Bonita, CA

 zip code:  91902

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Bonita is an unincorporated community in southern San Diego County located between the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bonita has a total area of 5.1 square miles. 4.9 square miles of it is land and 0.2 square miles of it is water.

While Bonita is designated as an unincorporated community, bounded by incorporated cities of Chula Vista, San Diego and National City, it is closely associated with the geography of the Lower Sweetwater Valley.

Bonita occupies about a five mile stretch of the Sweetwater River, the valley, and surrounding low rolling 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. Bonita reaches as far south and west as East H Street and Hilltop Drive. Its northern boundary is State Route 54 and its southern extent reaches out to and touches Chula Vista.

HOUSING

Large portions of modern Bonita consist of housing tracts built throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including:

• Bonita Verde Estates

• Bonita Downs

• Bonita Fairways

• Bonita Glen

• Bonita Highlands

• Bonita Long Canyon

• Bonita Woods

• Bonita Woods Park

• Emerald Ranch

• Lynwood Hills

• Ames Ranch

• Villas de Bonita

 History

The word Bonita is a feminine name in nature known as "beautiful" in Spanish. It was the name of a ranch owned by Henry Ernest Cooper, Sr. in 1884, and was once used by the post office.

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 when there is high seasonal rains. 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.

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.

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

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. At this time, there is also an annual community play called the Bonitafest Melodrama, co founded by Max Branscomb in the 1970s.

Oscar Castillo 

BROKER - REALTOR®

(858) 775-1057

DRE# 01140298