Its northern boundary is State Route 54 and its southern extent reaches approximately one-mile (1.6 km) south of the river.

Before the arrival of the Spanish, Kumeyaay lived in the area around Sweetwater Valley, and called it Apusquel.

[4] After the establishment of Mission San Diego de Alcalá, the valley was used for cattle raising but was not significantly settled.

[4] After gaining independence from the Spanish Empire, the valley became part of a land grant awarded to John (Don Juan) Forster.

It was the name of a ranch owned by Henry Ernest Cooper, Sr. in 1884, and was used by the nearby post office.

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 of high seasonal rains attributed to El Niño.

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 and sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 22, 2010, when the cost of litigation over the construction of the road threatened to overwhelm its ability to operate and pay off its loans.

On April 14, 2011, South Bay Expressway LP emerged from bankruptcy, and in a closed session on July 29, 2011, the SANDAG board of directors voted to purchase the lease to operate the State Route 125 toll road for approximately $345 million.

[citation needed] In the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, Bonita is in District 1.

[13] In the United States House of Representatives, Bonita is in Invalid California congressional district number: 53.

In the late 1990s, 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 serves 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.

The following parks serve the Bonita community: 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.

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

There were 4,477 housing units at an average density of 871.8 per square mile (336.6/km2), of which 3,136 (73.1%) were owner-occupied, and 1,152 (26.9%) were occupied by renters.