Bonita Springs is a coastal city in Lee County, Florida, occupying a stretch of the southwest Gulf Coast between Fort Myers to the north and Naples to the south. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers metropolitan area and has grown steadily from a small resort and fishing settlement into one of the region's larger municipalities, with roughly 53,600 residents at the 2020 census. The city's history reaches back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the area attracted settlers drawn by the warm climate, fishing, and agriculture. A defining early landmark arrived in 1936 with the opening of the Everglades Wonder Gardens, one of Florida's classic roadside attractions, which still operates today as a botanical garden and wildlife refuge. Bonita Springs incorporated as a city in 1999, formalizing the identity of a community that had long functioned as a desirable Gulf Coast destination. The city is shaped by water. Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico form its western edge, while barrier islands such as Barefoot Beach and Bonita Beach provide a beachfront that anchors the area's identity. Inland, golf-and-country-club communities, canal-front neighborhoods, and gated developments spread across the landscape, reflecting the region's popularity with retirees, second-home owners, and seasonal residents. Bonita Springs balances resort-style living with the practical advantages of the Fort Myers-Naples corridor: Interstate 75 and U.S. 41 provide fast north-south movement, and the city's schools, parks, and shopping serve a growing year-round population. It appeals to people seeking beaches, boating, golf, and warm winters, whether as permanent residents or part-time residents escaping colder climates.