NAVIGATINGcape coral
Get started in the right direction.
Cape Coral’ s numeric network of streets, terraces, courts and parkways can drive newcomers in circles— and into dead ends. Don’ t let the street system drive you silly. Instead, get a map and study it, and read through these basic guidelines to get started in the right direction.
The city is divided into northeast( NE), southeast( SE), southwest( SW) and northwest( NW) quadrants, with Santa Barbara Boulevard and Embers / Hancock Bridge parkways intersecting at the center. Road names are numbered and identified by quadrant, with the numbers rising the farther one travels away from the center.
East / West roads are named: Parkway, Street, Terrace or Lane.
North / South roads are named: Boulevard, Court, Place or Avenue.
They roughly follow a sequential pattern in each direction— for instance, S. E. First Avenue, S. E. First Place, S. E. Second Avenue, S. E. Second Place, and so forth.
Major East / West arteries include: Cape Coral Parkway, Veterans Memorial Parkway( both leading east to bridges that cross the Caloosahatchee into Fort Myers), Kismet Parkway, Diplomat Parkway and Pine Island Road.
Major North / South roadways include Del Prado Boulevard, Santa Barbara Boulevard and Chiquita Boulevard.
When the city was incorporated in 1970, this numbered system was adopted. Before that, all of the city’ s streets had names, ranging from Abacus Avenue to Zora Terrace. Some parts of the city retain their original names— notably around the Cape Coral Yacht Club neighborhood,
capecoralchamber. com 22 the first developed part of the city. In that area, street names are often ordered alphabetically— for instance, Vendome Court, Venetian Court, Viking Court. A number of newer roads and communities have returned to using memorable street names.
Tip of the day: Roads that dead-end at a canal often continue on the other side of the canal. The best way to avoid running into canal cut-offs is to stick to major roadways.
For more details, pick up a map or street guide at the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral or an area business.
Photo by Thompson Marketing