting, and eco-tourism. Boca Grande (on Gasparilla Island, shared with Lee County) has been called the "Tarpon Capital of the World" and attracts anglers from across the globe during tarpon season.

Babcock Ranch, in the eastern part of the county, is America's first solar-powered town. This innovative planned community generates more clean energy than it consumes and demonstrated remarkable resilience during Hurricane Ian in 2022 — maintaining power while surrounding communities experienced outages. Babcock Ranch has become a national model for hurricane-resilient development.

Charlotte County demonstrated extraordinary resilience following Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in the county in September 2022. The community has rebuilt with determination, and new development continues to reshape the county's future. The combination of affordability, natural beauty, and a strong sense of community has made Charlotte County one of the fastest-growing areas in Southwest Florida.