City of Bonita Springs
Bonita Beach
Seal
Nickname: Gateway to the Gulf
Location in Lee County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 26°20′59″N 81°47′27″W / 26.34972, -81.79083
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Lee
Established	31 December 1999
Government
- Type	Council-Manager
- Mayor	Jay Arend
Area
- Total	41.0 sq mi (106.2 km²)
- Land	35.3 sq mi (91.4 km²)
- Water	5.7 sq mi (14.8 km²)  13.95%
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population (2005)
- Total	37,992
- Density	1,057.3/sq mi (358.8/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	34133-34136
Area code(s)	239
FIPS code	12-07525
GNIS feature ID	0279207
Website: http://www.cityofbonitasprings.org

Bonita Springs is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 32,797 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 37,992.

Geography and climate

Bonita Springs is located at 26°20′59″N, 81°47′27″W (26.349654, -81.790937).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 106.2 km² (41.0 mi²). 91.4 km² (35.3 mi²) of it is land and 14.8 km² (5.7 mi²) of it (13.95%) is water.

The city is located on both Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The area referred to as Bonita Beach is located on a road-accessible barrier island (Little Hickory Island) that lies between the Gulf of Mexico and Estero Bay. The Imperial River flows through the downtown district of the city and empties into Estero Bay.

The city is the northernmost city on the west coast of Florida that has a tropical climate, having a mean January temperature of 65 °F. (Fort Myers Beach directly to the north has a January mean of 64 °F (18 °C) which gives it a subtropical climate.

 Points of interest

• Bonita Beach Park - a 2.5 acre beachfront park that features a boardwalk and swimming area. Sand dunes and coastal vegetation surround a gazebo and 8 picnic shelters. (Website)

• Barefoot Beach Preserve Park - is 342 acres (1.38 km²) of natural land and one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida's southwest coast. It is located on the border of Collier and Lee Counties and accessible by Bonita Beach Road. (Web Site).

• Little Hickory Island Beach Park

• There are also 10 beach accesses with public parking located up and down Bonita Beach.

• Bonita Springs is located west of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a significant Bald Cypress reserve under management of the National Audubon Society.

• The northern border of Bonita Springs is shared with Lover's Key State Park, a 1,616-acre (6.54 km²) park made up of four barrier islands. The park features nature trails for hiking and bicycling, a canoe launch, kayak and canoe rentals, acres of unspoiled mangroves and miles of pristine beaches. A haven for wildlife, the islands and their waters are home to West Indian Manatees, bottlenose dolphins, roseate spoonbills, marsh rabbits and bald eagles.

• The Everglades Wonder Gardens features a large collection of Florida wildlife including exotic birds, panthers, alligators, flamingos and bears. The facility, originally opened in 1936 as both a wildlife exhibition and a refuge for injured animals, also boasts a botanical garden and a natural history museum.

• The Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track is located in Bonita Springs.

 Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,797 people, 14,807 households, and 10,276 families residing in the city. The population density was 358.8/km² (929.4/mi²). There were 23,329 housing units at an average density of 255.2/km² (661.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.51% White, 0.36% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 7.87% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.12% of the population.

There were 14,807 households out of which 14.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.54.

In the city the population was spread out with 13.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 31.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,603, and the median income for a family was $53,436. Males had a median income of $31,227 versus $25,358 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,958. About 3.5% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bonita Springs is served by the Lee County School District. (Web Site)

Colleges and universities

• Florida Gulf Coast University - (Fort Myers) (Web Site)
• Edison College - (Fort Myers) (Web Site)

Transportation

 Airports

• Southwest Florida International Airport in nearby South Fort Myers serves over 7.5 million passengers annually.
• Naples Municipal Airport in Naples is a smaller airport primarily for private aviation

Major highways

• Interstate 75
• U.S. Route 41 "South Tamiami Trail"
• (County Road 865) Bonita Beach Road / Hickory Boulevard

Mass transportation

Fixed-route bus and trolley service is provided by the Lee County Transit Department, operated as LeeTran (Web Site).

 Rail

Seminole Gulf Railway (Web Site) owns and operates a line which passes through the city. The company offers freight service and local, daytime excursions.

Media

 Newspapers

Bonita Springs is served by two English-language newspapers, the Fort Myers News-Press (circulation 87,884/readership 245,000) and the Naples Daily News (Web Site) (circulation 67,800) publishes a "Bonita Daily News" edition (Web Site). The Daily News is owned by the Ohio-based E. W. Scripps Company.

 Radio

Arbitron Standard Radio Market: Ft Myers-Naples-Marco Island. (Web Site)

With an Arbitron-assigned 810,800 listening area population, the metropolitan area of which Bonita Springs is one part ranks 62/302 for the fall of 2007.

The metropolitan area is home to 32 radio stations.

 Television

Nielsen Media Research Designated Market Area (DMA): Ft. Myers-Naples. (Web Site)

2007 - 2008 U.S. rank: 63/210 (491,760 TV Homes)

• WBBH - NBC Affiliate NBC-2
• WEVU - UPN Affiliate UPN-8
• WFTX - Fox Affiliate FOX 4
• WGCU - PBS Member Station WGCU Public Media
• WINK - CBS Affiliate WINK News
• WXCW - CW Affiliate CW6
• WZVN - ABC Affiliate ABC-7

 Culture and Performing Arts

• Stage 88 Theatre is the resident community theatre company of the city. The company began performing in the Bonita Springs Community Hall at 27381 Old US 41 in 2006 , and it is hoped to be a key force in the ongoing revitalization and redevelopment of the old downtown area, located along the Imperial River and Old US Route 41.

 Sister city

• Gruenstadt, Germany

Weather

Hurricane Wilma made landfall south of Bonita Springs on Monday, October 24, 2005.

Hurricane Charley made landfall just north on Friday, August 13, 2004.

 External links

• City of Bonita Springs
• Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce
• Bonita Springs Historical Society
• Bonita Daily News
• Lover's Key State Park
• Stage 88 Theatre Company of Bonita Springs

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