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Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda, Florida, taken on a Friday evening. The homes in the background are part of the Punta Gorda Historic District.
Punta Gorda

6 communities Janelle covers

Punta Gorda

Punta Gorda is the Charlotte County seat, where the Peace River meets Charlotte Harbor, with sailboat-access canal homes in Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles. Babcock Ranch is nearby.

At a glance

Punta Gorda at a glance

Punta Gorda is the Charlotte County seat, on the south shore of the Peace River where it meets Charlotte Harbor.

Median list price
$379K
Population
20,278 (2024), up 4% since 2019
Communities
6

Median list price of the 1,093 homes for sale in Punta Gorda on her site's home search (Stellar MLS), as of October 10, 2026.

Population of Punta Gorda city, Florida: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimate for 2024, census.gov (opens in a new tab).

Getting there

  • Manasota Key49 min29 miNearest beach
  • Downtown Sarasota68 min55 mi
  • SRQ airport75 min60 mi
  • Tampa airport (TPA)129 min108 mi
  • Downtown Tampa118 min104 mi
  • Downtown St. Pete104 min90 mi

Drive times by road, OSRM, checked October 10, 2026.

Population by county

  • Sarasota County 459,547 (2024), up 10% since 2019
  • Manatee County 429,792 (2024), up 12% since 2019
  • Charlotte County 201,064 (2024), up 11% since 2019

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, census.gov (opens in a new tab).

The area

Living in Punta Gorda

Overview of Punta Gorda

Homes over $1 million include canal homes with sailboat access in Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles, and some homes in Babcock Ranch, the solar-powered town in eastern Charlotte County.

County
Charlotte County (county seat and only incorporated city)
Population
19,471 (2020 Census, City of Punta Gorda)
School district
Charlotte County Public Schools
Gulf access
Charlotte Harbor to the Gulf of Mexico via Boca Grande Pass
Residential canals
50+ miles in Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles
Flood insurance
City CRS Class 5: 25% NFIP premium discount within city limits
Flood zones note
FEMA maps effective Dec. 15, 2022; review the elevation certificate

About Punta Gorda

  • Most Punta Gorda Isles canals have no fixed bridges, so sailboats can reach Charlotte Harbor from a backyard dock
  • Harborwalk, a 2.5-mile public promenade, links the downtown waterfront parks
  • Fishermen's Village has waterfront restaurants, shops, resort suites and a marina on Charlotte Harbor
  • Babcock Ranch is a solar-powered town; in Lake Timber, homes are priced from the $400s to over $1 million
  • Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) is about 10 minutes from downtown, with Allegiant and Sun Country flights

Punta Gorda is the county seat and the only incorporated city in Charlotte County. The town was laid out in the 1880s along the southern shore of the Peace River at its mouth on Charlotte Harbor, the second-largest harbor in Florida, and every waterfront block was set aside as a park. Those parks are now linked by Harborwalk, a 2.5-mile public promenade. From the city's waterfront, boaters reach the Peace River, the Myakka River and the Gulf of Mexico through Boca Grande Pass. The land is flat and laced with saltwater canals, seawalls and mangrove shorelines.

The area's homes over $1 million are in a handful of neighborhoods, most of them on the water. Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles were platted beginning in the late 1950s with canals connected to Charlotte Harbor, and the city maintains more than 50 miles of residential canals in the two neighborhoods. Most of the Punta Gorda Isles system has deep, wide canals with no fixed bridges, so sailboats can go from a backyard dock to the harbor; the Burnt Store Isles canals include a boat lock. Inland in eastern Charlotte County, Babcock Ranch is a master-planned, solar-powered town with an 870-acre solar farm and new-construction neighborhoods from several builders. Some Babcock Ranch homes are priced over $1 million; in Lake Timber, for example, homes run from the $400s to over $1 million.

Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) sits east of downtown off I-75, about a 10-minute drive, with nonstop Allegiant and Sun Country flights to more than 50 destinations. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers is about 50 minutes south by car, and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is about 75 minutes north. US 41, the Tamiami Trail, runs through downtown and north across the Peace River to Port Charlotte, and I-75 is about 6 minutes east of downtown, with Punta Gorda exits at US 17 (Exit 164) and Jones Loop Road (Exit 161). Babcock Ranch is reached by State Road 31.

Downtown Punta Gorda has a collection of independent shops and restaurants and a network of walking and bicycling paths. Gilchrist Park on West Retta Esplanade has tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, a playground, a fishing pier and a small beach, and Laishley Park holds the city's municipal marina with 85 slips and a public boat launch. Fishermen's Village, built in 1980 on the site of the old city fish docks, combines waterfront restaurants, shops, resort suites and a marina on Charlotte Harbor. Ponce de Leon Park, at the city's western edge, has a public boat ramp, fishing piers and a small beach facing the sunset, and the Military Heritage Museum is downtown on West Marion Avenue.

Schools near Punta Gorda

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

Comparing school zones in Punta Gorda? Janelle can match them to the homes for sale. Email Janelle or call (813) 394-3313.

Restaurants near Punta Gorda

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Things to do near Punta Gorda

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Parks and outdoors near Punta Gorda

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Shopping near Punta Gorda

Want everyday errands close by in Punta Gorda? Janelle can point you to the right neighborhoods. Email Janelle or call (813) 394-3313.

Health care near Punta Gorda

Need to be near care in Punta Gorda? Janelle can keep that in mind when she picks homes to show you. Email Janelle or call (813) 394-3313.

Getting around near Punta Gorda

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

Punta Gorda FAQ

What county is Punta Gorda in?

Punta Gorda is in Charlotte County. It is the county seat and the only incorporated city in the county, so homes outside the city limits, including Babcock Ranch, are in unincorporated Charlotte County. Confirm the county and taxing district for any address with the county property appraiser.

Can I keep a sailboat behind a canal home and get to the Gulf?

In much of Punta Gorda Isles, yes. Most of the Punta Gorda Isles canal system has deep, wide canals with no fixed bridges, giving sailboats water access from the backyard to Charlotte Harbor, and from the harbor boats reach the Gulf of Mexico through Boca Grande Pass. The Burnt Store Isles canals include a boat lock. The city dredges the interior canals and inlets to maintain navigable depths, but depth at an individual dock varies, so check the dock depth and the route to the harbor for the boat you plan to keep.

What should I know about flood zones and flood insurance in Punta Gorda?

Every property in Punta Gorda is in a flood zone of high, moderate or low risk. The current FEMA flood maps took effect December 15, 2022 and include a Coastal A Zone, where new construction needs elevations and foundations similar to those in the V zones. Within city limits, the city's Class 5 rating in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System brings a 25% discount on flood insurance premiums. Flood zones are separate from hurricane evacuation zones, which Charlotte County publishes in its Know Your Zone tool. Before you buy, review the property's elevation certificate and get a flood insurance quote for that specific home.

Which airports are closest to Punta Gorda?

Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) is about a 10-minute drive from downtown, with nonstop Allegiant and Sun Country flights to more than 50 destinations. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, served by 16 airlines, is about 50 minutes south by car. Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is about 75 minutes north.

Which schools serve Punta Gorda?

Homes in Charlotte County are served by Charlotte County Public Schools. Schools in and near the city include Sallie Jones Elementary and East Elementary (kindergarten to grade 5), Punta Gorda Middle School (grades 6 to 8) and Charlotte High School (grades 9 to 12). Babcock Ranch has Babcock Neighborhood School and Babcock High School, public charter schools for kindergarten through grade 12, and Florida SouthWestern Collegiate High School is a charter school on the college's Charlotte Campus. School assignments vary by address; confirm them with the district's Boundary Locator.

Are there HOA fees, assessments or deed restrictions in the canal neighborhoods?

Waterfront properties in Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles are in city Canal Maintenance Assessment Districts, which levy an annual non-ad valorem assessment for seawall maintenance and replacement, dredging and mangrove management. City code also governs what can be built on the water: docks, pilings and lifts must be freestanding from the city-owned seawall, floating docks are not allowed in residential canals, and roofs or canopies over boat lifts are prohibited. Confirm deed restrictions and any HOA fees for a specific property with the association.

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

Punta Gorda

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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.

Neighborhoods

Communities in Punta Gorda

New construction

New construction in Punta Gorda

All new construction in Punta Gorda

Call or text Janelle before you visit a model home or register on a builder's website. The builder pays her fee, so having her on your side does not change the price, and most builders accept your own agent only when the agent registers you on your first visit or first contact.

  • Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda, Florida, taken on a Friday evening. The homes in the background are part of the Punta Gorda Historic District.Now selling

    Toll Brothers · Willow, Punta Gorda

    Toll Brothers at Willow

    Single-family homes, one and two stories, 10 floor plans, 4 quick move-ins

    $359,995 to $579,995

  • Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda, Florida, taken on a Friday evening. The homes in the background are part of the Punta Gorda Historic District.Now selling

    Perry Homes · Punta Gorda

    Turnleaf

    Single-family homes on 50 ft and 60 ft homesites, one and two stories, 23 floor plans, 9 quick move-ins

    $558,900 to $775,900

  • Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda, Florida, taken on a Friday evening. The homes in the background are part of the Punta Gorda Historic District.Now selling

    Taylor Morrison · Punta Gorda

    Esplanade at Starling

    Single-family homes, one and two stories, in 42, 52 and 62 collections, 14 floor plans, 12 quick move-ins

    $313,999 to $626,999

For sale now

Punta Gorda homes for sale

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