Cape Coral is a large municipality located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a master-planned, pre-platted community, the city grew to a population of 162,852 by the year 2009. With an area of 120 square miles (310 km The city is known as a 'Waterfront Wonderland", since with over 400 miles (640 km) of navigable waterways, Cape Coral has more miles of canals than any other city on earth.