| Orange County is a county in Southern | | | | boundaries, or along the boundary |
| California, United States. Its county | | | | between the 714 and 949 area codes. The |
| seat is Santa Ana. Its population of | | | | division is peretuated by the popular |
| 3,056,865 (2005 estimate) is larger than | | | | television shows "The OC" and "Laguna |
| that of 20 states. It is the second most | | | | Beach." Many in North Orange County |
| populous county in the state of | | | | (containing Anaheim and Santa Ana) are |
| California, and the fifth most populous | | | | distasteful of South County's lavish and |
| in the United States. The county is | | | | over-the-top luxurious living. |
| known for its wealth and political | | | | Members of the Tongva and Juaneño |
| conservatism. | | | | Luiseño nations long inhabited the |
| It is also famous as a tourist | | | | area. After the 1769 expedition of |
| destination, as the county is home to | | | | Gaspar de Portolà, a Spanish expedition |
| such attractions as Disneyland and | | | | led by Junipero Serra named the area |
| Knott's Berry Farm, as well as sandy | | | | Vallejo de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint |
| beaches for swimming and surfing, yacht | | | | Anne). On November 1, 1776, Mission San |
| harbors for sailing and pleasure | | | | Juan Capistrano became the first |
| boating, and extensive acreage devoted | | | | permanent European settlement. |
| to parks and open space for golf, | | | | A severe drought in the 1860s devastated |
| tennis, hiking, kayaking, cycling, and | | | | the prevailing industry, cattle |
| other outdoor recreation. It is at the | | | | ranching, and much land came into the |
| center of Southern California's Tech | | | | possession of Richard O'Neill, Sr., |
| Coast with Irvine being the primary | | | | James Irvine and other land barons. In |
| business hub. | | | | 1887, silver was discovered in the Santa |
| Thirty-four incorporated cities are | | | | Ana mountains, attracting settlers via |
| located in Orange County; the newest is | | | | the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific |
| Aliso Viejo, which is also the only city | | | | Railroads. This growth led the |
| in the county to incorporate since 2000. | | | | California legislature to divide Los |
| Seven of these cities are among the 200 | | | | Angeles County and create Orange County |
| largest cities in the United States. | | | | as a separate political entity on March |
| Geography | | | | 11, 1889. It was named for its most |
| According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the | | | | famous product, but other citrus crops, |
| county has a total area of 2,455 km² | | | | avocados, and oil extraction were also |
| (948 mi²), making it the smallest | | | | important to the early economy. |
| county in Southern California. Surface | | | | Orange County benefited from the July 4, |
| water accounts for 411 km² (159 mi²) | | | | 1904 completion of the Pacific Electric |
| of the area, 16.73% of the total; 2,045 | | | | Railway, a trolley connecting Los |
| km² (789 mi²) of it is land. | | | | Angeles with Newport Beach and Santa |
| Orange County is bordered on the west by | | | | Ana. The link made Orange County an |
| the Pacific Ocean, on the north by Los | | | | accessible weekend retreat for |
| Angeles County, on the northeast by San | | | | celebrities of early Hollywood. It was |
| Bernardino County, on the east by | | | | deemed so significant that the city of |
| Riverside County, and on the south by | | | | Pacific City changed its name to |
| San Diego County. | | | | Huntington Beach in honor of Henry |
| The northern part of the county lies on | | | | Huntington, president of the Pacific |
| the coastal plain of the Los Angeles | | | | Electric and nephew of robber baron |
| Basin, while the southern half lies on | | | | Collis Huntington. Transportation |
| the foothills of the Santa Ana | | | | further improved with the completion of |
| Mountains. Most of Orange County's | | | | the State Route and U.S. Route 101 (now |
| population resides in one of two shallow | | | | mostly Interstate 5) in the 1920s. |
| coastal valleys that lie in the basin, | | | | Agriculture, such as the boysenberry |
| the Santa Ana Valley and the Saddleback | | | | which was made famous by Buena Park |
| Valley. The coastal plain gently rises | | | | native Walter Knott, began to decline |
| into the Santa Ana Mountains, which lie | | | | after World War II but the county's |
| within the boundaries of the county and | | | | prosperity soared. The completion of |
| of the Cleveland National Forest. The | | | | Interstate 5 in 1954 helped make Orange |
| high point is Santiago Peak (5,687 ft | | | | County a bedroom community for many who |
| 1,733 m), about 20 mi (32 km) east of | | | | moved to Southern California to work in |
| Santa Ana. Santiago Peak and nearby | | | | aerospace and manufacturing. Orange |
| Modjeska Peak, just 200 feet shorter, | | | | County received a further boost in 1955 |
| form a ridge known as Saddleback, | | | | with the opening of Disneyland. |
| visible from almost everywhere in the | | | | In 1969, Yorba Linda-born Orange County |
| county. | | | | native Richard Nixon became the 37th |
| The Santa Ana River is the county's | | | | President of the United States. |
| principal watercourse. Its major | | | | In the 1980s, the population topped 2 |
| tributary running through the county is | | | | million for the first time. Orange |
| Santiago Creek. Other watercourses | | | | County had become the second largest |
| within the county include Aliso Creek, | | | | county in California. |
| San Juan Creek, and Horsethief Creek. | | | | A spectacular investment fund melt-down |
| The San Gabriel River also briefly | | | | in 1994 led to the criminal prosecution |
| crosses into Orange County and exits | | | | of Orange County treasurer Robert |
| into the Pacific on the Los | | | | Citron. On December 6, 1994, Orange |
| Angeles-Orange County line between Long | | | | County declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy, |
| Beach and Seal Beach. Laguna Beach is | | | | from which it emerged in June 1995; this |
| home to the county's only natural lakes, | | | | was the largest ever municipal |
| Laguna Lakes, which are formed by water | | | | bankruptcy in the U.S. The county lost |
| rising up against an underground fault. | | | | about $1.6 billion through high-risk |
| Residents often divide the county into | | | | investments in derivatives. |
| "North County" and "South County", as | | | | In recent years, the county has been |
| opposed to an East-West division | | | | characterized by conflict between the |
| characterized by coastal and inland | | | | older northern and newer southern cities |
| cities; however, there may be | | | | over development, the building of new |
| significant cultural differences found | | | | toll roads, and a recently defeated |
| on the coast than further inland. There | | | | proposal to build an international |
| is no formal geographical division of | | | | airport at the former El Toro Marine |
| North and South County, though a | | | | Corps Air Station that would have |
| North-South border may be drawn | | | | reduced operations at the existing John |
| somewhere along the Tustin-Irvine and | | | | Wayne Airport. |
| Costa Mesa-Newport Beach city | | | | |