Cape Coral is a city located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a planned community, the city grew to a population of 154,305 by the year 2010. The city's population estimate was 165,831 for 2013 and 179,804 for 2016. With an area of 120 square miles, Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and Miami. It is a principal city in the Cape Coral ? Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population estimate for the statistical area was 679,513 for 2014. The city is known as a "Waterfront Wonderland"; with over 400mi of navigable waterways, Cape Coral has more miles of canals than any other city in the world.