Alva, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alva, Florida
Census-designated place
An aerial view of the town.
Location in Lee County, Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Lee
Area
• Total	18.41 sq mi (47.68 km2)
• Land	17.45 sq mi (45.20 km2)
• Water	0.96 sq mi (2.48 km2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,725
• Density	156.13/sq mi (60.28/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	33920
Area code(s)	239
FIPS code	12-01125
GNIS feature ID	0277830
Website	http://www.alvafl.org/

Alva is a small community in Lee County, Florida, United States. It is located right on the Caloosahatchee River. Alva is considered a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's an area that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town with its own local government.

In 2020, about 2,725 people lived in Alva. This number was a bit higher than in 2010. Alva is also part of the larger Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. This is a big area that includes several cities and towns.

Where is Alva Located?

Alva is in the northeast part of Lee County, Florida. It's near other communities like Olga to the west and Lehigh Acres to the south. To the east, it borders Fort Denaud in Hendry County.

A main road, Florida State Road 80, goes through Alva. You can drive about 12 miles east to LaBelle or 18 miles west to the center of Fort Myers.

Land and Water in Alva

Alva covers a total area of about 47.7 square kilometers (18.4 square miles). Most of this area, about 45.2 square kilometers (17.45 square miles), is land. The rest, about 2.5 square kilometers (0.96 square miles), is water. The Caloosahatchee River flows right through the middle of Alva, from east to west.

Who Lives in Alva?

In 2000, there were 2,182 people living in Alva. By 2020, the population had grown to 2,725.

Population Details

In 2000, about 22.7% of the households in Alva had children under 18 living there. Most households (64.9%) were married couples. About 21.5% of all households were people living alone.

The average age of people in Alva in 2000 was 48 years old.

• 18.9% were under 18 years old.
• 4.1% were between 18 and 24.
• 22.1% were between 25 and 44.
• 31.7% were between 45 and 64.
• 23.2% were 65 years or older.

The average income for a household in Alva in 2000 was $41,938. For families, it was $48,073. About 7.8% of all people in Alva lived below the poverty line. This included 15.4% of those under 18.

Alva's Historic Library and Museum

Alva is home to a special old library and a chapel. The Alva Library first opened in 1909. The chapel opened even earlier, in 1901.

The First Library in Lee County

The Alva Library was the very first library in what is now Lee County, Florida. It was built in a beautiful style called Classical Revival architecture. The idea for the library started with a private book club in Alva. It became a public library thanks to land donated by Captain Peter Nelson. Esther Hovey, who started the book club, was also Alva's first librarian.

The library closed in 1937. However, the building was still used for many things over the years. It was a place for high school art classes and a community center. In 1974, the Alva Garden Club turned the building into a museum.

The Museum Today

Today, both the old library building and the 1901 chapel are open to visitors. They house the town's nonprofit museum. This museum shows off interesting items from the Seminole people. It also has objects from the families who first settled in Alva.

Famous People from Alva

• Chad Chastain (born 1998): He is a race car driver who competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
• Ross Chastain (born 1992): He is also a race car driver, currently competing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

See also

In Spanish: Alva (Florida) para niños