Fort Myers Airport: A Sprawling Southwest Florida Gateway

Southwest Florida International Airport, located in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, is the third-largest airport in the United States in terms of land size. Covering 13,555 acres (54.9 km2 or 5,486 ha, 21.2 sq.mi.), it is bigger than the whole city of Fort Myers, which is only 49 square miles. 6,000 acres of the airport's land has been conserved as swamp lands and set aside for environmental mitigation.

The airport covers 13,555 acres of land

Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is a major county-owned airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. The airport covers 13,555 acres of land, making it the third-largest airport in the United States in terms of land size. The airport is 10 miles southeast of Fort Myers and serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas. It is also a U.S. Customs and Border Protection port of entry.

The airport's design capacity is 10 million passengers per year, with 28 gates on three concourses (current B, C and D). The terminal buildings can be expanded incrementally to 65 gates on five concourses (A-E). There are 11,250 spaces for hourly/daily parking located around the main terminal building and the entrance to the facility. A three-story parking structure is located adjacent to the main terminal, which is used for short-term parking. There is also a 30-space "cell-phone lot" for customers picking up arriving passengers.

In 2024, the airport had 97,077 aircraft operations, averaging 265 per day. In 2022, the airport served 10,343,802 passengers, the most in its history, making it the second-busiest single-runway airport in the United States, after San Diego International Airport, California.

Of the 13,555 acres of land, 6,000 acres have been conserved as swamp lands and set aside for environmental mitigation.

It is the third-largest airport in the US

Southwest Florida International Airport, located in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, is the third-largest airport in the United States in terms of land size. The airport sits on 13,555 acres of land, which is equivalent to 5,486 hectares or 21.2 square miles. It is only surpassed in size by the Denver and Dallas/Fort Worth airports.

The airport serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas. It is a major county-owned airport and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection port of entry. In 2022, the airport served 10,343,802 passengers, the most in its history.

The large size of the airport can be attributed to the need for a larger facility to handle increasing future demand for commercial flights into the region. Prior to the opening of the airport, the region was served by Page Field in Fort Myers. However, by the 1970s, it became clear that Page Field would be too small to accommodate the growing demand. Expanding Page Field was not a practical option due to constraints on the airfield.

To manage environmental concerns, 6,000 acres of the land have been conserved as swamp lands and set aside for environmental mitigation. The airport's design capacity is 10 million passengers per year, with 28 gates on three concourses (B, C, and D).. The terminal buildings can be expanded incrementally to 65 gates on five concourses (A-E).

It is 10 miles southeast of Fort Myers

Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is 10 miles southeast of Fort Myers. It is the third-largest airport in the United States in terms of land size, covering 13,555 acres (5,486 ha, 21.2 sq. mi.) of land. The airport is a major county-owned airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. It serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas.

The airport is the second-busiest single-runway airport in the United States, after San Diego International Airport, California. In 2022, the airport served 10,343,802 passengers, the most in its history. The design capacity is 10 million passengers per year, with 28 gates on three concourses (current B, C and D). The terminal buildings can be expanded incrementally to 65 gates on five concourses (A-E). There are 11,250 spaces for hourly/daily parking located around the main terminal building and the entrance to the facility. There is also a three-story parking structure adjacent to the main terminal, used to house short-term parking.

The airport is also a U.S. Customs and Border Protection port of entry. 6,000 acres of the land have been conserved as swamp lands and set aside for environmental mitigation. Prior to the opening of the airport, the region was served by Page Field in Fort Myers. However, by the 1970s, it had become clear that Page Field would be too small to handle the increasing future demand for commercial flights into the region.

It is the second-busiest single-runway airport in the US

Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is a major airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida. The airport serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas. It is the second-busiest single-runway airport in the US, after San Diego International Airport, California. In 2022, the airport served 10,343,802 passengers, the most in its history.

The airport sits on 13,555 acres (5,486 ha, 21.2 sq.mi.) of land just southeast of Fort Myers, making it the third-largest airport in the United States in terms of land size (after Denver and Dallas/Fort Worth). 6,000 acres of the land has been conserved as swamp lands and set aside for environmental mitigation. The airport covers 10 mi (16 km) southeast of Fort Myers.

In 2024, the airport had 97,077 aircraft operations, averaging 265 per day. The design capacity is 10 million passengers per year, with 28 gates on three concourses (current B,C and D). The terminal buildings can be expanded incrementally to 65 gates on five concourses (A-E). There are 11,250 spaces for hourly/daily parking located around the main terminal building and the entrance to the facility. There is also a three-story parking structure adjacent to the main terminal, used to house short-term parking. A 30-space "cell-phone lot" is available for customers picking up arriving passengers.

6,000 acres of the land has been conserved as swamp lands

Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is the third-largest airport in the United States in terms of land size. It covers 13,555 acres (54.9 km2) of land, which is 21.2 square miles.

The airport is located in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, and serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas. It is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection port of entry.

The airport is huge, but 6,000 acres of the land has been conserved as swamp lands and set aside for environmental mitigation. This is a significant amount of land, and it is important to protect these swamp lands for several reasons. Firstly, they provide a habitat for a variety of plant and animal species, including some that are endangered or threatened. Secondly, swamp lands help to filter and purify water, improving water quality in the surrounding area. They also act as a natural flood control mechanism, absorbing excess water during heavy rains or storms and slowly releasing it back into the environment. This helps to reduce the risk of flooding in nearby communities.

In addition, conserving these swamp lands can help to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Wetlands and swamp lands store large amounts of carbon, helping to offset greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the rate of climate change. They also provide a natural buffer against the impacts of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and floods, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

By conserving 6,000 acres of swamp land, the airport is not only preserving the natural environment but also contributing to the resilience and sustainability of the surrounding communities. This is a positive example of how large-scale infrastructure projects can coexist with nature and support long-term environmental protection.

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