Orange County, California

County in California, United States

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County in California, United States

Orange County

County

Clockwise from top: aerial view of the coast of Newport Beach; Mission San Juan Capistrano; Laguna Beach; Knott’s Berry Farm; and Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland

Flag

Seal

Interactive map of Orange County

Location in California

Coordinates: 33°40′N 117°47′W﻿ / ﻿33.67°N 117.78°W﻿ / 33.67; -117.78
Country| United States
State| California
Region| Greater Los Angeles
Incorporated| August 1, 1889[1]
Named after| The orange (fruit), named so the county would sound like a semi-tropical, mediterranean region to people from the East Coast[1]
County seat| Santa Ana
Largest city| Anaheim (population)
Irvine (area)
Government

• Type| Council–CEO
• Body|

Board of Supervisors[2]

* Janet Nguyen (R)
* Vicente Sarmiento (D)
* Donald P. Wagner (R)
* Doug Chaffee (D)
* Katrina Foley (D)

• Chair| Doug Chaffee (D)
• Vice Chair| Katrina Foley (D)
• County Executive Officer| Michelle Aguirre (Acting)
Area

• Total

| 948 sq mi (2,460 km2)
• Land| 799 sq mi (2,070 km2)
• Water| 157 sq mi (410 km2)
Highest elevation

[3]

| 5,689 ft (1,734 m)
Population

(2020)[4]

• Total

| 3,186,989

• Estimate

(2024)

| 3,170,435
• Density| 3,989/sq mi (1,540/km2)
Demonym| Orange Countian
GDP

[5]

• Total| $333.453 billion (2023)
Time zone| UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes| 562, 657/714, 949
Congressional districts| 38th, 40th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 49th
Website| ocgov.com

Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 3,186,989,[4] making it the third most populous county in California, the sixth most populous in the United States, and more populous than 19 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.[6] Although largely suburban, it is the second most densely populated county in the state behind San Francisco County.[7] The county's three most populous cities are Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine, each of which has a population exceeding 300,000.[8] Santa Ana is also the county seat. Six cities in Orange County lie along the Pacific Coast: Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.

Orange County is included in the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county has 34 incorporated cities. Older cities like Tustin, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange, and Fullerton have traditional downtowns dating back to the 19th century, while newer commercial development or "edge cities" stretch along the Interstate 5 (Santa Ana) Freeway between Disneyland and Santa Ana and between South Coast Plaza and the Irvine Business Complex, and cluster at Irvine Spectrum.[9] Although single-family homes make up the dominant landscape of most of the county, northern and central Orange County is relatively more urbanized and dense as compared to those areas south of Irvine, which are less dense, though still contiguous and primarily suburban rather than exurban.

The county is a tourist center, with attractions like Disneyland Resort, Knott's Berry Farm, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Huntington Beach Pier, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Orange County Zoo, Modjeska House, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Yost Theater, Bowers Museum, Balboa Island, Angel Stadium, Downtown Santa Ana, Crystal Cove Historic District, Honda Center, the Old Orange County Courthouse, Orange County Fair, the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, Heritage Hills Historic Park, Ocean Institute, and several popular beaches along its more than 40 mi (64 km) of coastline. It is also home to a major research university, the University of California, Irvine (UCI), along with a number of other notable colleges and universities such as Chapman University and Cal State Fullerton.

## History

[edit]

Main articles: History of Orange County, California; Ranchos of Los Angeles County; and Ranchos of Orange County

Mission San Juan Capistrano, photochrom print by William Henry Jackson c. 1899

The history of Orange County, California, spans thousands of years, beginning with Acjachemen indigenous peoples who lived off the land through hunting, fishing, and gathering. Later, Shoshonean-speaking tribes, including the Juaneño and Gabrielino, settled in the area. Spanish colonization began in 1769 with expeditions and the establishment of missions like Mission San Juan Capistrano. Under Spanish and later Mexican rule, large land grants formed ranchos, which dominated the economy through cattle ranching.

One of the first land grants in Orange County under Spanish Rule was Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana which was given to José Antonio Yorba and Juan Pablo Peralta (nephew) in 1810, the year of the commencement of the war of Mexican Independence.[10]

After  California became part  of the United States in 1850, the Gold Rush spurred demand for beef,[11] boosting the local economy. However, environmental challenges and legal disputes over land ownership led many rancheros to sell their lands, often to American settlers.[12] The first American-founded town, Anaheim, was established in 1857 by German immigrants.[13] Other towns like  Santa Ana  [14] and  Orange soon followed, supported by agriculture and improved irrigation.[15]

The arrival of railroads in the 1870s and a real estate boom in the 1880s fueled rapid growth. In 1889, Orange County officially separated from Los Angeles County, with Santa Ana as its seat. Agriculture, especially citrus,[15] dominated until the mid-20th century, alongside oil discoveries and transportation developments like highways and railways.[16]

World War II brought military bases and postwar population growth. By the 1950s, suburban development replaced farmland, and cities rapidly incorporated. The Disneyland Resort 1955 opening marked the rise of tourism.[17]

In 1994, Robert Citron was serving as Treasurer-Tax Collector and chose leveraging strategies with county investments that ended in  Chapter 9 bankruptcy for the County, costing 3,000 jobs at the county and $1.64 billion in losses.[18]

## Geography

[edit]

See also: List of rivers of Orange County, California

The Orange County watershed

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 948 sq mi (2,460 km2), of which 791 sq mi (2,050 km2) is land and 157 sq mi (410 km2) (16.6%) is water.[19] It is the smallest county by area in Southern California, being just over 40% the size of the region's next smallest county, Ventura. 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, on the east by 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 (5,689 ft (1,734 m)[20]), about 20 mi (32 km) east of Santa Ana. Santiago Peak and nearby Modjeska Peak, just 200 ft (60 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.

### Regions of Orange County

[edit]

Aerial view of an edge city: Irvine Business Complex (top), John Wayne Airport runway (upper center), South Coast Metro buildings (lower center) and below, the South Coast Plaza mall

Orange County is sometimes divided into northern and southern regions. There are significant political, demographic, economic and cultural distinctions between North and South Orange County.[21] A popular dividing line between the two regions is the Costa Mesa Freeway.

Northern Orange County, including Anaheim, Fullerton, Garden Grove and Santa Ana, was the first part of the county to be developed and is culturally closer to neighboring Los Angeles County. This region is more Hispanic (mostly Mexican) and Asian (predominantly Vietnamese and Korean),[22] more densely populated (Santa Ana is the  seventh most densely populated city in the United States with a population of over 300,000), younger, less wealthy and with higher unemployment. It has more renters and fewer homeowners and generally votes Democratic. There are notable exceptions to these general trends, such as strongly Republican Yorba Linda and affluent Anaheim Hills, North Tustin, and Villa Park.[21] Northern Orange County is predominantly flat, giving way to the Santa Ana Mountains in the Northeast.

Southern Orange County is wealthier, more residential, more Republican, predominantly non-Hispanic white, and more recently developed. Irvine, the largest city in the region, is an exception to some of these trends, being not only a major employment center, but also a major tech hub and education center with UCI. Furthermore, the city is an Asian plurality (both South and East Asian), and votes reliably Democratic in recent years. Southern Orange County almost always includes Irvine,[23] Newport Beach, and the cities to their southeast, including Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo ,and San Clemente. Alternatively, Irvine and Newport Beach are sometimes seen as Central Orange County, acting as a transition zone between north and south; when this viewpoint is taken Tustin is also considered to be in Central Orange County. Costa Mesa is sometimes included in South County,[24] although it is located predominantly to the west of the Costa Mesa Freeway and is part of the even street grid network of northern Orange County.[25] Irvine is located in a valley defined by the Santa Ana Mountains and the San Joaquin Hills, while much of Southern Orange County is very hilly.

Another region of Orange County is the Orange Coast, which includes the six cities bordering the Pacific Ocean. These are, from northwest to southeast: Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente, although Seal Beach is sometimes viewed as an extension of neighboring Long Beach in Los Angeles County.

### Commercial districts and edge cities

[edit]

Three Arch Bay in Laguna Beach, Southern Orange County

See also: Irvine Spectrum and South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city

Older cities in North Orange County like Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange and Fullerton have traditional downtowns dating to the late 19th century, with Downtown Santa Ana being the home of the county, state and federal institutions. However, far more commercial activity is concentrated in clusters of newer commercial development located further south in the county's edge cities. The three largest edge cities, from north to south, are:

* Anaheim–Santa Ana, running along Interstate 5 between Disneyland and Downtown Santa Ana,
* The South Coast Metro, located along Interstate 405 and including South Coast Plaza, John Wayne Airport and the Irvine Business Complex; and
* Irvine Spectrum in eastern Irvine, at the interchange where I-5 and I-405 meet.

#### Anaheim—Santa Ana edge city

[edit]

Major facilities in the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city around the Orange Crush interchange, plus the locations of the adjacent downtowns

A contiguous strip of commercial development (an edge city) stretches from Disneyland through to MainPlace Mall along the I-5 Santa Ana Freeway,[26][27][28][29][9] straddling the city limits of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange, and Santa Ana, and in fact stretching between the original downtowns of those four cities.

Entertainment and cultural facilities include Disneyland Resort, Angel Stadium, Christ Cathedral (formerly Crystal Cathedral), City National Grove of Anaheim – a live concert venue, Discovery Cube Orange County, the Honda Center – home to the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL (National Hockey League), and the Anaheim Convention Center. Health care facilities include CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County), Kaiser Permanente Health Pavilion (Anaheim), St. Joseph Hospital (Orange), and the UCI Medical Center.

Retail complexes include Anaheim GardenWalk, Anaheim Marketplace (claiming to be the largest indoor swap meet in Orange County with more than 200 vendors), MainPlace Mall, Orange Town & Country, and The Outlets at Orange, originally a mall named "The City" which was the centerpiece of a planned, 1970s mixed-use development by the same name. There is commercial strip-style development including big box retailers along West Chapman Avenue in Orange, along Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove, and around Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue in Anaheim.

Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley from over Costa Mesa

Major hotels line Harbor Boulevard from Disneyland south to Garden Grove. The Orange County Transit Authority studied the corridor as the possible route for a streetcar, a proposal that was dropped in 2018 due to opposition from Anaheim and other city governments.[30]

In addition to suburban-style apartment complexes, Anaheim's Platinum Triangle is undergoing transformation from a low-density commercial and industrial zone into a more urban environment with high-density housing, commercial office towers, and retail space. Anaheim envisions it as a "downtown for Orange County".[31] The 820 acres (330 ha) area undergoing this large-scale redevelopment includes the city's two major sports venues, the Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.[32]

### National protected areas

[edit]

* Cleveland National Forest (part)
* Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1890| 13,589| | —
1900| 19,696| | 44.9%
1910| 34,436| | 74.8%
1920| 61,375| | 78.2%
1930| 118,674| | 93.4%
1940| 130,760| | 10.2%
1950| 216,224| | 65.4%
1960| 703,925| | 225.6%
1970| 1,420,386| | 101.8%
1980| 1,932,709| | 36.1%
1990| 2,410,556| [33]| 24.7%
2000| 2,846,289| [33]| 18.1%
2010| 3,010,232| [34]| 5.8%
2020| 3,186,989| [35]| 5.9%
2024 (est.)| 3,170,435| [36]| −0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[37]

### 2020 census

[edit]

From the 2020 United States census, Orange County had a population of 3,186,989. The racial makeup of Orange County was 1,383,257 (43.7%) White (37.6% non-Hispanic white), 53,842 (1.7%) African American, 38,322 (1.2%) Native American, 706,813 (22.2%) Asian, 9,035 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 548,539 (17.2%) from other races, and 447,181 (14.0%) from two or more races. [38] Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,086,834 persons (34.1%).[35]

Orange County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[39] | Pop 1990[40] | Pop 2000[41] | Pop 2010[34] | Pop 2020[35] | % 1980  | % 1990  | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

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White alone (NH)  | 1,510,698  | 1,554,501  | 1,458,978  | 1,328,499  | 1,198,655  | 78.16%  | 64.49%  | 51.26%  | 44.13%  | 37.61%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 24,411  | 39,159  | 42,639  | 44,000  | 49,304  | 1.26%  | 1.62%  | 1.50%  | 1.46%  | 1.55%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 12,951  | 8,584  | 8,414  | 6,216  | 5,298  | 0.67%  | 0.36%  | 0.30%  | 0.21%  | 0.17%
Asian alone (NH)  | 86,893  | 240,756  | 383,810  | 532,477  | 699,124  | 4.50%  | 9.99%  | 13.48%  | 17.69%  | 21.94%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | x [42] | x [43] | 8,086  | 8,357  | 7,714  | 0.28%  | 0.28%  | 0.28%  | 0.28%  | 0.24%
Other race alone (NH)  | 11,417  | 2,728  | 4,525  | 5,593  | 14,818  | 2.36%  | 0.11%  | 0.16%  | 0.19%  | 0.46%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)  | x [44] | x [45] | 64,258  | 72,117  | 125,242  | x  | x  | 2.26%  | 2.40%  | 3.93%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 286,339  | 564,828  | 875,579  | 1,012,973  | 1,086,834  | 14.82%  | 23.43%  | 30.76%  | 33.65%  | 34.10%
Total | 1,932,709 | 2,410,556 | 2,846,289 | 3,010,232 | 3,186,989  | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

#### Racial / Ethnic Profile of places in Orange County, California

[edit]

Racial / Ethnic Profile of places in Orange County, California (2020 Census)

Following is a table of cities and census-designated places in Orange County. Data for the United States (with and without Puerto Rico), the state of California, and Orange County itself have been included for comparison purposes.
The majority racial/ethnic group is coded per the key below.  |  | Majority minority with no dominant group

|

| Majority White
| Majority Black
| Majority Hispanic
| Majority Asian
Racial and ethnic composition of places in Orange County, California (2020 Census)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Place  | Designation  | Total Population  | White alone (NH)  | %  | Black or
African American alone (NH)  | %  | Native American or
Alaska Native alone (NH)  | %  | Asian alone (NH)  | %  | Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | %  | Other race alone (NH)  | %  | Mixed race or
Multiracial (NH)  | %  | Hispanic or Latino
(any race)  | %

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United States of America
(50 states and D.C.)[46] | x  | 331,449,281  | 191,697,647  | 57.84%  | 39,940,338  | 12.05%  | 2,251,699  | 0.68%  | 19,618,719  | 5.92%  | 622,018  | 0.19%  | 1,689,833  | 0.51%  | 13,548,983  | 4.09%  | 62,080,044  | 18.73%
United States of America
(50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico)[46] | x  | 334,735,155  | 191,722,195  | 57.28%  | 39,944,624  | 11.93%  | 2,252,011  | 0.67%  | 19,621,465  | 5.86%  | 622,109  | 0.19%  | 1,692,341  | 0.51%  | 13,551,323  | 4.05%  | 65,329,087  | 19.52%
California[47] | State | 39,538,223  | 13,714,587  | 34.69%  | 2,119,286  | 5.36%  | 156,085  | 0.39%  | 5,978,795  | 15.12%  | 138,167  | 0.35%  | 223,929  | 0.57%  | 1,627,722  | 4.12%  | 15,579,652  | 39.40%
Orange County[48] | County | 3,186,989  | 1,198,655  | 37.61%  | 49,304  | 1.55%  | 5,298  | 0.17%  | 699,124  | 21.94%  | 7,714  | 0.24%  | 14,818  | 0.46%  | 125,242  | 3.93%  | 1,086,834  | 34.10%
Aliso Viejo[49] | City | 52,176  | 29,044  | 55.67%  | 949  | 1.82%  | 48  | 0.09%  | 8,509  | 16.31%  | 155  | 0.30%  | 323  | 0.62%  | 3,312  | 6.35%  | 9,836  | 18.85%
Anaheim[50] | City | 346,824  | 78,237  | 22.56%  | 8,465  | 2.44%  | 646  | 0.19%  | 60,632  | 17.48%  | 1,297  | 0.37%  | 1,485  | 0.43%  | 9,411  | 2.71%  | 186,651  | 53.82%
Brea[51] | City | 47,325  | 18,256  | 38.58%  | 784  | 1.66%  | 101  | 0.21%  | 13,082  | 27.64%  | 54  | 0.11%  | 230  | 0.49%  | 1,846  | 3.90%  | 12,972  | 27.41%
Buena Park[52] | City | 84,034  | 16,331  | 19.43%  | 2,504  | 2.98%  | 174  | 0.21%  | 27,499  | 32.72%  | 373  | 0.44%  | 345  | 0.41%  | 2,478  | 2.95%  | 34,330  | 40.85%
Costa Mesa[53] | City | 111,918  | 54,169  | 48.40%  | 1,306  | 1.17%  | 232  | 0.21%  | 9,455  | 8.45%  | 412  | 0.37%  | 618  | 0.55%  | 4,931  | 4.41%  | 40,795  | 36.45%
Coto de Caza[54] | CDP | 14,710  | 10,722  | 72.89%  | 178  | 1.21%  | 15  | 0.10%  | 1,354  | 9.20%  | 7  | 0.05%  | 73  | 0.50%  | 839  | 5.70%  | 1,522  | 10.35%
Cypress[55] | City | 50,151  | 16,356  | 32.61%  | 1,522  | 3.03%  | 85  | 0.17%  | 18,743  | 37.37%  | 251  | 0.50%  | 203  | 0.40%  | 2,302  | 4.59%  | 10,689  | 21.31%
Dana Point[56] | City | 33,107  | 23,463  | 70.87%  | 268  | 0.81%  | 66  | 0.20%  | 1,291  | 3.90%  | 30  | 0.09%  | 163  | 0.49%  | 1,532  | 4.63%  | 6,294  | 19.01%
Fountain Valley[57] | City | 57,047  | 22,320  | 38.97%  | 526  | 0.92%  | 71  | 0.12%  | 22,532  | 39.50%  | 126  | 0.22%  | 234  | 0.41%  | 2,491  | 4.37%  | 8,837  | 15.49%
Fullerton[58] | City | 143,617  | 42,150  | 29.35%  | 2,972  | 2.07%  | 289  | 0.20%  | 37,913  | 26.40%  | 266  | 0.19%  | 691  | 0.48%  | 5,111  | 3.56%  | 54,225  | 37.76%
Garden Grove[59] | City | 171,949  | 28,172  | 16.38%  | 1,595  | 0.93%  | 220  | 0.13%  | 72,524  | 42.18%  | 759  | 0.44%  | 688  | 0.40%  | 3,889  | 2.26%  | 64,102  | 37.28%
Huntington Beach[60] | City | 198,711  | 117,536  | 59.15%  | 2,111  | 1.06%  | 443  | 0.22%  | 25,921  | 13.04%  | 532  | 0.27%  | 1,234  | 0.62%  | 11,477  | 5.78%  | 39,457  | 19.86%
Irvine[61] | City | 307,670  | 106,056  | 34.47%  | 6,646  | 2.16%  | 285  | 0.09%  | 139,725  | 45.41%  | 341  | 0.11%  | 1,790  | 0.58%  | 16,972  | 5.52%  | 35,855  | 11.65%
La Habra[62] | City | 63,097  | 14,953  | 23.70%  | 1,047  | 1.66%  | 143  | 0.23%  | 7,802  | 12.37%  | 60  | 0.10%  | 254  | 0.40%  | 1,399  | 2.22%  | 37,439  | 59.34%
La Palma[63] | City | 15,581  | 3,324  | 21.33%  | 766  | 4.92%  | 18  | 0.12%  | 7,835  | 50.29%  | 77  | 0.49%  | 54  | 0.35%  | 568  | 3.65%  | 2,939  | 18.86%
Ladera Ranch[64] | CDP | 26,170  | 17,039  | 65.11%  | 253  | 0.97%  | 40  | 0.15%  | 3,389  | 12.95%  | 28  | 0.11%  | 115  | 0.44%  | 1,699  | 6.49%  | 3,607  | 13.78%
Laguna Beach[65] | City | 23,032  | 18,328  | 79.58%  | 181  | 0.79%  | 25  | 0.11%  | 961  | 4.17%  | 18  | 0.08%  | 130  | 0.56%  | 1,234  | 5.36%  | 2,155  | 9.36%
Laguna Hills[66] | City | 31,374  | 16,849  | 53.70%  | 420  | 1.34%  | 32  | 0.10%  | 4,715  | 15.03%  | 41  | 0.13%  | 173  | 0.55%  | 1,655  | 5.28%  | 7,489  | 23.87%
Laguna Niguel[67] | City | 64,355  | 42,824  | 66.54%  | 766  | 1.19%  | 115  | 0.18%  | 6,306  | 9.80%  | 67  | 0.10%  | 344  | 0.53%  | 3,423  | 5.32%  | 10,510  | 16.33%
Laguna Woods[68] | City | 17,644  | 12,206  | 69.18%  | 158  | 0.90%  | 9  | 0.05%  | 3,796  | 21.51%  | 10  | 0.06%  | 35  | 0.20%  | 491  | 2.78%  | 939  | 5.32%
Lake Forest[69] | City | 85,858  | 40,506  | 47.18%  | 1,312  | 1.53%  | 153  | 0.18%  | 16,650  | 19.39%  | 144  | 0.17%  | 450  | 0.52%  | 4,698  | 5.47%  | 21,945  | 25.56%
Las Flores[70] | CDP | 5,995  | 3,499  | 58.37%  | 80  | 1.33%  | 9  | 0.15%  | 948  | 15.81%  | 10  | 0.17%  | 38  | 0.63%  | 350  | 5.84%  | 1,061  | 17.70%
Los Alamitos[71] | City | 11,780  | 5,449  | 46.26%  | 347  | 2.95%  | 34  | 0.29%  | 2,060  | 17.49%  | 69  | 0.59%  | 68  | 0.58%  | 727  | 6.17%  | 3,026  | 25.69%
Midway City[72] | CDP | 8,825  | 1,148  | 13.01%  | 45  | 0.51%  | 13  | 0.15%  | 5,597  | 52.09%  | 16  | 0.18%  | 24  | 0.27%  | 179  | 2.03%  | 8,825  | 31.76%
Mission Viejo[73] | City | 93,653  | 57,790  | 61.71%  | 1,134  | 1.21%  | 117  | 0.12%  | 10,822  | 11.56%  | 152  | 0.16%  | 454  | 0.48%  | 5,198  | 5.55%  | 17,986  | 19.20%
Modjeska[74] | CDP | 632  | 449  | 71.04%  | 1  | 0.16%  | 9  | 1.42%  | 20  | 3.16%  | 1  | 0.16%  | 2  | 0.32%  | 48  | 7.59%  | 102  | 16.14%
Newport Beach[75] | City | 85,239  | 64,352  | 75.50%  | 626  | 0.73%  | 100  | 0.12%  | 7,443  | 8.73%  | 81  | 0.10%  | 417  | 0.49%  | 4,030  | 4.73%  | 8,190  | 9.61%
North Tustin[76] | CDP | 25,718  | 16,478  | 64.07%  | 163  | 0.63%  | 27  | 0.10%  | 2,956  | 11.49%  | 38  | 0.15%  | 109  | 0.42%  | 1,467  | 5.70%  | 4,480  | 17.42%
Orange[77] | City | 139,911  | 55,330  | 39.55%  | 2,221  | 1.59%  | 289  | 0.21%  | 18,058  | 12.91%  | 328  | 0.23%  | 666  | 0.48%  | 5,444  | 3.89%  | 57,575  | 41.15%
Placentia[78] | City | 51,824  | 18,993  | 36.65%  | 946  | 1.83%  | 105  | 0.20%  | 9,940  | 19.18%  | 69  | 0.13%  | 219  | 0.42%  | 1,861  | 3.59%  | 19,691  | 38.00%
Rancho Mission Viejo[79] | CDP | 10,378  | 6,879  | 66.28%  | 115  | 1.11%  | 17  | 0.16%  | 1,163  | 11.21%  | 7  | 0.07%  | 60  | 0.58%  | 602  | 5.80%  | 1,535  | 14.79%
Rancho Santa Margarita[80] | City | 47,949  | 27,930  | 58.25%  | 761  | 1.59%  | 73  | 0.15%  | 5,711  | 11.91%  | 92  | 0.19%  | 225  | 0.47%  | 2,860  | 5.96%  | 10,297  | 21.47%
Rossmoor[81] | CDP | 10,625  | 6,623  | 62.33%  | 101  | 0.95%  | 12  | 0.11%  | 1,526  | 14.36%  | 24  | 0.23%  | 30  | 0.28%  | 681  | 6.41%  | 1,628  | 15.32%
San Clemente[82] | City | 64,293  | 45,889  | 71.37%  | 382  | 0.59%  | 180  | 0.28%  | 2,513  | 3.91%  | 88  | 0.14%  | 353  | 0.55%  | 3,209  | 4.99%  | 11,679  | 18.17%
San Juan Capistrano[83] | City | 35,196  | 18,591  | 52.82%  | 139  | 0.39%  | 106  | 0.30%  | 1,194  | 3.39%  | 22  | 0.06%  | 147  | 0.42%  | 1,293  | 3.67%  | 13,704  | 38.94%
Santa Ana[84] | City | 310,227  | 26,428  | 8.52%  | 2,745  | 0.88%  | 485  | 0.16%  | 37,440  | 12.07%  | 635  | 0.20%  | 921  | 0.30%  | 3,541  | 1.14%  | 238,022  | 76.73%
Seal Beach[85] | City | 25,242  | 16,814  | 66.61%  | 370  | 1.47%  | 53  | 0.21%  | 3,624  | 14.36%  | 46  | 0.18%  | 91  | 0.36%  | 1,091  | 4.32%  | 3,153  | 12.49%
Silverado[86] | CDP | 932  | 736  | 78.97%  | 3  | 0.32%  | 4  | 0.43%  | 23  | 2.47%  | 4  | 0.43%  | 7  | 0.75%  | 38  | 4.08%  | 117  | 12.55%
Stanton[87] | City | 37,962  | 5,968  | 15.72%  | 666  | 1.75%  | 58  | 0.15%  | 11,250  | 29.63%  | 208  | 0.55%  | 198  | 0.52%  | 807  | 2.13%  | 18,807  | 49.54%
Trabuco Canyon[88] | CDP | 1,020  | 718  | 70.39%  | 12  | 1.18%  | 2  | 0.20%  | 62  | 6.08%  | 0  | 0.00%  | 7  | 0.69%  | 61  | 5.98%  | 158  | 15.49%
Tustin[89] | City | 80,276  | 22,901  | 28.53%  | 1,619  | 2.02%  | 95  | 0.12%  | 19,043  | 23.72%  | 193  | 0.24%  | 418  | 0.52%  | 3,295  | 4.10%  | 32,712  | 40.75%
Villa Park[90] | City | 5,843  | 3,641  | 62.31%  | 47  | 0.80%  | 2  | 0.03%  | 1,116  | 19.10%  | 5  | 0.09%  | 13  | 0.22%  | 295  | 5.05%  | 724  | 12.39%
Westminster[91] | City | 90,911  | 17,962  | 19.76%  | 853  | 0.94%  | 146  | 0.16%  | 46,513  | 51.16%  | 415  | 0.46%  | 250  | 0.27%  | 2,427  | 2.67%  | 22,345  | 24.58%
Williams Canyon[92] | CDP | 93  | 70  | 75.27%  | 0  | 0.00%  | 0  | 0.00%  | 1  | 1.08%  | 0  | 0.00%  | 0  | 0.00%  | 2  | 2.15%  | 20  | 21.51%
Yorba Linda[93] | City | 68,336  | 36,022  | 52.71%  | 786  | 1.15%  | 100  | 0.15%  | 15,570  | 22.78%  | 63  | 0.09%  | 374  | 0.55%  | 3,152  | 4.61%  | 12,269  | 17.95%

### 2010

[edit]

Orange County population density map. Darker shades indicate more densely populated census tract.

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 (44.0% non-Hispanic white), 50,744 (1.7%) 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 races, and 127,799 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,012,973 persons (33.7%).[94]

The Hispanic and Latino population is predominantly of Mexican origin; this group accounts for 28.5% of the county's population, followed by Salvadorans (0.8%), Guatemalans (0.5%), Puerto Ricans (0.4%), Cubans (0.3%), Colombians (0.3%), and Peruvians (0.3%).[95] Santa Ana with its population reportedly 75 percent Hispanic/Latino, is among the most Hispanic/Latino percentage cities in both California and the U.S., esp. of Mexican-American descent.[96]

Among the Asian population, 6.1% are Vietnamese, followed by Koreans (2.9%), Chinese (2.7%), Filipinos (2.4%), Indians (1.4%), Japanese (1.1%), Cambodians (0.2%), Pakistanis (0.2%), Thais (0.1%), Indonesians (0.1%), and Laotians (0.1%).[95] According to KPCC in 2014, Orange County has the largest proportion of Asian Americans in Southern California, where one in five residents are Asian American.[97] There is also a significant Muslim population in the county.[98]

### 2000

[edit]

As of the census[99] of 2000, there were 2,846,289 people, 935,287 households, and 667,794 families living 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 64.8% White, 13.6% Asian, 1.7% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 14.8% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. 30.8% were 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[100] there were 2,410,556 people living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 78.6% White, 10.3% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, and 8.8% from other races. 23.4% 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.[101] 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[102]). 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".[103]

In 2016, The top countries of origin for Orange County's immigrants were Mexico, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines, China, India, Iran, Japan and El Salvador.[104]

## Economy

[edit]

### Business

[edit]

The developing urban core in the City of Irvine MainPlace Mall

Orange County is the headquarters of many Fortune 1000 companies including Ingram Micro (#95[105]) in Irvine, Pacific Life (#272[106]) and Chipotle Mexican Grill (#372[107]) in Newport Beach, Edwards Lifesciences #566[108]) in Irvine, and First American Corporation (#570[109]) in Santa Ana. Other headquarters in Orange County include medical device companies Beckman Coulter in Brea and Masimo in Irvine, and the staffing company Allied Universal in Santa Ana. Irvine is also the home of notable technology divisions like TV and sound bar company VIZIO, router manufacturer Linksys, video/computer game creator Blizzard Entertainment, and in-flight product manufacturer Panasonic Avionics Corporation. Also, the 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, in the City of Irvine, Mitsubishi in the City of Cypress, Kawasaki Motors in Foothill Ranch, and Hyundai in the City of Fountain Valley. Fashion is another important industry to Orange County. Oakley, Inc. a division of Luxottica is headquartered in Lake Forest. Hurley International a subsidiary of Bluestar Alliance LLC is headquartered in Costa Mesa. The shoe company Pleaser USA, Inc. is located in Fullerton. St. John is headquartered in Irvine. Tustin, is home to Ricoh Electronics, New American Funding, and Safmarine. Wet Seal is headquartered in Lake Forest. PacSun a chain owned by PSEB is headquartered in Anaheim. PacSun. Restaurant chains including Taco Bell and In-N-Out Burger have headquarters in Irvine and other others including Marie Callender's, El Pollo Loco, Wienerschnitzel, and Del Taco have headquarters in Orange County.

### Shopping

[edit]

Newport Center and Fashion Island

Shopping in Orange County is centered around regional shopping malls, big box power centers and smaller strip malls. South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is the largest mall in California, the sixth  largest in the United States, and 55th largest in the world. Other regional shopping malls include (from north to south): Brea Mall, The Village at Orange, MainPlace Santa Ana, Westminster Mall, Bella Terra in Huntington Beach, The Market Place straddling Tustin and Irvine,  The District in Tustin, Irvine Spectrum Center, Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Five Lagunas and The Shops at Mission Viejo. Downtown Disney and Anaheim GardenWalk are specialized shopping and entertainment centers aimed at visitors. Power centers include La Habra Marketplace, Anaheim Plaza, and Anaheim Town Square. There are two major  outlet malls , The Outlets at Orange and The Outlets at San Clemente.[110]

### Tourism

[edit]

Tourism remains a vital aspect of Orange County's economy. Anaheim is the main tourist hub, with the Disneyland Resort's Disneyland being the second most visited theme park in the world. Also, Knott's Berry Farm gets about 7 million visitors annually and is located in the city of Buena Park. The Anaheim Convention Center holds 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.

## Arts and culture

[edit]

1965 aerial photo of Anaheim Disneyland, Disneyland Hotel with its Monorail Station. The Disneyland Heliport, surrounding orange groves, Santa Ana Freeway (now I-5) and the Melodyland Theater "in the round," and part of the City of Anaheim. Anaheim Stadium can be seen under construction near the upper left.

The area's warm Mediterranean climate and 42 mi (68 km) of year-round beaches attract millions of tourists annually. Huntington Beach is a hot spot for sunbathing and surfing; nicknamed Surf City USA, 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. Southern California surf culture is prominent in Orange County's beach cities. Another one of these beach cities being Laguna Beach, just south of Newport Beach. A few popular beaches include A Thousand Steps on 9th Street, Main Street Beach, and The Montage.

Other tourist destinations include the theme parks Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim and Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park. Due to the 2022 reopening of Wild Rivers in Irvine, the county is home to three water parks along with Soak City in Buena Park and Great Wolf Lodge in Anaheim.[111] The Anaheim Convention Center is the largest such facility on the West Coast. The Old Towne, Orange Historic District in the City of Orange (the traffic circle at the middle of Chapman Avenue at Glassell Street) still maintains its 1950s image, and appeared in the movie That Thing You Do!.

Little Saigon is another tourist destination, home to the largest concentration of Vietnamese people outside Vietnam. There are also sizable Taiwanese, Filipino, Chinese, and Korean communities, particularly in western Orange County. This is evident in several Asian-influenced shopping centers in Asian American hubs like Irvine. Popular food festival 626 Night Market has a location at OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa and is a popular attraction for Asian and fusion food, as well as an Art Walk and live entertainment.[112]

Historical points of interest include Mission San Juan Capistrano, the destination of migrating swallows. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is in Yorba Linda and the Richard Nixon Birthplace, 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, 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 and Balboa Fun Zone 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.

### Religion

[edit]

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In 2014, the county had 1,075 religious organizations, the sixth-highest total among all US counties (matching its status as the sixth most populous county in the US).[113]

Orange County is the base for several religious organizations:

* The Newport Beach California Temple, one of four temples operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southern California.
* Christ Cathedral (formerly Reverend Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral) is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, located in Garden Grove.
* University Synagogue, one of the world's largest Reconstructionist Jewish synagogues located in Irvine to serve the sizable Jewish community in the area, especially students at nearby University of California, Irvine.
* Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine, the largest Orthodox Jewish synagogue between Los Angeles and San Diego, serving several thousand families.
* Temple Beth El of South Orange County, located in Aliso Viejo, and built in 2001 to serve the fast-growing Jewish community in Orange County, this 65,000 sq ft (6,000 m2) synagogue can seat 1,400 congregants and is the largest by size in Orange County, and is one of the largest places of worship in the state in terms of size. Temple Beth El is affiliated with both the Reform and Conservative Judaism denominations.[114]
* Temple Bat Yahm of Newport Beach, is the largest Reform synagogue in Newport Beach and serves more than 500 families.
* Chabad of Orange County, serves more than 100,000 Jewish families at more than of a dozen of its synagogues and community centers located in Irvine, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, North Irvine, Laguna Niguel, Yorba Linda, Tustin, Dana Point, Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach. These synagogues adhere to the Chabad-Lubavitch school of Orthodox Judaism, but all Jews are welcome to worship regardless of denomination or background.[115]
* Temple Beth Emet of Anaheim, is the only synagogue in Anaheim and was the first Conservative Jewish synagogue to open in Orange County back in 1955.
* Islamic Center of Irvine, which has raised over $5.5 million for its expansion project (as of October 2018).[116]
* Islamic Institute of Orange County, an Islamic Center in Orange County, located in Anaheim and founded in 1991.[117]
* The Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove, established in 1976 and one of the largest mosques in the United States.
* Islamic Center of Santa Ana (ICSA), which opened a new $2.6 million facility in 2017.[118]
* Orange County Islamic Foundation, located in Mission Viejo.[119]
* The Islamic Educational Center of Orange County (IECOC), located in Costa Mesa[120]
* Forty Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church,[121] located in Santa Ana is one of two Armenian Apostolic Church, otherwise referred to as "Armenian Orthodox Church" or "Gregorian Church" in Orange County.
* St. Mary Armenian Church,[122] located in Costa Mesa is one of two Armenian Apostolic Church, otherwise referred to as "Armenian Orthodox Church" or "Gregorian Church" in Orange County.
* Family International, also known as "The Children of God", was founded in 1968 in Huntington Beach by David Berg.
* Chuck Smith, early leader in the Jesus People movement and founder of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa.
* Pao Fa Temple in Irvine is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries and temples in the United States.
* The Purpose Driven Life author Rick Warren and his Saddleback Church (the largest church in California) are in Lake Forest.
* The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange headed by Bishop Kevin Vann. There are about 1.04 million Catholics in Orange County.[123]
* Trinity Broadcasting Network began as Channel 40 in Tustin, now in Costa Mesa.
* Monasteries of the Vedanta Society and St. Michael's Abbey are located in Trabuco Canyon.
* The Vineyard Christian Fellowship movement began in Orange County.
* The Jain Center of Southern California in Buena Park, largest center for followers of Jain faith, originally started by Jains from India
* The Sikh Center of Orange County located in Santa Ana
* The Sikh Center of Buena Park – Gurdwara Singh Sabha
* Harvest Orange County in Irvine. Also holds the Harvest Crusades in Anaheim Stadium.
* Living Stream Ministry is headquartered in Anaheim and hosts several Christian conferences a year.
* Orange County Buddhist Center in Laguna Hills, part of the Soka Gakkai International

## Sports

[edit]

Main article: Sports in Orange County, California

Huntington Beach annually plays host to the U.S. Open of Surfing, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball and Vans World Championship of Skateboarding.[124] It was also the shooting location for Pro Beach Hockey.[125] USA Water Polo, Inc. has moved its headquarters to Irvine, California.[126] Orange County's active outdoor culture is home to many surfers, skateboarders, mountain bikers, cyclists, climbers, hikers, kayaking, sailing and sand volleyball.

Street banners promoting the county's two major league teams, the Ducks and the Angels

The Major League Baseball team in Orange County is the Los Angeles Angels. The team won the World Series under manager Mike Scioscia in 2002. In 2005, new owner Arte Moreno 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, which prompted a lawsuit by the city of Anaheim against Arte Moreno, won by the latter. Prior to the 2016 season Moreno and the club officially dropped the Anaheim moniker now simply going by the Los Angeles Angels.

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 losing in Game 7 against the New Jersey Devils.

The Toshiba Classic, the only PGA Champions Tour event in the area, is held each March at The Newport Beach Country Club. Past champions include Fred Couples (2010), Hale Irwin (1998 and 2002), Nick Price (2011), Bernhard Langer (2008) and Jay Haas (2007). The tournament benefits the Hoag Hospital Foundation and has raised over $16 million in its first 16 years.

Orange County SC is a United Soccer League team and are the only professional soccer club in Orange County. The team's first season was in 2011 and it was successful as Charlie Naimo's team made it to the quarter-finals of the playoffs. With home games played at Championship Soccer Stadium in Orange County Great Park the team looks to grow in the Orange County community and reach continued success. Former and current Orange County SC players include Richard Chaplow, Bright Dike, Maykel Galindo, Carlos Borja, and goalkeeper Amir Abedzadeh.

Professional football made its debut in 1960 when the Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League held their inaugural training camp at Chapman University, then known as Chapman College. In 1966, the AFL considered expansion into the Southern California market and staged a doubleader exhibition at the newly-opened Anaheim Stadium. A year later, the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams began holding one preseason game at The Big A for the next three seasons before making a permanent move in time for the 1980 season. Though the team had some success, the Rams stayed for only 15 years before relocating to St. Louis in 1995.

The National Basketball Association's 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 (now Crypto.com Arena), which they shared with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2011, a relocation bid was launched by the Sacramento Kings to move to Anaheim, but the effort was denied in a vote by the NBA Board of Governors and the franchise ultimately remained in Sacramento.

## Government

[edit]

Charter of the County of Orange, with amendments through June 2016

Orange County is a charter county of California; its seat is Santa Ana.

The elected offices of the county government consist of the five-member board of supervisors, assessor, auditor-controller, clerk-recorder, district attorney-public administrator, sheriff-coroner, and treasurer-tax collector. Except for the board of supervisors, each of these elected officers are elected by the voters of the entire county and oversee their own county departments.[127]

As of January 2023[update], the six countywide elected officers are:[127][128]

* Assessor: Claude Parrish, Republican (since January 5, 2015)
* Auditor-controller: Andrew Hamilton, CPA, Republican (since January 2, 2023)
* Clerk-recorder: Hugh Nguyen, Republican (since April 3, 2013)
* District attorney-public administrator: Todd Spitzer, Republican (since January 7, 2019)
* Sheriff-coroner: Don Barnes, Republican (since January 7, 2019)
* Treasurer-tax collector: Shari Freidenrich, CPA, Republican (since January 3, 2011)

A seventh countywide elected officer, the County Superintendent of Schools (jointly with an independently elected County Board of Education) oversees the independent Orange County Department of Education.[129]

### Board of supervisors

[edit]

Main article: Orange County Board of Supervisors

Each of the five members of the board of supervisors is 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 calendar year, the Supervisors select a chair and Vice Chair amongst themselves. The chair presides over board meetings, and the Vice Chair presides when the chair is not present. The Board appoints the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the County Counsel, the Performance Audit Director, and the Director of the Office of Independent Review. The Board also appoints the County Executive Officer to act as the chief administrative officer of the county and the manager of all agencies and departments not under the sole jurisdiction of an elected county official nor the sole jurisdiction of one of the four aforementioned officers appointed by the Board.[130]

As of December 2024[update], the members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors are:[127][128][130]

* District 1: Janet Nguyen, Republican (since December 4, 2024)
* District 2: Vicente Sarmiento, Democrat (since January 2, 2023)
* District 3: Donald P. Wagner, Republican (since March 27, 2019)
* District 4: Doug Chaffee, Democrat (since January 7, 2019)
* District 5: Katrina Foley, Democrat (since March 23, 2021)

### Department of Education

[edit]

The County Department of Education is wholly separate from the County government and is jointly overseen by the elected County Superintendent of Schools and the five-member Orange County Board of Education, whose trustees are popularly elected from five separate trustee areas.[129]

As of January 2023[update], the six elected officials overseeing the Orange County Department of Education are:[128][131][132]

* Trustee Area 1: Jorge Valdes, Republican
* Trustee Area 2: Mari Barke, Republican
* Trustee Area 3: Ken Williams, Republican
* Trustee Area 4: Tim Shaw, Republican
* Trustee Area 5: Lisa Sparks, Republican
* Superintendent of Schools: Stefan Bean, Republican

### County Level Scandals

[edit]

In October 2024, Supervisor Andrew Do submitted a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit bribery as a result of taking more than $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID funds to his daughter's charity. His plea deal included paying back bribes that he and his daughters had received. He was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison.[133]

On July 12, 2010, it was revealed that former Sheriff Mike Carona received over $215,000 in pension checks in 2009, despite his felony conviction for attempting to obstruct a grand jury investigation.[134][135] A 2005 state law denied a public pension to public officials convicted of wrongdoing in office, however, that law only applied to benefits accrued after December 2005. Carona became eligible for his pension at age 50, and is also entitled, by law, to medical and dental benefits.[136][137] The county pension program continues to pay out his pension through 2023.[138]

## Politics

[edit]

Voter registration as of July 19, 2022[139]

1. Democratic (37.4%)
2. Republican (33.3%)
3. No Party Preference (NPP) (23.6%)
4. American Independent (3.40%)
5. Libertarian (1.20%)
6. Green (0.30%)
7. Other Parties (0.80%)

During most of the 20th century and up until 2016, Orange County was known for its political conservatism and for being a bastion for the Republican Party, with a 2005 academic study listing three Orange County cities as among America's 25 most conservative.[140] However, the county's changing demographics have coincided with a shift in political alignments, making it far more competitive in recent years. In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first Democrat since 1936 to carry Orange County in a presidential election and in the 2018 midterm elections the Democratic Party gained control of every Congressional seat in the county.[141][142][143][144] Although Democrats controlled all congressional districts in Orange County at the time, Republicans maintained a lead in voter registration numbers (although it shrunk to less than a percentage point as of February 10, 2019,[145] as compared with over 10% on February 10, 2013).[146] The number of registered Democrats surpassed the number of registered Republicans in the county in August 2019. As the number of Democrats increased, the number of voters not aligned with a political party increased to comprise 27.4% of the county's voters in 2019.[147] Republicans held a majority on the county Board of Supervisors until 2022, when Democrats established a 3–2 control of the body. Seven out of the 12 state legislators from Orange County are also Republicans.

### Political history

[edit]

From the mid-20th century until the 2010s, Orange County was known as a Republican stronghold and consistently sent Republican representatives to the state and federal legislatures—so strongly that Ronald Reagan described it as the place that "all the good Republicans go to die."[141] Republican majorities in Orange County helped deliver California's electoral votes to Republican nominees Richard Nixon in 1960, 1968, and 1972; Gerald Ford in 1976; Reagan in 1980 and 1984; and George H. W. Bush in 1988. It was one of five counties in the state that voted for Barry Goldwater in 1964.

In 1936, Orange County gave Franklin D. Roosevelt a majority of its presidential vote. The Republican nominee won Orange County by double digits in the next seventeen presidential elections. Orange County's Republican registration reached its apex in 1991, 55.6% of registered voters.[148] But with the 2008 election it began trending Democratic until Hillary Clinton won the county with an eight-point majority in 2016.[149][150] In 2020, Joe Biden further improved slightly on Clinton's 2016 margin of victory.[151][152] In 2023, the Republican party's registration was 33%, while the Democratic party's registration was 37.5%.[148] In 2024, Orange County again voted for the Democratic nominee and California native Kamala Harris, though Harris only won a plurality by a smaller margin than Biden or Hillary Clinton.

Orange County is one of six "reverse pivot counties", counties that voted Republican in 2008 and 2012 before voting Democratic in 2016 onward.[153]

United States presidential election results for Orange County, California[154] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
1892 | 1,152  | 39.74% | 1,000  | 34.49%  | 747  | 25.77%
1896 | 1,932  | 51.06% | 1,712  | 45.24%  | 140  | 3.70%
1900 | 2,155  | 51.24% | 1,777  | 42.25%  | 274  | 6.51%
1904 | 2,665  | 59.54% | 1,034  | 23.10%  | 777  | 17.36%
1908 | 3,244  | 53.74% | 1,911  | 31.65%  | 882  | 14.61%
1912 | 123  | 1.08%  | 4,406  | 38.58%  | 6,892  | 60.34%
1916 | 10,609  | 56.59% | 6,474  | 34.54%  | 1,663  | 8.87%
1920 | 12,797  | 71.52% | 3,502  | 19.57%  | 1,594  | 8.91%
1924 | 19,913  | 67.35% | 2,565  | 8.68%  | 7,088  | 23.97%
1928 | 30,572  | 79.35% | 7,611  | 19.75%  | 344  | 0.89%
1932 | 22,623  | 45.91%  | 23,835  | 48.37% | 2,818  | 5.72%
1936 | 23,494  | 43.31%  | 29,836  | 55.00% | 921  | 1.70%
1940 | 36,070  | 55.49% | 28,236  | 43.44%  | 691  | 1.06%
1944 | 38,394  | 56.92% | 28,649  | 42.47%  | 407  | 0.60%
1948 | 48,587  | 60.88% | 29,018  | 36.36%  | 2,209  | 2.77%
1952 | 80,994  | 70.29% | 33,397  | 28.98%  | 844  | 0.73%
1956 | 113,510  | 66.82% | 54,895  | 32.31%  | 1,474  | 0.87%
1960 | 174,891  | 60.81% | 112,007  | 38.95%  | 701  | 0.24%
1964 | 224,196  | 55.89% | 176,539  | 44.01%  | 430  | 0.11%
1968 | 314,905  | 63.14% | 148,869  | 29.85%  | 34,933  | 7.00%
1972 | 448,291  | 68.27% | 176,847  | 26.93%  | 31,515  | 4.80%
1976 | 408,632  | 62.16% | 232,246  | 35.33%  | 16,555  | 2.52%
1980 | 529,797  | 67.90% | 176,704  | 22.65%  | 73,711  | 9.45%
1984 | 635,013  | 74.70% | 206,272  | 24.27%  | 8,792  | 1.03%
1988 | 586,230  | 67.75% | 269,013  | 31.09%  | 10,064  | 1.16%
1992 | 426,613  | 43.87% | 306,930  | 31.56%  | 239,006  | 24.58%
1996 | 446,717  | 51.67% | 327,485  | 37.88%  | 90,374  | 10.45%
2000 | 541,299  | 55.75% | 391,819  | 40.36%  | 37,787  | 3.89%
2004 | 641,832  | 59.68% | 419,239  | 38.98%  | 14,328  | 1.33%
2008 | 579,064  | 50.19% | 549,558  | 47.63%  | 25,065  | 2.17%
2012 | 582,332  | 51.87% | 512,440  | 45.65%  | 27,892  | 2.48%
2016 | 507,148  | 42.35%  | 609,961  | 50.94% | 80,412  | 6.71%
2020 | 676,498  | 44.44%  | 814,009  | 53.48% | 31,606  | 2.08%
2024 | 654,815  | 47.06%  | 691,731  | 49.72% | 44,761  | 3.22%

Gubernatorial election results[155]

Orange County vote
by party in gubernatorial elections
† Special election Year  | GOP | DEM

|
|

2022 | 51.5% 492,734 | 48.5% 464,206
2021† | 48.3% 547,685 | 51.7% 586,457
2018 | 49.9% 539,951 | 50.1% 543,047
2014 | 55.6% 344,817 | 44.4% 275,707
2010 | 56.8% 499,878 | 37.4% 328,663
2006 | 69.7% 507,413 | 25.5% 185,388
2003† | 63.5% 493,850 | 16.8% 130,808
2002 | 57.5% 368,152 | 34.7% 222,149
1998 | 52.1% 370,736 | 44.7% 318,198
1994 | 67.7% 516,811 | 27.7% 211,132
1990 | 63.7% 425,025 | 31.3% 208,886
1986 | 71.9% 468,092 | 26.5% 172,782
1982 | 61.4% 422,878 | 36.7% 252,572
1978 | 44.2% 272,076 | 48.7% 299,577
1974 | 56.9% 297,870 | 40.6% 212,638
1970 | 66.9% 308,982 | 31.5% 145,420
1966 | 72.2% 293,413 | 27.9% 113,275
1962 | 59.4% 169,962 | 39.2% 112,152
1958 | 53.6% 98,729 | 46.3% 85,364
1954 | 69.7% 63,148 | 30.3% 27,511
1950 | 75.4% 57,348 | 24.6% 18,711

The Republican margin began to narrow in the 1990s and 2000s as the state trended Democratic until the mid- to late-2010s when it voted for the Democratic Party in 2016 and in 2018, when the Democratic party won every United States House District anchored in the county, including four that had previously been held by Republicans.[156] This prompted media outlets to declare Orange County's Republican leanings "dead", with the Los Angeles Times running an op-ed titled, "An obituary to old Orange County, dead at age 129."[141][142][143][144][157] While Republicans were able to recapture two of the seven U.S. House seats in Orange County in 2020, Democrats continued to hold the other five, Biden won the county by a slightly greater margin than Clinton had, and Democrats received a majority of the votes in each of the seven congressional districts.[152] Republicans still carry more weight at the local level, and in 2020 for the State Assembly elections, they won 50.2% of the vote and four out of seven seats of the county.[158] In the 2022 midterm elections, no congressional districts flipped, though Republicans performed strongly in Orange County, with every statewide GOP candidate carrying it.

For the 118th United States Congress in the United States House of Representatives, Orange County is split between six congressional districts:[159]

* California's 38th congressional district, represented by Democrat Linda Sánchez,
* California's 40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim,
* California's 45th congressional district, represented by Democrat Derek Tran,
* California's 46th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lou Correa,
* California's 47th congressional district, represented by Democrat Dave Min, and
* California's 49th congressional district, represented by Democrat Mike Levin.

The 40th, 45th, 46th, and 47th districts are all centered in Orange County. The 38th has its population center in Los Angeles County, while the 49th is primarily San Diego County-based. 132, 154, 188 In the California State Senate, Orange County is split into 7 districts:[159]

* the 29th senatorial district, represented by Democrat Eloise Reyes,
* the 30th senatorial district, represented by Democrat Bob Archuleta,
* the 32nd senatorial district, represented by Republican Kelly Seyarto,
* the 34th senatorial district, represented by Democrat Tom Umberg,
* the 36th senatorial district, represented by Republican Tony Strickland,
* the 37th senatorial district, represented by Republican Steven Choi, and
* the 38th senatorial district, represented by Democrat Catherine Blakespear.

In the California State Assembly, Orange County is split into 9 districts:[159]

* the 59th Assembly district, represented by Republican Phillip Chen,
* the 64th Assembly district, represented by Democrat Blanca Pacheco,
* the 67th Assembly district, represented by Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva,
* the 68th Assembly district, represented by Democrat Avelino Valencia,
* the 70th Assembly district, represented by Republican Tri Ta,
* the 71st Assembly district, represented by Republican Kate Sanchez,
* the 72nd Assembly district, represented by Republican Diane Dixon,
* the 73rd Assembly district, represented by Democrat Cottie Petrie-Norris, and
* the 74th Assembly district, represented by Republican Laurie Davies.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Orange County has 1,591,543 registered voters. Of these, 34% (541,711) are registered Republicans, and 33.3% (529,651) are registered Democrats. An additional 28.5% (453,343) declined to state a political party.[145]

Orange County has produced notable Republicans, such as President Richard Nixon (born in Yorba Linda and lived in Fullerton and 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 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, John Birch Society member, and the father of Mary Kay Letourneau. In 1996, Curt Pringle (later mayor of Anaheim) became the first Republican 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 Orange County's culture, 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 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 moderate Republican, and she is viewed as somewhat more moderate than other Democrats from Southern California.

In 2004, George W. Bush captured 60% of the county's vote, up from 56% in 2000 despite a higher Democratic popular vote statewide. Although Barbara Boxer won statewide in the simultaneously held senate election 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 1992 or 1996, the percentage of the vote George W. Bush received in 2004 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 best showing 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.

The county is featured prominently in Lisa McGirr's book Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right. She argues that its conservative political orientation in the 20th century owed much to its settlement by farmers from the Great Plains, 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 subculture of residents with "Middle American" values that emphasized capitalist religious morality[clarification needed] in contrast to West coast liberalism.

Orange County has many Republican voters from culturally conservative Asian-American, Middle Eastern and Latino immigrant groups. The large Vietnamese-American communities in Garden Grove and Westminster are predominantly Republican; Vietnamese Americans registered Republicans outnumber those registered as Democrats, 55% to 22% as of 2007, while as of 2017 that figure is 42% to 36%. Republican Assemblyman Van Tran was the first Vietnamese-American elected to a state legislature and joined with Texan Hubert Vo as the highest-ranking elected Vietnamese-American in the United States until the 2008 election of Joseph Cao in Louisiana's 2nd 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 Orange County Board of Supervisors entirely Republican; Correa is first of only two Democrats to have served on the Board since 1987 and only the fifth since 1963.

Even with the Democratic sweep of Orange County's congressional seats in 2018, as well as a steady trend of Democratic gains in voter registration, the county remains very Republican downballot. Generally, larger cities–those with a population over 100,000, such as Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine – feature a registration advantage for Democrats, while the other municipalities still have a Republican voter registration advantage. This is especially true in Newport Beach, Yorba Linda, and Villa Park, the three cities where the Republican advantage is largest. As of February 10, 2019, the only exceptions to the former are Huntington Beach and Orange, while exceptions to the latter include Buena Park, Laguna Beach and Stanton.[145]

Similarly, despite Orange county supporting Democratic candidates for president in 2016, and 2020, there are still several smaller municipalities in the county that have continued to vote Republican for president. In addition to the aforementioned Newport Beach, Yorba Linda, and Villa Park, the cities of Huntington Beach, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente also supported Republican nominee Donald Trump for president twice.[160]

### Voter registration (2020 census)

[edit]

Population and registered voters

Total population[161] | 3,186,989
Registered voters[139][note 1] | 1,811,669  | 56.85% total
Democratic[139] | 677,915  | 37.4%
Republican[139] | 603,479  | 33.3%
Democratic-Republican spread  | +74,436 | +4.1%
American Independent[139] | 61,539  | 3.4%
Green[139] | 5,990  | 0.3%
Libertarian[139] | 21,244  | 1.2%
Peace and Freedom[139] | 7,479  | 0.4%
Miscellaneous[139] | 6,855  | 0.4%
No party preference[139] | 427,168  | 23.6%

#### Cities by population and voter registration (2020 census)

[edit]

Cities by population and voter registration  City  | Population[161] | Registered voters[139][note 1] | Democratic[139] | Republican[139] | D-R spread[139] | Other[139] | No party preference[139]

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Aliso Viejo | 52,176 | 63.5% | 36.1% | 33.2% | +2.9% | 7.1% | 23.6%
Anaheim | 346,824 | 51.2% | 42.2% | 28.6% | +13.6% | 6.0% | 23.2%
Brea | 47,325 | 64.8% | 34.1% | 38.0% | −3.9% | 5.6% | 22.3%
Buena Park | 84,034 | 54.8% | 40.1% | 29.8% | +10.2% | 5.5% | 24.6%
Costa Mesa | 111,918 | 56.9% | 36.0% | 33.6% | +2.5% | 7.7% | 22.7%
Cypress | 50,151 | 64.5% | 36.0% | 34.2% | +1.8% | 5.9% | 23.9%
Dana Point | 33,107 | 73.5% | 29.9% | 42.1% | −12.2% | 8.0% | 20.1%
Fountain Valley | 57,047 | 68.4% | 31.8% | 38.8% | −7.0% | 5.9% | 23.4%
Fullerton | 143,617 | 56.7% | 39.5% | 31.3% | +8.2% | 6.0% | 23.2%
Garden Grove | 171,949 | 55.4% | 36.5% | 32.7% | +3.8% | 5.7% | 25.2%
Huntington Beach | 198,711 | 68.6% | 30.2% | 41.7% | −11.5% | 7.3% | 20.8%
Irvine | 307,670 | 52.9% | 39.2% | 25.7% | +13.5% | 5.2% | 29.9%
La Habra | 63,097 | 56.2% | 40.8% | 32.0% | +8.8% | 6.2% | 21.0%
La Palma | 15,581 | 64.9% | 39.0% | 32.6% | +6.4% | 4.5% | 23.8%
Laguna Beach | 23,032 | 78.6% | 42.1% | 28.6% | +13.4% | 7.8% | 21.5%
Laguna Hills | 31,374 | 65.1% | 33.5% | 36.8% | −3.3% | 6.7% | 22.9%
Laguna Niguel | 64,355 | 71.9% | 32.6% | 38.0% | −5.5% | 7.7% | 21.7%
Laguna Woods | 17,644 | 87.4% | 41.0% | 34.1% | +6.9% | 5.2% | 19.7%
Lake Forest | 85,858 | 64.9% | 34.6% | 35.9% | −1.3% | 6.6% | 23.0%
Los Alamitos | 11,780 | 63.8% | 35.3% | 36.4% | −1.1% | 7.3% | 21.0%
Mission Viejo | 93,653 | 72.0% | 33.0% | 39.0% | −6.0% | 6.7% | 21.3%
Newport Beach | 85,239 | 71.4% | 24.9% | 47.8% | −22.9% | 6.5% | 20.8%
Orange | 139,911 | 58.6% | 36.3% | 35.4% | +0.9% | 6.7% | 21.6%
Placentia | 51,824 | 64.0% | 35.0% | 36.6% | −1.7% | 6.1% | 22.2%
Rancho Santa Margarita | 47,949 | 67.2% | 31.2% | 40.3% | −9.1% | 6.7% | 21.7%
San Clemente | 64,293 | 71.5% | 27.7% | 44.7% | −17.0% | 7.7% | 19.9%
San Juan Capistrano | 35,196 | 67.1% | 31.1% | 40.6% | −9.5% | 7.3% | 21.0%
Santa Ana | 310,227 | 44.5% | 49.8% | 20.7% | +29.2% | 5.7% | 23.8%
Seal Beach | 25,242 | 76.9% | 36.2% | 40.2% | −4.0% | 6.0% | 17.7%
Stanton | 37,962 | 49.8% | 42.0% | 27.7% | +14.2% | 5.7% | 24.6%
Tustin | 80,276 | 54.7% | 39.9% | 28.2% | +11.7% | 6.1% | 25.7%
Villa Park | 5,843 | 81.0% | 22.0% | 51.9% | −29.9% | 5.7% | 20.4%
Westminster | 90,911 | 60.7% | 32.8% | 35.7% | −2.8% | 5.9% | 25.6%
Yorba Linda | 68,336 | 72.4% | 25.9% | 48.0% | −22.1% | 5.7% | 20.5%

### Former congressional districts

[edit]

Former congressional districts by year

Year  | Congressional district(s)
1885–1893 | 6
1893–1903[162][163] | 7
1903–1913[162][164] | 8
1913–1933 | 11
1933–1943[162][165] | 19
1943–1953[162][166] | 22
1953–1963[162][167] | 28
1963–1973[162][168] | 34, 35
1973–1983 | 38, 39, 40
1983–1993 | 38, 39, 40
1993–2003 | 40, 46, 47, 48
2003–2013[162][169] | 40, 42, 44, 46, 47, 48

## Education

[edit]

Further information: List of school districts in Orange County, California

Orange County is the home of many colleges and universities, including:

Universities

* Public
* University of California, Irvine (UCI)
* California State University, Fullerton (CSUF)
* Private, religious
* Chapman University
* Concordia University Irvine
* Hope International University
* Trinity Law School
* Vanguard University
* Private, secular
* Anaheim University
* Soka University of America
* Springfield College
* Western State University College of Law
* Whittier Law School (closed)

Colleges

* Two-year (community colleges)
* Coastline Community College
* Cypress College
* Fullerton College
* Golden West College
* Irvine Valley College
* Orange Coast College
* Saddleback College
* Santa Ana College
* Santiago Canyon College
* Four-year
* Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
* Laguna College of Art and Design
* Southern California Institute of Technology

|

Some institutions not based in Orange County operate satellite campuses, including the University of Southern California, National University, Pepperdine University, and Springfield College.

The Orange County Department of Education oversees 28 school districts.

## Media

[edit]

Orange County is served by media in Los Angeles, including its TV and radio stations. Two television stations—KOCE-TV, the main PBS member station in the Southland and KDOC-TV, a Tri-State Christian Television (TCT) owned-and-operated station—are located in Orange County.

There are a few radio stations that are actually located in Orange County. KYLA 92.7 FM has a Christian format. KSBR 88.5 FM airs a jazz music format branded as "Jazz-FM" along with news programming. KUCI 88.9 FM 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. KX 93.5 FM[170] broadcasts out of Laguna Beach and features an eclectic mix of mostly alternative rock.

County-wide politics and government coverage is primarily provided by the Orange County Register and Voice of OC. OC Weekly was an alternative weekly publication, and Excélsior is a Spanish-language newspaper. A few communities are served by the Los Angeles Times' publication of the Daily Pilot. Orange Coast was established in 1974 and is the oldest continuously published lifestyle magazine in the region. OC Music Magazine is also based out of Orange County, serving local musicians and artists.

The Orange County Plain Dealer (January 1898 to May 8, 1925), was a mostly Anaheim-based newspaper, and successor to The Independent, bought by James E. Valjean, a Republican and edited by him, a former editor of the Portsmouth Blade (Ohio).[171][172]

Other newspapers were: Anaheim Daily Herald, Anaheim Gazette, Anaheim Bulletin.[173]

## Transportation

[edit]

Transit in Orange County is offered primarily by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). 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/Perris Valley Line, and the Inland Empire–Orange County Line, along with owning the land on which the Surf Line rests upon from the county line just north of Trestles Bridge until the wye adjacent to Fullerton Station.

### Major highways

[edit]

State Route 1 winds down the coast over Corona Del Mar State Beach.

Ground transportation in Orange County relies heavily on three major interstate highways: the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the San Diego Freeway (I-405 and I-5 south of Irvine), and the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605), which briefly passes through northwestern Orange County. The other freeways in the county are state highways, and include the 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 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. US 91 went through what is now the state route of the same number, and US 101 was replaced by Interstate 5. SR 1 was once a bypass of US 101 (Route 101A).

* Interstate 5
* Interstate 405
* Interstate 605
* U.S. Route 101 (decommissioned)
* State Route 1
* State Route 22
* State Route 39
* State Route 55
* State Route 57
* State Route 72
* State Route 73
* State Route 74
* State Route 90
* State Route 91
* State Route 133
* State Route 142
* State Route 241
* State Route 261

### Bus

[edit]

Further information: Orange County Transportation Authority

The bus network comprises 6,542 stops on 51 lines, running along most major streets, and accounts for 210,000 boardings a day. The fleet of 508 buses is gradually being replaced by CNG (Compressed natural gas)-powered vehicles and electric powered buses, which already represent over 70% of the total fleet. Service is operated by OCTA employees and First Transit under contract. OCTA operates four bus rapid transit service, Rapid, on Harbor Boulevard, Beach Boulevard, Main St and 17th/Westminister. In addition, OCTA offers paratransit service for the disabled (OC ACCESS), also operated by MV. OCTA offers OC flex for the rural areas of Orange County.

### Rail

[edit]

Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center

Since 1992, Metrolink 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/Perris Valley 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 2020.

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)[174] through Orange County. The route includes stops at eight stations in Orange County including, in northbound order, San Clemente Pier (selected trips), San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo (formerly), Irvine Transportation Center, Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, Orange (formerly), Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), and Fullerton Transportation Center.

OC Streetcar, formerly known as the Santa Ana/Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project, is a streetcar line connecting Downtown Santa Ana to the Depot at Santa Ana which is currently under construction and expected to open in 2026.[175] OCTA has also proposed connecting the two systems via Harbor Boulevard and the West Santa Ana Branch corridor.[176][177] Plans for a streetcar for Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton, Anaheim, and Garden Grove — the Anaheim Rapid Connection — were shelved in 2018.

### Sea

[edit]

A car and passenger ferry service, the Balboa Island Ferry, 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 with daily round-trip passage through about nine months of the year. The Catalina Express connects Dana Point to Avalon (with departures from two greater Long Beach ports also connecting to Two Harbors).

### Air

[edit]

Orange County's only major airport is John Wayne Airport; its abbreviation (SNA) refers to Santa Ana, the closest large town in the early 20th century. The airport is located in unincorporated territory surrounded by Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Irvine. On destination monitors with flights to SNA, the airport is usually described as "Orange County, CA" or "Santa Ana/Orange County". In 2014, its Thomas F. Riley Terminal handled over 9 million passengers annually and as of 2019, seven airline brands provide scheduled service.

## Communities

[edit]

Map of Orange County Cities and CDPs

### Cities

[edit]

* Aliso Viejo
* Anaheim
* Brea
* Buena Park
* Costa Mesa
* Cypress
* Dana Point
* Fountain Valley
* Fullerton
* Garden Grove
* Huntington Beach
* Irvine
* La Habra
* La Palma
* Laguna Beach
* Laguna Hills
* Laguna Niguel
* Laguna Woods
* Lake Forest
* Los Alamitos
* Mission Viejo
* Newport Beach
* Orange
* Placentia
* Rancho Santa Margarita
* San Clemente
* San Juan Capistrano
* Santa Ana (county seat)
* Seal Beach
* Stanton
* Tustin
* Villa Park
* Westminster
* Yorba Linda

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

These communities are outside city limits in unincorporated county territory.

* Anaheim Island
* Coto de Caza CDP[note 2]
* El Modena CDP (added in 2024)
* Emerald Bay
* Ladera Ranch CDP[note 2]
* Las Flores CDP[note 2]
* Midway City CDP[note 2]
* Modjeska CDP[note 2]
* North Tustin CDP[note 2]
* Cowan Heights
* Lemon Heights
* Panorama Heights
* Olive
* Orange Park Acres CDP (added in 2024)
* Rancho Mission Viejo CDP[note 2]
* Rossmoor CDP[note 2]
* Santiago Canyon
* Silverado CDP[note 2]
* Trabuco Canyon CDP[note 2]
* Williams Canyon CDP[note 2]

### Planned communities

[edit]

Orange County has a history of large planned communities. Nearly 30 percent of the county was created as master planned communities,[citation needed] 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 because its original seven villages (College Park, The Colony, The Ranch, Culverdale, The Racket Club, University Park, and Turtle Rock) were laid out by the Irvine Company of the mid-1960s before it was bought by a group of investors including Donald Bren.

## In culture

[edit]

Orange County has been the setting for numerous written works and motion pictures, as well as a popular location for shooting motion pictures.

The city of San Juan Capistrano is where writer Johnston McCulley set the first novella about Zorro, The Curse of Capistrano. It was published in 1919 and later renamed The Mark of Zorro. Science fiction novels set in Orange County include A Scanner Darkly (1977) by Philip K. Dick and the Three Californias trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson (1984–1990). Many novels by suspense thriller writer Dean Koontz are set in Orange County; Koontz is a resident of Newport Beach.

Orange County was featured by Huell Howser in Road Trip Episode 109.[178]

Popular television series set in Orange County include the Fox drama The O.C. (2003–2007), the Fox sitcom Arrested Development (2003–2006), and the Bravo reality show The Real Housewives of Orange County (2006–present). The three programs share a common focus on the extravagant lifestyles of the county's upper class.

## See also

[edit]

* Greater Los Angeles portal

* List of museums in Orange County, California
* List of people from Orange County, California
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, California
* Orange County (film)
* Orange County Fair (California)
* Orange County School of the Arts
* Santiago Library System

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k For statistical purposes in 2020 Census, defined by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP).

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[edit]

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166. ^ "Photographic image of area map" (JPG). Onevoter.org. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
167. ^ "Photographic image of area map" (JPG). Onevoter.org. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
168. ^ "Photographic image of area map" (JPG). Onevoter.org. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
169. ^ "Congressional Districts". November 3, 2002. Archived from the original on November 3, 2002. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
170. ^ "KX 93.5 – Laguna's Only FM – Orange County Radio Station". July 27, 2015. Archived from the original on July 27, 2015.
171. ^ Jepsen, Chris (September 17, 2018). "The Orange County Plain Dealer". Orange County History Roundup. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
172. ^ Schultz, Jason; Mabe, Jon; Maya, Chris. "Orange County Plain Dealer". Yore Anaheim. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
173. ^ Schultz, Jason; Mabe, Jon; Maya, Chris. "About". Yore Anaheim. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
174. ^ "Amtrak Surfliner Inaugural Celebration – June 1, 2000". Trainweb. Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
175. ^ "Fixed Guideway Project". santaanatransitvision.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
176. ^ Gonzales, Ron (June 24, 2012). "Proposed streetcar would connect Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
177. ^ Weikel, Dan (May 12, 2015). "Rail could make a comeback in O.C. with proposed streetcar line". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
178. ^ "Orange County- Road Trip with Huell Howser (109) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University". September 25, 2001. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Robin Rockey, 100 Things to Do in Orange County Before You Die. Reedy Press, 2019.[1][2][3]
* Gustavo Arellano, Orange County: A Personal History. New York: Scribner, 2008.
* Samuel Armor, History of Orange County, California: With Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men and Women of the County Who have been Identified with its Earliest Growth and Development from the Early Days to the Present. Los Angeles: Historic Record Company, 1921.
* Mark Baldassare, When Government Fails: The Orange County Bankruptcy. San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California, 1998.
* Mike Heywood, A History of Orange County: Twelve Decades of Extraordinary Change, 1889 to 2010. n.c.: Aardvark Global Publishing, 2010.
* Philippe Jorion and Robert Roper, Big Bets Gone Bad: Derivatives and Bankruptcy in Orange County. San Diego: Academic Press, 1995.
* Kling, Rob, Spencer C Olin, and Mark Poster, Postsuburban California: The Transformation of Orange County since World War II. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1991.
* Milkovich, Barbara Ann. "Townbuilders of Orange County: A study of four southern California cities, 1857-1931" (PhD dissertation, University of California, Riverside; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 1995. 9527796).

* Turner, Laura Gray. "Citrus Culture: The Mentality of the Orange Rancher in Progressive Era North Orange County" (PhD dissertation, California State University, Fullerton; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 1995. 1375159).
* Walker, Doris I. Orange County Then and Now (Then & Now). Thunder Bay Press, 2006.[4]
* Orange County Historical Society, Orange County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2005.
* An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California, From the Earliest Period of Occupancy to the Present Time; Together with Glimpses of their Prospects; Also, Full-Page Portraits of Some of their Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of Many of their Pioneers and of Prominent Citizens of To-day. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1890.
* The Majestic Empire: Orange County California. Santa Ana, CA: Orange County Board of Supervisors, 1964.
* Orange County, California: The Story of Orange County. Santa Ana, CA: Board of Supervisors of Orange County, California, 1939.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Orange County, California at Wikimedia Commons

* Official website
* Orange County, California travel guide from Wikivoyage
* Orange County's Changing Politics – slideshow by The New York Times
* Orange County, California on National Association Of Counties
* Filming Locations in Orange County Archived May 25, 2017, at the Wayback Machine

Places adjacent to Orange County, California

| Los Angeles County | Los Angeles County | San Bernardino County

|
|

|  |
Pacific Ocean |

Orange County

| Riverside County
|  |
Pacific Ocean | Pacific Ocean | San Diego County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Orange County, California, United States

County seat: Santa Ana

Cities|

* Aliso Viejo
* Anaheim
* Brea
* Buena Park
* Costa Mesa
* Cypress
* Dana Point
* Fountain Valley
* Fullerton
* Garden Grove
* Huntington Beach
* Irvine
* La Habra
* La Palma
* Laguna Beach
* Laguna Hills
* Laguna Niguel
* Laguna Woods
* Lake Forest
* Los Alamitos
* Mission Viejo
* Newport Beach
* Orange
* Placentia
* Rancho Santa Margarita
* San Clemente
* San Juan Capistrano
* Santa Ana
* Seal Beach
* Stanton
* Tustin
* Villa Park
* Westminster
* Yorba Linda

Orange County map

CDPs|

* Coto de Caza
* El Modena
* Ladera Ranch
* Las Flores
* Midway City
* Modjeska
* North Tustin
* Orange Park Acres
* Rancho Mission Viejo
* Rossmoor
* Silverado
* Trabuco Canyon
* Williams Canyon

Unincorporated
communities|

* Anaheim Island
* Emerald Bay
* Olive
* Santiago Canyon

Ghost town|

* Carbondale
* Miraflores

* California portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Rivers of Orange County, California

San Gabriel River watershed|

* Brea Creek
* Coyote Creek
* Carbon Creek
* Fullerton Creek
* Imperial Creek
* Moody Creek
* North Fork Coyote Creek

Santa Ana River watershed|

* Black Star Canyon
* Blind Canyon
* Fremont Canyon
* Handy Creek
* Harding Canyon
* Limestone Canyon
* Modjeska Canyon
* Santiago Creek
* Silverado Canyon
* Weir Canyon
* Williams Canyon

Newport Bay watershed|

* Agua Chinon Creek
* Bee Canyon Creek
* Santa Ana-Delhi Channel
* Bonita Creek
* Marshburn Channel
* La Cañada Creek
* Peters Canyon Wash
* San Diego Creek
* San Joaquin Wash
* Sand Canyon Wash
* Serrano Creek

Aliso Creek tributaries|

* Aliso Hills Channel
* Dairy Fork
* English Canyon Creek
* Munger Creek
* Sulphur Creek
* Wood Canyon Creek

San Juan Creek watershed|

* Bell Canyon
* Cañada Gobernadora
* Cold Springs Creek
* El Horno Creek
* Falls Canyon Creek
* Hickey Creek
* Holy Jim Creek
* Hot Springs Creek
* Live Oak Canyon Creek
* Lucas Canyon Creek
* Morrell Canyon Creek
* Oso Creek
* Tijeras Canyon Creek
* Arroyo Trabuco
* Trampas Canyon

Other|

* Bolsa Chica Channel
* Buck Gully
* Muddy Creek
* Prima Deshecha Cañada
* Salt Creek
* Segunda Deshecha Cañada
* Talbert Channel

* v
* t
* e

Greater Los Angeles Area

Counties|

* Los Angeles
* Orange
* Riverside
* San Bernardino
* Ventura

Cities
and
towns|

| Central city|

* Los Angeles

|

200k–500k|

* Anaheim
* Fontana
* Irvine
* Long Beach
* Moreno Valley
* Oxnard
* Riverside
* San Bernardino
* Santa Ana
* Santa Clarita

100k−200k|

* Burbank
* Corona
* Costa Mesa
* Downey
* El Monte
* Fullerton
* Garden Grove
* Glendale
* Huntington Beach
* Inglewood
* Jurupa Valley
* Lancaster
* Murrieta
* Menifee
* Norwalk
* Ontario
* Orange
* Palmdale
* Pasadena
* Pomona
* Rancho Cucamonga
* Rialto
* Simi Valley
* Temecula
* Thousand Oaks
* Torrance
* Ventura
* Victorville
* West Covina

50k–100k|

* Alhambra
* Aliso Viejo
* Apple Valley
* Arcadia
* Azusa
* Baldwin Park
* Beaumont
* Bellflower
* Buena Park
* Camarillo
* Carson
* Cathedral City
* Chino
* Chino Hills
* Colton
* Compton
* Covina
* Cypress
* Diamond Bar
* Eastvale
* Fountain Valley
* Gardena
* Glendora
* Hacienda Heights
* Hawthorne
* Hemet
* Hesperia
* Highland
* Indio
* La Habra
* Laguna Niguel
* Lake Elsinore
* Lake Forest
* Lakewood
* Lynwood
* Mission Viejo
* Monrovia
* Montebello
* Monterey Park
* Newport Beach
* Palm Desert
* Paramount
* Perris
* Pico Rivera
* Placentia
* Redlands
* Redondo Beach
* Rosemead
* San Clemente
* San Jacinto
* Santa Monica
* South Gate
* Tustin
* Upland
* Westminster
* Whittier
* Yorba Linda
* Yucaipa

25k–50k|

* Adelanto
* Banning
* Barstow
* Bell
* Bell Gardens
* Beverly Hills
* Brea
* Cerritos
* Claremont
* Coachella
* Culver City
* Dana Point
* Desert Hot Springs
* La Mirada
* La Puente
* La Quinta
* La Verne
* Laguna Hills
* Lawndale
* Manhattan Beach
* Maywood
* Monrovia
* Montclair
* Moorpark
* Norco
* Palm Springs
* Rancho Palos Verdes
* Rancho Santa Margarita
* San Dimas
* San Gabriel
* San Juan Capistrano
* Santa Paula
* Seal Beach
* South Pasadena
* Stanton
* Temple City
* Twentynine Palms
* Walnut
* West Hollywood
* Wildomar

10k–25k|

* Agoura Hills
* Artesia
* Blythe
* Calabasas
* Calimesa
* Canyon Lake
* Commerce
* Cudahy
* Duarte
* El Segundo
* Fillmore
* Grand Terrace
* Hawaiian Gardens
* Hermosa Beach
* La Cañada Flintridge
* La Palma
* Laguna Beach
* Laguna Woods
* Loma Linda
* Lomita
* Los Alamitos
* Malibu
* Palos Verdes Estates
* Port Hueneme
* Rancho Mirage
* San Fernando
* San Marino
* Santa Fe Springs
* Sierra Madre
* Signal Hill
* South El Monte
* Yucca Valley

Under 10k|

* Avalon
* Big Bear Lake
* Bradbury
* City of Industry
* Hidden Hills
* Indian Wells
* Irwindale
* La Habra Heights
* Needles
* Ojai
* Rolling Hills
* Rolling Hills Estates
* Vernon
* Villa Park
* Westlake Village

CDPs
over 25k|

* Altadena
* East Los Angeles
* Florence-Graham
* French Valley
* Hacienda Heights
* Ladera Ranch
* North Tustin
* Rowland Heights
* South Whittier
* Temescal Valley
* West Whittier-Los Nietos
* Westmont

Area
regions|

* Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city
* Antelope Valley
* Central Los Angeles
* Coachella Valley
* Colorado Desert
* Conejo Valley
* Downtown Los Angeles
* East Los Angeles
* Gateway Cities
* Greater Hollywood
* Greater Los Angeles
* Harbor Area
* Inland Empire
* Mojave Desert
* Northeast Los Angeles
* Northwest Los Angeles
* Orange Coast
* Palos Verdes Peninsula
* Pomona Valley
* Saddleback Valley
* San Bernardino Valley
* San Fernando Valley
* San Gabriel Valley
* Santa Ana Valley
* Santa Clarita Valley
* Simi Valley
* South Bay
* South Coast Metro
* South Los Angeles
* Victor Valley
* Westside Los Angeles

Landforms|

* Baldwin Hills (range)
* Channel Islands
* Chino Hills
* Hollywood Hills
* Los Angeles Basin
* Oxnard Plain
* Palos Verdes Hills
* Puente Hills
* San Fernando Valley
* San Gabriel Mountains
* San Gabriel Valley
* San Jacinto Mountains
* Santa Ana Mountains
* Santa Catalina Island
* Santa Monica Mountains
* Santa Susana Mountains
* Sierra Pelona Ridge
* Simi Hills
* Verdugo Mountains

Bodies of
water|

* Aliso Creek
* Arroyo Calabasas
* Arroyo Seco
* Ballona Creek
* Bell Creek
* Big Bear Lake
* Coyote Creek
* Lake Arrowhead
* Lake Gregory
* Lake Perris
* Lake Piru
* Los Angeles Aqueduct
* Los Angeles River
* Malibu Creek
* Mojave River
* Pacific Ocean
* Pyramid Lake
* Rio Hondo
* San Gabriel River
* San Juan Creek
* San Pedro Bay
* Santa Ana River
* Santa Clara River
* Santa Margarita River
* Santa Monica Bay
* Tujunga Wash

* v
* t
* e

State of California

Sacramento (capital)

Topics|

* Culture
* food
* music
* languages
* California sound
* sports
* California Dream
* Crime
* Demographics
* Earthquakes
* Economy
* agriculture
* Education
* Education, history of
* Environment
* Geography
* climate
* ecology
* flora
* fauna
* Government
* Capitol
* districts
* governor
* legislature
* Supreme Court
* Healthcare
* Abortion
* History
* Law
* LGBT rights
* National Historic Landmarks
* National Natural Landmarks
* NRHP listings
* Politics
* congressional delegations
* elections
* People
* Protected areas
* state parks
* state historic landmarks
* Symbols
* Transportation
* Water
* Index of articles

Regions|

* Antelope Valley
* Big Sur
* California Coast Ranges
* Cascade Range
* Central California
* Central Coast
* Central Valley
* Channel Islands
* Coachella Valley
* Coastal California
* Conejo Valley
* Cucamonga Valley
* Death Valley
* East Bay (SF Bay Area)
* East County (SD)
* Eastern California
* Emerald Triangle
* Gold Country
* Great Basin
* Greater San Bernardino
* Inland Empire
* Klamath Basin
* Lake Tahoe
* Greater Los Angeles
* Los Angeles Basin
* Lost Coast
* Mojave Desert
* Mountain Empire
* North Bay (SF)
* North Coast
* North County (SD)
* Northern California
* Orange Coast
* Owens Valley
* Oxnard Plain
* Peninsular Ranges
* Pomona Valley
* Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
* Sacramento Valley
* Saddleback Valley
* Salinas Valley
* San Fernando Valley
* San Francisco Bay Area
* San Francisco Peninsula
* San Gabriel Valley
* San Joaquin Valley
* Santa Clara Valley
* Santa Clara River Valley
* Santa Clarita Valley
* Santa Ynez Valley
* Shasta Cascade
* Sierra Nevada
* Silicon Valley
* South Bay (LA)
* South Bay (SD)
* South Bay (SF)
* South Coast
* Southern Border Region
* Southern California
* Transverse Ranges
* Tri-Valley
* Victor Valley
* Wine Country

Metro regions|

* Fresno–Madera
* Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
* Sacramento–Roseville
* Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario
* San Diego–Tijuana
* San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland

Counties|

* Alameda
* Alpine
* Amador
* Butte
* Calaveras
* Colusa
* Contra Costa
* Del Norte
* El Dorado
* Fresno
* Glenn
* Humboldt
* Imperial
* Inyo
* Kern
* Kings
* Lake
* Lassen
* Los Angeles
* Madera
* Marin
* Mariposa
* Mendocino
* Merced
* Modoc
* Mono
* Monterey
* Napa
* Nevada
* Orange
* Placer
* Plumas
* Riverside
* Sacramento
* San Benito
* San Bernardino
* San Diego
* San Francisco
* San Joaquin
* San Luis Obispo
* San Mateo
* Santa Barbara
* Santa Clara
* Santa Cruz
* Shasta
* Sierra
* Siskiyou
* Solano
* Sonoma
* Stanislaus
* Sutter
* Tehama
* Trinity
* Tulare
* Tuolumne
* Ventura
* Yolo
* Yuba

Most populous
cities|

* Los Angeles
* San Diego
* San Jose
* San Francisco
* Fresno
* Sacramento
* Long Beach
* Oakland
* Bakersfield
* Anaheim

California portal

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Spain
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* NARA
* Yale LUX

1. ^ "100 Things to do in Orange County Before You die – Reedy Press LLC". Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
2. ^ "The Ultimate Guide to Orange County, California". 100 Things to Do in Orange County Before You Die. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
3. ^ "Local author recommends 100 amazing things to do in O.C. In new book". Los Angeles Times. January 2, 2020. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
4. ^ Walker, Doris (2006). Orange County then & Now. Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 9781592235995. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2020.

*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
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