Orange County is a region in Southern California. It is known for Anaheim's Disneyland Resort, a huge complex of attractions, restaurants and shops. Nearby, in Buena Park, is Knott's Berry Farm, a large theme park. Cities with surfing beaches include Huntington Beach, with its surf museum.
The boat-filled port of Newport Beach is located off the Balboa Peninsula. Laguna Beach has tidal pools and the beachfront Crystal Cove State Park. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more. The county is a tourist hub, with attractions such as Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Modjeska House, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Yost Theater, Bowers Museum, Balboa Island, Angel Stadium, Downtown Santa Ana, Honda Center and several popular beaches along its more than 40 miles (64 km) of coastline.
It is also home to a major research university, the University of California, Irvine (UCI), along with other notable colleges and universities, such as Chapman University and Cal State Fullerton. A severe drought in the 1860s devastated the predominant industry, livestock farming and much of the land passed into the hands of Richard O'Neill, Sr. In 1887, silver was discovered in the Santa Ana Mountains, attracting settlers through the Santa Fe and South Pacific Railroads. Other citrus, avocado and oil extraction crops were also important for the early economy.
Orange County benefited from the completion of the Pacific Electric Railway on July 4, 1904, a trolley connecting Los Angeles to Santa Ana and Newport Beach. The liaison made Orange County an accessible weekend retreat for early Hollywood celebrities. It was considered so important that Pacific City changed its name to Huntington Beach in honor of Henry E. Huntington, President of Pacific Electric and Nephew of Collis Huntington.
Transportation further improved with the completion of State Route and the U, S. Route 101 (now mostly interstate) in the 1920s. Agriculture, such as that involving the boysenberries made famous by Walter Knott, a native of Buena Park, began to decline after World War II. However, the county's prosperity skyrocketed during this time.
The completion of Interstate 5 in 1954 helped make Orange County a dormitory community for many of those who moved to Southern California to work in the aerospace and. Orange County received a new boost in 1955 with the opening of Disneyland. In 1969, Richard Nixon, a native of Orange County, born in Yorba Linda, became the 37th President of the United States. In the 1980s, Orange County became the second most populous county in California, as the population exceeded two million for the first time.
In recent years, land use conflicts have arisen between established areas in the north and less developed areas in the south. These conflicts have addressed issues such as the construction of new toll roads and the reuse of a decommissioned air base. The Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro was designated by an election measure in 1994 to become an international airport complementing the current John Wayne Airport. But subsequent voter initiatives and legal actions have resulted in the airport plan being permanently shelved.
Instead, it will become the Great Park of Orange County. In the US, the county has a total area of 948 square miles (2,460 km), of which 791 square miles (2,050 km) is land and 157 square miles (410 km) (16.6%) is water. It is the smallest county in Southern California. The average annual temperature is about 68 °F (20 °C).
Orange County is bordered on the southwest by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by Los Angeles County, on the northeast by San Bernardino County and Riverside County, and on the southeast by San Diego County. The Santa Ana River is the county's main watercourse, which flows through the center of the county from northeast to southwest. Its main tributary to the south and east is Santiago Creek. Other waterways within the county include Aliso Creek, San Juan Creek and Horsethief Creek.
In the north, the San Gabriel River also briefly crosses Orange County and exits to 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 against an underground fault. Residents sometimes divide the county into North Orange County and Southern Orange County. In effect, it is a division of the county into northwest and southeast halves following the natural diagonal orientation of the county along the coast.
Rather, it is a cultural and demographic distinction perpetuated by the popular television shows The OC, The Real Housewives of Orange County and Laguna Beach. The distinction exists between the oldest areas closest to Los Angeles and the more prosperous and recently developed areas of the south. A transition between the oldest and newest development can be considered to exist roughly parallel to State Route 55, also known as the Costa Mesa Highway. This transition is accentuated by large areas flanking undeveloped areas occupied until recent years by agricultural and military airfields.
Residents of Orange County are known as Orange Counties. The area's warm Mediterranean climate and 42 miles (68 km) of beaches year-round attract millions of tourists every year. Huntington Beach is a hot spot for sunbathing and surfing; nicknamed Surf City, U, S, A. The Wedge, on 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 Prominent in County Beach Towns. Little Saigon is another tourist destination, as it is home to the highest concentration of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam. There are also important Taiwanese, Chinese and Korean communities, particularly in western Orange County. This is evident in several Asian-influenced malls in Asian-American centers such as the city of Irvine.
Orange County has some of the most exclusive and expensive neighborhoods in the U.S. UU. The city of San Juan Capistrano is the place where the writer Johnston McCulley located the first novel about Zorro, entitled The Curse of Capistrano. It was published in 1919 and was later renamed The Mark of Zorro.
Tourism Remains a Vital Aspect of Orange County's Economy. Anaheim is the premier tourist center, and Disneyland Resort's Disneyland Resort is the second most visited theme park in the world. In addition, Knotts Berry Farm receives around 7 million visitors a year and is located in the city of Buena Park. The Anaheim Convention Center holds many important conventions throughout the year.
Resorts within Beach Cities welcome visitors all year round due to their proximity to the beach, bike trails, mountain hiking trails, golf courses, shops and restaurants. Food aisles with gourmet vendors include the 42,000 square foot (3,900 m) Anaheim Packing District, 4th Street Market in downtown Santa Ana, Lot 579 in Huntington Beach, Trade Food Hall in Irvine, OC Mix in Costa Mesa and The Source OC in Buena Park. Huntington Beach annually hosts the U.S. Open of Surfing, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball and Vans World Championship of Skateboarding.
It was also the filming location of Pro Beach Hockey. It has moved its headquarters to Irvine, California. Orange County's active outdoor culture is home to many surfers, skaters, mountain bikers, bikers, climbers, hikers, kayaks, sailing and sand volleyball. The Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association played a few home games at The Arrowhead Pond, now known as the Honda Center, from 1994 to 1999, before moving to the Staples Center, which they share with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Some institutions that are not based in Orange County have satellite campuses, such as the University of Southern California, National University, Pepperdine University and Springfield College. Orange County Department of Education oversees 28 school districts. A billboard for Nixon's restaurant in Orange County, circa 1955 Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley from Costa Mesa The main facilities in Anaheim: the outlying city of Santa Ana, plus adjacent urban center locations. In North Orange County, many businesses will have someone who speaks Spanish on staff; however, the further south you travel, the less common Spanish-speaking staff may be, although it is likely that someone close to you will speak Spanish and usually help translate if requested.
The estimated population of Orange County, California, is 3,174,850, with a growth rate of -0.01% over the past year, according to the most recent data from the United States Census. Orange County has a great niche for award-winning restaurants, California signature cuisine, and ethnic specialties. Orange County has a reputation for being more conservative than the rest of California, with conservative fiscal attitudes dominating affluent cities and some social conservative attitudes prevalent in some of Orange County's thriving ethnic subcommunities. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is the main bus service provider in Orange County, with lines serving much of the county.
Orange County Restaurant Week offers locals and visitors alike the best restaurants in the County. Orange County SC is a United Soccer League team and is the only professional football club in Orange County. Northern Orange County, which includes Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana, was the first part of the county to develop and is culturally closer to neighboring Los Angeles county. Cultural and entertainment facilities include the Disneyland Resort, Angel Stadium, Christ Cathedral (formerly the Crystal Cathedral), City National Grove of Anaheim, a live concert venue, Discovery Cube Orange County, Honda Center, home of the NHL (National Hockey League) Anaheim Ducks and Anaheim Center of conventions.
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. Smog is common throughout much of Orange County, although the coast generally has cleaner air due to ocean winds. Another region of Orange County is the Orange Coast, which includes the six cities bordering the Pacific Ocean. The lines include Orange County, 91 and Inland Empire-Orange County, and total about 40 trains per day.
With home games played at the Championship Soccer Stadium in the Great Park of Orange County, the team seeks to grow in the Orange County community and achieve continued success. . .
