Orange County, California

Orange County Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,455 km2 (948 sq mi), making it the smallest county in Southern California. Surface water accounts for 411 km2 (159 sq mi) of the area, 16.73% of the total; 2,044 km2 (789 sq mi) of it is land. The average annual temperature is about 68 °F (20 °C). Despite its small size as a county, Orange County's total area in square miles is actually just smaller than the State of Rhode Island's land area.

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.

View of the Santa Ana Mountains from Newport BayThe 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 feet (1,734 m)[9]), about 20 mi (32 km) east of Santa Ana. Santiago Peak and nearby Modjeska Peak, just 200 feet (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.

North Orange County in purple shades. South Orange County in blue shades.Further information: List of rivers of Orange County, California
Residents sometimes figuratively divide the county into "North Orange County" and "South County" (meaning Northwest and Southeast—following the county's natural diagonal orientation along the local coastline). This is more of a cultural and demographic distinction perpetuated by the popular television shows "The OC" and "Laguna Beach", between the older areas closer to Los Angeles, and the more affluent and recently developed areas to the South and East. A transition between older and newer development may be considered to exist roughly parallel to State Route 55 (aka the Costa Mesa Freeway). This transition is accentuated by large flanking tracts of sparsely developed area occupied until recent years by agriculture and military airfields.

While there is a natural topographical Northeast-to-Southwest transition from inland elevations to the lower coastal band, there is no formal geographical division between North and South County. Perpendicular to that gradient, the Santa Ana River roughly divides the county between northwestern and southeastern sectors (about 40% to 60% respectively, by area), but does not represent any apparent economic, political or cultural differences, nor does it significantly affect distribution of travel, housing, commerce, industry or agriculture from one side to the other.

Incorporated cities

As of August 2006, Orange County has 34 incorporated cities. The oldest is Anaheim (1870) and the newest is Aliso Viejo (2001).

• Aliso Viejo, incorporated in 2001
• Anaheim, incorporated in 1870
• Brea, incorporated in 1917
• Buena Park, incorporated in 1953
• Costa Mesa, incorporated in 1953
• Cypress, incorporated in 1956
• Dana Point, incorporated in 1989
• Fountain Valley, incorporated in 1953
• Fullerton, incorporated in 1904
• Garden Grove, incorporated in 1956
• Huntington Beach, incorporated in 1909
• Irvine, incorporated in 1971
• La Habra, incorporated in 1925
• La Palma, incorporated in 1955
• Laguna Beach, incorporated in 1927
• Laguna Hills, incorporated in 1991
• Laguna Niguel, incorporated in 1989
• Laguna Woods, incorporated in 1999
• Lake Forest, incorporated in 1991
• Los Alamitos, incorporated in 1960
• Mission Viejo, incorporated in 1988
• Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906
• Orange, incorporated in 1888
• Placentia, incorporated in 1926
• Rancho Santa Margarita, incorporated in 2000
• San Clemente, incorporated in 1928
• San Juan Capistrano, incorporated in 1961
• Santa Ana, incorporated in 1886
• Seal Beach, incorporated in 1915
• Stanton, incorporated in 1956
• Tustin, incorporated in 1927
• Villa Park, incorporated in 1962
• Westminster, incorporated in 1957
• Yorba Linda, incorporated in 1967
   

Noteworthy communities

Some of the communities that exist within city limits are listed below:

• Anaheim Hills, Anaheim
• Atwood, Placentia
• Balboa, Newport Beach
• Balboa Island, Newport Beach
• Capistrano Beach, Dana Point
• Carlton, Yorba Linda
• Corona del Mar, Newport Beach
• Dove Canyon, Rancho Santa Margarita
• East Lake, Yorba Linda
• El Modena, Orange
• Floral Park, Santa Ana
• French Park, Santa Ana
• Foothill Ranch, Lake Forest
• Las Flores, Rancho Santa Margarita
• Lido Isle, Newport Beach
• Mesa Verde, Costa Mesa
• Monarch Beach, Dana Point
• Newport Coast, Newport Beach
• Northwood, Irvine
• Olinda Village, Brea
• Olive, Orange
• Portola Hills, Lake Forest
• Quail Hill, Irvine
• San Joaquin Hills, Newport Beach
• San Juan Hills, San Juan Capistrano
• Santa Ana Heights, Newport Beach
• Santiago Hills, Orange
• South Coast Metro, Costa Mesa/Santa Ana
• South Laguna, Laguna Beach
• Sunny Hills, Fullerton
• Surfside, Seal Beach
• Talega, San Clemente
• Turtle Rock, Irvine
• Tustin Legacy, Tustin
• Tustin Ranch, Tustin
• West Garden Grove, Garden Grove
• The Village, Irvine
• Woodbury, Irvine
• Woodbridge, Irvine
   

Unincorporated communities

These communities are outside of city limits in unincorporated county territory:

• Coto de Caza
• Cowan Heights
• El Modena
• Emerald Bay
• Ladera Ranch
• Lemon Heights
• Midway City
• Modjeska Canyon
• North Tustin
• Orange Park Acres
• Rancho Mission Viejo
• Red Hill
• Rossmoor
• Silverado Canyon
• Sunset Beach
• Trabuco Canyon
   

See also: List of neighborhoods and unincorporated communities in Orange County

Planned communities

Orange County has a history of large planned communities. Nearly 30% 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 has become the model master planned city, encompassing many villages which were all planned under a master plan by the Irvine Company in the mid-1960s.

Adjacent counties

• Los Angeles County, California - north, west
• San Bernardino County, California - northeast
• Riverside County, California - east
• San Diego County, California - southeast

Orange County Orange County Geography