Orange County, California
Encyclopedia
Orange County is a county
in the U.S. state
of California
. Its county seat
is Santa Ana
. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County
and San Diego County
. It is the sixth most populous county in the United States
as of 2009 while at the same time is the smallest area-wise county in Southern California
, being roughly half the size of the next smallest county, Ventura
. The county is famous for its tourism, as the home of such attractions as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm
, as well as several beaches along its more than 40 miles (64 km) of coastline. It is known for its affluence and political conservatism – a 2005 academic study listed three Orange County cities as being among America's 25 "most conservative," making it the only county in the country containing more than one such city.
Orange County was at the time the largest US county to have gone bankrupt
, when in 1994 longtime treasurer Robert Citron
's investment strategies left the county with inadequate capital to allow for any raise in interest rates for its trading positions. When the conservative residents of Orange County voted down a proposal to raise taxes in order to balance the budget, bankruptcy followed soon after. Citron later pleaded guilty to six felonies regarding the matter.
Whereas most population centers in the United States tend to be identified by a major city, there is no defined urban center in Orange County. It is mostly suburban, except for some traditionally urban areas at the centers of the older cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange
, Huntington Beach
, and Fullerton
. There are several edge city
-style developments such as Irvine Business Center, South Coast Metro
and Newport Center
.
The city of Santa Ana serves as the governmental center of the county, Anaheim as its main tourist destination, and Irvine
as its major business and financial hub. Three Orange County cities have populations exceeding 200,000: Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Irvine.
Thirty-four incorporated cities are located in Orange County; the newest is Aliso Viejo
, which was incorporated in 2001. Anaheim was the first city incorporated in Orange County, in 1870 when the region was still part of neighboring Los Angeles County.
, and Luiseño Native American groups long inhabited the area. After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolà
, a Spanish
expedition led by Junipero Serra
named the area Valle de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne
). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano
became the area's first permanent European settlement. Among those who came with Portolá were José Manuel Nieto
and José Antonio Yorba
. Both these men were given land grants—Rancho Los Nietos
and Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
, respectively. The Nieto heirs were granted land in 1834. The Nieto ranches were known as Rancho Los Alamitos
, Rancho Las Bolsas
, and Rancho Los Coyotes
. Yorba heirs Bernardo Yorba
and Teodosio Yorba
were also granted Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
(Santa Ana Canyon Ranch) and Rancho Lomas de Santiago
, respectively. Other ranchos in Orange County were granted by the Mexican government during the Mexican period in Alta California
.
A severe drought in the 1860s devastated the prevailing industry, cattle
ranching, and much land came into the possession of Richard O'Neill, Sr., James Irvine
and other land barons. In 1887, silver
was discovered in the Santa Ana Mountains
, attracting settlers via the Santa Fe
and Southern Pacific Railroad
s.
This growth led the California legislature to divide Los Angeles County
and create Orange
County as a separate political entity on March 11, 1889. The county is generally said to have been named for the citrus fruit (once its most famous product). However, in the new county there was already a town by the name of Orange
, named for Orange County, Virginia
, which itself took its name from William of Orange
. The fact the county took the same name as one of its towns may have been coincidence.
Other citrus
crops, avocado
s, and oil
extraction were also important to the early economy. Orange County benefited from the July 4, 1904 completion of the Pacific Electric Railway
, a trolley
connecting Los Angeles
with Santa Ana
and Newport Beach
. The link made Orange County an accessible weekend retreat for celebrities of early Hollywood. It was deemed so significant that the city of Pacific City changed its name to Huntington Beach
in honor of Henry Huntington, president of the Pacific Electric and nephew of Collis Huntington. Transportation further improved with the completion of the State Route and U.S. Route 101 (now mostly Interstate 5) in the 1920s.
Agriculture, such as the boysenberry
which was made famous by Buena Park
native Walter Knott
, began to decline after World War II
but the county's prosperity soared. The completion of Interstate 5 in 1954 helped make Orange County a bedroom community for many who moved to Southern California
to work in aerospace
and manufacturing. Orange County received a further boost in 1955 with the opening of Disneyland
.
In 1969, Yorba Linda-born Orange County native Richard Nixon
became the 37th President of the United States
.
In the 1980s, the population topped two million for the first time; Orange County had become the second-most populous county in California.
An investment fund melt-down in 1994 led to the criminal prosecution of County of Orange treasurer Robert Citron
. The county lost at least $1.5 billion through high-risk investments in derivatives
. On December 6, 1994, the County of Orange declared Chapter 9
bankruptcy, from which it emerged in June 1995. The Orange County bankruptcy was the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
In recent years land-use conflicts have arisen between established areas in the north and less developed areas in the south. These conflicts have regarded things such as construction of new toll roads and the re-purposing of a decommissioned air base. For example, the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station site was designated by a voter measure in 1994 to be developed into an international airport to alleviate the heavily used John Wayne Airport
. But subsequent voter initiatives and court actions have caused the airport plan to be permanently shelved. Instead it will become the Orange County Great Park
.
. The average annual temperature is about 68 °F (20 °C).
Orange County is bordered on the southwest by the Pacific Ocean
, on the north by Los Angeles County
, on the northeast by San Bernardino County
and Riverside County
, and on the southeast by San Diego County
.
The northwestern part of the county lies on the coastal plain
of the Los Angeles Basin
, while the southeastern end rises into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains
. Most of Orange County's population reside in one of two shallow coastal valleys that lie in the basin, the Santa Ana Valley
and the Saddleback Valley
. The Santa Ana Mountains lie within the eastern boundaries of the county and of the Cleveland National Forest
. The high point is Santiago Peak
(5689 feet (1,734 m)), about 20 mi (32.2 km) east of Santa Ana. Santiago Peak and nearby Modjeska Peak
, just 200 feet (61 m) shorter, form a ridge known as Saddleback, visible from almost everywhere in the county. The Peralta Hills
extend westward from the Santa Ana Mountains through the communities of Anaheim Hills, Orange
, and ending in Olive. The Loma Ridge is another prominent feature, running parallel to the Santa Ana Mountains through the central part of the county, separated from the taller mountains to the east by Santiago Canyon
.
The Santa Ana River
is the county's principal watercourse, flowing through the middle of the county from northeast to southwest. Its major tributary to the south and east is Santiago Creek
. Other watercourses within the county include Aliso Creek, San Juan Creek
, and Horsethief Creek. In the North, the San Gabriel River
also briefly crosses into Orange County and exits into the Pacific on the Los Angeles-Orange County line between the cities of Long Beach
and Seal Beach
. Laguna Beach is home to the county's only natural lakes, Laguna Lakes, which are formed by water rising up against an underground fault.
Residents sometimes figuratively divide the county into "North Orange County" and "South County" (meaning Northwest and Southeast—following the county's natural diagonal orientation along the local coastline). This is more of a cultural and demographic distinction perpetuated by the popular television shows "The OC
" and "Laguna Beach
", between the older areas closer to Los Angeles, and the more affluent and recently developed areas to the South and East. A transition between older and newer development may be considered to exist roughly parallel to State Route 55 (aka the Costa Mesa Freeway). This transition is accentuated by large flanking tracts of sparsely developed area occupied until recent years by agriculture and military airfields.
While there is a natural topographical Northeast-to-Southwest transition from inland elevations to the lower coastal band, there is no formal geographical division between North and South County. Perpendicular to that gradient, the Santa Ana River
roughly divides the county between northwestern and southeastern sectors (about 40% to 60% respectively, by area), but does not represent any apparent economic, political or cultural differences, nor does it significantly affect distribution of travel, housing, commerce, industry or agriculture from one side to the other.
county territory:
. Nearly 30% of the county was created as master planned communities, the most notable being the City of Irvine
, Coto de Caza, Anaheim Hills, Tustin Ranch, Tustin Legacy, Ladera Ranch, Talega, Rancho Santa Margarita
, and Mission Viejo. Irvine
is often referred to as a model master-planned city, for its villages of Woodbridge, Northwood, University Park, and Turtle Rock that were laid out by the Irvine Company
of the mid-1960s before it was bought by a group of investors that included Donald Bren
.
. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) cited OCTA as the best large property transportation system in the United States for 2005. OCTA manages the county's bus network and funds the construction and maintenance of local streets, highways, and freeways
; regulates taxicab services; maintains express toll lanes through the median of California State Route 91
; and works with Southern California's Metrolink
to provide commuter rail service along three lines—the Orange County Line, the 91 Line, and the Inland Empire-Orange County Line.
(I-5), the San Diego Freeway
(I-405 and I-5 south of Irvine), and the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605), which only briefly enters Orange County territory in the northwest. The other freeways in the county are state highways, and include the perpetually congested Riverside
and Artesia Freeway (SR 91
) and the Garden Grove Freeway (SR 22
) running east-west, and the Orange Freeway (SR 57
), the Costa Mesa Freeway (SR/SR 55
), the Laguna Freeway (SR 133
), the San Joaquin Transportation Corridor (SR 73
), the Eastern Transportation Corridor
(SR 261
, SR 133
, SR 241
), and the Foothill Transportation Corridor (SR 241
) running north-south. Minor stub freeways include the Richard M. Nixon Freeway (SR 90), also known as Imperial Highway, and the southern terminus of Pacific Coast Highway (SR 1). There are no U.S. Highways
in Orange County, though two existed in the county until the mid-1960s: 91
and 101
. 91 went through what is now the state route of the same number, and 101 was replaced by Interstate 5. SR-1 was once a bypass of US-101 (Route 101A).
has operated three commuter rail lines through Orange County, and has also maintained Rail-to-Rail service with parallel Amtrak
service. On a typical weekday, over 40 trains run along the Orange County Line
, the 91 Line
and the Inland Empire-Orange County Line
. Along with Metrolink
riders on parallel Amtrak
lines, these lines generate approximately 15,000 boardings per weekday. Metrolink
also began offering weekend service on the Orange County Line and the Inland Empire-Orange County line in the summer of 2006. As ridership has steadily increased in the region, new stations have opened at Anaheim Canyon, Buena Park
, Tustin
, and Laguna Niguel
/Mission Viejo
. Plans for a future station in Placentia
are underway and is expected to be completed by 2014.
Since 1938, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad and later Amtrak, has operated the Pacific Surfliner
regional passenger train route (previously named the San Diegan
until 2000) through Orange County. The route includes stops at eight stations in Orange County including San Clemente
(selected trips), San Juan Capistrano
, Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo
(selected trips), Irvine
, Santa Ana
, Orange (selected trips), Anaheim
, Fullerton
.
Orange County's first public monorail
line is undergoing environmental impact assessment
. This line will connect the Disneyland Resort, Convention Center, and Angel Stadium to the proposed ARTIC
transportation hub, in the city of Anaheim. A streetcar line connecting Downtown Santa Ana to the Depot at Santa Ana is also in the environmental phase.
, comprising three ferries running every five minutes, operates within Newport Harbor between Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island
in Newport Beach
. The Catalina Flyer
connects the Balboa Peninsula to Avalon, California
with daily round-trip passage through about nine months of the year. The Catalina Express
connects Dana Point, California
to Avalon (with departures from two greater Long Beach, California ports also connecting to Two Harbors, California
).
. Although its abbreviation (SNA) refers to Santa Ana, the airport is in fact located in unincorporated territory surrounded by the cities of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Irvine. Unincorporated Orange County (including the John Wayne Airport) has mailing addresses, which go through the Santa Ana Post Office. For this reason, SNA was chosen as the IATA Code for the airport. The actual Destination Moniker which appears on most Arrival/Departure Monitors in airports throughout the United States is "Orange County", which is the common nickname used for the OMB Metropolitan Designation: Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California
. Its modern Thomas F. Riley Terminal handles over 9 million passengers annually through 14 different airlines.
, and 127,799 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,012,973 persons (33.7%).
of 2000, there were 2,846,289 people, 935,287 households, and 667,794 families residing in the county, making Orange County the second most populous county in California
. The population density
was 1,392/km² (3,606/sq mi). There were 969,484 housing units at an average density of 474/km² (1,228/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 64.81% White, 13.59% Asian, 1.67% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 14.80% from other races
, and 4.12% from two or more races. 30.76% are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.9% were of German, 6.9% English
and 6.0% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000. 58.6% spoke only English
at home; 25.3% spoke Spanish
, 4.7% Vietnamese
, 1.9% Korean
, 1.5% Chinese
(Cantonese
or Mandarin
) and 1.2% Tagalog
.
In 1990, still according to the census
there were 2,410,556 people residing in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 78.60% White, 10.34% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.77% African American, 0.50% Native American, and 8.79% from other races
. 23.43% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Out of 935,287 households, 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% married couples
were living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.48.
Ethnic change has been transforming the population. By 2009, nearly 45 percent of the residents spoke a language other than English at home. Whites now comprise only 45 percent of the population, while the numbers of Hispanics grow steadily, along with Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese families. The percentage of foreign-born residents jumped to 30 percent in 2008 from 6 percent in 1970. The mayor of Irvine, Sukhee Kang, was born in Korea, making him the first Korean-American to run a major American city. “We have 35 languages spoken in our city,” Kang observed. The population is diverse age-wise, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $61,899, and the median income for a family was $75,700 (these figures had risen to $71,601 and $81,260 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,059 versus $34,026 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $25,826. About 7.0% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Residents of Orange County are known as "Orange Countians".
updates for these locales.
Numbers are approximate until a new Census occurs.
(#69) and First American Corporation
(#312) in Santa Ana, Western Digital
(#439) in Lake Forest and Pacific Life
(#452) in Newport Beach. Irvine is the home of numerous start-up companies and also is the home of Fortune 1000 headquarters for Allergan
, Broadcom
, Edwards Lifesciences, Epicor
, Standard Pacific and Sun Healthcare Group. Other Fortune 1000 companies in Orange County include Beckman Coulter
in Brea, Quiksilver
in Huntington Beach and Apria Healthcare Group in Lake Forest. Irvine is also the home of notable technology companies like PC-manufacturer Gateway Inc., router manufacturer Linksys
, and video/computer game creator Blizzard Entertainment
. Also, the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA
is located in the City of Irvine. Many regional headquarters for international businesses reside in Orange County like Mazda
, Toshiba
, Toyota, Samsung
, Kia Motors
, in the City of Irvine, Mitsubishi
in the City of Cypress
, and Hyundai
in the City of Fountain Valley. Fashion is another important industry to Orange County. Oakley, Inc.
is headquartered in Lake Forest. Hurley International
is headquartered in Costa Mesa. The shoe company Pleaser USA, Inc. is located in Fullerton. St. John is headquartered in Irvine. Wet Seal
is headquartered in Lake Forest
. PacSun is headquartered in Anaheim. Restaurants such as Del Taco
, Taco Bell
, El Pollo Loco
, In-N-Out Burger
, Claim Jumper
, Marie Callender's
, Wienerschnitzel
, have headquarters in the City of Irvine as well.
(the largest mall in California, and the third largest in the United States) in Costa Mesa
and Fashion Island
in Newport Beach
. Other significant malls include the Brea Mall
, MainPlace Santa Ana, The Shops at Mission Viejo
, The Outlets at Orange, the Irvine Spectrum Center
, and Downtown Disney
.
is the main tourist hub, with the Disneyland Resort
's Disneyland being the second most visited theme park in the world. Also Knotts Berry Farm which gets about 7 million visitors annually located in the city of Buena Park
. The Anaheim Convention Center
receives many major conventions throughout the year. Resorts within the Beach Cities receive visitors throughout the year due to their close proximity to the beach, biking paths, mountain hiking trails, golf courses, shopping and dining.
The area's warm Mediterranean climate
and 42 miles (68 km) of year-round beaches attract millions of tourists annually. Huntington Beach
is a hot spot for sunbathing and surfing
; nicknamed "Surf City, U.S.A.", it is home to many surfing competitions. "The Wedge
", at the tip of The Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, is one of the most famous body surfing spots in the world.
Other tourist destinations include the theme parks Disneyland
and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim
and Knott's Berry Farm
in Buena Park
. Since the 2011 closure of Wild Rivers in Irvine, the county is home to just one water park
: Soak City
in Buena Park. The Anaheim Convention Center
is the largest such facility on the West Coast. The old town area in the City of Orange (the traffic circle at the middle of Chapman Ave. at Glassell) still maintains its 1950s image, and appeared in the That Thing You Do!
movie.
Little Saigon is another tourist destination, being home to the largest concentration of Vietnamese people
outside of Vietnam. There are also sizable Taiwanese, Chinese, and Korean communities, particularly in western Orange County. This is evident in several Asian-influenced shopping centers in Asian American hubs like the city of Irvine.
Historical points of interest include Mission San Juan Capistrano
, the renowned destination of migrating swallows. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is in Yorba Linda
and the Richard Nixon Birthplace
home, located on the grounds of the Library, is a National Historic Landmark
. John Wayne
's yacht, the Wild Goose or USS YMS-328, is in Newport Beach. Other notable structures include the home of Madame Helena Modjeska
, located in Modjeska Canyon on Santiago Creek
; Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana
, the largest building in the county; the historic Balboa Pavilion
in Newport Beach; and the Huntington Beach Pier. The county has nationally known centers of worship, such as Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove
, the largest house of worship in California; Saddleback Church
in Lake Forest
, one of the largest churches in the United States; and the Calvary Chapel
.
Since the premiere in fall 2003 of the hit Fox
series The O.C.
, and the 2007 Bravo series "The Real Housewives of Orange County
" tourism has increased with travelers from across the globe hoping to see the sights seen in the show.
Orange County has some of the most exclusive and expensive neighborhoods in the U.S., many along the Orange Coast
, and some in north Orange County.
, a resident of Newport Beach, are set in the area.
Several of the stories in Pulitzer Prize
-winning author Michael Chabon
's collection, A Model World, are set in Orange County. Chabon studied creative writing
at UC Irvine.
Orange County is the place in which Kim Stanley Robinson
's Three Californias Trilogy
is set. These books depict three different futures of Orange County (survivors of a nuclear war in The Wild Shore, a developer's dream gone mad in The Gold Coast, and an ecotopian utopia in Pacific Edge). Philip K. Dick
's novel
A Scanner Darkly
was also set in Orange County.
From his first novel, "Laguna Heat," to more recent books such as "California Girl," mystery-writer T. Jefferson Parker has set many of his novels in Orange County.
The modern fantasy novel "All the Bells on Earth" by James P. Blaylock is set in Orange
.
The classic novel "Two Years Before the Mast" by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. describes journeys along the California coast in the early 19th century and the trading of goods for cow hides with the local residents. The south Orange County city of Dana Point takes its name from the author, as the cliffs around the harbor were a favorite location of his.
San Juan Capistrano is also the home of the first Zorro
novellas. It was first called Curse of Capistrano, but was later changed to the Mask of Zorro due to the popularity of the movie.
Orange County has also been used as a shooting location for several films and television programs. Examples of movies at least partially shot in Orange County are Tom Hanks
' That Thing You Do, the Coen Brothers
' The Man Who Wasn't There
, and the Martin Lawrence
movie Big Momma's House
. All three of which were filmed in or around the Old Towne Plaza in the City of Orange. The Reality Television show The Real Housewives of
series started in Orange County.
annually plays host to the U.S. Open of Surfing
, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball
and Vans World Championship of Skateboarding. It was also the shooting location for Pro Beach Hockey
. USA Water Polo
, Inc. has moved its headquarter offices to Huntington Beach. Orange County's active outdoor culture is home to many surfers, skateboarders, mountain bikers, cyclists, climbers, hikers, kayaking, sailing and sand volleyball.
The Major League Baseball
team in Orange County is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
. In 2005, new owner Joey Deal wanted to change the name to "Los Angeles Angels" in order to better tap into the Los Angeles media market, the second largest in the country. However, the standing agreement with the city of Anaheim demanded that they have "Anaheim" in the name, so they became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This name change was hotly disputed by the city of Anaheim, but the change stood and still stands today, which prompted a lawsuit
by the city of Anaheim against Angels owner Arte Moreno, won by Moreno. It has been widely unpopular in Orange County,.
The county's National Hockey League
team, the Anaheim Ducks
, won the 2007 Stanley Cup
beating the Ottawa Senators
. They also came close to winning the 2003 Stanley Cup
finals after winning three games in a seven-game series against the New Jersey Devils
.
The Anaheim Bolts of the Professional Arena Soccer League
started in 2011, and play at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena, a facility that was used for the 1984 Summer Olympics
and many College Basketball tournaments.
The Orange County Flyers are a North American League
Baseball team based in Fullerton, California. The league is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Flyers were sold on March 21, 2007 to an Orange County investment group, making them the first Golden Baseball League team to ever be sold. Before their sale, the Flyers were called the Fullerton Flyers, but on March 28, 2007 they became the Orange County Flyers; they kept their team colors (blue and orange) and home games are still played at Cal State Fullerton's Goodwin Field.
The Orange County Blue Star
is a USL Premier Development League
soccer club. They play at Orange Coast College
. Among those who have played for OCBS are Jürgen Klinsmann
, the former German star and Germany's 2006 World Cup coach, who played under an assumed name.
Since 2006, the Orange County Roller Girls, a flat track league, has been competing against teams from up and down the great state of California and across the Country. In 2010 they built the 9th banked track to compete at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena.
The Orange County Outlaws are a rugby league
team formed in 2010, they play their home games at LeBard Stadium
, Costa Mesa. They are a developing team in the USA Rugby League
and will become a full member team in 2012.
The Sacramento Kings
basketball team of the NBA
are widely believed to be planning a move to Anaheim in the near future.
played the 1947 and 1948 seasons with La Palma Park as their home field. Future Fullerton High School baseball coach Bud Dawson was the Vals' shortstop.
In the late 1950s (c.1957-59) the Orange County Rhinos, a semi-pro football team, played their home games at La Palma Park in Anaheim.
The National Football League
football left the county when the Los Angeles Rams relocated to St. Louis
in 1995. Anaheim city leaders are in talks with the NFL to bring a Los Angeles-area franchise to Orange County, though they are competing with other cities in and around Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Clippers
played some home games at The Arrowhead Pond, now known as the Honda Center, from 1994 to 1999, before moving to Staples Center
, which they share with the Los Angeles Lakers
.
The California Surf
played in the North American Soccer League
from 1978 to 1981. The club called Anaheim Stadium home.
Another soccer franchise, the California Sunshine of the Major League Soccer
in the late 1970s played games in Orange
and Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium). Their team office was in Villa Park
.
The Los Angeles Salsa
played at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Stadium in 1993–94 in the American Professional Soccer League
(APSL), at the time the top soccer league in the U.S. The Salsa, whose general manager was former Cosmos star Ricky Davis
and its coach former Brazil star Rildo Menezes, also played some games at East Los Angeles College
in Monterey Park
, California, and Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo, California attempting a season in Mexico's second-tier Primera A Division. That attempt was cancelled after several games when FIFA
and CONCACAF
ruled a club could not play in two leagues in separate countries. The Salsa lost to the Colorado Foxes
in the 1993 APSL final at Cal State Fullerton.
The Orange County Zodiac, affiliated with MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy
, played soccer at Santa Ana Stadium (also known as Santa Ana Bowl) and Orange Coast College
from 1997 to 2000.
The Anaheim Arsenal
are an NBA D-League expansion team for the 2006–2007 season. They play their home games at the Anaheim Convention Center
.
The Orange County Gladiators
are an American Basketball Association (ABA) expansion team starting in November 2007. They played their home games at Fieldhouse Gym at JSerra in San Juan Capistrano.
The county was also the home of the Orange County Buzz basketball team of the American Basketball Association (ABA). Both the Buzz and Gladiators have ceased operations.
Anaheim was also the home of the prior American Basketball Association
franchise known as the Anaheim Amigos
in the mid-sixties.
Teams that played in the Arrowhead Pond/Honda Center:
The Anaheim Storm
was a member of the National Lacrosse League
. They folded in 2005 due to low attendance.
The Anaheim Piranhas
were an Arena Football League team in 1996-97, but folded due to team board financial problems.
The Anaheim Bullfrogs
were a Roller Hockey International
team that lasted from 1993–99 and were briefly revived in 2001.
The Anaheim Splash
was a soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League
from 1993 to 1997.
The Southern California Sun
was an American football
team based out of Anaheim that played in the World Football League
in 1974 and 1975. Their records were 13–7 in 1974 and 7–5 in 1975. Their home stadium was Anaheim Stadium.
The Orange County Ramblers were a professional football team that competed in the Continental Football League
from 1967-68. The Ramblers played their home games in Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium). The team was coached both seasons by Homer Beatty, who had won a small college national title at Santa Ana College in 1962.
The Santa Ana Winds, a women’s professional football team played in Santa Ana College and later Chapman College in Orange in the 2000s.
A semi-pro Mexican Soccer franchise, the Santa Ana-Anaheim Aztecas played in Santa Ana College in the 2000s.
And finally, the Orange County Pioneers and California Mariners/Sharks/Storm of Irvine and Newport Beach, were semi-pro collegiate baseball teams in the 1990s and 2000s.
is Santa Ana
. Its legislative and executive authority is vested in a five-member Board of Supervisors. Each Supervisor is popularly elected from a regional district, and together the board oversees the activities of the county's agencies and departments and sets policy on development, public improvements, and county services. At the beginning of each year the Supervisors select a Chairman and Vice Chairman, but the administration is headed by a professional municipal manager, the County Executive. The current supervisors are Janet Nguyen
, John Moorlach
, Bill Campbell
, and Patricia C. Bates, with a vacancy in the Fourth District, which was previously occupied by Chris Norby
until he resigned to become a member of the California State Assembly
.
Seven other public officials are elected at-large: the County Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder
, District Attorney
, Sheriff
-Coroner
, Treasurer-Tax Collector and Public Administrator. Since 2008, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has been led by Sheriff-Coroner Sandra Hutchens
. Her predecessor, Mike Carona
, resigned earlier in the year to defend himself against corruption charges.
, whose investments, which were made while consulting psychics and astrologers, led Orange County into bankruptcy in 1994.
Citron funneled billions of public dollars into questionable investments, and at first the returns were high and cities, schools and special districts borrowed millions to join in the investments. But the strategy backfired, and Citron's investment pool lost $1.64 billion. Nearly $200 million had to be slashed from the county budget and more than 1,000 jobs were cut. The county was forced to borrow $1 billion.
The California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility filed a lawsuit against the pension system to get the list. The agency had claimed that pensioner privacy would be compromised by the release. A judge approved the release and the documents were released late June 2010. The release of the documents has reopened debate on the pension plan for retired public safety workers approved in 2001 when Carona was sheriff.
Called "3 percent at 50," it lets deputies retire at age 50 with 3 percent of their highest year's pay for every year of service. Before it was approved and applied retroactively, employees received 2 percent. "It was right after Sept. 11," said Orange County Supervisor John Morrlach
. "All of a sudden, public safety people became elevated to god status. The Board of Supervisors were tripping over themselves to make the motion." He called it "one of the biggest shifts of money from the private sector to the public sector." Moorlach, who was not on the board when the plan was approved, led the fight to repeal the benefit. A lawsuit, which said the benefit should go before voters, was rejected in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2009 and is now under appeal.
Carona opposed the lawsuit when it was filed, likening its filing to a "nuclear bomb" for deputies.
Orange County has long been known as a Republican
stronghold and has consistently sent Republican representatives to the state and federal legislatures. Republican majorities in Orange County helped deliver California's electoral votes to Republican presidential candidates Richard Nixon
(1960
, 1968
and 1972
), Gerald Ford
(1976), Ronald Reagan
(1980
, 1984
), and George H. W. Bush
(1988
). Orange County has not voted for a Democratic
presidential candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt
's 1936
landslide re-election for a second term. Although Democrats have made inroads in the northern end of the county since the mid-1980s, Orange County politics are still dominated by Republicans. Five of the county's six U.S. Representatives
, four of its five State Senators
and seven of its nine State Assemblymembers
are Republicans, as are all five members of the County Board of Supervisors. Only four Democrats have carried the county in a statewide race in the last 50 years; Jerry Brown
in his successful campaign for Governor in 1978, March Fong Eu
for Secretary of State and Kenneth Cory for State Controller, both also in 1978 and Kathleen Connell
for Controller in 1998.
In Congress, representatives whose districts are completely or partially in the county include Republicans Ed Royce
(CA-40
), Gary Miller
(CA-42
), Ken Calvert
(CA-44
), Dana Rohrabacher
(CA-46
), and John Campbell (CA-48
), and Democrat Loretta Sanchez
(CA-47
). In the State Senate, Senators whose districts are completely or partially in the county include Republicans Bob Huff
(SD-29
), Mimi Walters
(SD-33
), Tom Harman
(SD-35
), and Mark Wyland
(SD-38
), and Democrat Lou Correa
(SD-34
). In the State Assembly, Assemblymembers whose districts are completely or partially in the county include Republicans Curt Hagman
(AD-60
), Jim Silva
(AD-67
), Van Tran
(AD-68
), Chuck DeVore
(AD-70
), Jeff Miller
(AD-71
), Chris Norby
(AD-72
), and Diane Harkey
(AD-73
), and Democrats Tony Mendoza
(AD-56
) and Jose Solorio
(AD-69
).
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, as of July 21, 2009, Orange County had 1,599,889 registered voters. Of these, 43.6% (698,140) are registered Republicans, and 32.1% (512,853) are registered Democrats. An additional 20.2% (324,669) declined to state a political party.
Orange County has produced such notable Republicans as President Richard Nixon
(born in Yorba Linda and lived in San Clemente), U.S. Senator John F. Seymour
(previously mayor of Anaheim
), and U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel
(of Anaheim
). Former Congressman Christopher Cox (of Newport Beach
), a White House counsel for President Ronald Reagan
, is also a former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Orange County was also home to former Republican Congressman John G. Schmitz
, a presidential candidate in 1972 from the ultra-conservative American Independent Party
and the father of Mary Kay Letourneau
. In 1996, Curt Pringle
(currently mayor of Anaheim
) became the first Republican-elected Speaker of the California State Assembly
in decades.
While the growth of the county's Hispanic
and Asian
populations in recent decades has significantly influenced the culture of Orange County, its conservative reputation has remained largely intact. Partisan voter registration patterns of Hispanics, Asians and other ethnic minorities in the county have tended to reflect the surrounding demographics, with resultant Republican majorities in all but the central portion of the county. When Loretta Sanchez
, a Blue Dog Democrat, defeated veteran Republican Bob Dornan
in the congressional contest of 1996, she was continuing a trend of Democratic representation of that district that had been interrupted by Dornan's 1984 upset of former Congressman Jerry Patterson
. Until 1992, Sanchez herself was a Republican
, and she is viewed as having moderate or conservative positions on many issues.
Republicans have responded to the influx of non-white immigrants by making more explicit efforts to court the Hispanic and Asian vote. In 2004, George W. Bush
captured 60% of the county's vote, up from 56% in 2000, despite a higher Democratic popular vote compared with the 2000 election. Although Barbara Boxer
won statewide, and fared better in Orange County than she did in 1998, Republican Bill Jones defeated her in the county, 51% to 43%. While the 39% that John Kerry
received is higher than the percentage Bill Clinton
won in both 1992 and 1996, the percentage of the vote George W. Bush received in 2004 (59.7% of the vote) is the highest any presidential candidate has received since 1988, showing a still-dominant GOP presence in the county. In 2006, Senator Dianne Feinstein
won 45% of the vote in the county, the highest margin of a Democrat in a Senate race in over four decades, but Orange was nevertheless the only Coastal California
county to vote for her Republican opponent Dick Mountjoy
. In terms of voter registration, the Democratic Party has a plurality or majority of registrations only in the cities of Santa Ana
, Stanton, and Buena Park.
The county is featured prominently in the book Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right by Lisa McGirr. She argues that the county's conservative political orientation in the 20th century owed much to its settlement by Midwestern transplants, who reacted strongly to communist sympathies, the civil rights movement
, and the turmoil of the 1960s in nearby Los Angeles — across the "Orange Curtain
".
In the 1970s and 1980s, Orange County was one of California's leading Republican voting blocs and a sub-culture of residents to hold "Middle American" values that emphasized a capitalist religious morality in contrast to West coast liberalism that well existed there.
Orange County has many Republican
voters from culturally conservative Asian-American
, Middle Eastern and Latino
immigrant groups. Some of these came as refugees from wars and dictatorships, and are strongly loyal to Republican anti-communist policies. The large Vietnamese-American
communities in Garden Grove
and Westminster
are predominantly Republican; Vietnamese Americans registered Republicans outnumber those registered as Democrats by 55% to 22%. Republican Assemblyman Van Tran
was elected to become the first Vietnamese-American to serve in a state legislature and joined with Texan Hubert Vo
as the highest-ranking elected Vietnamese-American in the United States prior to the 2008 election of Joseph Cao
in Louisiana's Second Congressional District. In the 2007 special election for the vacant county supervisor seat following Democrat Lou Correa
's election to the state senate, two Vietnamese-American Republican candidates topped the list of 10 candidates, separated from each other by only seven votes, making the Board of Supervisors entirely Republican.
Colleges
Universities
Some institutions not based in Orange County operate satellite campuses, including the University of Southern California
, National University
, and Pepperdine University
.
The Orange County Department of Education oversees 28 school districts.
, the main PBS station in the Southland and KDOC-TV
, an independent, are located in Orange County.
The county is primarily served by The Orange County Register
. OC Weekly
is an alternative weekly publication and Excélsior
is a Spanish-language newspaper. The "hard news" online nonprofit VoiceofOC.org began covering the county in 2010. A few communities are served by the Los Angeles Times
publication of the Daily Pilot
, the Huntington Beach Independent
and the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. OC Music Magazine
is also based out of Orange County, serving local musicians and artists.
Orange County is served by radio stations from the Los Angeles
area. There are a few radio stations that are actually located in Orange County. KJLL-FM
92.7 has an adult contemporary format. KSBR
88.5 FM airs a jazz music format branded as "Jazz-FM" along with news programming. KUCI
88.9FM is a free form college radio station that broadcasts from UC Irvine. KWIZ
96.7 FM, located in Santa Ana
, airs a regional Mexican music format branded as "La Rockola 96.7". KWVE-FM 107.9 is owned by the Calvary Chapel
of Costa Mesa
. KWVE-FM is also the primary Emergency Alert System
station for the county. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
also own and operate a sports-only radio station from Orange, KLAA.
See also:
, many film and media celebrities have moved or bought second homes in the county. Actor John Wayne
, who lived in Newport Beach, is the namesake for Orange County's John Wayne Airport
. Orange County has also produced many homegrown celebrities, including golfer Tiger Woods
, basketball player Kobe Bryant
, a number of professional ballplayers, including retired slugger Mark McGwire
, WWE Wrestler, Chavo Guerrero Jr. actor, Kevin Costner
, John Stamos
, actor and radio personality R.J. Adams a.k.a. Bob Shannon, comedian/actors Steve Martin
and Will Ferrell
, actresses Michelle Pfeiffer
and Diane Keaton
, and singers Chester Bennington
, Bonnie Raitt
, Gwen Stefani
, Jeff Buckley
, Marc Cherry
, Drake Bell
and Major League Ballhawk John Witt
. Ms. America Susan Jeske
is also a resident. Sublime
, Avenged Sevenfold
, Lit, No Doubt
, Reel Big Fish
, Social Distortion
, The Offspring
, Project 86
, Atreyu
, Jeffree Star
, and Leo Fender
(the inventor of the first commercially successful solid body electric guitars) also call Orange County home. MMA fighter Tito Ortiz
is a resident of Huntington Beach which is stated in his entrance as the "Huntington Beach Badboy."
The county's most famous resident was perhaps Richard Nixon
, the 37th President of the United States
, who was born in Yorba Linda and lived in San Clemente for several years following his resignation
. His presidential library is in Yorba Linda.
Orange County was also home to The Righteous Brothers: Bill Medley of Santa Ana, and Bobby Hatfield of Anaheim. The Santa Ana High School auditorium now bears Medley's name. Another less well-known sports figure from a previous era was Clifford C. Cravath, for many years judge of the Laguna Beach Municipal Court. Known as "Gavvy" Cravath as a professional baseball player from 1910 to 1920, he was the major league home run king prior to Babe Ruth's emergence as a slugger.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
and San Diego County
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
. It is the sixth most populous county in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as of 2009 while at the same time is the smallest area-wise county in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, being roughly half the size of the next smallest county, Ventura
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
. The county is famous for its tourism, as the home of such attractions as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
, as well as several beaches along its more than 40 miles (64 km) of coastline. It is known for its affluence and political conservatism – a 2005 academic study listed three Orange County cities as being among America's 25 "most conservative," making it the only county in the country containing more than one such city.
Orange County was at the time the largest US county to have gone bankrupt
Chapter 9, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 9, Title 11 of the United States Code is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, available exclusively to municipalities and assists them in the restructuring of debts...
, when in 1994 longtime treasurer Robert Citron
Robert Citron
Robert Lafee Citron is a Democratic Party politician who was the longtime Treasurer-Tax Collector of Orange County, California, when it declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy on December 6, 1994. Citron was the only Democrat to hold office in otherwise Conservative/Republican Orange County at the time...
's investment strategies left the county with inadequate capital to allow for any raise in interest rates for its trading positions. When the conservative residents of Orange County voted down a proposal to raise taxes in order to balance the budget, bankruptcy followed soon after. Citron later pleaded guilty to six felonies regarding the matter.
Whereas most population centers in the United States tend to be identified by a major city, there is no defined urban center in Orange County. It is mostly suburban, except for some traditionally urban areas at the centers of the older cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, and Fullerton
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
. There are several edge city
Edge city
"Edge city" is an American term for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional urban area in what had recently been a residential suburb or semi-rural community...
-style developments such as Irvine Business Center, South Coast Metro
South Coast Metro
South Coast Metro is an area in Orange County, California loosely defined by its proximity to South Coast Plaza and John Wayne Airport, and comprising the surrounding portions of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Newport Beach. It lies completely within the 714 area code...
and Newport Center
Newport Center
Newport Center is a business, shopping, and entertainment district located on a high bluff overlooking Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, California. Newport Center is also famously dubbed "Fashion Island" amongst locals. It was created in the early 1960s as part of William Pereira's master plan for...
.
The city of Santa Ana serves as the governmental center of the county, Anaheim as its main tourist destination, and Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
as its major business and financial hub. Three Orange County cities have populations exceeding 200,000: Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Irvine.
Thirty-four incorporated cities are located in Orange County; the newest is Aliso Viejo
Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
, which was incorporated in 2001. Anaheim was the first city incorporated in Orange County, in 1870 when the region was still part of neighboring Los Angeles County.
History
Members of the Tongva, JuaneñoJuaneño
The Juaneño or Acagchemem are a Native American group from Southern California. The Juaneño lived in what is now part of Orange and San Diego Counties and received their Spanish name from the priests of the California mission chain due to their proximity to Mission San Juan Capistrano...
, and Luiseño Native American groups long inhabited the area. After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
, a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
expedition led by Junipero Serra
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
named the area Valle de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano was a Spanish mission in Southern California, located in present-day San Juan Capistrano. It was founded on All Saints Day November 1, 1776, by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order...
became the area's first permanent European settlement. Among those who came with Portolá were José Manuel Nieto
Rancho Los Nietos
Rancho Los Nietos was one of the first, and the largest, Spanish land concession in Alta California. Located in present day Los Angeles County and Orange County, California. Rancho Los Nietos was awarded to Manuel Nieto in 1784...
and José Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
. Both these men were given land grants—Rancho Los Nietos
Rancho Los Nietos
Rancho Los Nietos was one of the first, and the largest, Spanish land concession in Alta California. Located in present day Los Angeles County and Orange County, California. Rancho Los Nietos was awarded to Manuel Nieto in 1784...
and Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was a Spanish land concession in present day Orange County, California given by Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga in 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba and his nephew Pablo Peralta...
, respectively. The Nieto heirs were granted land in 1834. The Nieto ranches were known as Rancho Los Alamitos
Rancho Los Alamitos
Rancho Los Alamitos takes its name from a Mexican land grant in southwestern Los Angeles County and northwestern Orange County, California. Los Alamitos means the Little Cottonwoods or Poplars in Spanish, after the native Fremont Cottonwood trees there.Rancho Los Alamitos originally included...
, Rancho Las Bolsas
Rancho Las Bolsas
Rancho Las Bolsas was a 1834 Mexican land grant resulting from the partition of Rancho Los Nietos, located from the coast on inland within present day northwestern Orange County, California. The Spanish name "las bolsas" means "the pockets", and refers to pockets of land amongst the marsh ...
, and Rancho Los Coyotes
Rancho Los Coyotes
Rancho Los Coyotes was a 1834 Mexican land grant resulting from the partition of the Rancho Los Nietos grant, in present day southeastern Los Angeles County and northwestern Orange County, California...
. Yorba heirs Bernardo Yorba
Bernardo Yorba
Bernardo Yorba , was a native of Nueva California and the son of Spanish soldier, José Antonio Yorba. Bernardo became one of the most successful ranchers in Alta California with thousands of cattle and horses grazing on land grants totaling more than 35,000 acres...
and Teodosio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
were also granted Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana was a land grant in present day Orange County, California given by Mexican governor José Figueroa in 1834 to Bernardo Yorba. The name means "Canyon of Santa Ana". The grant included present day Yorba Linda.-History:...
(Santa Ana Canyon Ranch) and Rancho Lomas de Santiago
Rancho Lomas de Santiago
Rancho Lomas de Santiago was a Mexican land grant given by Mexican Governor Pío Pico to Teodosio Yorba in 1846. The name means "Hills of St. James"...
, respectively. Other ranchos in Orange County were granted by the Mexican government during the Mexican period in Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
.
A severe drought in the 1860s devastated the prevailing industry, cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
ranching, and much land came into the possession of Richard O'Neill, Sr., James Irvine
James Irvine (landowner)
The Irvine family were agricultural pioneers and prominent landowners in California who gave their name to the city of Irvine, CA.-James Irvine I:James Irvine was born in County Down, Ireland on December 27, 1827, the second to the youngest of nine children...
and other land barons. In 1887, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
was discovered in the Santa Ana Mountains
Santa Ana Mountains
The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 36 mi southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties.- Geography :The range starts in the...
, attracting settlers via the Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
and Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
s.
This growth led the California legislature to divide Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
and create Orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
County as a separate political entity on March 11, 1889. The county is generally said to have been named for the citrus fruit (once its most famous product). However, in the new county there was already a town by the name of Orange
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, named for Orange County, Virginia
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, which itself took its name from William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
. The fact the county took the same name as one of its towns may have been coincidence.
Other citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
crops, avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
s, and oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
extraction were also important to the early economy. Orange County benefited from the July 4, 1904 completion of the Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
, a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
connecting Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
with Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
and Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
. The link made Orange County an accessible weekend retreat for celebrities of early Hollywood. It was deemed so significant that the city of Pacific City changed its name to Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
in honor of Henry Huntington, president of the Pacific Electric and nephew of Collis Huntington. Transportation further improved with the completion of the State Route and U.S. Route 101 (now mostly Interstate 5) in the 1920s.
Agriculture, such as the boysenberry
Boysenberry
A boysenberry is a cross between a European Raspberry , a Common Blackberry , and a Loganberry ....
which was made famous by Buena Park
Buena Park, California
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
native Walter Knott
Walter Knott
Walter Marvin Knott was an American farmer who created the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in California....
, began to decline after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but the county's prosperity soared. The completion of Interstate 5 in 1954 helped make Orange County a bedroom community for many who moved to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
to work in aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
and manufacturing. Orange County received a further boost in 1955 with the opening of Disneyland
Disneyland Park (Anaheim)
Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...
.
In 1969, Yorba Linda-born Orange County native Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
became the 37th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
In the 1980s, the population topped two million for the first time; Orange County had become the second-most populous county in California.
An investment fund melt-down in 1994 led to the criminal prosecution of County of Orange treasurer Robert Citron
Robert Citron
Robert Lafee Citron is a Democratic Party politician who was the longtime Treasurer-Tax Collector of Orange County, California, when it declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy on December 6, 1994. Citron was the only Democrat to hold office in otherwise Conservative/Republican Orange County at the time...
. The county lost at least $1.5 billion through high-risk investments in derivatives
Derivative (finance)
A derivative instrument is a contract between two parties that specifies conditions—in particular, dates and the resulting values of the underlying variables—under which payments, or payoffs, are to be made between the parties.Under U.S...
. On December 6, 1994, the County of Orange declared Chapter 9
Chapter 9, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 9, Title 11 of the United States Code is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, available exclusively to municipalities and assists them in the restructuring of debts...
bankruptcy, from which it emerged in June 1995. The Orange County bankruptcy was the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
In recent years land-use conflicts have arisen between established areas in the north and less developed areas in the south. These conflicts have regarded things such as construction of new toll roads and the re-purposing of a decommissioned air base. For example, the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station site was designated by a voter measure in 1994 to be developed into an international airport to alleviate the heavily used John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport is an airport in an unincorporated area in Orange County, California, with its mailing address in the city of Santa Ana, which is also the county seat, hence the International Air Transport Association airport code. The main entrance to the airport is off of MacArthur Blvd in...
. But subsequent voter initiatives and court actions have caused the airport plan to be permanently shelved. Instead it will become the Orange County Great Park
Orange County Great Park
The Orange County Great Park is the official name of a plan for the public, non-aviation reuse of the decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Irvine, California. The county park will comprise just 28.8% of the total that made up the old MCAS El Toro base. It is a $1.1 billion project...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 947.98 square miles (2,455.3 km²), of which 789.4 square miles (2,044.5 km²) (or 83.27%) is land and 158.57 square miles (410.7 km²) (or 16.73%) is water. It the smallest county in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The average annual temperature is about 68 °F (20 °C).
Orange County is bordered on the southwest by the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, on the north by Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, on the northeast by San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
and Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, and on the southeast by San Diego County
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
.
The northwestern part of the county lies on the coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
of the Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles Basin
The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs...
, while the southeastern end rises into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains
Santa Ana Mountains
The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 36 mi southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties.- Geography :The range starts in the...
. Most of Orange County's population reside in one of two shallow coastal valleys that lie in the basin, the Santa Ana Valley
Santa Ana Valley
The Santa Ana Valley is located in Orange County, California and is bisected by the Santa Ana River. The valley is home to most of Orange County’s central business districts...
and the Saddleback Valley
Saddleback Valley
Saddleback Valley is located in South Orange County, California and is home to the cities of Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Lake Forest, among others....
. The Santa Ana Mountains lie within the eastern boundaries of the county and of the Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres , mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the Forest. It is the southernmost National forest of California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a government agency within...
. The high point is Santiago Peak
Santiago Peak
Santiago Peak is the southern mountain of Orange County's Saddleback formation. It is the highest and most prominent peak of both the Santa Ana Mountains and Orange County, and also marks a border point with Riverside County. The top of it is covered with many microwave and telecommunication antennas...
(5689 feet (1,734 m)), about 20 mi (32.2 km) east of Santa Ana. Santiago Peak and nearby Modjeska Peak
Modjeska Peak
Modjeska Peak is the northern mountain of Orange County's Saddleback formation. It is the second highest peak of the Santa Ana Mountains.The peak is named for Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska, who lived in its shadow near the end of her life....
, just 200 feet (61 m) shorter, form a ridge known as Saddleback, visible from almost everywhere in the county. The Peralta Hills
Peralta Hills
The Peralta Hills are a ridge of hills in northeastern Orange County, California.The ridge technically begins with Burruel Point in the city of Orange, close to where Nohl Ranch Road meets the Costa Mesa Freeway , although there are hills to the west of Burruel Point, extending into the vast...
extend westward from the Santa Ana Mountains through the communities of Anaheim Hills, Orange
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, and ending in Olive. The Loma Ridge is another prominent feature, running parallel to the Santa Ana Mountains through the central part of the county, separated from the taller mountains to the east by Santiago Canyon
Santiago Creek
Santiago Creek is a major watercourse in Orange County in the U.S. state of California. About long, it drains most of the northern Santa Ana Mountains and is a tributary to the Santa Ana River...
.
The Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
is the county's principal watercourse, flowing through the middle of the county from northeast to southwest. Its major tributary to the south and east is Santiago Creek
Santiago Creek
Santiago Creek is a major watercourse in Orange County in the U.S. state of California. About long, it drains most of the northern Santa Ana Mountains and is a tributary to the Santa Ana River...
. Other watercourses within the county include Aliso Creek, San Juan Creek
San Juan Creek
San Juan Creek, also called the San Juan River, is a stream in Orange County, California that consists of a catchment basin encompassing . Its mainstem rises in the Santa Ana Mountains, in the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest...
, and Horsethief Creek. In the North, the San Gabriel River
San Gabriel River (California)
The San Gabriel River flows through southern Los Angeles County, California in the United States. Its main stem is about long, while its farthest tributaries extend almost altogether...
also briefly crosses into Orange County and exits into the Pacific on the Los Angeles-Orange County line between the cities of Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and Seal Beach
Seal Beach, California
-Neighborhoods:Seal Beach encompasses the Leisure World retirement gated community with roughly 9,000 residents. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the U.S...
. Laguna Beach is home to the county's only natural lakes, Laguna Lakes, which are formed by water rising up against an underground fault.
Residents sometimes figuratively divide the county into "North Orange County" and "South County" (meaning Northwest and Southeast—following the county's natural diagonal orientation along the local coastline). This is more of a cultural and demographic distinction perpetuated by the popular television shows "The OC
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
" and "Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
", between the older areas closer to Los Angeles, and the more affluent and recently developed areas to the South and East. A transition between older and newer development may be considered to exist roughly parallel to State Route 55 (aka the Costa Mesa Freeway). This transition is accentuated by large flanking tracts of sparsely developed area occupied until recent years by agriculture and military airfields.
While there is a natural topographical Northeast-to-Southwest transition from inland elevations to the lower coastal band, there is no formal geographical division between North and South County. Perpendicular to that gradient, the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
roughly divides the county between northwestern and southeastern sectors (about 40% to 60% respectively, by area), but does not represent any apparent economic, political or cultural differences, nor does it significantly affect distribution of travel, housing, commerce, industry or agriculture from one side to the other.
Incorporated cities
As of August 2006, Orange County has 34 incorporated cities. The oldest is Anaheim (1870) and the newest is Aliso Viejo (2001).- Aliso ViejoAliso Viejo, CaliforniaAliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
, incorporated in 2001 - AnaheimAnaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, incorporated in 1870 - BreaBrea, CaliforniaBrea is a city in Orange County, California. The population, as of the 2010 Census was 39,282.The city began as a center of crude oil production, was later propelled by citrus production, and is now an important retail center because of the large Brea Mall and the recently redeveloped Brea Downtown...
, incorporated in 1917 - Buena ParkBuena Park, CaliforniaBuena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
, incorporated in 1953 - Costa MesaCosta Mesa, CaliforniaCosta Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
, incorporated in 1953 - CypressCypress, CaliforniaCypress is a suburban city located in the northern region of Orange County within Southern California. Its population was 47,802 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, incorporated in 1956 - Dana PointDana Point, California-Climate:Dana Point enjoys a mild climate where temperatures tend to average around the 60's. The warmest month of the year is August with an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month is December with an average minimum temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit.-2010:The 2010...
, incorporated in 1989 - Fountain ValleyFountain Valley, CaliforniaFountain Valley is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 55,313 at the 2010 census. A classic bedroom community, Fountain Valley is a middle-class residential area.- History :...
, incorporated in 1957 - FullertonFullerton, CaliforniaFullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
, incorporated in 1904 - Garden GroveGarden Grove, CaliforniaGarden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, incorporated in 1956 - Huntington BeachHuntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, incorporated in 1909 - IrvineIrvine, CaliforniaIrvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, incorporated in 1971 - La HabraLa Habra, CaliforniaLa Habra is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. Its related city, La Habra Heights is located to the north of La Habra, and is in Los Angeles County.-Origin of name:...
, incorporated in 1925 - La PalmaLa Palma, CaliforniaLa Palma is a city located in northern Orange County, California. Incorporated on October 26, 1955, the population was 15,408 at the 2000 census...
, incorporated in 1955 - Laguna BeachLaguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
, incorporated in 1927 - Laguna HillsLaguna Hills, CaliforniaLaguna Hills is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. Its name refers to its proximity to Laguna Canyon and the much older Laguna Beach. Other newer cities nearby—Laguna Niguel and Laguna Woods—are similarly named.-Geography:...
, incorporated in 1991 - Laguna NiguelLaguna Niguel, CaliforniaLaguna Niguel is an affluent city located in southern Orange County, California. The name "Laguna Niguel" is derived from the Spanish word "Laguna" which means lagoon, and the word "Nigueli" which was the name of a Juaneño Indian village that was once located on Aliso Creek. The population was...
, incorporated in 1989
- Laguna WoodsLaguna Woods, CaliforniaLaguna Woods is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 16,192 at the 2010 census, down from 16,507 at the 2000 census with a median age of 78. About 90% of the city consists of Laguna Woods Village, a retirement community, formerly known as Leisure World...
, incorporated in 1999 - Lake ForestLake Forest, CaliforniaLake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...
, incorporated in 1991 - Los AlamitosLos Alamitos, CaliforniaLos Alamitos is a small city in Orange County, California. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,449 at the 2010 census, down from 11,536 at the 2000 census...
, incorporated in 1960 - Mission ViejoMission Viejo, CaliforniaMission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size...
, incorporated in 1988 - Newport BeachNewport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
, incorporated in 1906 - OrangeOrange, CaliforniaSouthern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, incorporated in 1888 - PlacentiaPlacentia, California-Local: Placentia is a Charter city with an elected city council and professional city manager. Placentia City Council*Mayor- Scott W. Nelson*Mayor Pro Tem- Jeremy Yamaguchi*Council Member- Joe Aquirre*Council Member- Constance Underhill...
, incorporated in 1926 - Rancho Santa MargaritaRancho Santa Margarita, CaliforniaRancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations...
, incorporated in 2000 - San ClementeSan Clemente, CaliforniaSan Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish...
, incorporated in 1928 - San Juan CapistranoSan Juan Capistrano, CaliforniaSan Juan Capistrano is a city in southern Orange County, California, located approximately southeast of Downtown Santa Ana. The current OMB metropolitan designation for San Juan Capistrano and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA.” The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census,...
, incorporated in 1961 - Santa AnaSanta Ana, CaliforniaSanta Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, incorporated in 1886 - Seal BeachSeal Beach, California-Neighborhoods:Seal Beach encompasses the Leisure World retirement gated community with roughly 9,000 residents. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the U.S...
, incorporated in 1915 - StantonStanton, CaliforniaStanton is a city located in western Orange County, California. The population was 38,186 at the 2010 census, up from 37,403 at the 2000 census. Like most of Orange County, it is more politically conservative compared to the rest of the state. The City was incorporated in 1956 and operates under...
, incorporated in 1956 - TustinTustin, California-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
, incorporated in 1927 - Villa ParkVilla Park, CaliforniaVilla Park is a city in northern Orange County, California, near and surrounded by the City of Orange, and close to Anaheim Hills, that incorporated in 1962. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 5,812, down from 5,999 at the 2000 census, achieving the status of the smallest city in...
, incorporated in 1962 - WestminsterWestminster, California-Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively...
, incorporated in 1957 - Yorba LindaYorba Linda, CaliforniaYorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
, incorporated in 1967
Unincorporated communities
These communities are outside of city limits in unincorporatedUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
county territory:
- Coto de CazaCoto de Caza, CaliforniaCoto de Caza is a census-designated place and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California. The population was 14,866 at the 2010 census, up from 13,057 at the 2000 census....
- Cowan Heights
- Emerald Bay
- Ladera RanchLadera Ranch, CaliforniaLadera Ranch is a census-designated place and a planned community located in south Orange County, California just outside the city limits of San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo....
- Lemon Heights
- Midway CityMidway City, CaliforniaMidway City is a census-designated place located in Orange County, California. It is bordered by the cities of Westminster to its east and Huntington Beach to its west. It was so named because it is midway between Long Beach and Santa Ana. The population was 8,485 at the 2010 census.It is one of...
- Modjeska CanyonModjeska Canyon, CaliforniaModjeska Canyon is an unincorporated area on the western slope of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California. It is a rural community of several hundred residents, with a small park and a volunteer fire station....
- North Tustin
- Orange Park AcresOrange Park Acres, CaliforniaOrange Park Acres is an unincorporated county island surrounded by the City of Orange in Orange County, California. It is mainly composed of upper-middle class residents from the Orange city area. Its northern border is Santiago Canyon Road and its southern border is Chapman Avenue. It comprises...
- Rancho Mission Viejo
- Red Hill
- RossmoorRossmoor, CaliforniaRossmoor is an affluent planned census-designated place located in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 10,244, down from 10,298 at the 2000 census...
- Silverado Canyon
- Trabuco CanyonTrabuco Canyon, CaliforniaTrabuco Canyon is a small unincorporated community located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California, and lies partly within the Cleveland National Forest.Trabuco Canyon is north of the town of Rancho Santa Margarita...
Planned communities
Orange County has a history of large planned communitiesPlanned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
. Nearly 30% of the county was created as master planned communities, the most notable being the City of Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, Coto de Caza, Anaheim Hills, Tustin Ranch, Tustin Legacy, Ladera Ranch, Talega, Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations...
, and Mission Viejo. Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
is often referred to as a model master-planned city, for its villages of Woodbridge, Northwood, University Park, and Turtle Rock that were laid out by the Irvine Company
Irvine Company
The Irvine Company is a privately held real estate development company based in Newport Beach, Orange County, Southern California. The corporate center of the company lies in Newport Center. A large portion of its operations are centered in and around the City of Irvine, a planned city of 250,000...
of the mid-1960s before it was bought by a group of investors that included Donald Bren
Donald Bren
Donald Bren is an American businessman who is Chairman of the Irvine Company, a US Based real estate developer, which he wholly owns.-Early Life and Education:...
.
Adjacent counties
- Los Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
—north, west - San Bernardino County, CaliforniaSan Bernardino County, CaliforniaSan Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
—northeast - Riverside County, CaliforniaRiverside County, CaliforniaRiverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
—east - San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
—southeast
National protected areas
- Cleveland National ForestCleveland National ForestCleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres , mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the Forest. It is the southernmost National forest of California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a government agency within...
(part) - Seal Beach National Wildlife RefugeSeal Beach National Wildlife RefugeThe Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge encompassing located in the California coastal community of Seal Beach. Although it is located in Orange County it is included as part of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex...
Transportation infrastructure
Transit in Orange County is offered primarily by the Orange County Transportation AuthorityOrange County Transportation Authority
The Orange County Transportation Authority is the public sector transportation planning body and mass transit service provider for Orange County, California. Its ancestor agencies include not only the prior Orange County Transit District but also such diverse entities as the Pacific Electric...
. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) cited OCTA as the best large property transportation system in the United States for 2005. OCTA manages the county's bus network and funds the construction and maintenance of local streets, highways, and freeways
Southern California freeways
The Southern California freeways are a network of interconnected freeways in the Megaregion of Southern California with a population of 22 million. A comprehensive freeway plan was produced in 1947 and with construction beginning in the 1950s...
; regulates taxicab services; maintains express toll lanes through the median of California State Route 91
California State Route 91
State Route 91 is a major east–west freeway located entirely within Southern California and serving several regions of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area...
; and works with Southern California's Metrolink
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
to provide commuter rail service along three lines—the Orange County Line, the 91 Line, and the Inland Empire-Orange County Line.
Major highways
Surface transportation in Orange County relies heavily on three major interstate highways: the Santa Ana FreewaySanta Ana Freeway
The Santa Ana Freeway is one of the principal freeways in Southern California, connecting Los Angeles and its southeastern suburbs including the freeway's namesake, the city of Santa Ana. The freeway begins at the Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles, signed as U.S. Route 101...
(I-5), the San Diego Freeway
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
(I-405 and I-5 south of Irvine), and the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605), which only briefly enters Orange County territory in the northwest. The other freeways in the county are state highways, and include the perpetually congested Riverside
Riverside Freeway
The Riverside Freeway is a named freeway in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties in the U.S. state of California. It refers to the following two segments:...
and Artesia Freeway (SR 91
California State Route 91
State Route 91 is a major east–west freeway located entirely within Southern California and serving several regions of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area...
) and the Garden Grove Freeway (SR 22
California State Route 22
State Route 22 in the U.S. state of California is an east–west highway in southern Los Angeles County and northern Orange County. It runs between Long Beach and Orange by way of Garden Grove. The westernmost part of it is a surface street, Long Beach's 7th Street. From Long Beach to its...
) running east-west, and the Orange Freeway (SR 57
California State Route 57
State Route 57 , also known as the Orange Freeway, is a north–south state highway in the Greater Los Angeles Area of the U.S. state of California. It connects the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 22 near downtown Orange, locally known as the Orange Crush, with the Glendora Curve...
), the Costa Mesa Freeway (SR/SR 55
California State Route 55
State Route 55 is an 18-mile long north–south highway in the U.S. state of California. The portion of the route built to freeway standards is known as the Costa Mesa Freeway...
), the Laguna Freeway (SR 133
California State Route 133
State Route 133 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It connects SR 1 in Laguna Beach through the San Joaquin Hills with several freeways in Irvine, ending at the SR 241 toll road in the latter city...
), the San Joaquin Transportation Corridor (SR 73
California State Route 73
State Route 73 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route runs from Interstate 405 to Interstate 5 through the San Joaquin Hills in Orange County. From its northern terminus, the first three miles of the highway are called the Corona del Mar Freeway; this section of highway...
), the Eastern Transportation Corridor
Eastern Toll Road (California)
Eastern Toll Road may refer to:* California State Route 261, connecting 241 and Interstate 5* California State Route 133, in southern California* California State Route 241, part of both the Eastern Toll Road and the Foothill Toll Road...
(SR 261
California State Route 261
State Route 261 is a tollway in the U.S. state of California that is part of the Eastern Transportation Corridor system. It connects State Route 241 with Interstate 5...
, SR 133
California State Route 133
State Route 133 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It connects SR 1 in Laguna Beach through the San Joaquin Hills with several freeways in Irvine, ending at the SR 241 toll road in the latter city...
, SR 241
California State Route 241
State Route 241 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. For its entire run, Route 241 is a toll road. Its northern half is part of the Eastern Toll Road while its southern half is part of the Foothill Toll Road....
), and the Foothill Transportation Corridor (SR 241
California State Route 241
State Route 241 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. For its entire run, Route 241 is a toll road. Its northern half is part of the Eastern Toll Road while its southern half is part of the Foothill Toll Road....
) running north-south. Minor stub freeways include the Richard M. Nixon Freeway (SR 90), also known as Imperial Highway, and the southern terminus of Pacific Coast Highway (SR 1). There are no U.S. Highways
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
in Orange County, though two existed in the county until the mid-1960s: 91
U.S. Route 91
U.S. Route 91 is a north–south United States highway. The highway currently serves as a connection between the Cache Valley area of Utah and Idaho to the Salt Lake and Idaho Falls population centers. Prior the mid-1970s, U.S. 91 was an international commerce route from Long Beach, California...
and 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
. 91 went through what is now the state route of the same number, and 101 was replaced by Interstate 5. SR-1 was once a bypass of US-101 (Route 101A).
- Interstate 5
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Interstate 5 in CaliforniaInterstate 5 is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of California. It begins at the Mexico – United States border at the San Ysidro crossing, goes north across the length of California and crosses into Oregon south of the Medford-Ashland metropolitan... - Interstate 405
.svg.png)
Interstate 405 (California)Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north... - Interstate 605
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Interstate 605Interstate 605 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Greater Los Angeles Area of Southern California... - State Route 1
California State Route 1State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run... - State Route 22
California State Route 22State Route 22 in the U.S. state of California is an east–west highway in southern Los Angeles County and northern Orange County. It runs between Long Beach and Orange by way of Garden Grove. The westernmost part of it is a surface street, Long Beach's 7th Street. From Long Beach to its... - State Route 39
California State Route 39State Route 39 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that travels through Orange and Los Angeles counties. Its southern terminus is at Pacific Coast Highway , in Huntington Beach, and its northern terminus is at Islip Saddle on Angeles Crest Highway in the Angeles National... - State Route 55
California State Route 55State Route 55 is an 18-mile long north–south highway in the U.S. state of California. The portion of the route built to freeway standards is known as the Costa Mesa Freeway... - State Route 57
California State Route 57State Route 57 , also known as the Orange Freeway, is a north–south state highway in the Greater Los Angeles Area of the U.S. state of California. It connects the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 22 near downtown Orange, locally known as the Orange Crush, with the Glendora Curve...
- State Route 73
California State Route 73State Route 73 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route runs from Interstate 405 to Interstate 5 through the San Joaquin Hills in Orange County. From its northern terminus, the first three miles of the highway are called the Corona del Mar Freeway; this section of highway... - State Route 74
California State Route 74State Route 74 , a part of the Pines to Palms Scenic Byway, is a mostly scenic highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Palm Desert in Riverside County westward to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.-Route description:... - State Route 90
California State Route 90State Route 90 is a state highway in Southern California, United States. It consists of two unconnected pieces in Greater Los Angeles.... - State Route 91
California State Route 91State Route 91 is a major east–west freeway located entirely within Southern California and serving several regions of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area... - State Route 133
California State Route 133State Route 133 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It connects SR 1 in Laguna Beach through the San Joaquin Hills with several freeways in Irvine, ending at the SR 241 toll road in the latter city... - State Route 142
California State Route 142State Route 142, also known as Carbon Canyon Road for most of its length, runs southwest from State Route 71 in Chino Hills, through Olinda Village to its intersection with Lambert Road and Valencia Avenue in Brea. At the intersection, the highway turns south onto Valencia Avenue and ends at... - State Route 241
California State Route 241State Route 241 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. For its entire run, Route 241 is a toll road. Its northern half is part of the Eastern Toll Road while its southern half is part of the Foothill Toll Road.... - State Route 261
California State Route 261State Route 261 is a tollway in the U.S. state of California that is part of the Eastern Transportation Corridor system. It connects State Route 241 with Interstate 5...
Bus
The bus network comprises 6,542 stops on 77 lines, running along most major streets, and accounts for 210,000 boardings a day. The fleet of 817 buses is gradually being replaced by LNG (liquified natural gas)-powered vehicles, which already represent over 40% of the total fleet.Rail
Starting in 1992, MetrolinkMetrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
has operated three commuter rail lines through Orange County, and has also maintained Rail-to-Rail service with parallel Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
service. On a typical weekday, over 40 trains run along the Orange County Line
Metrolink Orange County Line
The Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink from Los Angeles through Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County, connecting with the Coaster commuter rail service to San Diego...
, the 91 Line
Metrolink 91 Line
The 91 Line is a commuter rail line operated by Metrolink that runs from Los Angeles to Riverside in Southern California, paralleling State Route 91 between Riverside and Santa Fe Springs. Operating since May 2002, the line runs on the Southern Transcon track owned by BNSF Railway. The 91 Line has...
and the Inland Empire-Orange County Line
Metrolink Inland Empire-Orange County Line
The Inland Empire–Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink in Southern California. It runs from San Bernardino through Orange County to Oceanside in northern San Diego County....
. Along with Metrolink
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
riders on parallel Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
lines, these lines generate approximately 15,000 boardings per weekday. Metrolink
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
also began offering weekend service on the Orange County Line and the Inland Empire-Orange County line in the summer of 2006. As ridership has steadily increased in the region, new stations have opened at Anaheim Canyon, Buena Park
Buena Park, California
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
, Tustin
Tustin, California
-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
, and Laguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel, California
Laguna Niguel is an affluent city located in southern Orange County, California. The name "Laguna Niguel" is derived from the Spanish word "Laguna" which means lagoon, and the word "Nigueli" which was the name of a Juaneño Indian village that was once located on Aliso Creek. The population was...
/Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size...
. Plans for a future station in Placentia
Placentia, California
-Local: Placentia is a Charter city with an elected city council and professional city manager. Placentia City Council*Mayor- Scott W. Nelson*Mayor Pro Tem- Jeremy Yamaguchi*Council Member- Joe Aquirre*Council Member- Constance Underhill...
are underway and is expected to be completed by 2014.
Since 1938, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad and later Amtrak, has operated the Pacific Surfliner
Pacific Surfliner
The Pacific Surfliner is a Amtrak regional passenger train route serving communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo....
regional passenger train route (previously named the San Diegan
San Diegan
The San Diegan was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and a "workhorse" of the railroad. Its 126-mile route ran from Los Angeles, California south to San Diego. It was assigned train Nos. 70–79 The San Diegan was one of the named passenger trains of the...
until 2000) through Orange County. The route includes stops at eight stations in Orange County including San Clemente
San Clemente Pier (Amtrak station)
San Clemente Pier is a station on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner passenger train route and Metrolink's Orange County Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line located in San Clemente, California, United States. It is very lightly used and only a few trains per day stop at the station...
(selected trips), San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano (Amtrak station)
The San Juan Capistrano Depot is a train station in San Juan Capistrano, California, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system, and Metrolink, a commuter railroad.-History:...
, Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo
Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo (Metrolink station)
Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo is a station on the Inland Empire-Orange County and Orange County Lines of the Metrolink commuter rail system around Los Angeles, California.The station now serves as a limited Amtrak stop on the Pacific Surfliner route...
(selected trips), Irvine
Irvine (Amtrak station)
The Irvine Transportation Center is a passenger rail and bus terminal in Irvine, California, United States. Located on the southwest end of the decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, it is served by Amtrak California's Pacific Surfliner route, two Metrolink commuter rail lines, multiple...
, Santa Ana
Santa Ana (Amtrak station)
Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center is a passenger rail station and transportation center in Santa Ana, California. It is used by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink's Orange County Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains...
, Orange (selected trips), Anaheim
Anaheim (Amtrak station)
Anaheim is a train station in Anaheim, California, United States. It serves both Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego and Metrolink's Orange County Line from Los Angeles to Oceanside....
, Fullerton
Fullerton (Amtrak station)
The Fullerton Transportation Center is a passenger rail and bus station located in Fullerton, California, United States. It is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Southwest Chief trains, and Metrolink's 91 Line and Orange County Line trains...
.
Orange County's first public monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
line is undergoing environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
. This line will connect the Disneyland Resort, Convention Center, and Angel Stadium to the proposed ARTIC
Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center
The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center is a proposed transportation hub in the city of Anaheim, California. The project would be built on land owned by the City of Anaheim and the Orange County Transportation Authority and would serve to connect Orange County's bus network, the...
transportation hub, in the city of Anaheim. A streetcar line connecting Downtown Santa Ana to the Depot at Santa Ana is also in the environmental phase.
Sea
A car and passenger ferry service, the Balboa Island FerryBalboa Island Ferry
The Balboa Island Car Ferry is a ferry service in Newport Beach, California.The ferry boats travel under 1,000 feet from Balboa Island to the Balboa Peninsula and vice versa, reaching a top speed of four miles per hour. The speed limit in the harbor is 5 miles per hour, and the ferry docks about...
, comprising three ferries running every five minutes, operates within Newport Harbor between Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island
Balboa Island, Newport Beach, California
Balboa Island is an area of Newport Beach, California, actually comprising three modified or artificial islands in Newport Harbor: Balboa Island , the largest; the smaller Little Balboa Island to the east of Balboa Island, joined by a two-lane bridge; and the smallest Collins Island to the...
in Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
. The Catalina Flyer
Catalina Flyer
thumb|right|300px|The Catalina Flyer, with the [[Catalina Casino]] in the background.The Catalina Flyer is a 500 passenger catamaran ferry operated by Catalina Passenger Service....
connects the Balboa Peninsula to Avalon, California
Avalon, California
Avalon, or Avalon Bay, is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island of the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost city in Los Angeles County. Besides Avalon, the only other center of population on the island is the small unincorporated town of Two Harbors...
with daily round-trip passage through about nine months of the year. The Catalina Express
Catalina Express
The Catalina Express is a passenger ferry services that operates scheduled passenger service between Avalon and Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island and San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point on the California mainland....
connects Dana Point, California
Dana Point, California
-Climate:Dana Point enjoys a mild climate where temperatures tend to average around the 60's. The warmest month of the year is August with an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month is December with an average minimum temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit.-2010:The 2010...
to Avalon (with departures from two greater Long Beach, California ports also connecting to Two Harbors, California
Two Harbors, California
Two Harbors, colloquially known as "The Isthmus", is a small unincorporated island village on Santa Catalina Island, California with a population of 298 . It is the second center of population on the island, besides the city of Avalon. It is mainly a resort village. It has only one restaurant, one...
).
Air
Orange County's only major airport is John Wayne AirportJohn Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport is an airport in an unincorporated area in Orange County, California, with its mailing address in the city of Santa Ana, which is also the county seat, hence the International Air Transport Association airport code. The main entrance to the airport is off of MacArthur Blvd in...
. Although its abbreviation (SNA) refers to Santa Ana, the airport is in fact located in unincorporated territory surrounded by the cities of Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Irvine. Unincorporated Orange County (including the John Wayne Airport) has mailing addresses, which go through the Santa Ana Post Office. For this reason, SNA was chosen as the IATA Code for the airport. The actual Destination Moniker which appears on most Arrival/Departure Monitors in airports throughout the United States is "Orange County", which is the common nickname used for the OMB Metropolitan Designation: Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California
Santa Ana–Anaheim–Irvine, California is the metropolitan designation given to Orange County, California, United States, by the Office of Management and Budget . The OMB bases its names for metropolitan areas on their dominant cities...
. Its modern Thomas F. Riley Terminal handles over 9 million passengers annually through 14 different airlines.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Orange County had a population of 3,010,232. The racial makeup of Orange County was 1,830,758 (60.8%) White, 67,708 (2.2%) African American, 18,132 (0.6%) Native American, 537,804 (17.9%) Asian, 9,354 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 435,641 (14.5%) from other racesRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 127,799 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,012,973 persons (33.7%).
| Population reported at 2010 United States Census | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orange County, California Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County... |
Population |
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races Race (United States Census) Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are... |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
|
| Orange County Orange County, California Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County... |
3,010,232 | 1,830,758 | 67,708 | 18,132 | 537,804 | 9,354 | 435,641 | 127,799 | 1,012,973 |
cities |
Population |
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races Race (United States Census) Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are... |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
|
| Aliso Viejo Aliso Viejo, California Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000... |
47,823 | 34,437 | 967 | 151 | 6,996 | 89 | 2,446 | 2,737 | 8,164 |
| Anaheim Anaheim, California Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States... |
336,265 | 177,237 | 9,347 | 2,648 | 49,857 | 1,607 | 80,705 | 14,864 | 177,467 |
| Brea Brea, California Brea is a city in Orange County, California. The population, as of the 2010 Census was 39,282.The city began as a center of crude oil production, was later propelled by citrus production, and is now an important retail center because of the large Brea Mall and the recently redeveloped Brea Downtown... |
39,282 | 26,363 | 1,549 | 190 | 7,144 | 69 | 3,236 | 1,731 | 9,817 |
| Buena Park Buena Park, California Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa... |
80,530 | 36,454 | 3,073 | 862 | 21,488 | 455 | 14,066 | 4,132 | 31,638 |
| Costa Mesa Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light... |
109,960 | 75,335 | 1,640 | 686 | 8,654 | 527 | 17,992 | 5,126 | 39,403 |
| Cypress Cypress, California Cypress is a suburban city located in the northern region of Orange County within Southern California. Its population was 47,802 at the 2010 census.-History:... |
47,802 | 26,000 | 1,444 | 289 | 14,978 | 234 | 2,497 | 2,360 | 8,779 |
| Dana Point Dana Point, California -Climate:Dana Point enjoys a mild climate where temperatures tend to average around the 60's. The warmest month of the year is August with an average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month is December with an average minimum temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit.-2010:The 2010... |
33,351 | 28,701 | 294 | 229 | 1,064 | 37 | 1,952 | 1,074 | 5,662 |
| Fountain Valley Fountain Valley, California Fountain Valley is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 55,313 at the 2010 census. A classic bedroom community, Fountain Valley is a middle-class residential area.- History :... |
55,313 | 31,225 | 1,510 | 229 | 18,418 | 171 | 2,445 | 2,315 | 7,250 |
| Fullerton Fullerton, California Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway... |
135,161 | 72,845 | 4,138 | 842 | 30,788 | 321 | 21,439 | 5,788 | 46,501 |
| Garden Grove Garden Grove, California Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H... |
170,883 | 68,149 | 3,155 | 983 | 63,451 | 1,110 | 28,916 | 6,119 | 63,079 |
| Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population... |
189,992 | 145,661 | 1,813 | 992 | 21,070 | 635 | 11,193 | 8,628 | 32,411 |
| Irvine Irvine, California Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California... |
212,375 | 107,215 | 3,868 | 355 | 83,176 | 334 | 5,867 | 11,710 | 19,621 |
| La Habra La Habra, California La Habra is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. Its related city, La Habra Heights is located to the north of La Habra, and is in Los Angeles County.-Origin of name:... |
60,239 | 35,147 | 1,025 | 531 | 5,653 | 103 | 15,224 | 2,556 | 34,449 |
| La Palma La Palma, California La Palma is a city located in northern Orange County, California. Incorporated on October 26, 1955, the population was 15,408 at the 2000 census... |
15,568 | 5,762 | 802 | 56 | 7,483 | 41 | 760 | 664 | 2,487 |
| Laguna Beach Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana... |
22,723 | 20,645 | 278 | 61 | 811 | 15 | 350 | 663 | 1,650 |
| Laguna Hills Laguna Hills, California Laguna Hills is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. Its name refers to its proximity to Laguna Canyon and the much older Laguna Beach. Other newer cities nearby—Laguna Niguel and Laguna Woods—are similarly named.-Geography:... |
30,344 | 22,045 | 520 | 101 | 3,829 | 58 | 2,470 | 1,421 | 6,242 |
| Laguna Niguel Laguna Niguel, California Laguna Niguel is an affluent city located in southern Orange County, California. The name "Laguna Niguel" is derived from the Spanish word "Laguna" which means lagoon, and the word "Nigueli" which was the name of a Juaneño Indian village that was once located on Aliso Creek. The population was... |
62,979 | 50,625 | 877 | 219 | 5,459 | 87 | 3,019 | 2,793 | 8,761 |
| Laguna Woods Laguna Woods, California Laguna Woods is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 16,192 at the 2010 census, down from 16,507 at the 2000 census with a median age of 78. About 90% of the city consists of Laguna Woods Village, a retirement community, formerly known as Leisure World... |
16,192 | 14,133 | 110 | 24 | 1,624 | 10 | 90 | 201 | 650 |
| Lake Forest Lake Forest, California Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s... |
77,264 | 54,341 | 1,695 | 384 | 10,115 | 191 | 7,267 | 3,671 | 19,024 |
| Los Alamitos Los Alamitos, California Los Alamitos is a small city in Orange County, California. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,449 at the 2010 census, down from 11,536 at the 2000 census... |
11,449 | 8,131 | 324 | 51 | 1,471 | 50 | 726 | 696 | 2,418 |
| Mission Viejo Mission Viejo, California Mission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size... |
93,305 | 74,493 | 1,710 | 379 | 8,462 | 153 | 4,332 | 4,276 | 15,877 |
| Newport Beach Newport Beach, California Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings... |
85,186 | 74,357 | 616 | 223 | 5,982 | 114 | 1,401 | 2,493 | 6,174 |
| Orange Orange, California Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950... |
136,416 | 91,522 | 3,627 | 993 | 15,350 | 352 | 20,567 | 5,405 | 52,014 |
| Placentia Placentia, California -Local: Placentia is a Charter city with an elected city council and professional city manager. Placentia City Council*Mayor- Scott W. Nelson*Mayor Pro Tem- Jeremy Yamaguchi*Council Member- Joe Aquirre*Council Member- Constance Underhill... |
50,533 | 31,373 | 914 | 386 | 7,531 | 74 | 8,247 | 2,008 | 18,416 |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Rancho Santa Margarita, California Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations... |
47,853 | 37,421 | 887 | 182 | 4,350 | 102 | 2,674 | 2,237 | 8,902 |
| San Clemente San Clemente, California San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish... |
63,522 | 54,605 | 511 | 363 | 2,333 | 90 | 3,433 | 2,287 | 10,702 |
| San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano, California San Juan Capistrano is a city in southern Orange County, California, located approximately southeast of Downtown Santa Ana. The current OMB metropolitan designation for San Juan Capistrano and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA.” The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census,... |
34,593 | 26,664 | 293 | 286 | 975 | 33 | 5,234 | 1,208 | 13,388 |
| Santa Ana Santa Ana, California Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States.... |
324,528 | 148,838 | 6,356 | 3,260 | 34,138 | 976 | 120,789 | 11,671 | 253,928 |
| Seal Beach Seal Beach, California -Neighborhoods:Seal Beach encompasses the Leisure World retirement gated community with roughly 9,000 residents. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the U.S... |
24,168 | 20,154 | 279 | 65 | 2,309 | 58 | 453 | 850 | 2,331 |
| Stanton Stanton, California Stanton is a city located in western Orange County, California. The population was 38,186 at the 2010 census, up from 37,403 at the 2000 census. Like most of Orange County, it is more politically conservative compared to the rest of the state. The City was incorporated in 1956 and operates under... |
38,186 | 16,991 | 3,358 | 405 | 8,831 | 217 | 9,274 | 1,610 | 19,417 |
| Tustin Tustin, California -Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile... |
75,540 | 39,729 | 2,722 | 442 | 15,299 | 268 | 14,499 | 3,581 | 30,024 |
| Villa Park Villa Park, California Villa Park is a city in northern Orange County, California, near and surrounded by the City of Orange, and close to Anaheim Hills, that incorporated in 1962. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 5,812, down from 5,999 at the 2000 census, achieving the status of the smallest city in... |
5,812 | 4,550 | 92 | 34 | 854 | 1 | 162 | 169 | 598 |
| Westminster Westminster, California -Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively... |
89,701 | 32,037 | 2,849 | 397 | 42,597 | 361 | 10,229 | 3,231 | 21,176 |
| Yorba Linda Yorba Linda, California Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles.... |
64,234 | 48,246 | 835 | 230 | 10,030 | 85 | 2,256 | 2,552 | 9,220 |
places Census-designated place A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages... |
Population |
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races Race (United States Census) Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are... |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
|
| Coto de Caza Coto de Caza, California Coto de Caza is a census-designated place and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California. The population was 14,866 at the 2010 census, up from 13,057 at the 2000 census.... |
14,866 | 13,094 | 132 | 26 | 878 | 20 | 174 | 542 | 1,170 |
| Ladera Ranch Ladera Ranch, California Ladera Ranch is a census-designated place and a planned community located in south Orange County, California just outside the city limits of San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo.... |
22,980 | 17,899 | 335 | 54 | 2,774 | 27 | 624 | 1,267 | 2,952 |
| Las Flores Las Flores, California Las Flores is an unincorporated census-designated place in Orange County, California, located adjacent to the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, California. The population was 5,971 at the 2010 census, up from 5,625 at the 2000 census... |
5,971 | 4,488 | 91 | 23 | 780 | 12 | 261 | 316 | 984 |
| Midway City Midway City, California Midway City is a census-designated place located in Orange County, California. It is bordered by the cities of Westminster to its east and Huntington Beach to its west. It was so named because it is midway between Long Beach and Santa Ana. The population was 8,485 at the 2010 census.It is one of... |
8,485 | 2,884 | 71 | 65 | 3,994 | 40 | 1,165 | 266 | 2,467 |
| North Tustin | 24,917 | 20,836 | 148 | 104 | 1,994 | 52 | 908 | 875 | 3,260 |
| Rossmoor Rossmoor, California Rossmoor is an affluent planned census-designated place located in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 10,244, down from 10,298 at the 2000 census... |
10,244 | 8,691 | 84 | 36 | 838 | 29 | 168 | 398 | 1,174 |
| Sunset Beach Sunset Beach, California Sunset Beach is a beachfront community in Huntington Beach in Orange County, California. In 2011, it was annexed by Huntington Beach and is now part of that city. Prior to, it was a census-designated place, with a population of 971 at the 2010 census.... |
971 | 863 | 4 | 6 | 42 | 2 | 18 | 36 | 79 |
communities Unincorporated area In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government... |
Population |
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races Race (United States Census) Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are... |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
|
| All others not CDPs (combined) | 32,726 | 20,572 | 4,365 | 290 | 3,934 | 144 | 6,113 | 1,272 | 13,247 |
2006
According to Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey the racial or ethnic makeup of the county was 64.76% White, 16.05% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 1.72% African American, 0.38% Native American, 14.32% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. 32.89% of the population were Hispanic of any race. 30.49% of the population was foreign born.2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,846,289 people, 935,287 households, and 667,794 families residing in the county, making Orange County the second most populous county in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,392/km² (3,606/sq mi). There were 969,484 housing units at an average density of 474/km² (1,228/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 64.81% White, 13.59% Asian, 1.67% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 14.80% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.12% from two or more races. 30.76% are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.9% were of German, 6.9% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and 6.0% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 58.6% spoke only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at home; 25.3% spoke Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, 4.7% Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, 1.9% Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, 1.5% Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
(Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
or Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
) and 1.2% Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
.
In 1990, still according to the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
there were 2,410,556 people residing in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 78.60% White, 10.34% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.77% African American, 0.50% Native American, and 8.79% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
. 23.43% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Out of 935,287 households, 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
were living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.48.
Ethnic change has been transforming the population. By 2009, nearly 45 percent of the residents spoke a language other than English at home. Whites now comprise only 45 percent of the population, while the numbers of Hispanics grow steadily, along with Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese families. The percentage of foreign-born residents jumped to 30 percent in 2008 from 6 percent in 1970. The mayor of Irvine, Sukhee Kang, was born in Korea, making him the first Korean-American to run a major American city. “We have 35 languages spoken in our city,” Kang observed. The population is diverse age-wise, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $61,899, and the median income for a family was $75,700 (these figures had risen to $71,601 and $81,260 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,059 versus $34,026 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $25,826. About 7.0% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Residents of Orange County are known as "Orange Countians".
Average household income by community
Unincorporated communities are included if their population is greater than 15,000. These numbers are estimates from the 2005 CensusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
updates for these locales.
Numbers are approximate until a new Census occurs.
Business
Orange County is the headquarters of many Fortune 500 companies including Ingram MicroIngram Micro
Ingram Micro, Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and the world’s largest information technology distributor, providing sales, marketing and logistics services for the IT industry in all corners of the globe.-Overview:...
(#69) and First American Corporation
First American Corporation
First American Financial Corporation is a United States financial services company and is a leading provider of title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries....
(#312) in Santa Ana, Western Digital
Western Digital
Western Digital Corporation is one of the largest computer hard disk drive manufacturers in the world. It has a long history in the electronics industry as an integrated circuit maker and a storage products company. Western Digital was founded on April 23, 1970 by Alvin B...
(#439) in Lake Forest and Pacific Life
Pacific Life
Pacific Life Insurance Company is an insurance company providing life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers to individuals, businesses, and pension plans a variety of investment products and services. Pacific Life also counts more than half of the 100 largest U.S...
(#452) in Newport Beach. Irvine is the home of numerous start-up companies and also is the home of Fortune 1000 headquarters for Allergan
Allergan
Allergan, Inc., is a global specialty pharmaceutical company. Their product ranges include ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, dermatology products, and neurological products.-Profile:...
, Broadcom
Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...
, Edwards Lifesciences, Epicor
Epicor
Epicor Software Corporation is a company selling business software to the manufacturing, distribution, retail and services industries. Epicor claims to have more than 33,000 customers in over 150 countries...
, Standard Pacific and Sun Healthcare Group. Other Fortune 1000 companies in Orange County include Beckman Coulter
Beckman Coulter
Beckman Coulter Inc., is a company that makes biomedical laboratory instruments. Founded by Caltech professor Arnold O. Beckman in 1935 as National Technical Laboratories to commercialize a pH meter that he had invented, the company eventually grew to employ over 10,000 people, with $2.4 billion in...
in Brea, Quiksilver
Quiksilver
Quiksilver, Inc. , is an American company based in Huntington Beach, California, one of the world's largest manufacturers of surfwear and other boardsport-related equipment...
in Huntington Beach and Apria Healthcare Group in Lake Forest. Irvine is also the home of notable technology companies like PC-manufacturer Gateway Inc., router manufacturer Linksys
Linksys
Linksys by Cisco, commonly known as Linksys, is a brand of home and small office networking products now produced by Cisco Systems, though once a separate company founded in 1995 before being acquired by Cisco in 2003...
, and video/computer game creator Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
. Also, the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA
Mercedes-Benz Classic Center
The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center is the official Mercedes-Benz department for Mercedes-Benz classic car owners and enthusiasts. It was first opened on May 18, 1993 in Fellbach, just outside of Stuttgart...
is located in the City of Irvine. Many regional headquarters for international businesses reside in Orange County like Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
, Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
, Toyota, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Kia Motors
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
, in the City of Irvine, Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
in the City of Cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
, and Hyundai
Hyundai
Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...
in the City of Fountain Valley. Fashion is another important industry to Orange County. Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc.
Oakley, Inc., based in Foothill Ranch, California, makes sport equipment including sunglasses, sports visors, and ski goggles, as well as watches, clothing, bags, backpacks, shoes, prescription glasses, football and hockey eyewear, Golf gear and other accessories...
is headquartered in Lake Forest. Hurley International
Hurley International
Hurley International is a clothing company located in Costa Mesa, California founded by Bob Hurley. The company puts emphasis on skateboarding, surfing, music, and "fun"...
is headquartered in Costa Mesa. The shoe company Pleaser USA, Inc. is located in Fullerton. St. John is headquartered in Irvine. Wet Seal
Wet Seal
Wet Seal is a young women's clothing retailer headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California. It carries moderately priced brand name and company-designed apparel and accessories...
is headquartered in Lake Forest
Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...
. PacSun is headquartered in Anaheim. Restaurants such as Del Taco
Del Taco
Del Taco is a North American fast food restaurant chain which specializes in American-style Mexican cuisine as well as American foods such as burgers, fries, and shakes...
, Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
, El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in Mexican grilled chicken, headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. "El Pollo Loco" is Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken".Their main dish is pollo asado, a grilled marinated chicken...
, In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is a regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations in the western United States. Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, establishing the first In-N-Out burger in Baldwin Park and headquartered in Irvine, California, In-N-Out Burger has since expanded outside...
, Claim Jumper
Claim Jumper
Claim Jumper is a restaurant chain headquartered in Irvine, California with 45 locations in Arizona, California, Illinois, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Wisconsin and Oregon. Founder Craig Nickoloff opened the first Claim Jumper Restaurant in Los Alamitos, California in 1977...
, Marie Callender's
Marie Callender's
Marie Callender’s is a restaurant chain with 74 locations in seven western states. One East Side Mario’s restaurant also is part of the chain, a remnant of the period when the chain owned the ESM concept, purchased from Pepsico....
, Wienerschnitzel
Wienerschnitzel
Wienerschnitzel is an American fast food chain founded in 1961 that specializes in hot dogs, but is currently expanding to other items. Wienerschnitzel locations are found almost exclusively in California and Texas, though others are located in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico,...
, have headquarters in the City of Irvine as well.
Shopping
Orange County contains several notable shopping malls. Among these are South Coast PlazaSouth Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza is an upscale-luxury shopping center in Costa Mesa, California, USA, in Orange County. The largest mall in California, its sales of over 1.5 billion are highest in the United States...
(the largest mall in California, and the third largest in the United States) in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
and Fashion Island
Fashion Island
Fashion Island is an upscale open-air lifestyle center in Newport Beach, California . Fashion Island is owned by The Irvine Company.-History:...
in Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
. Other significant malls include the Brea Mall
Brea Mall
The Brea Mall is a shopping mall located in the Orange County city of Brea, California. Since 1998 the mall has been owned and operated by the Simon Property Group. It is home to four major department stores, over 175 specialty shops and boutiques, and a food court. It is approximately 1,310,000...
, MainPlace Santa Ana, The Shops at Mission Viejo
The Shops at Mission Viejo
The Shops at Mission Viejo is an upscale shopping mall located in Mission Viejo, California. It is the southernmost mall in Orange County and features major stores including Nordstrom, Macy*s, Tommy Bahama, Apple Store, Williams-Sonoma, and Coach. Recent additions to the mall include Zara,...
, The Outlets at Orange, the Irvine Spectrum Center
Irvine Spectrum Center
The Irvine Spectrum Center is a large outdoor shopping mall on the south-east edge of Irvine, California, centered on a large Edwards 21 Cinemas movie theater. Built over a 10-year period, the first phase of the mall opened in 1995, with the second phase following soon after in 1998. The third...
, and Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney (California)
Downtown Disney is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment area, also known as a "shoppertainment center", located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, United States...
.
Tourism
Tourism remains a vital aspect of Orange County's economy. AnaheimAnaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
is the main tourist hub, with the Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...
's Disneyland being the second most visited theme park in the world. Also Knotts Berry Farm which gets about 7 million visitors annually located in the city of Buena Park
Buena Park
Buena Park is the name of two places in the United States:*Buena Park, California*Buena Park, Chicago, Illinois...
. The Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim Convention Center
The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...
receives many major conventions throughout the year. Resorts within the Beach Cities receive visitors throughout the year due to their close proximity to the beach, biking paths, mountain hiking trails, golf courses, shopping and dining.
Tallest buildings
| City | Structure | Height (feet) | Stories | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana | One Broadway Plaza One Broadway Plaza One Broadway Plaza is a 37-story office tower expected to be built in downtown Santa Ana, California. The building is to be the tallest in Orange County, at 497 feet tall. Site preparation began in 2005 but the project was stalled until 2010. As of late 2011 it is considered to be under... |
497 | 37 | Under Construction |
| Anaheim | Platinum triangle tower 1 | N/A | 35 | Proposed |
| Santa Ana | Broadway plaza condominium tower | 476 | 34 | Proposed |
| Santa Ana | City Place Residential Tower | N/A | 33 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Pacific Arts Plaza 1 | 315 | N/A | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Pacific Arts Plaza 2 | 315 | N/A | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Segerstrom Town Center | 315 | 21 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Orange County Museum Of Art Tower | 315 | N/A | Proposed |
| Anaheim | Platinum tower | 320 | 20 | Proposed |
| Anaheim | Platinum triangle tower 2 | N/A | 24 | Proposed |
| Anaheim | Platinum triangle tower 3 | N/A | 24 | Proposed |
| Anaheim | Platinum triangle tower 4 | N/A | 23 | Proposed |
| Anaheim | Platinum triangle tower 5 | N/A | 23 | Proposed |
| Anaheim | Platinum triangle tower 6 | N/A | 23 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Center Tower | 285 | 21 | 1985 |
| Costa Mesa | Plaza Tower | 282 | 21 | 1992 |
| Costa Mesa | Bristol and Sunflower | 282 | 21 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | The Californian at Town Center 1 | N/A | 25 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | The Californian at Town Center 2 | N/A | 25 | Proposed |
| Irvine | Park Place Tower | N/A | 20 | 2007 |
| Santa Ana | Macarthur Skyline Tower 1 | 278 | 25 | 2009 |
| Santa Ana | Macarthur Skyline Tower 2 | 278 | 25 | 2009 |
| Santa Ana | Macarthur Skyline Tower 3 | 278 | 25 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Symphony tower 1 | N/A | 24 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Symphony tower 2 | N/A | 24 | Proposed |
| Orange | City Tower | 269 | 21 | 1988 |
| Irvine | Jamboree Center, 5 Park Plaza | 263 | 19 | 1990 |
| Irvine | Jamboree Center, 4 Park Plaza | 263 | 19 | 1990 |
| Irvine | Jamboree Center, 3 Park Plaza | 263 | 19 | 1990 |
| Irvine | Edison International Tower | 263 | 19 | N/A |
| Santa Ana | Cabrillo tower 1 | 262 | 22 | Proposed |
| Santa Ana | Cabrillo tower 2 | 262 | 22 | Proposed |
| Santa Ana | promenade Pointe | N/A | 18 | Proposed |
| Costa Mesa | Two Town Center III | N/A | 18 | Proposed |
| Irvine | Opus Center Irvine II | 246 | 14 | 2002 |
| Irvine | Wells Fargo Center | 230 | 18 | 1990 |
| Orange | Doubletree Hotel Anaheim | N/A | 20 | 1986 |
| Newport Beach | The Island Hotel (Formerly the Four Seasons) | N/A | 20 | 1986 |
| Orange | City Plaza | N/A | 18 | N/A |
| Newport Beach | 610 Tower | N/A | 18 | N/A |
| Costa Mesa | Park Tower | 240 | 17 | 1979 |
| Irvine | Waterfield Tower (formerly Tower 17) | 220 | 17 | 1987 |
| Newport Beach | 660 Tower | N/A | 17 | N/A |
| Newport Beach | 620 Tower | N/A | 17 | 1970 |
| Irvine | Irvine Marriott (Koll Center Irvine) | N/A | 17 | N/A |
| Anaheim | Anaheim Marriot, Palms Tower | N/A | 19 | N/A |
| Costa Mesa | Westin South Coast Plaza | N/A | 17 | N/A |
| Orange | 1100 Executive Tower | 210 | 16 | N/A |
| Santa Ana | Xerox Centre | N/A | 16 | 1988 |
| Newport Beach | Marriott Newport Beach Hotel | N/A | 16 | N/A |
| Irvine | 2600 Michelson | N/A | 16 | N/A |
| Garden Grove | Hyatt Regency Orange County | N/A | 16 | 1987 |
| Anaheim | Anaheim Marriott, Oasis Tower | N/A | 16 | N/A |
| Costa Mesa | DiTech.com Tower (Two Town Center) | 213 | 15 | N/A |
| Costa Mesa | Comerica Bank Tower (Two Town Center) | 213 | 15 | N/A |
| Buena Park | Supreme Scream Supreme Scream Supreme Scream is a vertical ascending and descending amusement thrill ride located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA, USA and was designed and manufactured by S&S Power, Inc... (amusement ride) |
312 | N/A | N/A |
| Anaheim | The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, more commonly known as Tower of Terror, is a drop tower thrill ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios , Disney California Adventure Park, Tokyo DisneySea and Walt Disney Studios Park . It is based upon the television show The Twilight Zone... (amusement ride) |
183 | --- | 2004 |
| Anaheim | Anaheim Convention Center |
Points of interest
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
and 42 miles (68 km) of year-round beaches attract millions of tourists annually. Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
is a hot spot for sunbathing and surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
; nicknamed "Surf City, U.S.A.", it is home to many surfing competitions. "The Wedge
The Wedge (surfing)
The Wedge is a world-famous surfing and bodysurfing spot located at the extreme east end of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. During a south swell of the right size and direction, the Wedge can produce huge waves up to high....
", at the tip of The Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, is one of the most famous body surfing spots in the world.
Other tourist destinations include the theme parks Disneyland
Disneyland Park (Anaheim)
Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...
and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
and Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
in Buena Park
Buena Park, California
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
. Since the 2011 closure of Wild Rivers in Irvine, the county is home to just one water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
: Soak City
Knott's Soak City
Knott's Soak City is a chain of three seasonal water parks owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and located in Southern California.Soak City U.S.A in Orange County opened in 1999. Located East across Beach Blvd...
in Buena Park. The Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim Convention Center
The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...
is the largest such facility on the West Coast. The old town area in the City of Orange (the traffic circle at the middle of Chapman Ave. at Glassell) still maintains its 1950s image, and appeared in the That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the quick rise and fall of a one-hit wonder rock band...
movie.
Little Saigon is another tourist destination, being home to the largest concentration of Vietnamese people
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
outside of Vietnam. There are also sizable Taiwanese, Chinese, and Korean communities, particularly in western Orange County. This is evident in several Asian-influenced shopping centers in Asian American hubs like the city of Irvine.
Historical points of interest include Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano was a Spanish mission in Southern California, located in present-day San Juan Capistrano. It was founded on All Saints Day November 1, 1776, by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order...
, the renowned destination of migrating swallows. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is in Yorba Linda
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
and the Richard Nixon Birthplace
Richard Nixon Birthplace
The Richard Nixon Birthplace is where Richard Nixon was born and lived from 1913 to 1922. It was built in 1913 in the California style with "Bungaloid elements" by his father, Francis A...
home, located on the grounds of the Library, is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
's yacht, the Wild Goose or USS YMS-328, is in Newport Beach. Other notable structures include the home of Madame Helena Modjeska
Helena Modjeska
Helena Modjeska Helena Modjeska Helena Modjeska (October 12, 1840 – April 8, 1909, whose actual Polish surname was Modrzejewska , was a renowned actress who specialized in Shakespearean and tragic roles.Modjeska was the mother of Polish-American bridge engineer Ralph Modjeski....
, located in Modjeska Canyon on Santiago Creek
Santiago Creek
Santiago Creek is a major watercourse in Orange County in the U.S. state of California. About long, it drains most of the northern Santa Ana Mountains and is a tributary to the Santa Ana River...
; Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, the largest building in the county; the historic Balboa Pavilion
Balboa Pavilion
The Balboa Pavilion in Newport Beach, Orange County, California, is a state landmark. Established on July 1, 1906, the Balboa Pavilion played a prominent role in the development of Newport Beach by attracting real estate buyers to an area formerly designated as “swamp and overflow” land.The Balboa...
in Newport Beach; and the Huntington Beach Pier. The county has nationally known centers of worship, such as Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, the largest house of worship in California; Saddleback Church
Saddleback Church
Saddleback Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church was founded in 1980 by pastor Rick Warren...
in Lake Forest
Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...
, one of the largest churches in the United States; and the Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is an evangelical association of Christian churches with over one thousand congregations worldwide. Calvary Chapel also maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs. It presents itself as a "fellowship of...
.
Since the premiere in fall 2003 of the hit Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, and the 2007 Bravo series "The Real Housewives of Orange County
The Real Housewives of Orange County
The Real Housewives of Orange County is a reality television program on the Bravo network. It is the first and seminal installation in the The Real Housewives of... series...
" tourism has increased with travelers from across the globe hoping to see the sights seen in the show.
Orange County has some of the most exclusive and expensive neighborhoods in the U.S., many along the Orange Coast
Orange Coast
The Orange Coast is the string of cities and neighborhoods fronting the Pacific Coast in Orange County, California. The most significant cities from north to south are Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and San Clemente...
, and some in north Orange County.
Religion
Orange County is the base for several significant religious organizations:- The Roman Catholic Diocese of OrangeRoman Catholic Diocese of OrangeThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church whose territory comprises the whole of Orange County, California, in the United States...
headed by Bishop Tod BrownTod David BrownTod David Brown is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the third and current Bishop of Orange.- Biography :...
. There are about 1.04 million Catholics in Orange County. - Chuck SmithChuck Smith (pastor)Charles Ward “Chuck” Smith, , is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and the founder of the Calvary Chapel movement...
, early leader in the Jesus People movementJesus movementThe Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
and founder of Calvary ChapelCalvary ChapelCalvary Chapel is an evangelical association of Christian churches with over one thousand congregations worldwide. Calvary Chapel also maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs. It presents itself as a "fellowship of...
in Costa MesaCosta Mesa, CaliforniaCosta Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
. - Reverend Robert Schuller's Crystal CathedralCrystal CathedralThe Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
is in Garden GroveGarden Grove, CaliforniaGarden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
. - Trinity Broadcasting NetworkTrinity Broadcasting NetworkThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
began as Channel 40 in TustinTustin, California-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
, now in Costa Mesa. - The Purpose Driven LifeThe Purpose Driven LifeThe Purpose Driven Life is a devotional book written by Christian author Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. The book has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for advice books for one of the longest periods in history, while also topping the Wall Street Journal best seller charts as...
author Rick WarrenRick WarrenRichard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
and his Saddleback ChurchSaddleback ChurchSaddleback Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church was founded in 1980 by pastor Rick Warren...
(the largest church in California) are in Lake ForestLake Forest, CaliforniaLake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...
. - The Vineyard Christian Fellowship movement began in Orange County.
- Family International, also known as "The Children of God", was founded in 1968 in Huntington BeachHuntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
by David BergDavid BergDavid Brandt Berg , frequently known by the pseudonym Moses David, was the founder and leader of the New Religious Movement formerly called Children of God, now called "The Family International".-Early years :Berg was born to Hjalmer Emmanuel Berg and Rev...
. - Monasteries of the Vedanta Society and St. Michael's AbbeySt. Michael's Abbey (Orange County, California)Saint Michael's Abbey is a monastery of Roman Catholic Canons Regular of the Order of Premontre in Silverado, Orange County, California.The members of the community combine a monastic-style life with the active ministry of ordained priests....
are located in Trabuco CanyonTrabuco Canyon, CaliforniaTrabuco Canyon is a small unincorporated community located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California, and lies partly within the Cleveland National Forest.Trabuco Canyon is north of the town of Rancho Santa Margarita...
. - Pao Fa TemplePao Fa TemplePao Fa Temple is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries and Buddhist temples in the United States. It is located in Irvine, California. It mainly attracts Chinese American and Vietnamese American Buddhists, including many who are students at the University of California, Irvine.The Taiwan-born...
in Irvine is one of the largest BuddhistBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monasteries and temples in the United States. - The Newport Beach California TempleNewport Beach California TempleThe Newport Beach California Temple is the 122nd temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple was announced on April 21, 2001 and dedicated by Gordon B. Hinckley on August 28, 2005...
, one of four temples operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southern California. - The Islamic Center of IrvineIslamic Center of IrvineThe Islamic Center of Irvine was founded by the local Muslim community in the city of Irvine, California on August 28, 2004. One of the largest Muslim congregations in California, an estimated 5,000 worshipers attend their weekly programs...
- Living Stream Ministry based out of Anaheim.
Literature
A number of novels by best-selling fiction and horror author Dean KoontzDean Koontz
Dean Ray Koontz is a prolific American author best known for his novels which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, and satire. A number of his books have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, with...
, a resident of Newport Beach, are set in the area.
Several of the stories in Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning author Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon born May 24, 1963) is an American author and "one of the most celebrated writers of his generation", according to The Virginia Quarterly Review....
's collection, A Model World, are set in Orange County. Chabon studied creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
at UC Irvine.
Orange County is the place in which Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer known for his award-winning Mars trilogy. His work delves into ecological and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the fifteen years of research...
's Three Californias Trilogy
Three Californias Trilogy
The Three Californias Trilogy consists of three books by Kim Stanley Robinson, that depict three different possible futures of Orange County, California. The three books that make up the trilogy are The Wild Shore, The Gold Coast and Pacific Edge...
is set. These books depict three different futures of Orange County (survivors of a nuclear war in The Wild Shore, a developer's dream gone mad in The Gold Coast, and an ecotopian utopia in Pacific Edge). Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
's novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
A Scanner Darkly
A Scanner Darkly
A Scanner Darkly is a BSFA Award winning 1977 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. The semi-autobiographical story is set in a dystopian Orange County, California, in the then-future of June 1994...
was also set in Orange County.
From his first novel, "Laguna Heat," to more recent books such as "California Girl," mystery-writer T. Jefferson Parker has set many of his novels in Orange County.
The modern fantasy novel "All the Bells on Earth" by James P. Blaylock is set in Orange
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
.
The classic novel "Two Years Before the Mast" by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. describes journeys along the California coast in the early 19th century and the trading of goods for cow hides with the local residents. The south Orange County city of Dana Point takes its name from the author, as the cliffs around the harbor were a favorite location of his.
San Juan Capistrano is also the home of the first Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
novellas. It was first called Curse of Capistrano, but was later changed to the Mask of Zorro due to the popularity of the movie.
In popular culture
Orange County has been the setting for numerous films and television shows:- The movie "Beaches" starring Bette Midler and Barbra Hershey was filmed at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Coast.
- The opening scene of Gilligan's IslandGilligan's IslandGilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
that shows the S.S. Minnow leaving the harbor was in Newport Beach. - The best known portrayal is as the setting of the popular 2003 Fox Network television dramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
The O.C.The O.C.The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
which is set in the Orange County coastal harbor town of Newport Beach. - It is the subject and setting of the eponymous 2002 movie Orange County. However, the film was not actually filmed in Orange County.
- It is also the setting of the 2003 sitcom Arrested Development. Most of the series was not filmed in Orange County, but in Culver City and Marina del Rey in Los Angeles County. A running joke in the series that pokes fun at The O.C.The O.C.The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
is that characters will frequently refer to Orange County as "The O.C.," followed by another character's saying, "Don't call it that" (mirroring the fact that Orange County residents rarely if ever use the term "The O.C.", but rather just, "O.C."). - The closing scene in Rain ManRain ManRain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...
with Dustin HoffmanDustin HoffmanDustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
and Tom CruiseTom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
was shot at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center. - The film Better Luck TomorrowBetter Luck TomorrowBetter Luck Tomorrow is a 2002 crime-drama film directed by Justin Lin. The movie is about Asian American overachievers who become bored with their lives and enter a world of petty crime and material excess...
was shot and set in the cities of Cypress and Anaheim - The University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, IrvineThe University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, has been used in many films, most notably Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
; others include Conquest of the Planet of the ApesConquest of the Planet of the ApesConquest of the Planet of the Apes is a 1972 science fiction film directed by J. Lee Thompson. It is the fourth of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs. It explores how the apes rebelled from mankind's ill treatment following Escape from the Planet of...
and Poltergeist (film) - The film AcceptedAcceptedAccepted is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Steve Pink and written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, and Mark Perez. The main plot centers around a group of would-be college freshmen who, after being rejected from all the colleges and universities to which they had applied, proceed to create...
had Harmon University shot in Chapman UniversityChapman UniversityChapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California affiliated with the Christian Church . Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media...
in OrangeOrange, CaliforniaSouthern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
. - The film Life as a HouseLife as a HouseLife as a House is a 2001 American drama film produced and directed by Irwin Winkler. The screenplay by Mark Andrus focuses on a man who is anxious to repair his relationship with his ex-wife and teenaged son after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer....
was set in Laguna Beach, although it was filmed in Los Angeles County. - The film BrickBrick (film)Brick is a 2005 American neo-noir film written and directed by Rian Johnson. It was Johnson's directorial debut and won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival...
was shot and set in San Clemente - MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange CountyLaguna Beach: The Real Orange CountyLaguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
was filmed in the Orange County coastal town of Laguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
. - MTV's Newport Harbor: The Real Orange CountyNewport Harbor: The Real Orange CountyNewport Harbor: The Real Orange County, also known simply as Newport Harbor, is the replacement show of MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Just like its predecessor, the show documents the lives of several teenagers living in Newport Beach, California, a beachside community located in...
was filmed in the Orange County coastal town of Newport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
. - MTV's Life of RyanLife of RyanLife of Ryan is a reality show following the life of pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. Each episode is 22 minutes long and follows Ryan, his family, and friends through the various twists and turns of life as a skater. Most episodes were filmed in and around the Sheckler household in San Clemente,...
is a reality[1] show following the life of pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. The title of the show is a play on Monty Python's Life of BrianMonty Python's Life of BrianMonty Python's Life of Brian, also known as Life of Brian, is a 1979 British comedy film written, directed and largely performed by the Monty Python comedy team...
, filmed in and around the Sheckler household in San Clemente, California. - A key scene in the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of KazakhstanBorat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of KazakhstanBorat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
was shot and set at The Block at OrangeThe Block at OrangeThe Outlets at Orange is an open-air shopping mall developed by The Mills Corporation and now owned jointly by The Mills, A Simon Company,, Faralon Capital and KanAm, in Orange, California, a few miles southeast of Disneyland near the heart of the Orange Crush interchange...
in the city of OrangeOrange, CaliforniaSouthern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
. - The Christian Slater film Gleaming the CubeGleaming the CubeGleaming the Cube is an American movie released in 1989. It featured Christian Slater as Brian Kelly, a 16-year-old skateboarder investigating the death of his adopted Vietnamese brother.The Skating Technical Advisor for the film was original Z-Boy, Stacy Peralta...
was set in Orange County and filmed in several cities, such as Anaheim, Woodbridge High School in Irvine, and John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. - A plot line in the televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
drama The West WingThe West Wing (TV series)The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
involved a dead liberal DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
unexpectedly winning a Congressional seatUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from an Orange County district. - Orange County is the home of the late Republican President Teddy Bridges on the (now canceled) ABC drama Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief (TV series)Commander in Chief is an American drama television series that focused on the fictional administration and family of Mackenzie Allen , the first female President of the United States, who ascends to the role from the Vice Presidency after the death of the sitting President from a sudden cerebral...
. - Sayid JarrahSayid JarrahSayid Hassan Jarrah is a character from the ABC show Lost portrayed by Naveen Andrews.-Season 1:Sayid fixes the transceiver recovered from the cockpit, and leads a group into the jungle in order to send out a distress signal. Instead, he picks up a looping message . He tries to locate the...
from the ABC drama LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
was bound to go to Irvine, where his longtime friend Nadia lives. John LockeJohn Locke (Lost)John Locke is a fictional character played by Terry O'Quinn on the ABC television series Lost. He is named after English philosopher John Locke...
, another castaway from the series, is said to have lived most of his life in TustinTustin, California-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
. Also LibbyLibby (Lost)Libby is a fictional character on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. She is played by American actress Cynthia Watros...
told DesmondDesmond HumeDesmond David Hume is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost portrayed by Henry Ian Cusick. Desmond's name is a tribute to David Hume, the famous empiricist author and philosopher. Desmond was not a passenger of Flight 815. He had been stranded on the island three years prior to...
that she is from Newport Beach. - Orange County was the location of the 1994 Charlie SheenCharlie SheenCarlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
movie The Chase; the movie, however, was mostly filmed in Houston. - The Park Place, Irvine corporate mall was the location for futuristic scenes in the 1993 film Demolition ManDemolition Man (film)Demolition Man is a 1993 American, science fiction action film directed by Marco Brambilla, and starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, and Denis Leary co-star....
starring Sylvester StalloneSylvester StalloneMichael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
and Wesley SnipesWesley SnipesWesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
. - The 2006 film A Scanner DarklyA Scanner Darkly (film)A Scanner Darkly is a 2006 science fiction thriller directed by Richard Linklater based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick. The film tells the story of identity and deception in a near-future dystopia constantly under intrusive high-technology police surveillance in the midst of a drug...
was set in the city of Anaheim. A freeway scene was shot along the Northbound I-5 in TustinTustin, California-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
. - The show The Real Housewives of Orange CountyThe Real Housewives of Orange CountyThe Real Housewives of Orange County is a reality television program on the Bravo network. It is the first and seminal installation in the The Real Housewives of... series...
is filmed in Coto De Caza. - Costa Mesa is the setting for The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
episode "Hungry". - In the 2001 film The Fast and the FuriousThe Fast and the Furious (2001 film)The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
, the scene when the Johnny Tran and his gang catch up with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker blowing up their car was filmed in Little SaigonLittle SaigonLittle Saigon is a name given to any of several overseas Vietnamese immigrant and descendant communities outside Vietnam, usually in the United States...
, WestminsterWestminster, California-Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively...
. - In season six of the HBO drama The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
while in a coma Tony Soprano dreams he is a businessman in Costa Mesa. - The chase scene at the beginning of the Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
movie Kindergarten CopKindergarten CopKindergarten Cop is a 1990 American comedy thriller film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger stars as John Kimble, a tough police detective, who must go undercover as a kindergarten teacher to catch drug dealer Cullen Crisp , before Crisp can get to his...
was filmed at Main Place Mall in Santa Ana. - In "The Incredible Mr. Brisby" episode of The Venture Bros.The Venture Bros.The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
, Hank and Dean Venture Travel to the fictional theme park Brisby Land, a spoof on Disney Land. During the episode, radical Orange County Natives known as the Orange County Liberation Front launch a full-scale assault on the Brisby Land compound out of revenge for the ever increasing size of the Park. Members of the OCLF are easily identified by their helmets that resemble enormous oranges. - The shuttle bay scenes for the 2009 Star Trek movie were shot in the Tustin MCAF Blimp Hangars.
- A Skanner Darkly The main Character is portrayed as an Undercover Narcotics Agent for Orange County
- Scenes from Starship TroopersStarship TroopersStarship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
were filmed at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley - A majority of the 2002 Nickelodeon Film "Clockstoppers" was shot in Old Town Orange, CA.
- The moon walk scenes of the 1998 HBO mini-series "From The Earth To The Moon", were shot in the Tustin MCAF Blimp Hangers.
- The opening scene for the movie Hancock with Will Smith was shot in Costa Mesa
Orange County has also been used as a shooting location for several films and television programs. Examples of movies at least partially shot in Orange County are Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
' That Thing You Do, the Coen Brothers
Coen Brothers
Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
' The Man Who Wasn't There
The Man Who Wasn't There
The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Alexi-Malle and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon...
, and the Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
movie Big Momma's House
Big Momma's House
Big Momma's House is a 2000 American crime comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell, written by Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer, and starring Martin Lawrence as FBI agent Malcolm Turner. The majority of the film took place in Cartersville, Georgia, but the film was shot on location in California. The...
. All three of which were filmed in or around the Old Towne Plaza in the City of Orange. The Reality Television show The Real Housewives of
The Real Housewives of Orange County
The Real Housewives of Orange County is a reality television program on the Bravo network. It is the first and seminal installation in the The Real Housewives of... series...
series started in Orange County.
Sports
Huntington BeachHuntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
annually plays host to the U.S. Open of Surfing
U.S. Open of Surfing
The U.S. Open of Surfing is a week-long surfing competition held annually during the summer in Huntington Beach, California. Generally held on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, the U.S...
, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball
Association of Volleyball Professionals
The Association of Volleyball Professionals, or AVP, is a beach volleyball tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October....
and Vans World Championship of Skateboarding. It was also the shooting location for Pro Beach Hockey
Pro Beach Hockey
Pro Beach Hockey was a professional inline hockey league. It lasted three seasons, 1998, 1999 and 2000.PBH games were played with a ball instead of a puck on an outdoor rink on the beach at Huntington Beach, California. The season lasted slightly less than two months in the early summer. Games...
. USA Water Polo
United States women's national water polo team
The United States women's national water polo team represents the United States in international women's water polo competitions and friendly matches. It is one of the leading teams in the world since the late 1990s....
, Inc. has moved its headquarter offices to Huntington Beach. Orange County's active outdoor culture is home to many surfers, skateboarders, mountain bikers, cyclists, climbers, hikers, kayaking, sailing and sand volleyball.
Sports teams
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team in Orange County is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. In 2005, new owner Joey Deal wanted to change the name to "Los Angeles Angels" in order to better tap into the Los Angeles media market, the second largest in the country. However, the standing agreement with the city of Anaheim demanded that they have "Anaheim" in the name, so they became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This name change was hotly disputed by the city of Anaheim, but the change stood and still stands today, which prompted a lawsuit
City of Anaheim v. Angels Baseball LP
City of Anaheim v. Angels Baseball LP is a lawsuit filed in Orange County, California Superior Court by the city of Anaheim, California against the owners of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League Baseball franchise, concerning the team's official name...
by the city of Anaheim against Angels owner Arte Moreno, won by Moreno. It has been widely unpopular in Orange County,.
The county's National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
team, the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, won the 2007 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
beating the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. They also came close to winning the 2003 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals after winning three games in a seven-game series against the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The Anaheim Bolts of the Professional Arena Soccer League
Professional Arena Soccer League
The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA ....
started in 2011, and play at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena, a facility that was used for the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
and many College Basketball tournaments.
The Orange County Flyers are a North American League
North American League
The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...
Baseball team based in Fullerton, California. The league is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Flyers were sold on March 21, 2007 to an Orange County investment group, making them the first Golden Baseball League team to ever be sold. Before their sale, the Flyers were called the Fullerton Flyers, but on March 28, 2007 they became the Orange County Flyers; they kept their team colors (blue and orange) and home games are still played at Cal State Fullerton's Goodwin Field.
The Orange County Blue Star
Orange County Blue Star
Orange County Blue Star is an American soccer team based in Irvine, California, United States. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.The team plays its home games at...
is a USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
soccer club. They play at Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College is a community college in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides two-year associate of art and science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges...
. Among those who have played for OCBS are Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
, the former German star and Germany's 2006 World Cup coach, who played under an assumed name.
Since 2006, the Orange County Roller Girls, a flat track league, has been competing against teams from up and down the great state of California and across the Country. In 2010 they built the 9th banked track to compete at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena.
The Orange County Outlaws are a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team formed in 2010, they play their home games at LeBard Stadium
LeBard Stadium
LeBard Stadium is located on the Orange Coast College campus. The stadium is part of the OCC athletics complex which also includes:the 1,700-seat Basil H. Peterson Gymnasium the Doc Mason Fieldhouse an outdoor swimming facility 12 tennis courts...
, Costa Mesa. They are a developing team in the USA Rugby League
USA Rugby League
The USA Rugby League is a semi-professional rugby league football competition based in the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by clubs that had broken with the established American National Rugby League , plus expansion franchises...
and will become a full member team in 2012.
The Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
basketball team of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
are widely believed to be planning a move to Anaheim in the near future.
Former and defunct sports teams
Professional baseball made a brief appearance in Orange County during the post World War II boom in minor league ball when the Anaheim Valencias of the Class C Sunset LeagueSunset League
The Sunset League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1947 through 1950. For the 1951 season, the league merged with the Arizona-Texas League to form the Southwest International League.- Former :...
played the 1947 and 1948 seasons with La Palma Park as their home field. Future Fullerton High School baseball coach Bud Dawson was the Vals' shortstop.
In the late 1950s (c.1957-59) the Orange County Rhinos, a semi-pro football team, played their home games at La Palma Park in Anaheim.
The National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
football left the county when the Los Angeles Rams relocated to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1995. Anaheim city leaders are in talks with the NFL to bring a Los Angeles-area franchise to Orange County, though they are competing with other cities in and around Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
played some home games at The Arrowhead Pond, now known as the Honda Center, from 1994 to 1999, before moving to Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
, which they share with the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
The California Surf
California Surf
The California Surf were a soccer club based in Anaheim, California who played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1981. Their home field was Anaheim Stadium.They originally were the St. Louis Stars...
played in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
from 1978 to 1981. The club called Anaheim Stadium home.
Another soccer franchise, the California Sunshine of the Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in the late 1970s played games in Orange
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
and Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium). Their team office was in Villa Park
Villa Park, California
Villa Park is a city in northern Orange County, California, near and surrounded by the City of Orange, and close to Anaheim Hills, that incorporated in 1962. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 5,812, down from 5,999 at the 2000 census, achieving the status of the smallest city in...
.
The Los Angeles Salsa
Los Angeles Salsa
The Los Angeles Salsa was an American Professional Soccer League franchise. The club played on the campus of California State University, Fullerton at Titan Stadium in a suburb of Orange County, California...
played at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Stadium in 1993–94 in the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
(APSL), at the time the top soccer league in the U.S. The Salsa, whose general manager was former Cosmos star Ricky Davis
Ricky Davis
Tyree Ricardo Davis , better known as Ricky Davis, is an American professional basketball player.-Biography:...
and its coach former Brazil star Rildo Menezes, also played some games at East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College is a community college of the Los Angeles Community College District in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park. Fourteen communities comprise its primary service area...
in Monterey Park
Monterey Park, California
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
, California, and Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo, California attempting a season in Mexico's second-tier Primera A Division. That attempt was cancelled after several games when FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
ruled a club could not play in two leagues in separate countries. The Salsa lost to the Colorado Foxes
Colorado Foxes
The Colorado Foxes were a professional soccer team, based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the APSL between 1990 and 1997. The Foxes won two APSL titles, in 1992 and 1993. When Major League Soccer started and the Colorado Rapids became the region's premier team, the Foxes tried to stay...
in the 1993 APSL final at Cal State Fullerton.
The Orange County Zodiac, affiliated with MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, played soccer at Santa Ana Stadium (also known as Santa Ana Bowl) and Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College is a community college in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides two-year associate of art and science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges...
from 1997 to 2000.
The Anaheim Arsenal
Anaheim Arsenal
The Anaheim Arsenal was a professional basketball team which played in NBA Development League from 2006-2009. They played their home games at the Anaheim Convention Center, in Anaheim, California....
are an NBA D-League expansion team for the 2006–2007 season. They play their home games at the Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim Convention Center
The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities...
.
The Orange County Gladiators
Orange County Gladiators
The Orange County Gladiators are a minor league basketball team that plays in the West Coast Pro Basketball League. They are based in Aliso Viejo, California.-External links:*...
are an American Basketball Association (ABA) expansion team starting in November 2007. They played their home games at Fieldhouse Gym at JSerra in San Juan Capistrano.
The county was also the home of the Orange County Buzz basketball team of the American Basketball Association (ABA). Both the Buzz and Gladiators have ceased operations.
Anaheim was also the home of the prior American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
franchise known as the Anaheim Amigos
Anaheim Amigos
The Anaheim Amigos/Los Angeles Stars were an American Basketball Association team based in Southern California. They were the Amigos during their first season in Anaheim and later moved to Los Angeles to become the Stars...
in the mid-sixties.
Teams that played in the Arrowhead Pond/Honda Center:
The Anaheim Storm
Anaheim Storm
The Anaheim Storm was a member of the National Lacrosse League. They played at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. They were the New Jersey Storm from the 2002 season to 2003. Starting for the 2004 season the team relocated to Anaheim, California...
was a member of the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
. They folded in 2005 due to low attendance.
The Anaheim Piranhas
Anaheim Piranhas
The Anaheim Piranhas were a professional arena football team that played in the Arena Football League from 1994 - 1997. They played their home games at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. The team was originally known as the Las Vegas Sting, prior to moving to Anaheim in 1996. The team was owned...
were an Arena Football League team in 1996-97, but folded due to team board financial problems.
The Anaheim Bullfrogs
Anaheim Bullfrogs
The Anaheim Bullfrogs were a professional inline hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Bullfrogs played in Roller Hockey International and Major League Roller Hockey before returning to Roller Hockey international . The Bullfrogs played their home games in the Arrowhead Pond of...
were a Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....
team that lasted from 1993–99 and were briefly revived in 2001.
The Anaheim Splash
Anaheim Splash
The Anaheim Splash was a U.S. indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League . It was founded in 1992 as the Los Angeles United, but was sold after the season. The new ownership moved the team to Anaheim, California and renamed it the Anaheim Splash...
was a soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
from 1993 to 1997.
The Southern California Sun
Southern California Sun
The Southern California Sun were an American football team based out of Anaheim, California that played in the World Football League in 1974 and 1975. Their records were 13-7 in 1974 and 7-5 in 1975. Their home stadium was Anaheim Stadium...
was an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based out of Anaheim that played in the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
in 1974 and 1975. Their records were 13–7 in 1974 and 7–5 in 1975. Their home stadium was Anaheim Stadium.
The Orange County Ramblers were a professional football team that competed in the Continental Football League
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
from 1967-68. The Ramblers played their home games in Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium). The team was coached both seasons by Homer Beatty, who had won a small college national title at Santa Ana College in 1962.
The Santa Ana Winds, a women’s professional football team played in Santa Ana College and later Chapman College in Orange in the 2000s.
A semi-pro Mexican Soccer franchise, the Santa Ana-Anaheim Aztecas played in Santa Ana College in the 2000s.
And finally, the Orange County Pioneers and California Mariners/Sharks/Storm of Irvine and Newport Beach, were semi-pro collegiate baseball teams in the 1990s and 2000s.
Government
Orange County is a chartered county of California; its seatCounty seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
. Its legislative and executive authority is vested in a five-member Board of Supervisors. Each Supervisor is popularly elected from a regional district, and together the board oversees the activities of the county's agencies and departments and sets policy on development, public improvements, and county services. At the beginning of each year the Supervisors select a Chairman and Vice Chairman, but the administration is headed by a professional municipal manager, the County Executive. The current supervisors are Janet Nguyen
Janet Nguyen
Janet Q. Nguyen is the County Supervisor from the First District of Orange County, California. She won her seat following a historic special election where two Vietnamese-American candidates received half of the total votes cast in a field of 10, separated from each other by only 7 votes. She...
, John Moorlach
John Moorlach
John M. W. Moorlach is a Republican member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and represents the Second District on the board...
, Bill Campbell
Bill Campbell (California politician)
William J. Campbell is a Republican politician from California. A former California State Assembly Republican Leader, he has served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors since 2003 and has served as Chairman of the Board since January 11, 2011 .Born in Los Angeles, Campbell grew up in...
, and Patricia C. Bates, with a vacancy in the Fourth District, which was previously occupied by Chris Norby
Chris Norby
Chris Norby , is a Republican politician who is the California State Assemblyman who represents the 72nd district and is a former member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors for the Fourth District.-Education and teaching career :...
until he resigned to become a member of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
.
Seven other public officials are elected at-large: the County Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder
Recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...
, District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
, Sheriff
Sheriffs in the United States
In the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive to law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. The political election of...
-Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
, Treasurer-Tax Collector and Public Administrator. Since 2008, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has been led by Sheriff-Coroner Sandra Hutchens
Sandra Hutchens
Sandra Hutchens is the current Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, California. She was appointed to the position on June 10, 2008, replacing acting sheriff Jack Anderson, who had led the department since the January 14, 2008 resignation of former sheriff Mike Carona...
. Her predecessor, Mike Carona
Mike Carona
Michael S. "Mike" Carona is a convicted felon and former Sheriff-Coroner of Orange County, California. The Sheriff was the elected head of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. He gained national prominence during the hunt for the killer of Samantha Runnion...
, resigned earlier in the year to defend himself against corruption charges.
VA loan limit
The maximum $0 down VA home loan limit for Orange County is $700,000 as of 01/01/2011.Pension scandal
On July 12, 2010, it was revealed that Carona received over $215,000 in pension checks in 2009, despite his felony conviction, as the county's retirement system faces a massive shortfall totaling $3.7 billion unfunded liabilities. He is one of approximately 400 retired Orange County public servants who received more than $100,000 last year in benefits. Also on the list of those receiving extra-large pension checks is former treasurer-tax collector Robert CitronRobert Citron
Robert Lafee Citron is a Democratic Party politician who was the longtime Treasurer-Tax Collector of Orange County, California, when it declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy on December 6, 1994. Citron was the only Democrat to hold office in otherwise Conservative/Republican Orange County at the time...
, whose investments, which were made while consulting psychics and astrologers, led Orange County into bankruptcy in 1994.
Citron funneled billions of public dollars into questionable investments, and at first the returns were high and cities, schools and special districts borrowed millions to join in the investments. But the strategy backfired, and Citron's investment pool lost $1.64 billion. Nearly $200 million had to be slashed from the county budget and more than 1,000 jobs were cut. The county was forced to borrow $1 billion.
The California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility filed a lawsuit against the pension system to get the list. The agency had claimed that pensioner privacy would be compromised by the release. A judge approved the release and the documents were released late June 2010. The release of the documents has reopened debate on the pension plan for retired public safety workers approved in 2001 when Carona was sheriff.
Called "3 percent at 50," it lets deputies retire at age 50 with 3 percent of their highest year's pay for every year of service. Before it was approved and applied retroactively, employees received 2 percent. "It was right after Sept. 11," said Orange County Supervisor John Morrlach
John Moorlach
John M. W. Moorlach is a Republican member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and represents the Second District on the board...
. "All of a sudden, public safety people became elevated to god status. The Board of Supervisors were tripping over themselves to make the motion." He called it "one of the biggest shifts of money from the private sector to the public sector." Moorlach, who was not on the board when the plan was approved, led the fight to repeal the benefit. A lawsuit, which said the benefit should go before voters, was rejected in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2009 and is now under appeal.
Carona opposed the lawsuit when it was filed, likening its filing to a "nuclear bomb" for deputies.
Politics
| Year | GOP Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
DEM Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 United States presidential election, 2008 The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365... |
47.8% 548,246 | 1.8% 21,530 | |
| 2004 United States presidential election, 2004 The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator... |
39.0% 419,239 | 1.3% 14,328 | |
| 2000 United States presidential election, 2000 The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President.... |
40.4% 391,819 | 3.9% 37,787 | |
| 1996 United States presidential election, 1996 The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack... |
37.9% 327,485 | 10.5% 90,374 | |
| 1992 United States presidential election, 1992 The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot.... |
31.6% 306,930 | 24.6% 239,006 | |
| 1988 United States presidential election, 1988 The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the... |
31.1% 269,013 | 1.2% 10,064 | |
| 1984 United States presidential election, 1984 The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982... |
24.3% 206,272 | 1.0% 8,792 | |
| 1980 United States presidential election, 1980 The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent... |
22.6% 176,704 | 9.5% 73,711 | |
| 1976 United States presidential election, 1976 The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate, against the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, the Democratic... |
35.3% 232,246 | 2.5% 16,555 | |
| 1972 United States presidential election, 1972 The United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard... |
26.9% 176,847 | 4.8% 31,515 | |
| 1968 United States presidential election, 1968 The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected... |
29.9% 148,869 | 7.0% 34,933 | |
| 1964 United States presidential election, 1964 The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's... |
44.0% 176,539 | 0.1% 430 | |
| 1960 United States presidential election, 1960 The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party... |
38.9% 112,007 | 0.2% 701 | |
| 1956 United States presidential election, 1956 The United States presidential election of 1956 saw a popular Dwight D. Eisenhower successfully run for re-election. The 1956 election was a rematch of 1952, as Eisenhower's opponent in 1956 was Democrat Adlai Stevenson, whom Eisenhower had defeated four years earlier.Incumbent President Eisenhower... |
32.3% 54,895 | 0.9% 1,474 | |
| 1952 United States presidential election, 1952 The United States presidential election of 1952 took place in an era when Cold War tension between the United States and the Soviet Union was escalating rapidly. In the United States Senate, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin had become a national figure after chairing congressional... |
29.0% 33,397 | 0.7% 844 | |
| 1948 United States presidential election, 1948 The United States presidential election of 1948 is considered by most historians as the greatest election upset in American history. Virtually every prediction indicated that incumbent President Harry S. Truman would be defeated by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. Truman won, overcoming a three-way... |
36.4% 29,018 | 2.8% 2,209 | |
| 1944 United States presidential election, 1944 The United States presidential election of 1944 took place while the United States was preoccupied with fighting World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had been in office longer than any other president, but remained popular. Unlike 1940, there was little doubt that Roosevelt would run for... |
42.5% 28,649 | 0.6% 407 | |
| 1940 United States presidential election, 1940 The United States presidential election of 1940 was fought in the shadow of World War II as the United States was emerging from the Great Depression. Incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt , a Democrat, broke with tradition and ran for a third term, which became a major issue... |
43.4% 28,236 | 1.1% 691 | |
| 1936 United States presidential election, 1936 The United States presidential election of 1936 was the most lopsided presidential election in the history of the United States in terms of electoral votes. In terms of the popular vote, it was the third biggest victory since the election of 1820, which was not seriously contested.The election took... |
55.0% 29,836 | 1.7% 921 | |
| 1932 United States presidential election, 1932 The United States presidential election of 1932 took place as the effects of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, the Revenue Act of 1932, and the Great Depression were being felt intensely across the country. President Herbert Hoover's popularity was falling as... |
48.4% 23,835 | 5.7% 2,818 | |
| 1928 United States presidential election, 1928 The United States presidential election of 1928 pitted Republican Herbert Hoover against Democrat Al Smith. The Republicans were identified with the booming economy of the 1920s, whereas Smith, a Roman Catholic, suffered politically from Anti-Catholic prejudice, his anti-prohibitionist stance, and... |
19.8% 7,611 | 0.9% 344 | |
| 1924 United States presidential election, 1924 The United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President Calvin Coolidge, the Republican candidate.Coolidge was vice-president under Warren G. Harding and became president in 1923 when Harding died in office. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no... |
8.7% 2,565 | 24.0% 7,088 | |
| 1920 United States presidential election, 1920 The United States presidential election of 1920 was dominated by the aftermath of World War I and a hostile response to certain policies of Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic president. The wartime economic boom had collapsed. Politicians were arguing over peace treaties and the question of America's... |
19.6% 3,502 | 8.9% 1,594 |
Orange County has long been known as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
stronghold and has consistently sent Republican representatives to the state and federal legislatures. Republican majorities in Orange County helped deliver California's electoral votes to Republican presidential candidates Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
(1960
United States presidential election, 1960
The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party...
, 1968
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
and 1972
United States presidential election, 1972
The United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard...
), Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
(1976), Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
(1980
United States presidential election, 1980
The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent...
, 1984
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
), and George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
(1988
United States presidential election, 1988
The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the...
). Orange County has not voted for a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's 1936
United States presidential election, 1936
The United States presidential election of 1936 was the most lopsided presidential election in the history of the United States in terms of electoral votes. In terms of the popular vote, it was the third biggest victory since the election of 1820, which was not seriously contested.The election took...
landslide re-election for a second term. Although Democrats have made inroads in the northern end of the county since the mid-1980s, Orange County politics are still dominated by Republicans. Five of the county's six U.S. Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, four of its five State Senators
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
and seven of its nine State Assemblymembers
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
are Republicans, as are all five members of the County Board of Supervisors. Only four Democrats have carried the county in a statewide race in the last 50 years; Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
in his successful campaign for Governor in 1978, March Fong Eu
March Fong Eu
March Kong Fong Eu is an American politician of the Democratic Party.Fong earned a Bachelor of Science in dentistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1943 and a Master of Arts from Mills College. She earned a Ed.D...
for Secretary of State and Kenneth Cory for State Controller, both also in 1978 and Kathleen Connell
Kathleen Connell
Kathleen Connell was the California State Controller from 1995 until 2003. When she was Controller, she:* Ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001 but came in 6th in the April 10, 2001 primary getting 24,062 votes ....
for Controller in 1998.
In Congress, representatives whose districts are completely or partially in the county include Republicans Ed Royce
Ed Royce
Edward Randall "Ed" Royce is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 39th, serving in Congress since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district lies in northern Orange County, including portions of Stanton, Cypress, Buena Park, Fullerton, Anaheim, Placentia, and Orange...
(CA-40
California's 40th congressional district
California's 40th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Orange County. The district covers cities in the northern part of the county, including Fullerton, Orange, Cypress, Stanton, and Buena Park....
), Gary Miller
Gary Miller
Gary Gene Miller is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 41st, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
(CA-42
California's 42nd congressional district
California's 42nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers parts of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties in Southern California.The district is currently represented by Republican Gary G...
), Ken Calvert
Ken Calvert
Kenneth Stanton "Ken" Calvert is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 43rd, serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is part of the Inland Empire and south Orange County areas of Southern California.-Early life, education and career:Calvert was born in...
(CA-44
California's 44th congressional district
California's 44th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that currently covers an area of Southern California from San Clemente in Orange County on the coast, north-by-northeast inland to Riverside County, including the cities of Corona, Norco, Rubidoux,...
), Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Tyron Rohrabacher is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 45th and 42nd, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party...
(CA-46
California's 46th congressional district
California's 46th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and Orange County...
), and John Campbell (CA-48
California's 48th congressional district
California's 48th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Orange County in Southern California...
), and Democrat Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
(CA-47
California's 47th congressional district
California's 47th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Orange County. The district covers the cities of Garden Grove and Santa Ana and parts of Fullerton and Anaheim, and includes Disneyland....
). In the State Senate, Senators whose districts are completely or partially in the county include Republicans Bob Huff
Bob Huff
Robert S. Huff is a U.S. politician, who is a Republican member of the California State Senate, representing the 29th Senate District, which includes portions of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties...
(SD-29
California's 29th State Senate district
California's 29th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Republican Bob Huff of Diamond Bar.-District profile:...
), Mimi Walters
Mimi Walters
Mimi K. Walters is a Republican State Senator from the state of California, representing the 33rd District since 2008. She previously served in the Assembly for four years from 2004 to 2008, where she served in the Republican leadership as Assistant Republican Leader and Vice Chair of the...
(SD-33
California's 33rd State Senate district
California's 33rd State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Republican Mimi Walters of Laguna Niguel.-District profile:...
), Tom Harman
Tom Harman
Thomas George Harman is an American politician. He is a Republican member of the California State Senate who had previously been a three-term member of the California State Assembly. Both seats represent portions of Orange County....
(SD-35
California's 35th State Senate district
California's 35th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Republican Senator Tom Harman of Huntington Beach.-District profile:...
), and Mark Wyland
Mark Wyland
Mark Bryan Wyland is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of California, who represents the 38th District in the California State Senate.-Biography:...
(SD-38
California's 38th State Senate district
California's 38th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Republican Mark Wyland of Carlsbad.-District profile:Orange County*San Clemente*San Juan CapistranoSan Diego County*Bonsall*Camp Pendleton...
), and Democrat Lou Correa
Lou Correa
Jose Luis Correa is a California Democratic Party Legislator. He is serving his second term as a member of the California State Senate, representing the 34th Senate District...
(SD-34
California's 34th State Senate district
California's 34th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Lou Correa of Santa Ana. The district encompasses north-central Orange County, including all of Stanton and parts of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and...
). In the State Assembly, Assemblymembers whose districts are completely or partially in the county include Republicans Curt Hagman
Curt Hagman
Curt Hagman is a Republican assemblyman from California's 60th State Assembly District The district includes all, or portions of Anaheim, Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, Industry, La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Orange, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, Villa Park, Walnut, Whittier, and Yorba...
(AD-60
California's 60th State Assembly district
California's 60th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Curt Hagman of Chino Hills.-District profile:Los Angeles County - 1.92%*Diamond Bar*Industry - 1.54%...
), Jim Silva
Jim Silva
James Wayne Silva is a Republican United States politician who represents the 67th Assembly District in the California State Assembly....
(AD-67
California's 67th State Assembly district
California's 67th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Jim Silva of Huntington Beach.-District profile:...
), Van Tran
Van Tran
Van Thai Tran , born October 19, 1964) is an attorney and politician in California, formerly serving as a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing portions of Orange County. Tran and Texas State Representative Hubert Vo were the highest-ranking Vietnamese American elected...
(AD-68
California's 68th State Assembly district
California's 68th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Allan Mansoor of Costa Mesa.-District profile:...
), Chuck DeVore
Chuck DeVore
Charles S. "Chuck" DeVore is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010 and represented the 70th District, which includes portions of Orange County...
(AD-70
California's 70th State Assembly district
California's 70th Assembly District is one of 80 California State Assembly Districts. It is currently represented by Republican Don Wagner of Irvine.-District profile:...
), Jeff Miller
Jeff Miller (California politician)
Jeff Miller is a California State Assemblyman representing California's 71st State Assembly district, which spans the edge of Eastern Orange County and takes in the majority of Western Riverside County. A small business owner, he served 8 years as both the Mayor and a City Councilman in the City...
(AD-71
California's 71st State Assembly district
California's 71st State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Jeff Miller of Corona who defeated Democrat Gary Kephart of Ladera Ranch in 2010...
), Chris Norby
Chris Norby
Chris Norby , is a Republican politician who is the California State Assemblyman who represents the 72nd district and is a former member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors for the Fourth District.-Education and teaching career :...
(AD-72
California's 72nd State Assembly district
California's 72nd State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Chris Norby of Fullerton.-District profile:...
), and Diane Harkey
Diane Harkey
Diane Lynn Harkey is a former Council Member and Mayor of the City of Dana Point, California. She is currently the Republican representative in California's 73rd State Assembly district.-Early years and education:...
(AD-73
California's 73rd State Assembly district
California's 73rd State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Republican Diane Harkey of Dana Point.-District profile:Orange County - 7.98%*Aliso Viejo - 35.38%*Dana Point...
), and Democrats Tony Mendoza
Tony Mendoza (politician)
Antonio "Tony" Mendoza is a member of the California State Assembly, representing the 56th District. Before serving in the Assembly, Mendoza was a fourth grade teacher in East Los Angeles and served as a mayor and city councilman in Artesia.-Career:After receiving his Bachelor's Degree in...
(AD-56
California's 56th State Assembly district
California's 56th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Tony Mendoza of Artesia.-District profile:...
) and Jose Solorio
Jose Solorio
Jose J. Solorio was elected to the California State Assembly in 2006 as a Democrat. He represents the 69th Assembly District, which includes the city of Santa Ana and parts of Anaheim and Garden Grove.-Early civic career:...
(AD-69
California's 69th State Assembly district
California's 69th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Jose Solorio of Santa Ana.-District profile:...
).
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, as of July 21, 2009, Orange County had 1,599,889 registered voters. Of these, 43.6% (698,140) are registered Republicans, and 32.1% (512,853) are registered Democrats. An additional 20.2% (324,669) declined to state a political party.
Orange County has produced such notable Republicans as President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
(born in Yorba Linda and lived in San Clemente), U.S. Senator John F. Seymour
John F. Seymour
John F. Seymour is an American real estate investor and politician.Seymour attended the public schools in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959 and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1962...
(previously mayor of Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
), and U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel
Thomas Kuchel
Thomas Henry Kuchel was a moderate Republican U.S. Senator from California. From 1959 to 1969 he was the minority whip in the Senate, where he was the co-manager on the floor for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.-Biography:Kuchel was born in Anaheim in Orange County,...
(of Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
). Former Congressman Christopher Cox (of Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
), a White House counsel for President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, is also a former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Orange County was also home to former Republican Congressman John G. Schmitz
John G. Schmitz
John George Schmitz was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and California State Senate from Orange County, California. He was also a member of the John Birch Society...
, a presidential candidate in 1972 from the ultra-conservative American Independent Party
American Independent Party
The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice...
and the father of Mary Kay Letourneau
Mary Kay Letourneau
Mary Kay Fualaau , formerly known as Mary Kay Letourneau, is an American schoolteacher who was imprisoned from 1997 to 2004 for having sexual intercourse with her 13-year-old student, Vili Fualaau. She gave birth to two of Fualaau's children while incarcerated...
. In 1996, Curt Pringle
Curt Pringle
Curtis L. "Curt" Pringle , is a politician from the U.S. state of California. Pringle, a Republican, a onetime Speaker of the California State Assembly, former Mayor of Anaheim, California and former Chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority, today runs his own public relations and...
(currently mayor of Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
) became the first Republican-elected Speaker of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in decades.
While the growth of the county's Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
populations in recent decades has significantly influenced the culture of Orange County, its conservative reputation has remained largely intact. Partisan voter registration patterns of Hispanics, Asians and other ethnic minorities in the county have tended to reflect the surrounding demographics, with resultant Republican majorities in all but the central portion of the county. When Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
, a Blue Dog Democrat, defeated veteran Republican Bob Dornan
Bob Dornan
Robert Kenneth "Bob" Dornan is a Republican and former member of the United States House of Representatives from California and a vocal advocate of pro-life and social conservative causes....
in the congressional contest of 1996, she was continuing a trend of Democratic representation of that district that had been interrupted by Dornan's 1984 upset of former Congressman Jerry Patterson
Jerry M. Patterson
Jerry Mumford Patterson is a California lawyer in California and the District of Columbia, educator and politician, who was a United States Representative from California....
. Until 1992, Sanchez herself was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and she is viewed as having moderate or conservative positions on many issues.
Republicans have responded to the influx of non-white immigrants by making more explicit efforts to court the Hispanic and Asian vote. In 2004, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
captured 60% of the county's vote, up from 56% in 2000, despite a higher Democratic popular vote compared with the 2000 election. Although Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
won statewide, and fared better in Orange County than she did in 1998, Republican Bill Jones defeated her in the county, 51% to 43%. While the 39% that John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
received is higher than the percentage Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
won in both 1992 and 1996, the percentage of the vote George W. Bush received in 2004 (59.7% of the vote) is the highest any presidential candidate has received since 1988, showing a still-dominant GOP presence in the county. In 2006, Senator Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
won 45% of the vote in the county, the highest margin of a Democrat in a Senate race in over four decades, but Orange was nevertheless the only Coastal California
Coastal California
Coastal California refers to the coastal regions of the US state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by sociological, economical and political attributes...
county to vote for her Republican opponent Dick Mountjoy
Dick Mountjoy
Richard L. "Dick" Mountjoy is a Republican politician from Monrovia, California.-Personal life:Mountjoy was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School. He was married to Earline Winnett until her death in 2009. He has two sons, Michael and Dennis Lee, and one...
. In terms of voter registration, the Democratic Party has a plurality or majority of registrations only in the cities of Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, Stanton, and Buena Park.
The county is featured prominently in the book Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right by Lisa McGirr. She argues that the county's conservative political orientation in the 20th century owed much to its settlement by Midwestern transplants, who reacted strongly to communist sympathies, the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, and the turmoil of the 1960s in nearby Los Angeles — across the "Orange Curtain
Orange Curtain
The Orange Curtain is a term that refers to the border between Orange County and Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. It is a sometimes derogatory, sometimes lighthearted term, that is used to describe Orange County's more conservative and suburban population as compared to the more...
".
In the 1970s and 1980s, Orange County was one of California's leading Republican voting blocs and a sub-culture of residents to hold "Middle American" values that emphasized a capitalist religious morality in contrast to West coast liberalism that well existed there.
Orange County has many Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
voters from culturally conservative Asian-American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, Middle Eastern and Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
immigrant groups. Some of these came as refugees from wars and dictatorships, and are strongly loyal to Republican anti-communist policies. The large Vietnamese-American
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
communities in Garden Grove
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
and Westminster
Westminster, California
-Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively...
are predominantly Republican; Vietnamese Americans registered Republicans outnumber those registered as Democrats by 55% to 22%. Republican Assemblyman Van Tran
Van Tran
Van Thai Tran , born October 19, 1964) is an attorney and politician in California, formerly serving as a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing portions of Orange County. Tran and Texas State Representative Hubert Vo were the highest-ranking Vietnamese American elected...
was elected to become the first Vietnamese-American to serve in a state legislature and joined with Texan Hubert Vo
Hubert Vo
Hubert Vo is a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 149. He is the first and only Vietnamese American to be elected to the Texas legislature.-Personal life:...
as the highest-ranking elected Vietnamese-American in the United States prior to the 2008 election of Joseph Cao
Joseph Cao
Anh "Joseph" Quang Cao is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. In April 2011, he announced he will be a candidate for Attorney General of Louisiana in 2011, however in September 2011 he pulled out of the race.He was the first...
in Louisiana's Second Congressional District. In the 2007 special election for the vacant county supervisor seat following Democrat Lou Correa
Lou Correa
Jose Luis Correa is a California Democratic Party Legislator. He is serving his second term as a member of the California State Senate, representing the 34th Senate District...
's election to the state senate, two Vietnamese-American Republican candidates topped the list of 10 candidates, separated from each other by only seven votes, making the Board of Supervisors entirely Republican.
Education
Orange County is the home of many colleges and universities, including:Colleges
- Two-year (community collegeCommunity collegeA community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s)- Coastline Community CollegeCoastline Community CollegeCoastline Community College is a community college with three mini-campuses and an administration building in Fountain Valley, California. The college offers Associate in Arts degrees, Associate in Science degrees, courses to prepare students to transfer to a 4-year college or university, and...
- Cypress CollegeCypress CollegeCypress College is a community college located in Cypress, California. Opened on September 12, 1966 , the southern California college offers a variety of general education , transfer courses , and 141 vocational programs leading to Associate's degrees and certificates.-Overview:Cypress College's...
- Fullerton CollegeFullerton CollegeFullerton College is the oldest community college in continuous operation in California, having been established in 1913. Current enrollment is 22,014.- History 1913 to 1972 :...
- Golden West CollegeGolden West CollegeGolden West College or GWC, is a community college providing two-year associate of arts degrees, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges and universities...
- Irvine Valley CollegeIrvine Valley CollegeIrvine Valley College is a community college in Irvine, California and it is a part of the California Community Colleges system. The college inherites its name from the Irvine family and The Irvine Company that were key in the development of the city of Irvine...
- Orange Coast CollegeOrange Coast CollegeOrange Coast College is a community college in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides two-year associate of art and science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges...
- Saddleback CollegeSaddleback CollegeThe athletic programs are supported in part by the Associated Student Body at Saddleback College. Revenue generated from attendance at athletic events helps support the entire student activities program.-On-campus media outlets:*The Lariat...
- Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana CollegeSanta Ana College is a community college located in Santa Ana, California, USA.-History:In 1915, Santa Ana Junior College opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Orange County, behind Fullerton College, and the fourth...
- Santiago Canyon CollegeSantiago Canyon CollegeSantiago Canyon College is a two-year community college located at the eastern border of Orange, California at Chapman and Jamboree. It opened in 1985 as the Orange Campus branch to nearby Santa Ana College. In July 1997 the name of the Orange Campus was changed to Santiago Canyon College...
- Coastline Community College
- Four-year
- Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingFashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingFIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, is a specialized for-profit private college located in California dedicated to educating students for the Fashion, Entertainment, Beauty, Interior Design, and Graphic Design industries....
- Laguna College of Art and DesignLaguna College of Art and DesignLaguna College of Art and Design, called LCAD, is a private college located in Laguna Beach, California. LCAD has a small student body with a current enrollment of 450 students. The college offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts with majors in Painting and Drawing, Illustration, Animation, Graphic Design,...
- Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Universities
- Private, ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
- Chapman UniversityChapman UniversityChapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California affiliated with the Christian Church . Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media...
- Concordia UniversityConcordia University, IrvineConcordia University is a private, liberal arts university located in Irvine, California, United States and affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in six colleges and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges...
- Hope International UniversityHope International UniversityHope International University is a Private Christian University in Fullerton, California. The campus is located just south of California State University, Fullerton. Hope International University has an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students representing 35 states and 40 countries...
- Trinity Law SchoolTrinity Law SchoolTrinity Law School , or the Law School, Trinity International University is a private, nonprofit law school located in Santa Ana, California, United States.-Background and origins:...
- Vanguard UniversityVanguard University of Southern CaliforniaVanguard University is located in Costa Mesa, California, USA. During the summer of 1920, Harold K. Needham, D. W. Kerr, and W. C. Pierce opened a school to prepare Christian workers for the various ministries of the church. The new institute, Southern California Bible School, moved from Los...
- Chapman University
- Private, secular
- Anaheim UniversityAnaheim UniversityAnaheim University is a nationally accredited for profit university based in Anaheim, California. The University is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council , an educational accreditation agency founded in 1926 located in Washington, D.C...
- Soka University of AmericaSoka University of AmericaSoka University of America is a university located in Aliso Viejo, California, United States. It describes its mission as the fostering of a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life—with an emphasis on principles of pacifism, human rights, and the creative...
- Western State University College of LawWestern State University College of LawWestern State University, College of Law is a private, for-profit American law school in Fullerton, California. It was the first law school established in Orange County and has over 11,000 alumni....
- Whittier Law SchoolWhittier Law SchoolWhittier Law School is a law school in Costa Mesa, California. Founded in 1966, it is a fully accredited ABA law school in Orange County, California. A private university, it is part of Whittier College.-History:...
- Anaheim University
- Public
- California State University, FullertonCalifornia State University, FullertonCalifornia State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
(CSUF) - University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, IrvineThe University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
(UCI)
- California State University, Fullerton
Some institutions not based in Orange County operate satellite campuses, including the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, National University
National University (California)
National University , founded in 1971, is a comprehensive, nonsectarian, independent, accredited, non-profit private university headquartered in La Jolla, California, United States, with academic degree programs offered at campuses located throughout the state, one in Henderson, Nevada, and...
, and Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
.
The Orange County Department of Education oversees 28 school districts.
Media
Television stations KOCE-TVKOCE-TV
KOCE-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public televisionstation, and is the primary PBS member for Los Angeles and Southern California. KOCE also features programming focused on the communities of Orange County, California. It airs Orange County's only nightly newscast, Real Orange, with...
, the main PBS station in the Southland and KDOC-TV
KDOC-TV
KDOC-TV is an independent television station based in Orange County, California . The station's transmitter is located on Mount Wilson, California...
, an independent, are located in Orange County.
The county is primarily served by The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
. OC Weekly
OC Weekly
OC Weekly, a sister publication of both LA Weekly and The Village Voice, is a free, left-wing weekly paper distributed in Orange County, California and also in Long Beach....
is an alternative weekly publication and Excélsior
Excélsior
Excélsior is a daily newspaper, founded by Rafael Alducin and published in Mexico City since 1917.During the 1950s and 1960s, the newspaper's editorial stance was of a relatively liberal bent, under the editorship of Julio Scherer...
is a Spanish-language newspaper. The "hard news" online nonprofit VoiceofOC.org began covering the county in 2010. A few communities are served by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
publication of the Daily Pilot
Daily Pilot
The Daily Pilot is a daily newspaper published by the Los Angeles Times to serve the communities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa in Orange County, California....
, the Huntington Beach Independent
Huntington Beach Independent
The Huntington Beach Independent is a weekly newspaper published by the Los Angeles Times in Huntington Beach, California.Ingersoll Publications,who owned the Orange Coast Daily Pilot, bought the paper from Knight Ridder in 1985. Adams Communications bought the Pilot in 1988, but sold it to Page...
and the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. OC Music Magazine
OC Music Magazine
OC Music Magazine is a weekly online magazine specializing in local music talent.Topics covered include band features, show and album reviews, and several departments and columns including: Media Magic, a weekly column that focuses on the music in the latest movie or video game; Rising Talent,...
is also based out of Orange County, serving local musicians and artists.
Orange County is served by radio stations from the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area. There are a few radio stations that are actually located in Orange County. KJLL-FM
KJLL-FM
KJLL-FM is a commercial radio station in Fountain Valley, California, broadcasting to the Orange County, California, area on 92.7 FM.KHJL is a commercial radio station in Thousand Oaks, California, broadcasting primarily to the Conejo and Simi Valley areas on 92.7 FM.KAJL is a commercial radio...
92.7 has an adult contemporary format. KSBR
KSBR
KSBR is a non-commercial radio station in Mission Viejo, California, broadcasting to the Orange County, California, area on 88.5 FM. KSBR airs a jazz music and smooth jazz format branded as "Jazz-FM" along with news programming.- History :...
88.5 FM airs a jazz music format branded as "Jazz-FM" along with news programming. KUCI
KUCI
KUCI is a college radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Irvine, California, USA, the station serves the Orange County area...
88.9FM is a free form college radio station that broadcasts from UC Irvine. KWIZ
KWIZ
KWIZ, is a commercial radio station located in Santa Ana, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles-Orange County area on 96.7 FM. KWIZ airs a Regional Mexican music format branded as "Sondido 96.7 FM". In the early days, Spinder McLaine, Karen Sharpe, John Novak and James Gomez hosted radio shows...
96.7 FM, located in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, airs a regional Mexican music format branded as "La Rockola 96.7". KWVE-FM 107.9 is owned by the Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is an evangelical association of Christian churches with over one thousand congregations worldwide. Calvary Chapel also maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs. It presents itself as a "fellowship of...
of Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
. KWVE-FM is also the primary Emergency Alert System
Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
station for the county. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
also own and operate a sports-only radio station from Orange, KLAA.
See also:
- Los Angeles Times suburban sectionsLos Angeles Times suburban sectionsThe Los Angeles Times suburban sections or zone sections were printed between 1952 and 2001 as adjuncts to the main newspaper to cover the news of and sell advertising space in various parts of Southern California that the Times considered to be in the prime part of its circulation area...
Notable natives and residents
Due to Orange County's proximity to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, many film and media celebrities have moved or bought second homes in the county. Actor John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, who lived in Newport Beach, is the namesake for Orange County's John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport is an airport in an unincorporated area in Orange County, California, with its mailing address in the city of Santa Ana, which is also the county seat, hence the International Air Transport Association airport code. The main entrance to the airport is off of MacArthur Blvd in...
. Orange County has also produced many homegrown celebrities, including golfer Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
, basketball player Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, a number of professional ballplayers, including retired slugger Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
, WWE Wrestler, Chavo Guerrero Jr. actor, Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
, John Stamos
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
, actor and radio personality R.J. Adams a.k.a. Bob Shannon, comedian/actors Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
and Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
, actresses Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
and Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, and singers Chester Bennington
Chester Bennington
Chester Charles Bennington is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Linkin Park....
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
, Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
, Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry is an American writer and producer, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives.-Early life and career:...
, Drake Bell
Drake Bell
Jared Drake Bell , better known as Drake Bell, is an American actor, comedian, guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer, and occasional television director. After beginning his career as a child star in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared on The Amanda Show and became well-known among young...
and Major League Ballhawk John Witt
John Witt
John Witt American known for catching a large number of Major League baseballs. He is best known for catching over 5,000 baseballs at professional baseball games over the past 34 summers...
. Ms. America Susan Jeske
Susan Jeske
Susan Jeske is the first Ms. America and is President of Ms. America Pageant. She has been involved in pageantry for over 35 years as a competitor, judge, and pageant director at over 200 local, state, national and international pageant competitions...
is also a resident. Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
, Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, Lit, No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
, Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
, Project 86
Project 86
Project 86 is an American Christian rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996. The line-up consists of bassist Steven Dail, vocalist and songwriter Andrew Schwab, and guitarist Randy Torres. The band has released seven studio albums, which have collectively sold over 500,000 units...
, Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star is an American model, fashion designer, make-up artist, DJ, and singer-songwriter residing in the Beverly Hills area...
, and Leo Fender
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, or "Fender" for short...
(the inventor of the first commercially successful solid body electric guitars) also call Orange County home. MMA fighter Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
is a resident of Huntington Beach which is stated in his entrance as the "Huntington Beach Badboy."
The county's most famous resident was perhaps Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, the 37th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, who was born in Yorba Linda and lived in San Clemente for several years following his resignation
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
. His presidential library is in Yorba Linda.
Orange County was also home to The Righteous Brothers: Bill Medley of Santa Ana, and Bobby Hatfield of Anaheim. The Santa Ana High School auditorium now bears Medley's name. Another less well-known sports figure from a previous era was Clifford C. Cravath, for many years judge of the Laguna Beach Municipal Court. Known as "Gavvy" Cravath as a professional baseball player from 1910 to 1920, he was the major league home run king prior to Babe Ruth's emergence as a slugger.
See also
- List of California public officials charged with crimes, Orange County
- Orange County High School of the ArtsOrange County High School of the ArtsOrange County High School of the Arts , colloquially called "OH-sha", is a 7th–12th grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, Orange County, California. The school caters to middle and high school students with talents in the performing, visual and literary arts...
- Orange County Fair (California)Orange County Fair (California)The Orange County Fair, abbreviated as the OC Fair, is a 23-day annual fair that is held every summer at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California.-History:...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, California
- Orange County (film)Orange County (film)Orange County is a 2002 American comedy film starring Colin Hanks and Jack Black. It was released on January 11, 2002. The movie was distributed by Paramount Pictures and produced by MTV Films and Scott Rudin. The movie was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White.-Plot:Shaun Brumder is a...
External links
- County of Orange
- Orange County’s Changing Politics – slideshow by The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Orange County, California on National Association Of Counties
- Filming Locations in Orange County