Phil Fernandez | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
New 2026 data uncovered from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission documents offers a revealing look at how boating infrastructure is distributed across the state — and how Southwest Florida’s Collier County stacks up.
Public records research by the Naples Daily News found an inventory of more than 10,000 marine facilities statewide, capturing aspects such as full-service marinas, small docks, boat yards and waterfront restaurants with slips.
In Southwest Florida, the numbers highlight Collier’s concentration.
Here’s what to know.
Collier County. Smaller boating footprint in Florida, higher concentration
Collier has an estimated 180 to 220 facilities, roughly a third the total seen in Lee County. That places it solidly in the middle tier statewide.Yet despite the smaller footprint, the Naples area still maintains significant capacity, with an estimated 10,000 to 12,500 wet slips and 7,000 to 9,000 dry storage spaces.
What stands out is how that capacity is structured.
Unlike Lee’s dispersed network, Collier’s boating infrastructure is concentrated in defined hubs such as Naples Bay, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands region.
Facilities in these areas tend to be larger and more amenity-driven. Marinas commonly range from 80 to more than 120 slips, often paired with structured dry storage and resort-level services.
In other words, fewer locations — but more capacity per site.
Read more on naplesnews.com.
Babcock Ranch, Southwest Florida
Click photo to explore.