Editing Alva, Florida

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
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<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name            = Alva, Florida
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = 
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|motto                    = 
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline            = Alva Florida Aerial.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = An aerial view of the town.
|image_flag               = 
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|seal_size                = 
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|image_blank_emblem       = 
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|image_map                = File:Lee County Florida Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Alva Highlighted 1201125.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in Lee County, Florida
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =  
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<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Florida}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Florida|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = {{noflag|[[Lee County, Florida|Lee]]}}
|subdivision_type3        = 
|subdivision_name3        = 
|subdivision_type4        = 
|subdivision_name4        = 
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|leader_title4            = 
|leader_name4             = 
|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
|established_date2        = 
|established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3        = 
<!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 31, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 47.68
|area_land_km2            = 45.20
|area_water_km2           = 2.48
|area_total_sq_mi         = 18.41
|area_land_sq_mi          = 17.45
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.96
|area_water_percent       = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
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|area_blank1_sq_mi        = 
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 2725
|population_density_km2   = 60.28
|population_density_sq_mi = 156.13
|population_metro         = 
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<!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|26|42|37|N|81|37|43|W|region:US-FL|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 5
|elevation_ft             = 16
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 33920
|area_code                = [[Area code 239|239]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 12-01125<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0277830<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=United States Geological Survey|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = http://www.alvafl.org/
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}

'''Alva''' is an [[Unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated community]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Lee County, Florida]], United States, situated on the [[Caloosahatchee River]]. The population was 2,725 at the 2020 census,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile/Alva_CDP,_Florida?g=1600000US1201125 |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> up from 2,596 at the 2010 census. It is part of the [[Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==Geography==
Alva is located in the northeast corner of Lee County at {{coord|26.710390|-81.628648|type:city_region:US|format=dms|display=inline}}.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is bordered to the west by [[Olga, Florida|Olga]], to the south by [[Lehigh Acres, Florida|Lehigh Acres]], and to the east by the community of [[Fort Denaud, Florida|Fort Denaud]] in [[Hendry County, Florida|Hendry County]]. [[Florida State Road 80]] passes through Alva, leading east {{convert|12|mi}} to [[LaBelle, Florida|LaBelle]] and west {{convert|18|mi}} to the center of [[Fort Myers, Florida|Fort Myers]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|47.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|45.2|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|2.5|km2|order=flip}}, or 5.23%, are water.<ref name=Gazetteer>{{cite web| url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_12.txt| title=U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Florida| website=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division| access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref> The Caloosahatchee River flows from east to west through the center of the community.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 2000 = 2182
| 2010 = 2596
| 2020 = 2725
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 2,182 people, 912 households, and 673 families residing in the CDP.  The population density was {{convert|121.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,017 housing units at an average density of {{convert|56.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.33% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.18% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.32% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.18% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.14% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.24% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.60% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.89% of the population. According to the 2010 census, the population had risen to 2,596, 96.47% of whom were white, 0.35% African American, 0.50% Asian, 0.31% Native American, 0.58% mixed race, 0.81% other single race.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alva, Florida Population|url=http://censusviewer.com/city/FL/Alva|website=censusviewer.com}}</ref>

There were 912 households, out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 21.5% 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 2.39 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 18.9% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,938, and the median income for a family was $48,073. Males had a median income of $35,300 versus $25,656 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $24,353.  About 5.9% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ross Chastain|url=http://teamjdmotorsports.com/about-jdm-2/ross-chastain/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905053535/http://teamjdmotorsports.com/about-jdm-2/ross-chastain/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-09-05|website=teamjdmotorsports.com}}</ref>

==Historic library and museum==
Alva is the home of a small library dating back to 1909 and a chapel that opened in 1901. The Alva Library was the first library in what is today Lee County and was constructed in the [[Classical Revival architecture|classical revival]] style.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alva Library Museum Rehabilitation|url=http://www.stevensonarchitects.com/portfolios/alva-library-museum-rehabilitation/|website=Stevenson Architects|access-date=30 November 2015}}</ref>

The Alva Library grew from the private Alva Book Club into the first public library in southwest Florida, thanks in part to donation of land from Captain Peter Nelson. The founder of the book club and Alva's first librarian was Esther Hovey. The library closed in 1937, but the building continued in use over the years for various purposes such as high school art classes and a community center. In 1974, the Alva Garden Club turned the building into a museum with the Library Association trustees' permission.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alva Library & Museum|url=http://www.alvaflmuseum.com/about-us.html|website=Alva Library & Museum|access-date=30 November 2015}}</ref>

Both the library and the 1901 chapel are open to the public and house the town's nonprofit museum, featuring [[Seminole]] artifacts and objects from the town's founding families.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bennett Williams|first1=Amy|title=Reading, open house fundraiser at 1909 Alva Library|url=http://www.news-press.com/story/life/2015/11/29/reading-open-house-fundraiser-1909-alva-library/76225428/|access-date=30 November 2015}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Chad Chastain]] (1998&ndash;) current part-time driver in the [[NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series]] for [[Niece Motorsports]]
* [[Ross Chastain]] (1992&ndash;) current [[NASCAR Cup Series]] driver for the [[Trackhouse Racing Team]]
* [[Mindy McCready]] (1975&ndash;2013), former American Country Music Artist, buried in Alva

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.alvafl.org Alva, Inc.], rural preservation group

{{Lee County, Florida}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Lee County, Florida]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Florida]]