Everglades City has a history most gateway towns don't: it was once a county seat, built as a company town, and today is one of the last real "Old Florida" fishing villages left in South Florida. It's also the Gulf Coast entrance to Everglades National Park, and the base for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands.
A Company Town With a Bigger Past
The site was first settled in 1875 as a trading post connected to nearby Chokoloskee. It grew slowly into a small fishing village, then was transformed starting in 1922-23 when advertising magnate Barron Collier bought into the area and built it into a company town, complete with a hotel and infrastructure meant to support a planned highway across the Everglades. Everglades City served as the seat of Collier County from the county's founding in 1923 until 1962, when the county government relocated to Naples. The old courthouse and the town's compact historic core still reflect that earlier ambition.
The Gulf Coast Gateway to the Park
Everglades City is home to the park's Gulf Coast entrance, centered on the Gulf Coast Visitor Center (recently reopened as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center). This is the jumping-off point for the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove islands and backcountry waterways along Florida's southwest coast, reachable by boat tour, kayak, or airboat.
Airboats and Boat Tours
This side of the park has the largest concentration of tour operators of any of the three gateway towns, running everything from airboats to kayak eco-tours. See our full airboat tours guide for the complete rundown, including Captain Jack's, Everglades City Airboat Tours, and Everglades Adventures Kayak & Eco Tours.
Museum of the Everglades and the Historic Core
The Museum of the Everglades, housed in the town's restored 1927 laundry building, covers the area's Barron Collier-era history and the story of the road-building era that shaped it. The town's small footprint makes it walkable, and the Chokoloskee Bridge connects directly to the small island community of Chokoloskee next door.
Fresh Seafood
As a working fishing village, Everglades City's dining scene leans hard into fresh Gulf seafood, particularly stone crab in season: City Seafood, Captain Morgan's Seafood Grill, and Island Cafe are all local standbys. Browse the full dining directory for more.
Where to Stay
Lodging here trends toward small, character-driven properties over chain hotels: the historic Everglades Rod & Gun Club has hosted presidents, and the Ivey House and Captain's Table Hotel both cater directly to travelers booking backcountry tours. See the full lodging directory for everything else.
