Capitol Bancorp Center
200 Washington Sq. North
Lansing, MI 48933

2777 East Camelback Road
Suite 375
Phoenix, AZ 85016

Media Contact:
Joal Redmond
Corporate Communications
602-977-3797

LANSING, Mich., and PHOENIX: March 8, 2006: Capitol Bancorp Limited (NYSE:CBC) will be a featured participant at the West Coast Financial Services Conference hosted by Sandler O'Neill & Partners, L.P., in San Diego on Thursday, March 9.

Capitol Bancorp's Western Regions President, John S. Lewis, will be one of four bank executives to participate in the Western States Growth Panel, which will focus on the opportunities and challenges faced by financial services organizations in the West. Capitol Bancorp's Chief of Capital Markets, Michael M. Moran, will also be in attendance for institutional investor and analyst meetings.

The discussion will be webcast live on Thursday, March 9, 2006, at 8 a.m. PT with a replay available for 30 days following the event. Webcast details are at http://www.sandleroneill.com.

Capitol Bancorp recently opened its 42nd de novo community bank and currently has applications pending for seven de novo banks, two of which are in the Western Regions. The Corporation added nine banks to its community bank network during 2005, four of which are located in the West. Capitol Bancorp's Western Regions banks include six individually chartered community banks in California, nine in Arizona, four in Nevada and one each in Colorado, New Mexico and Washington.

About Capitol Bancorp Limited
Capitol Bancorp Limited is a $3.5 billion national community bank development company, with 42 individual bank charters and operations in thirteen states. Capitol Bancorp Limited identifies opportunities for the development of new community banks, raises capital, mentors a community bank through its formative stages and manages its investments in its community banks. Each community bank has full local decision-making authority and is managed by an on-site president under the direction of a local board of directors composed of business leaders from the bank's community. Capitol Bancorp Limited was founded in 1988 and has executive offices in Lansing, Mich. and Phoenix, Ariz.