Dunbar lies in the city's 2,749-acre Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard redevelopment area, from Evans Avenue to I-75, mostly in ZIP 33916.

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Sources: the City of Fort Myers comprehensive plan and redevelopment plans and GIS open data (future land use, community redevelopment areas, historic districts, parks and address points), The School District of Lee County’s 2026-27 enrollment zones, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades, Zillow Research, LeeTran and OpenStreetMap.

Dunbar is the historic neighborhood east of downtown, along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The city’s Dr. MLK Jr. and Veronica S. Shoemaker Boulevard revitalization plan describes the boulevard as crossing “several neighborhoods with strong community ties and a rich cultural heritage, most notably Dunbar, a historically African American community that has played a central role in the city’s social, cultural, and economic fabric.” It also notes the road was called Anderson Avenue, after the city’s first doctor, until it was renamed in 1991.

In the city’s address data the area has 6,185 residential addresses, 66% of them single addresses and 34% apartment units, with 1,348 more listed as pending.

What this means for you

  • High school: the South 1 subzone for 80% of addresses and East 1 for 20%. Dunbar High, inside the area, is a choice in both and earned a C in Florida’s 2026 grades.
  • Home value: $209,980 in ZIP 33916 in August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
  • Nearest I-75 exit: exit 138, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, about 2.9 miles by road.

Part of our Fort Myers neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

The revitalization plan says the redevelopment area “encompasses the Dunbar area within the City.” It covers about 2,749 acres, from Billy’s Creek on the north to Canal Street on the south, and from Evans Avenue on the west to I-75 on the east. This page uses the city’s mapped boundary of that area, which the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency runs in four subareas. Dean Park and downtown are to the west and East Fort Myers to the north across Billy’s Creek.

Four city landmarks on the historic inventory are inside the area: the Williams Academy, the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Community School, McCollum Hall and the 1937 WPA brick water plant building. More in our history and landmarks guide.

ZIP codes: 33916 for 93% of residential addresses, 33905 for 7%.

Schools

Lee County does not assign a school by street address alone. Under the district’s 2026-27 Student Enrollment Plan, families rank the schools in the zone their address falls in, and the district guarantees a seat, with bus service, at a school in that zone. Siblings and homes within 2 miles of a school get preference when a school fills. In the district’s 2026-27 zone layer, Dunbar is split at the elementary and high school levels:

Level Zone Schools in the zone, with Florida’s 2026 grade
Elementary H (70% of addresses) Allen Park Elementary: C, Edgewood Academy: C, Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts: A, Franklin Park Elementary: C, Orangewood Elementary: B
Elementary D (30%) The Alva School: B, James Stephens Community School: C, Manatee Elementary: C, Orange River Elementary: C, River Hall Elementary: B, Tice Elementary: C
Middle EE (99%) Fort Myers Middle: C, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle: B
High South 1 (80%) Cypress Lake High: A, Dunbar High: C, Fort Myers High: A, South Fort Myers High: C
High East 1 (20%) Dunbar High: C, Gateway High: A, Lehigh Senior High: C, Riverdale High: C

Inside the area are Dunbar High, 3800 E. Edison Ave.; Franklin Park Elementary, 1320 Marsh Ave.; and Fort Myers Technical College, 3800 Michigan Ave., from the federal school directory. Grades are from the Florida Department of Education; each name links to the school’s state report card. Because the area is split, check an address on the district’s School Enrollment Zones map. More in our schools guide.

Home values

The typical home value in ZIP 33916 was $209,980 in August 2026, down 6.3% from $224,173 in August 2025, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. In ZIP 33905 it was $281,518, down 4.5%. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, single-family homes and condos together, not a sale price, and it covers each whole ZIP code, not just this area. Zillow’s figure for Fort Myers was $305,650, down 5.0% on the year. More in our home prices guide.

Parks and trails

From the city’s parks data, inside the area:

  • Clemente Park, 3265 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., about 9 acres.
  • Stars Complex, 2980 Edison Ave., about 16.5 acres.
  • Dunbar Park, 3101 Indian St.
  • Ford Street Filter Marsh Boardwalk, 1501 Raleigh St., about 9 acres.
  • McCutcheon Park / Project Play, 2701 Orange St.
  • Velasco Village Park, 2763 Dr. Ella Piper Way.
  • Dupree/Aztec Park, 2488 Dupree St., and Harlem Lakes Park, 2102 Hale Court.

More in our parks and trails guide.

Getting around

  • Interstate: I-75 exit 138, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (State Road 82), about 2.9 miles by road from the middle of the area; exit 139, Luckett Road, about 3.9 miles.
  • City Hall (2200 Second St.): about 1.8 miles.
  • Airport: about 12.2 miles to Southwest Florida International Airport.
  • These are distances measured on the OpenStreetMap road network with the OSRM routing engine, not drive times.
  • Bus: LeeTran’s current schedule data lists routes 10, 15, 20 and 100 through the area, and route 5 at Ortiz Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Times are on LeeTran’s route pages.

More in our getting around guide.

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap lists no supermarket or pharmacy inside the area. The nearest it maps are a Walgreens on Glenwood Avenue in East Fort Myers, about 2.3 miles by road from the middle of the area, and a CVS Pharmacy on Edison Avenue, about 2.8 miles. Map coverage of stores here may be incomplete.

How we drew this area

This page uses the four Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard subareas on the City of Fort Myers community redevelopment areas layer. Address counts, ZIP codes and school zones come from the city’s residential address points matched to The School District of Lee County’s 2026-27 enrollment zone layer on Oct. 8, 2026. Store and park locations and road distances use © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Dunbar in Fort Myers?

East of downtown. The city’s Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard redevelopment plan says its area encompasses the Dunbar area and runs from Billy’s Creek south to Canal Street and from Evans Avenue east to I-75, about 2,749 acres.

What ZIP code is Dunbar in Fort Myers?

Mostly 33916, with about 7% of residential addresses in 33905. Zillow put the typical home value in 33916 at $209,980 in August 2026, down 6.3% on the year.

What high school is in Dunbar?

Dunbar High, 3800 E. Edison Ave., which earned a C in Florida’s 2026 grades. Most Dunbar addresses are in the South 1 high school subzone and about a fifth in East 1; Dunbar High is a choice in both.

Is Dunbar a good place to live?

Here are the facts. Dunbar is about 6,200 residential addresses, 66% of them single addresses, with Dunbar High, Franklin Park Elementary and Fort Myers Technical College inside it and nine city parks, including Clemente Park and the Stars Complex. It is about 1.8 miles by road from City Hall and 2.9 miles from I-75 exit 138.