Naples is a city in

Collier County, Florida Collier County is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 375,752; an increase of 16.9% since the 2010 United States Census. Its county seat is East N ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,115, down from 19,539 at the 2010 census. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island metropolitan area, which had a population of about 375,752 as of 2020. The city is known mostly for its high-priced homes, white-sand beaches, and numerous golf courses. Naples is the self-titled "Golf Capital of the World", as it has the second most golf holes per capita out of all communities, and the most holes of any city in Florida. The city is also known for being appealing to retirees, who make up a large percentage of the population.

History

Before the period of European colonization, the indigenous

Calusa The Calusa ( , Calusa: *ka(ra)luś(i)) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. Previous Indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands o ...

lived in Florida (including the region of present-day Naples) for thousands of years, from Charlotte Harbor to Cape Sable. In 1513, Spanish ''

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León ( – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513. He was born in Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain, in ...

explored the region and encountered the Calusa, who resisted attempts by de León to establish a Spanish colony in Florida. This initiated nearly two hundred years of conflict between the Spanish and the Calusa. In the early 18th century, following slave raids from

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...

and Yamasee raiders allied with European settlers in Carolina, the majority of the remaining Calusa moved south and east to escape the raids. The city of Naples was founded in 1886 by former Confederate general and

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

U.S. Senator John Stuart Williams and his partner,

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

businessman Walter N. Haldeman, the publisher of the ''Louisville Courier-Journal''. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, magazines and newspapers ran stories about the area's mild climate and abundant fish and likened it to the sunny Italian peninsula. The name Naples caught on when promoters described the bay as "surpassing the bay in Naples, Italy". By the summer of 1888, Naples had a population of about 80 people, and the first hotel opened in 1889. Major development was anticipated after Collier County was established in 1923, the completion of the

Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...

extension in 1927, and the completion of the Tamiami Trail linking Naples to Miami in 1928, but did not begin until after the 1929 Stock market crash, the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, and World War II. During the war the U.S. Army Air Forces built a small airfield and used it for training purposes; it is now the Naples Municipal Airport. In 1938, John Glenn Sample, a pioneer in radio advertising from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, came to Naples. He had read about the fame and fortune of Palm Beach; however, he decided to look elsewhere and discovered the relaxed atmosphere that Naples had to offer on the Gulf of Mexico and soon began buying property on the south end of Naples below 5th Avenue and along Naples Bay, which consisted mostly of marshland. In 1949, Naples officially became a city, and the Bank of Naples, the city's first banking service, opened on 5th Avenue. In the early 50's, Sample began dredging to create numerous peninsulas and canals with lots overlooking the Naples Bay. He nicknamed the project "Port Royal", which was conceived after the 17th century Jamaican city of Port Royal. The neighborhood's streets are all named in pirate tradition, examples being names like Gin Lane, Rum Row, Treasure Lane, and Galleon Drive. Works to pave streets in the neighborhood were completed in the late 1970s. In March 1956, the first modern medical facility was opened in Naples with the name Naples Community Hospital. In the 1960s the historic Cove Inn on Naples Bay was built, as well as the Collier County Public Library, and Cambier Park on 8th Avenue. In May 1971 passenger train service to the city was discontinued by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

; the station is now called Naples Depot Museum, and was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

three years later. Sample's dredging project with Port Royal also spurred developments in the 60s and 70s like Aqualane Shores, Park Shore, and Moorings, all affluent neighborhoods in Naples with large, waterfront homes that have boat access. In 1977, the city's first mall, the Coastland Center, was opened.

Geography

Naples is located in southwest Florida on U.S. Highway 41 between Miami to the east and

Fort Myers A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

to the north. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 25.09%, is water.

Hurricanes

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

records that date back to 1851, indicate 74 tropical storms have passed within of Naples, or once every 2.2 years (as of a 2014 data). 2005

Hurricane Wilma Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin and the second-most intense tropical cyclone in the Western Hemisphere, both based on barometric pressure, after Hurricane Patricia in 2015. Wilma's rapid intensifi ...

(Category 5) – Wilma reached maximum wind strength of , but its winds were when it made landfall near Cape Romano (below Naples, just beyond the southwestern tip of Marco Island and northwest of the

Ten Thousand Islands The Ten Thousand Islands are a chain of islands and mangrove islets off the coast of southwest Florida, between Cape Romano (at the south end of Marco Island, Florida, Marco Island) and the mouth of the Lostmans River. Some of the islands are ...

in Collier County). Wilma caused 87 deaths and $22.4 billion in damage. 2017

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Maria, Maria two weeks later. At the time, it was considered ...

(Category 5) – Irma had maximum wind strength of , but when it made landfall near Marco Island, its winds were . As Irma hit Florida, tropical-storm-force winds extended out to from the center and hurricane-force winds extended up to . This storm left over 7.5 million homes (70% of the state) without electricity for days. Irma caused 134 deaths and $50 billion in damage. 2022 Hurricane Ian (Category 5) – Ian had a maximum wind strength of while approaching Florida, and it made landfall at Cayo Costa slightly below peak strength as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of . Power was lost to much of the Naples area including Pelican Bay and Bay Colony for several days, but repairs allowed power to be turned back on, beginning on October 1, 2022. Ian caused 149 deaths in the state of Florida and an estimated $989 million in damages to the city of Naples and approximately $2.2 billion in damages to buildings in Collier County. 2024 Hurricane Milton (Category 5) – Milton had a maximum wind strength of 180 miles per hour (285 km/h) just north of the Yucatan Peninsula and made landfall near

Siesta Key A siesta (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The "si ...

as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 miles per hour (193 km/h). Much of the Naples area including Grey Oaks and Estuary lost electricity for a number of days, but power was restored beginning on October 16, 2024. Milton caused 35 deaths and $34.3 billion in damage.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Naples has a tropical savanna climate or ''Aw''. Naples is normally frost-free and the growing season is 365 days. Like much of central and southern Florida there are two basic seasons in Naples; From May through October there is a hot and wet season in Naples, when hot temperatures (average high temperature is 92 F) and frequent thundershowers are common. From November through April, is the dry season, when sunshine, dry weather, and milder temperatures with daily highs around 74 F. Naples is in USDA

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

10b.

Demographics

2010 and 2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,115 people, 10,453 households, and 6,193 families residing in the city. Median household income (in 2022 dollars), 2018-2022 $135,657. The Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2022 dollars), 2018-2022 is $141,245 As of the 2010 United States census, there were 19,537 people, 9,991 households, and 6,041 families residing in the city. In 2010, the largest self-identified ancestry and ethnic groups in Naples were

German-American German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

20.0%,

English-American English Americans (also known as Anglo-Americans) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. In the 2020 United States census, English Americans were the largest group in the United States with 46.6 million Americ ...

19.2%,

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

17.8%, and

Italian-American Italian Americans () are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and industrial Midwestern United States, Midwestern ...

9.2%.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there are 20,981 people, 10,803 households, and 6,568 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 16,957 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city is 92.50%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 4.65%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.30% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population are

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. In 2000, there were 10,803 households, out of which 10.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.38. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 10.9% under the age of 18, 2.3% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 42.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 61 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city is $65,641, and the median income for a family is $83,831. Males have a median income of $50,092 versus $30,948 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city is $61,141. 5.9% of the population and 3.1% of families are below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. Out of the total population, 15.1% of those under the age of 18 and 3.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy

The economy of Naples is based largely on tourism and was historically based on

real estate development Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw Real Estate, land and the sale of developed land or parce ...

and agriculture. Due to its proximity to the

Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of flooded grasslands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the K ...

and

, Naples is also popular among ecotourists. Companies based in Naples include

Beasley Broadcast Group Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. , the company owns 57 stations under the Beasley Media Group name. History The company was founded in 1961 by George G. Bea ...

and ASG Technologies in addition to numerous small businesses. Due to the wealth present in Collier County, Naples is also home to many small non-profit organizations. The surrounding Naples metro area is also home to major private employers such as

Fortune 1000 {{location map+ , United States , float=right , width=400, relief=1 , caption=''Fortune'' 1000 company headquarters locations. Top 20 companies labeled, places= {{location map~ , United States , lat= 36.365378 , long= -94.217629 , label= Walmart, ...

company Health Management Associates and technology company NewsBank. In 2009, Naples was placed 10th in a report by '' U.S. News & World Report'' titled "10 Pricey Cities That Pay Off." The report ranked cities by its "amenity value", a measurement based on the amount of satisfaction an asset brings to its owner. In 2012, a report by

Kiplinger Kiplinger ( ) is an American publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice that is a subsidiary of Future plc. Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., was a closely held company managed for more than nine decades by three generations o ...

ranked Naples with the sixth-highest per capita income in the country, along with the second-highest proportion of millionaires per capita in the US.

Arts and culture

Attractions

The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, was founded in 1919. It started as a garden, but officially became a zoo in September 1969. Downtown Naples is home to The Naples Players, the 5th Avenue South, and 3rd Street South shopping districts, which feature a variety of antique luxury shops and fine dining restaurants. Gallery Row is a concentration among the numerous art galleries spread throughout the downtown area. Near downtown Naples Bay and the Gordon River is the shopping district of Tin City. This open-air shopping center specializes in antiques and handmade local novelties, as well as several seafood restaurants. The Naples Half Marathon is a

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

held every year in Naples since 1989, with record participation in 2013 of 2,038 runners. In 2019, Baker Park, a $15 million park close to the intersection of 5th Avenue and Goodlette-Frank Road, was opened. The park also includes the Gordon River Greenway, which links to the Naples Airport.

Points of interest

* Naples Botanical Garden * Naples Depot Museum * Naples Zoo * Palm Cottage * Waterside Shops * Golisano Children's Museum of Naples * Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary * Naples station

Performing arts

Naples is home to The Naples Players, Naples Shakespeare Festival (and sister company Marco Island Shakespeare Festival), Opera Naples, the equity theatre company Theatre Zone, and Gulfshore Playhouse. The Naples Philharmonic and The Baker Museum are located at Artis—Naples, which also serves as the educational campus for the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Youth Chorus, Youth Jazz Orchestra and Youth Symphony. The Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Southwest Florida educates about 155,000 students each year both in its facility and with a locally traveling exhibit.

Sports

The last

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...

golf tournament played each year, the

CME Group Tour Championship The CME Group Tour Championship is a women's professional golf tournament, the season-ending event of the LPGA Tour. It succeeded the LPGA Tour Championship, which was played for two seasons in 2009 and 2010. From 2011 to 2013 the tournament w ...

, has been held in Naples since

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

. Since

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, it has been played at the Gold Course of the Tiburón Golf Club. It claims the largest purse and the largest winner's share of any women's golf tournament, presently at $5,000,000 and $1,500,000 respectively. The purse and winner's share increase in

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, to $7,000,000 and $2,000,000 respectively.

Pickleball Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played i ...

is an increasingly popular sport in Naples. Because of this, many parks have added pickleball courts. Naples is home to the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, which have been held annually since 2016., Because of this Naples and East Naples Community Park is known as the Pickleball Capital of the world. Naples has two semi-pro soccer teams, Naples United FC, which was founded in 2017 and competes in the

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. ...

and Naples City FC, which was founded in 2020 and competes in the United Premier Soccer League. Starting from the 2025 season, Naples will also have a professional club, FC Naples in the

USL League One USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's association football, soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019 USL League One season, 2019. The United States soccer league system, Division III league is operated ...

. Naples is also the home of swamp buggy races, held three times each year at the Florida Sports Park. The swamp buggy was invented in Naples.

Parks and recreation

The beach on the coast of the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

is more than long and is known for its cleanliness and pristine white sand. In 2005, Naples was voted the best all-around beach in America by the

Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, who previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in Manhattan, with ...

. Naples area beaches include: * Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park * Clam Pass Beach Park * Naples Pier * Vanderbilt Beach * North Gulfshore Boulevard Beach * Seagate Beach * Lowdermilk Beach Park

Education

Naples is served by the District School Board of Collier County and various private institutions, including the following:Zone Maps
" District School Board of Collier County. * St. Elizabeth Seton School (private) * Naples High School (City of Naples, public) * Barron G. Collier High School (public) * Gulf Coast High School (public) * St. John Neumann High School (private) * Golden Gate High School (public) * Lely High School (public) * Palmetto Ridge High School (public) * Community School of Naples (private) * Seacrest Country Day School (private) * First Baptist Academy (private) * Mason Classical Academy (charter) * Lorenzo Walker Technical High School (public) * Naples Christian Academy (private) * Saint Ann School (private) * The Village School of Naples (private) * Naples Classical Academy (charter)

Colleges and universities

While no colleges are based within the city limits, Ave Maria School of Law is located in

Vineyards A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

, and Florida SouthWestern State College has a satellite campus in Lely Resort. In addition, Florida Gulf Coast University operates

continuing education Continuing education is the education undertaken after initial education for either personal or professional reasons. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. Recognized forms of post-secondary learning activities within the d ...

classes from its Downtown Naples campus. Hodges University sold its campus in North Naples in 2021. Higher education institutions close to Naples include: * Ave Maria University (35 miles northeast of Naples) * Florida Gulf Coast University (28 miles northeast of Naples) * Florida SouthWestern State College (30 miles northwest of Naples)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

Since February 2001, Naples has been served by several bus routes operated by the Collier Area Transit. The service runs seven days a week and end times depend on the route. Highways that pass through Naples are

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...

and US-41.

Air

The city is served by the Naples Airport, and although it doesn't have any scheduled commercial service, it is one of the busiest municipal airports in the United States. The closest airport with regular-scheduled commercial service for both domestic and international destinations is

Southwest Florida International Airport Southwest Florida International Airport is a major county-owned airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. The airport serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers ...

Healthcare

The region is served by the NCH Healthcare System, which currently has 716 beds between two hospitals, and Physician's Regional Healthcare System, which has two hospitals that contain 201 beds and is owned by the Health Management Associates, headquartered in Pelican Bay. In addition to the two hospitals, the company operates six clinics in Naples. Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida (HCN) was founded in 1977 to serve migrant farmworkers and their families in Immokalee. It now provides care to over 41,000 residents of Collier County through 20 practices, including internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, behavioral health and dental care.

Notable people

* Bill Bain, management consultant, founder of

Bain & Company Bain & Company is an American management consulting company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm provides advice to public, private, and nonprofit organizations. One of the Big Three (management consultancies), Big Three management co ...

* Billy Bigley, racing driver * Obe Blanc, member of 2010 U.S.

Freestyle Wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

World Team *

Ben Bova Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...

, award-winning science fiction author and science author * Hayden Buckley, professional golfer * Mary Carillo, former professional tennis player, now a sportscaster * Michael Collins (1930–2021),

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...

Command Module Pilot * Robin Cook, author *

Mike Ditka Michael Keller Ditka ( ; born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former professional American football, football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, UPI NFL R ...

, former NFL player and coach, former part-time Naples resident * Glennon Doyle, author, blogger, and activist * Mike Duke, Ex-CEO of Walmart * Keith Eloi, 2003 Lely high graduate, wide receiver in the UFL and AFL * Dominic Fike, rapper * J. Dudley Goodlette (born 1948), politician and lawyer * Laura Jane Grace, lead singer of

Against Me! Against Me! is an American punk rock band, formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. That same year, Grace moved to Gainesville, Florida, which is considered the band's hometown. Since 2001, the band's lineup ...

, attended Naples High School * Earnest Graham, former NFL running back for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

* Garnet Hathaway, ice hockey player for the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

Carlos Hyde Carlos Hyde (born September 20, 1990) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio Stat ...

, current NFL running back, part of the Naples High graduation class of 2009 * Courtney Jolly, professional monster truck driver * Sonny Jurgensen, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback * Shahid Khan, Pakistani-American billionaire, owner of the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

, English soccer club

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

and Flex-N-Gate * John Kruk, Major League Baseball player and broadcaster (

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

) *

John Schnatter John Hampton "Papa John" Schnatter (born November 22 or 23, 1961) is an American entrepreneur who founded the Papa John's pizza restaurant chain in 1984. Schnatter started the business in the back of his father's tavern after selling his car an ...

, founder of Papa John's, has a residence in Naples *

Mickey Kuhn Theodore Matthew Michael Kuhn Jr. (September 21, 1932 – November 20, 2022) was an American actor. He started his career as a child actor, active on-screen during the Golden Age of Hollywood from the 1930s until the early 1950s. He is noted for ...

, child actor * Denny Laine, first lead singer of The Moody Blues, Ginger Baker's Airforce, and Paul McCartney and Wings *

John Legere John Legere (born June 4, 1958) is an American businessman, former chief executive officer (CEO) and president of T-Mobile US. He previously worked for AT&T, Dell, and Global Crossing. He resigned as CEO following the approval of the merger of T- ...

, former CEO of T-Mobile, purchased a Naples mansion in 2019 * Alex Lifeson, rock musician, has a home in Naples * John Lodge, British musician for

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals) and Clint W ...

, bought a home in Naples in 2015 * Fred McCrary, former NFL player, graduated from Naples High School in 1991 * John P. Metras, American coach of Canadian football * James Morgan, scenic designer and Producing Artistic Director of the

York Theatre The York Theatre Company is an Off-Broadway theatre company based on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Established in 1969, The York is the only theater in New York City, and one of the few in the world, whose two-fold missio ...

* Earl Morrall, two-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL quarterback, died in 2014 * Piotr Nowak, former soccer player and head coach of

United States U-23 men's national soccer team The United States U-23 men's national soccer team, also known as the United States men's Olympic soccer team, is a youth Association football, soccer team operated under the auspices of United States Soccer Federation, U.S. Soccer. Its primary r ...

, D.C. United and

Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the Union began ...

* Jake O'Connell, former NFL tight end that went to Gulf Coast High School * Drew O'Keefe, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, had a residence in Naples * Chris Resop, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

pitcher *

Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and United States Navy, Navy veteran serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of F ...

, U.S. Senator and former Governor of Florida * Richard M. Schulze, businessman, best known as the founder of

Best Buy Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was r ...

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is a retired American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded with the groups Bob Seger and the Last Heard and the Bob Seger System throu ...

, musician who has a residence in Naples * Judith Sheindlin, better known to the public as ''

Judge Judy ''Judge Judy'' is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. The show featured Sheindlin as she adjudicated real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated court ...

'', author and television personality (Pelican Bay) *

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

, entertainer; died at her Naples home in 2012 * Peter Thomas, the narrator of television programs * Aysegul Timur, president of Florida Gulf Coast University * Margit Varga, artist, gallerist, art director *

Abby Wambach Mary Abigail Wambach (born June 2, 1980) is an American retired Association football, soccer player, coach, and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach was a regular on ...

, a former professional soccer player, has a home in Naples * Jesse Witten, professional tennis player * Wrinkles the Clown, performance artist *

Chris Farren (punk musician) Christopher Richard Farren (born April 29, 1986) is an American musician originally from Naples, Florida. He was born in Michigan, where he lived until the age of 7, before relocating to Florida with his family. He is known for his work in the ...

, Punk Musician & Artist

In popular culture

Many movies have been filmed in or around Naples, such as '' Still Green'', '' Just Cause'', '' Pick-Up'' and '' Thunder and Lightning''. Scat, a young adult novel by

Carl Hiaasen Carl Hiaasen (; born March 12, 1953) is an American journalist and novelist. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and by the late 1970s had begun writing novels in his spare time, both for adults and for middle grade readers. Two of his ...

, is set in Naples.

References

External links

City of Naples official website

Naples, Marco Island, Everglades – Convention and Visitors Bureau website
{{Authority control Beaches of Florida Cities in Collier County, Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico Seaside resorts in Florida Cities in Florida Beaches of Collier County, Florida 1886 establishments in Florida Populated places established in 1886 U.S. Open Pickleball Championships