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Lee County was created in 1887 from Monroe County. It was named for Robert E. Lee, general in the American Civil War.

In 1923, Collier and Hendry Counties were created by splitting these areas from Lee County. As recently as 2004, discussion had taken place surrounding the possibility of the city of Cape Coral becoming its own county, citing in particular a perceived lack of infrastructure support from the Lee County government. However a new county has not as of yet been created.

In August 2004, the county was hit hard by Hurricane Charley, particularly on the northwestern islands of Captiva, Gasparilla and North Captiva.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,139 km² (1,212 mi²). 2,081 km² (804 mi²) of it is land and 1,057 km² (408 mi²) of it (33.69%) is water.

Lee County is located on the southwest coast of Florida. It is approximately 125 miles south of Tampa and 115 miles west of Fort Lauderdale via Interstate 75; and approximately 125 miles west-northwest of Miami via U.S. Highway 41.

Lee County is the sole county in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area.

• The first known resident of Fort Myers was Manuel Gonzalez, a Cuban immigrant who settled there in the 19th century.
• Fort Myers Senior High School, an International Baccalaureate school, was ranked as one of the best schools in the nation by Newsweek magazine.
• Dunbar High School's Science Olympiad team won 6th place in the Florida State Science Olympiad.
• American Idol runner-up Vonzell Solomon graduated from Cypress Lake High School's Center for the Arts.
• In the premier episode of the final season of The Sopranos, Eugene Pontecorvo inherits $2 million from a relative and asks Tony Soprano if he can take the money and buy a retirement home in Fort Myers.
• The abandoned city scene from "Day of the Dead" was filmed in downtown Fort Myers.

Adjacent counties:

• Charlotte County, Florida (north)
• Glades County, Florida - (northeast)
• Collier County, Florida (southeast)
• Hendry County, Florida (east)

• City of Bonita Springs
• City of Cape Coral
• City of Fort Myers
• Town of Fort Myers Beach
• City of Sanibel 

• Big Hickory Island (Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park)
• Cabbage Key
• Captiva Island
• Cayo Costa (Cayo Costa State Park)
• Estero Island (Town of Fort Myers Beach)
• Gasparilla Island (community of Boca Grande)
• Little Hickory Island (Beaches of Bonita Springs)
• Matlacha Island
• North Captiva Island
• Pine Island
• Sanibel Island (Town of Sanibel)
• Useppa Island

Lee County's main newspaper is The News-Press (Web site). In addition, Breeze Newspapers (Web site), the Naples Daily News (Web site) (circulation 56,981) publishes a "Bonita Daily News" edition (Web site), which serves Bonita Springs in southern Lee County.

Arbitron Standard Radio Market: Ft Myers-Naples-Marco Island. With an Arbitron-assigned 783,100 listening area population, the metropolitan area ranks 62/299 for the fall of 2006.The metropolitan area is home to 32 radio stations.

WBBH - NBC Affiliate NBC-2
WFTX - Fox Affiliate FOX 4
WGCU - PBS Member Station WGCU Public Media
WINK - CBS Affiliate WINK TV
WTVK - CW Television Newtork Affiliate CW 6
WZVN - ABC Affiliate ABC-7
WNFM - MyNetworkTV My TV 8
WTPH - Azteca America 14