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