View east from Bonita Downs toward Mount Miguel.
Bonita is an unincorporated community in southern San Diego County, California, nestled between the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego. It is also a census-designated place defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Geography
Bonita is located at 32°39′30″N 117°02′07″W / 32.658420°N 117.035336°W / 32.658420; -117.035336.[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, Bonita has a total area of 13.2 km² (5.1 mi²). 12.7 km² (4.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (3.54%) is water.
While Bonita is politically designated as an unincorporated community, bounded by the incorporated cities of Chula Vista, San Diego and National City, it is closely associated with the geography of the Lower Sweetwater Valley. Thus considered, Bonita occupies about a five mile (8 km) stretch of the Sweetwater River, its valley, and surrounding hills on either side, bounded upstream (east) by the Sweetwater Reservoir, and downstream (west) effectively by Interstate 805. The community crosses west of I-805—an area less than 160 acres (0.6 km²) -- reaching as far south and west as East H Street and Hilltop Drive. Its northern boundary is State Route 54 and its southern extent reaches approximately one mile (2 km) south of the river.
Large portions of modern Bonita consist of housing tracts built throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including:
- Bonita Downs
- Bonita Fairways
- Bonita Glen
- Bonita Highlands
- Bonita Long Canyon
- Bonita Woods
- Bonita Woods Park
- Emerald Ranch
- Lynwood Hills
- Ames Ranch
The Bonita area is populated by coyote, racoon, fox, rabbits, squirrels, opossum, and skunk, among other wildlife.
History
In 1888, the Sweetwater Dam was built, creating the Sweetwater Reservoir and forever changing the geography of the region. Soon after, in 1906, the dam broke as a result of extensive rains which overfilled the reservoir, and the Lower Sweetwater Valley was completely flooded.
Bonita has experienced minor flooding throughout history, generally as a result of high seasonal rains attributed to El Niño. The floods most affect the Central Avenue river crossing, as no bridge has ever been built, unlike the Bonita Road and Willow Road crossings which are bridges, the former of which was rebuilt in the late 1990s.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the development of State Route 125 (The South Bay Expressway) became a major issue to Bonita residents, much as Interstate 805 and State Route 54 did during their development. Opponents argued that Bonita's rural nature would be compromised without benefit while proponents argued that the highway would reduce the significant increase in surface-street car traffic the community had seen since the 1980s when the eastern Chula Vista communities surrounding Eastlake were developed. The tollway opened in November 2007.
The Bonita Historical Museum is the principal repository of historical information for the Lower Sweetwater Valley.
Climate
The climate in Bonita is a combination of the coastal and inland valley climates of San Diego County. Warmer (and sunnier during the May Gray and June Gloom periods) than areas directly adjacent to San Diego Bay or the coast, but not as hot as inland valleys such as El Cajon, or even nearby Spring Valley. In summer, Bonita's climate is pleasant.
Government
In the state legislature Bonita is located in the 36th and 40th Senate District, represented by Republican Dennis Hollingsworth and Democrat Denise Moreno Ducheny, and in the 78th and 79th Assembly District, represented by Republican Shirley Horton and Democrat Mary Salas respectively. Federally, Bonita is located in California's 51st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +7[2] and is represented by Democrat Bob Filner.
Educational institutions
The following schools serve (or served) the local Bonita community:
Parks and recreation
View over Sweetwater Reservoir toward Mt. Miguel.
Bonita is considered a rural and equestrian enclave in the middle of suburbia.
To visitors and residents alike, one of the most visible features of Bonita recreational life is the walking trail which loops the Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course in central Bonita. Hundreds of residents walk, run, and ride this trail every day for pleasure and fitness, and the trail has become a vital component of Bonita life for many residents. During El Nino years, this golf course and surrounding walking trails have flooded, closing the golf course and preventing many residents from using the walking trails.
In the late 1990s the Sweetwater Regional Park was expanded and significantly improved, extending the walking and equestrian trails to an even greater number, and introducing a camping area at Summit Meadow Road. Now, virtually the entire valley from the reservoir to I-805 formally serve recreational purposes as either park or golf course. Sweetwater County Park, at the intersection of Briarwood Road and Sweetwater Road, is a wildlife preserve with a small pond that supports some fishing.
Equestrianism has long been a part of the Bonita community, and many trails exist throughout the Lower Sweetwater Valley. There are a number of connections to trails external to Bonita as well. In fact many residents still keep their own horses and can be seen riding the trails regularly. The Bonita Valley Trails organization monitors and supports the network of trails throughout the valley.
The following parks serve the Bonita community:
- Fred H. Rohr Park
- Sweetwater Regional Park
- Sweetwater County Park
- Sweetwater Reservoir Riding and Hiking Trail
- Bonita Golf Course
- Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course
Clubs and organizations
Events
Bonitafest is an annual community event, held in early autumn, highlighted by a parade and street fair along Bonita Road which includes crafts, music, entertainment, and food. The Kiwanis Club hosts a Bonitafest Golf Tournament in conjunction with this event. In 2008, Bonita did not have enough funds to pay for traffic police to redirect traffic during the parade, so no parade was held during the Bonitafest.
Demographics
View south across Bonita Valley.
As of the 2000[update] census,[3] there were 12,401 people, 4,179 households, and 3,397 families residing in Bonita. The population density was 977.2/km² (2,533.3/mi²). There were 4,281 housing units at an average density of 337.3/km² (874.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 71.99% White, 3.11% African American, 0.56% Native American, 8.54% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 10.64% from other races, and 4.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.47% of the population.
There were 4,179 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.7% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.22.
In Bonita the population is spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income as of 2007 for a household in the CDP was $92,046. Males had a median income of $60,495 versus $40,653 for females. The per capita income for Bonita is $61,131. About 2.1% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Bonita is primarily served by three elementary K-6 schools in Chula Vista Elementary School District: Ella B. Allen, Sunnyside, and Valley Vista. As of 2007-08 school year, 1291 students were enrolled in these schools; their combined demographic makeup was 54.1% Hispanic, 23.5% non-Hispanic White, 5.7% Filipino, 3.8% African American, 1.5% Asian, 1.2% Native American, 0.8% Pacific Islander. 9.4% belonged to multiple races or declined to state the race.
Like many communities in the Southwestern United States, Bonita could go through the process of hispanicization. According to 2008 SANDAG estimates, between 2000 and 2008, the number of Whites in Bonita went down 8%, and the number of Blacks went down 17%. At the same time, Hispanic population in the community grew by 26%. Hispanics now constitute the majority of population of Bonita in all age cohorts under 40; they are far outnumbered (by a factor of 2 or more) in age cohorts over 50.[4]
References
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ SANDAG 2008 population estimates, zip code 91902
