| Orange County is a county located in | | | | County. The most northern part of the |
| Southern California, U.S.A. With a | | | | county sits on the coastal plains of the |
| current estimated population of three | | | | Los Angeles Basin. The southern half |
| million, it has the second most people | | | | sits on the foothills of the Santa Ana |
| for any county in the state of | | | | Mountains. |
| California, and has the fifth most | | | | The majority of the population of Orange |
| people for any county in all of the | | | | County reside in one of two shallow |
| Unites States. Known for its wealth and | | | | coastal valleys that are in the basin. |
| political conservatism, the county, in | | | | These two shallow coastal basins are: |
| actual reality is neither as | | | | the Santa Ana Valley and the Saddleback |
| consistently wealthy or as politically | | | | Valley. |
| conservative as the stereotypical image | | | | The cities in Orange County are |
| it has gained suggests. Famous for | | | | connected by a network of freeways. |
| tourism, Orange County is home to | | | | Residents of Orange County typically |
| Disneyland as well as miles upon miles | | | | call these freeways by their route |
| of sandy beaches. Orange County is | | | | number rather than their formal name. |
| located right at the center of Southern | | | | One of the most important Orange County |
| California's Tech Coast. | | | | roadways is the Santa Ana Freeway, or |
| Despite its massive population, Orange | | | | Interstate 5, which runs north-south |
| County has a total area of 2,455 km² | | | | bisecting the length of the county. It |
| which makes it the smallest county in | | | | is so important as it connects with |
| all of Southern California. Four Hundred | | | | another key north-south road, the San |
| and Eleven of those square kilometers | | | | Diego Freeway. Orange County is often |
| are also made up of water. The county is | | | | divided into "North County" and "South |
| bordered on the north by Los Angeles | | | | County" by the residents. This idea is |
| County, on the west by the Pacific | | | | opposed to an East-West ision |
| Ocean, on the east by Riverside County, | | | | characterized by coastal and inland |
| on the northeast by San Bernardino | | | | cities. There is no actual geographical |
| County, and on the south by San Diego | | | | division of North and South County. |