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Renting an Apartment in Bonita
What You Should Know
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
While Bonita is politically designated as an unincorporated community, bounded
by the incorporated cities of Chula Vista, San Diego, and National City the
community of Bonita is more 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 km˛) -- reaching as far south and west as East H Street
and Hilltop Drive. Its northern boundary is California 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 Glen
* Bonita Highlands
* Bonita Long Canyon
* Bonita Woods
* Emerald Ranch
* Lynwood Hills
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 Bonita
Valley was completely flooded.
Bonita has experienced minor flooding throughout history, generally as a result
of high seasonal rains attributed to El Niņo. 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 California State Highway 125 (SR-125,
The South Bay Expressway) became a major issue to Bonita residents, much as
Interstate 805 and California State Highway 54 did during their development. For
many years, residents protested the development, but to no avail. The new
highway has plans to be opened in early 2007, and homes in the eastern part of
the community have been removed to make way for the highway. Hopes are that the
highway will reduce the significant increase in car traffic the community has
seen since the 1980s when the eastern Chula Vista communities surrounding
Eastlake were developed.
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
As of July 2005, government representation for Bonita is as follows:
* San Diego County District 1 (Greg Cox)
* California State Assembly District 78 (Shirley Horton)
* California State Senate District 40 (Denise Moreno Ducheny) & District 36
(Dennis Hollingsworth)
* United States House of Representatives District 51 (Bob Filner)
Educational institutions
The following schools serve (or served) the local Bonita community:
* Chula Vista Elementary School District
o Ella B. Allen Elementary School
o Southwestern Satellite School (closed)
o Sunnyside Elementary School
o Tiffany Elementary School (Chula Vista)
o Valley Vista Elementary School
* Sweetwater Union High School District
o Bonita Vista Middle School (Chula Vista)
o Bonita Vista High School (Chula Vista)
* Southwestern College (Chula Vista)
Parks and recreation
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.
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.
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 Reservoir Riding and Hiking Trail
* Bonita Golf Course
* Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course
Clubs and organizations
* Bonita Agua Dulce 4-H Club
* Bonita Business and Professional Association
* Bonita Kiwanis Club
* Bonita Optimist Club
* Bonita Rebels (soccer club)
* Bonita Road Runners
* Bonita Valley Garden Club
* Bonita Valley Trails
* Las Primeras (charity organization)
* Sweetwater Valley Civic Association
* Sweetwater Valley Little League
* Sweetwater Women's Club
* Sunnyside Saddle Club
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.
Census Data
Bonita is located at 32°39′30″N, 117°2′7″W (32.658420, -117.035336)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Bonita has a total area of 13.2
km˛ (5.1 mi˛). 12.7 km˛ (4.9 mi˛) of it is land and 0.5 km˛ (0.2 mi˛) of it
(3.54%) is water.
As of the 2000 censusGR2, there were 12,401 people, 4,179 households, and 3,397
families residing in Bonita. The population density was 977.2/km˛ (2,533.3/mi˛).
There were 4,281 housing units at an average density of 337.3/km˛ (874.5/mi˛).
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 for a household in the CDP was $70,109, and the median income
for a family was $79,333. Males had a median income of $50,495 versus $39,653
for females. The per capita income for Bonita is $31,131. 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.