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