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Brown garden dock.
Palm Island Estates (Melissa on Unsplash)

Englewood and Cape Haze · Waterfront

Palm Island Estates in Englewood and Cape Haze

Gulf-front, bayfront and canal homes on Palm Island and Knight Island, south of Stump Pass, reached by the Palm Island Transit car ferry from Placida. Palm Island Estates was platted in 1957 with more than 550 lots.

At a glance

Palm Island Estates at a glance

Gulf-front, bayfront and canal homes on bridgeless Palm and Knight islands, platted in 1957, where sand roads, golf carts and 13 private beach easements set the pace and the Palm Island Transit car ferry crosses to Placida from 6:30 AM every day.

Lifestyle
Waterfront

The area

Living in Palm Island Estates

Overview of Palm Island Estates

Location
Palm and Knight islands, Charlotte County, south of Stump Pass
Access
Palm Island Transit car ferry from 2000 Panama Blvd; no bridge
Ferry hours
6:30 AM to 10 PM Sun to Thu, 11 PM Fri, midnight Sat (2026)
Ferry passes
Homeowner annual car pass $3,000, golf cart pass $1,700 (2026)
Home types
Gulf-front, bayfront and canal single-family homes
Platted
1957, more than 550 lots, by Bland and Pruitt
School district
Charlotte County: Vineland, L.A. Ainger, Lemon Bay High

About Palm Island Estates

  • Drive times below are from the mainland car ferry landing at 2000 Panama Blvd, Englewood.
  • Palm Island Estates owners reach the Gulf through 13 private beach easements.
  • Sand roads with a 15 mph limit; golf carts are legal on island roads from age 15 with a permit.
  • Island traditions include the New Year's Day Golf Cart Parade and Palm Palooza.
  • Fire Station 10 is on the island, and emergency barge service runs after hours.
  • Homes south of the resort get water from Bocilla Utilities; island homes are on septic.

Palm Island Estates covers the island homes on Palm Island and Knight Island in the southwest corner of Charlotte County, on the south side of Stump Pass across from Manasota Key. There is no bridge. Homeowners and guests cross the Intracoastal Waterway from the mainland landing off Panama Boulevard in Placida on the Palm Island Transit car ferry, a ride of about six minutes. The islands share their civic association, the Palm Island Estates Association, with neighboring Don Pedro Island and Thornton Key.

In 1957 D.G. Bland and James A. Pruitt bought raw land on Palm Island, platted more than 550 lots as Palm Island Estates and recorded deed restrictions for the last phase, Unit 4. They dredged and widened Kettle Harbor and Bocilla Lagoon and cut the canals now called the T Canal and the Block J Canal, so lots face the Gulf beach, the bay or a canal. A bridge once reached the island, but it was taken down in 1964 for the Intracoastal Waterway, and building picked up again after the association formed in 1980 and the ferry began carrying vehicles. Homes date from the late 1950s to the present, and homes sold from about $550,000 to $3.8 million in the last two years.

The island is quiet and mostly single-family, with no crowds, traffic or commercial strip; Palm Island Resort, which opened in 1983, is the main exception. The county's Bridgeless Barrier Island Overlay limits density on the islands. Homeowners can buy annual vehicle and golf cart ferry passes, and Palm Island Transit also leases parking spaces by the day, month or year. Daily errands, schools and services are on the mainland in Placida, Cape Haze and Englewood.

Schools near Palm Island Estates

Assigned schools depend on the address; confirm with the school district. Florida school grades from the Department of Education (opens in a new tab)

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Restaurants near Palm Island Estates

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Things to do near Palm Island Estates

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Parks and outdoors near Palm Island Estates

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Shopping near Palm Island Estates

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Health care near Palm Island Estates

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Getting around near Palm Island Estates

Commuting from Palm Island Estates? Janelle can tell you what the drive is like from each neighborhood. Email Janelle or call (813) 394-3313.

What to know before you buy in Palm Island Estates

  • What the HOA and any CDD fees are, what they cover, and whether a transfer fee applies at closing
  • The flood zone and elevation of the home, and a flood insurance quote before your inspection period ends
  • Rental and lease rules, if you may rent the home out
  • Drive times at the hours you would really travel, to work, to SRQ, and to the beaches

Buying in Palm Island Estates? Janelle can walk you through it before you make an offer. Email Janelle or call (813) 394-3313.

Palm Island Estates FAQ

How do you get a car to Palm Island?

Palm Island Transit runs a car ferry across the Intracoastal Waterway from the landing off Panama Boulevard in Placida; the crossing takes about six minutes. Fares are charged going onto the island only. In 2026 the public round trip for a passenger vehicle is $55, and homeowners can buy an annual vehicle pass for $3,000, an annual golf cart pass for $1,700, or Flex passes of 60 or 120 trips. Passes are tied to one vehicle.

Can construction trucks and moving vans get to the island?

Yes, on the ferry, within limits. Palm Island Transit asks that large trucks such as dump, cement and moving trucks cross between 10 am and 2 pm, the tide must be at least 0.5 feet for larger trucks, and high winds and low tides can temporarily stop heavy or high-profile vehicles. The maximum vehicle weight is 70 tons. Plan building and moving schedules with the transit office.

Is there a homeowners association?

The Palm Island Estates Association is a voluntary, non-profit civic association of property owners on Knight Island, Palm Island, Don Pedro Island and Thornton Key. It was incorporated in 1980 and speaks for owners with the county, Palm Island Transit, the fire department and the sheriff. The original Palm Island Estates plat also carried recorded deed restrictions, so read the restrictions on the specific lot.

Why is building limited on the island?

Palm Island, Knight Island, Don Pedro Island and Thornton Key fall under Charlotte County's Bridgeless Barrier Island Overlay, adopted in 1991, which limits residential density on the bridgeless islands. Lots are also in the county's Coastal High Hazard Area, so check flood zone, elevation and setback rules for the lot before you plan a new home.

What should I check about flood risk?

Charlotte County's Forerunner portal shows a property's flood zone and base flood elevation and offers available elevation certificates. V zones, common on Gulf-front lots, face waves over 3 feet and require construction on pilings, and flood insurance is required in A and V zones for federally backed mortgages. Get flood and wind insurance quotes early.

Have a question about Palm Island Estates that is not answered here? Ask Janelle. Email Janelle or call (813) 394-3313.

Palm Island Estates

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Climate

Weather, month by month

Average high and low in °F, and rain in inches, for each month.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)

  1. Janhigh 72.5°low 52.3°2.8 in
  2. Febhigh 74.9°low 54.6°1.9 in
  3. Marhigh 78.2°low 58.1°2.9 in
  4. Aprhigh 82.5°low 62.7°2.5 in
  5. Mayhigh 87.5°low 68.2°2.6 in
  6. Junhigh 90.0°low 73.6°7.1 in
  7. Julhigh 91.1°low 75.2°7.4 in
  8. Aughigh 91.5°low 75.3°9.1 in
  9. Sephigh 90.2°low 74.1°6.0 in
  10. Octhigh 86.3°low 68.3°2.8 in
  11. Novhigh 80.0°low 60.1°1.8 in
  12. Dechigh 75.2°low 55.2°2.3 in

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 (NOAA National Hurricane Center, https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/); June through September is the rainy season, with most afternoons bringing a short thunderstorm.

NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals), as reproduced in the Sarasota, Florida climate table (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasota,_Florida); read 2026-10-04.

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