Biohazard Cleanup Near Old Naples Naples, FL

Naples was settled on November 6, 1886, by Louisville Courier-Journal publisher Walter N. Haldeman and former Confederate general and U.S. Senator John Stuart Williams, who named it after the Bay of Naples in Italy.

Naples was founded as a winter resort for wealthy Northern families, and for its first decades the only practical way to reach it was by boat from the Gulf of Mexico.

The Naples Pier, first built in 1888 at 600 feet and repeatedly rebuilt after hurricanes, was the town's original gateway, dock and even the site of its post office; it was severely damaged again by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Naples was incorporated as a town on December 1, 1923, the same year Collier County was created and named for advertising magnate Barron Gift Collier, and Naples became a city on May 25, 1949.

Despite its fame, the city of Naples itself is small, with just 19,115 residents in the 2020 Census, and its population actually fell slightly from 19,537 in 2010 as the surrounding metro area grew.

Naples is one of the wealthiest small cities in America, with a median household income of about $153,182 and an owner-occupied housing rate of 82.1%.

Naples households are among the smallest in Florida, averaging just 1.96 people across its roughly 9,836 households, reflecting its retiree-heavy population.

Naples bills itself as the 'Golf Capital of the World', with more golf holes than any other city in Florida and the second-most golf holes per capita anywhere.

Historic Palm Cottage, built in 1895 and preserved by the Naples Historical Society, is the oldest house in Naples and a landmark of the Old Naples district.

Naples' beaches include the Naples Pier beach, Vanderbilt Beach, Clam Pass Beach Park and nearby Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, famous for sunset views over the Gulf of Mexico.