Alva is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, situated along the Caloosahatchee River in the county's rural eastern reaches. The 2020 census recorded 2,725 residents. Alva lies roughly 18 miles east of downtown Fort Myers, yet it retains an "Old Florida" country character defined by working farms, citrus groves, ranchland, and riverfront acreage rather than the suburban growth that marks much of coastal Lee County. Alva's history is tied closely to the Caloosahatchee. Settlers and homesteaders clustered along the river in the late 1800s, drawn by the waterway that linked the interior to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1903, the first bridge across the Caloosahatchee was built at Alva, cementing the community's role as an early river crossing and trade point and helping it grow into a small town with hotels, homes, farms, and churches. That riverfront heritage still shapes the community's identity. Today Alva functions as a quiet rural enclave within a fast-growing county. Its landscape mixes pasture, citrus and cattle operations, and large residential parcels, with the river providing boating, fishing, and scenic frontage. Residents are drawn by the space, privacy, and slower pace, while Fort Myers, the Lee Civic Center, and the region's larger employment centers remain accessible via State Road 80 and connecting routes. The community's setting also places it near significant natural lands, including the Babcock Ranch Preserve and Caloosahatchee Regional Park, which offer trails, wildlife viewing, and paddling. For people who want a rural, river-oriented lifestyle within commuting distance of Fort Myers, Alva is one of Lee County's best-known country addresses.