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How gas prices have changed in Cape Coral in the last week

Gas prices have gone up by about 4 cents per gallon since this time last month but are still down by nearly 50 cents compared to this time last year. The national average fuel price is about $3.17, with Tyler, Texas, seeing the cheapest metro-area prices at $2.60 and Salinas, California, with the most expensive at $5.11.

After issuing multiple pauses on tariffs against Canadian and Mexican imports since taking office, President Trump in early April announced a sweeping 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the U.S., with many countries facing even steeper duties, though oil and gas imports are exempted from new tariffs. On April 9, the White House announced a three-month pause on all "reciprocal" tariffs (except against China), but the baseline 10% tariffs will remain in place.

Jolted by the impact of the tariff announcement, the stock market plummeted on April 3, with U.S. oil prices dropping 7%. The double-whammy of lower prices and higher costs for crucial materials like steel pipes may have a major impact on domestic oil and gas production. Meanwhile, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced this month that it would increase production to help stabilize the market.

Expecting market volatility, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan thinks it is possible that gas prices have already reached their peak in 2025, which typically happens around mid-April each year.

"After oil's sharp drop over the last couple of weeks—driven by concerns over the impact of U.S. tariffs and OPEC+ restoring production faster than expected—gasoline prices have posted a notable weekly decline, with nearly every state seeing prices fall," De Haan said in a recent statement. "While I do expect gas prices to continue trending lower, any abrupt change in the current tariff situation could eventually bring the decline to a halt."

Stacker compiled statistics on gas prices in Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL metro area using data from AAA. Gas prices are current as of April 24.

Cape Coral by the numbers- Gas current price: $3.15--- Florida average: $3.12- Week change: +$0.12 (+4.0%)- Year change: -$0.40 (-11.2%)- Historical expensive gas price: $4.87 (6/12/22)

- Diesel current price: $3.41- Week change: -$0.09 (-2.7%)- Year change: -$0.42 (-10.9%)- Historical expensive diesel price: $5.68 (6/11/22)

Metros with the most expensive gas#1. Salinas, CA: $5.11#2. Lihue (Kauai), HI: $5.10#3. Napa, CA: $5.08

Metros with the least expensive gas#1. Tyler, TX: $2.60#2. Lawton, OK: $2.61#3. Lubbock, TX: $2.61

This story features writing by Tim Bruns and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 371 metros.

You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in Cape Coral by diners

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

A crumbled brick wall at the corner of Cape Coral Parkway East and Del Prado Boulevard has sparked concern among residents, but not for reasons you might expect.

Locals aren’t blaming storms or vandals—they’re pointing to an infestation of invasive green iguanas that have overrun the abandoned building on the busy intersection.

The structure, a former bank, partially collapsed overnight, leaving rubble scattered on the ground.

Longtime resident Karin Colley lives next door and has been watching the problem grow—literally.

“I'll be walking my dogs, walking with friends, family, and all of a sudden they just scurry—like a scene from Jurassic Park, where all the dinosaurs are running,” she said.

Colley estimates she’s seen over 40 iguanas in a single day near the property. She’s even caught them sunbathing on the rooftop and climbing the walls of the building.

“It’s like a tourist attraction,” she said. “People from out of town want to come and see these iguanas. They drive around, get out of their cars, take pictures and video.”

Her husband, Gary Colley, says the iguanas have even started invading their backyard. “They scare the dogs sometimes,” he said.

The Colleys believe the reptiles have burrowed behind the structure’s exterior wall, weakening it until it finally gave way.

“I noticed last week there were about 30 iguanas behind that brick wall,” Karin said.

While experts agree that the reptiles may not have directly caused the collapse, they acknowledge the animals are contributing to structural issues.

“The idea that iguanas yanked down a wall is ludicrous,” said Ned Bruha of The Wildlife Whisperer Inc. “But have they contributed to issues on that property? Absolutely. And are they likely going to end up harming the neighbors and the neighborhood? Absolutely.”

The community is now calling on the city to intervene before the situation escalates further. With weakened structures and a growing iguana population, residents worry it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured.

“We’ve been raising the alarm for a while now,” said Karin Colley. “This is not just a nuisance anymore. It’s dangerous.”

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I’m counting multiple blessings for this lifer. I was fortunate to be able to visit family in the Fort Myers area in late February. A welcome break from the dreary tail end of Michigan winter. I was even more blessed to be hosted by my sister-in-law and her husband, who are treasures any and every day. But my SIL also knows I love birding and indulged me. And I was fortunate because when I mentioned in a comment that I’d be in that area, nookular put a twitch in my brain to look for Burrowing Owls. Last, I’m lucky to be a member of an online birding chat (Discord), and received excellent advice on some likely locations.

Who doesn’t love owls? Even more, who could resist an owl that’s active in daylight, is a ground nester in short grasses, and tolerates the presence of humans? The stars aligned and as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, my SIL and I saw our first owls — lifers for both of us.

Before getting into the specifics of the owls we saw, a little background on these amazing creatures. Some “Cool Facts” from All About Birds:

Unlike most owls in which the female is larger than the male, the sexes of the Burrowing Owl are the same size.

In the absence of suitable homes created by ground squirrels, prairie dogs, desert tortoises, or other burrowing animals, Burrowing Owls have been known to nest in piles of PVC pipe and other lairs unintentionally provided by humans. Conservationists make use of the owls' adaptability by supplying artificial burrows made of buckets, pipes, tubing, and other human-made materials.

Burrowing Owls have a higher tolerance for carbon dioxide than other birds—an adaptation found in other burrowing animals, which spend long periods underground, where the gas can accumulate to higher levels than found above ground.

Before laying eggs, Burrowing Owls carpet the entrances to their homes with animal dung, which attracts dung beetles and other insects that the owls then catch and eat. They may also collect bottle caps, metal foil, cigarette butts, paper scraps, and other bits of trash at the entrance, possibly signifying that the burrow is occupied.

In size, they are close to the Eastern Screech Owl. According to AAB, they have a wide diet of small animals and insects.

Burrowing Owls eat invertebrates and small vertebrates, including lizards, birds, and mammals. Invertebrates, especially insects, constitute the majority of food items, while vertebrates make up the bulk of the diet by mass. Burrowing Owls commonly hunt grasshoppers, crickets, moths, beetles, mice, voles, and shrews. They also prey on dragonflies, giant water bugs, earwigs, caterpillars, scorpions, and earthworms, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards, turtles, and salamanders, bats, ground squirrels, small weasels, young rabbits, songbirds, waterbirds, baby ducks, and even young burrowing owls. Females catch more insects, mostly during the day; males take most of the vertebrates, mostly at night.

Their preferred habitat is open grassland, with low cut grass so they can see predators. Faced with human-caused habitat loss, Burrowing Owls have been very adaptable. They can be found

on golf courses, pastures, agricultural fields, airport medians, and road embankments; in cemeteries and urban vacant lots. They are often associated with high densities of burrowing mammals such as prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and tortoises. All About Birds

I found them in a Cape Coral neighborhood baseball complex, which took up a city block and was bordered by a wide grassy easement. The burrows dotted the easement on all four sides. I learned that Cape Coral hosts the largest population of the Florida species of Burrowing Owls, at an estimated 1,000 nesting pairs. Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife

I was happy to see the signs and park visitors honoring the protected areas. Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife has a great website, highlighting not just the owls but also proper etiquette for owl viewing. Cape Coral’s website also showcases the city’s Official Bird and reminds readers of their protected status.

The burrows themselves take a fair amount of work. Again from AAB:

Nesting owls tend to use areas with a high density of surrounding burrows, which may provide extra escape options for developing young. Preferred sites have loose soil, a bit of elevation to avoid flooding, and nearby lookouts such as dirt mounds, bushes, fence posts, or road signs. They use burrows dug by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, badgers, marmots, skunks, armadillos, kangaroo rats, and tortoises. Both members of a pair enlarge and maintain the existing burrow by digging with their beaks and kicking back soil with their feet. Most owls use existing burrows, but in Florida and the Caribbean, they usually excavate their own burrows and on rare occasions western owls excavate their own burrows. Nonmigrating owls use burrows year-round.

The nest burrow can be several yards long and is usually less than 3 feet deep, but size depends on the mammal that originally excavated it. Burrows tend to make numerous twists and turns, with a mound of dirt at the entrance and an opening at least 4–6 inches wide.

As enthralled as I was watching the owls, I was struck by the precariousness of their burrows.

A few parting shots of these endearing owls:

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The good news: The always bustling Chick-fil-A in Cape Coral is about to get a makeover.

The bad news: It will be temporarily closed for a few months beginning Friday, April 4.

Billy Cossette, the owner/operator of the Pine Island Road location recently made the announcement on the fastest-of-fast drive-thru restaurant’s social media pages.

“We know we’re going to be super sad to not serve you on a regular basis while we’re completing that project but we are so excited to welcome you back in as we reopen,” he said in the recording.

“In the meantime, we invite you to come in. We hope to see you a few more times between now and April 3 as you come in to get your Chick-fil-A.”

The fast food go-to, on the corner of Pine Island and Pondella roads, will be 16 years old in May.

“It’s been awesome to have a front-row seat of all the growth that the city has seen over the years,” Cossette continued. “In fact, we’ve had the honor and the privilege to serve more and more guests every single year.”

Significant renovations and upgrades will be made to the building, facility and parking lot layout, according to Cossette. No specific plans for the indoor playground were mentioned.

“(Those improvements will be done) not only to increase the capacity but also to enhance the overall experience of our guests as we move forward,” Cossette said.

So hurry on in through Thursday, April 3, for your last look at the familiar location.

“We appreciate you and will see you on the other side,” Cossette concluded.

In the meantime, there are two Fort Myers locations — 13610 S. Tamiami Trail and 4752 Colonial Boulevard.

Chick-fil-A, 1790 Pine Island Road, Cape Coral; (239) 242-8748; follow on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at [email protected]

Wausau, WI, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IncredibleBank is excited to announce the opening of its second branch in Cape Coral, Florida. Following the successful launch of its first branch at 2512 Skyline Blvd. in February 2024, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, the new branch will be located at 2524 Liberty Park Drive. Although the official opening is set for early 2026, a temporary branch will be available next door at 2494 Liberty Park Drive to serve the community in the meantime.

"We are thrilled to announce the opening of our second IncredibleBank branch in Cape Coral, FL. The warm welcome we have received from this incredible community has been truly heartwarming. We feel honored to have found success here and are committed to continuing to serve and support the wonderful people of Cape Coral. Thank you for making us feel at home," said Todd Nagel, President & CEO of IncredibleBank.

IncredibleBank has quickly established itself as a trusted financial partner in Cape Coral, thanks to its dedication to providing an Incredible Customer Experience^SM. The bank's commitment to the community has resonated deeply with residents, allowing it to thrive and grow in this vibrant area.

"IncredibleBank has found a perfect home in the Cape Coral community. Our commitment to delivering an Incredible Customer Experience has resonated deeply with the residents here, allowing us to thrive and grow. We are proud to be part of such a vibrant and welcoming community, and we look forward to continuing to build strong relationships and provide exceptional service," stated Sergio Nascimento, Market President of IncredibleBank.

As IncredibleBank prepares for its second branch opening, the team remains focused on enhancing its services and fostering relationships within the Cape Coral community. The bank looks forward to continuing its journey of growth and success in this beautiful part of Florida.

For more information about IncredibleBank, visit incrediblebank.com or contact their Customer Experience Center at 888-842-0221.

About IncredibleBank℠

Headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin, IncredibleBank is a leading financial institution recognized for its innovative approach to banking. In 2024, IncredibleBank was honored with the prestigious Jack Henry Changemaker award, celebrating outstanding achievements in leveraging technology, services, and innovation. As one of the nation’s top motorcoach lenders and an SBA Preferred Lending Partner, IncredibleBank is committed to providing exceptional financial solutions to their customers. With locations across Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Cape Coral, Florida, they promise an Incredible Customer Experience^SM with every interaction. For more information, visit incrediblebank.com.

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