Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of  July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007. Although Naples is officially the county seat of Collier County, the courthouse is located east of the city in unincorporated East Naples.

History

Naples was founded during the late 1880s by former Confederate general and Kentucky U.S. Senator John Stuart Williams and his partner, Louisville businessman Walter N. Haldeman, the publisher of the Louisville Courier-Journal. Throughout the 1870s and '80's, magazine and newspaper stories telling of the area's mild climate and abundant fish and game likened it to the sunny Italian peninsula. The name Naples caught on when promoters described the bay as "surpassing the bay in Naples, Italy".

Economy

The economy of Naples is largely based on tourism. Along with Marco Island and the Everglades, the city makes up the popular vacation area known as the Paradise Coast. Fortune 1000 company Health Management Associates is located just north of the city limits. The area is also home to technology company INgage Networks and medical equipment manufacturer Arthrex. In 2009 it was ranked as one of the 10 pricey cities worth its high cost.

Area attractions
The city is served by the Naples Municipal Airport. Yellow Air Taxi also provides service to Key West, Florida. Southwest Florida International Airport, in South Fort Myers, Florida, handles the vast majority of commercial air traffic in and out of the region, with over 8 million passengers in 2007.

Naples is home to several major land reserves, including the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and Picayune Strand State Forest. The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is known not only for its 11,000 acres (45 km2) of landscape and wildlife, but for a two and a half mile length boardwalk winding through the sanctuary. The Naples area is also home to the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, which dates back to 1919.

Downtown Naples is home to The Naples Players and the 5th Avenue South and 3rd Street South shopping districts, which feature a variety of antique shops. Gallery Row, also downtown, is a concentration among the numerous art galleries spread throughout the downtown area. The Village on Venetian Bay is an upscale open-air shopping district on the Gulf coast. Located directly off of Tamiami Trail are the Waterside Shops, an upscale open-air center.
Beaches, parks and recreation areas

The beach on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico is more than 10 miles long, and is noted for its cleanliness and pristine white sand. In 2005, Naples was voted the best beach in America by the Travel Channel. The Naples Fishing Pier is one of the area's better-known landmarks.

Near downtown on Naples Bay and the Gordon River is the shopping district Tin City. This open-air shopping center specializes in antiques and handmade local novelties. Naples hosts The Oliver Group Champions Cup of the Outback Champions Tennis Series each year. Naples is also the home to swamp buggy races, held three times each year at the Florida Sports Park.

Naples beaches include:

• Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
• Clam Pass Beach Park
• Naples Municipal Beach & Fishing Pier (Naples Pier)
• Vanderbilt Beach
• North Gulfshore Boulevard Beach
• Lowdermilk Beach Park 

Naples offers more than 80 championship golf courses in the Naples area, Naples is the self-titled "Golf Capital of the World", claiming to have more holes per capita than any other community.