Orange County, California
sprawls throughout the scenic coastal plain of the Los
Angeles Basin, surrounded by the Santa
Ana Mountain foothills and the Pacific Ocean. Between the
dynamic cities of Los
Angeles and San
Diego, Orange County boasts an astounding array of cultural and
recreational opportunities.
More than 2.8 million residents (Census
2000 Data) occupy the nearly sixty incorporated cities and
unincorporated towns located within Orange County, CA. Some of the
larger urban areas include Anaheim,
Huntington
Beach, Laguna
Beach, Newport
Beach and Santa
Ana, the county seat. Orange County, California is the nation’s
fifth largest county by population.
Orange
County maintains a healthy economy, balanced by a diverse base
of industry. The region’s top three employment sectors include
manufacturing, retail trade and professional services. In addition,
the area’s highly sophisticated network of transportation systems
combines with its centralized location and modern infrastructure to
position Orange County, CA as suitable location for conducting
business.
Orange County residents enjoy access to one of the finest school
districts nationwide.
Students consistently score among the highest SAT scores and hold
the lowest dropout rates in all of Southern California. After
graduating from these fine schools, students have access to several
outstanding higher learning facilities. These include Chapman
University in Orange,
California State
University in Fullerton,
the University of
California in Irvine
and Vanguard
University in Costa
Mesa.
A warm and inviting Mediterranean
climate annually draws millions of tourists to its nearly thirty
beaches, including Huntington
Beach, whose nickname is “Surf City, U.S.A.” Other popular
destinations include Bowers
Kidseum, Catalina
Island, Disneyland and
Knotts Theme Park.
Little Saigon
is another interesting destination, where the highest concentration
of Vietnamese citizens outside of Vietnam resides. Diverse shopping
opportunities exist in Orange County, such as The
Block in Orange, Fashion
Island in Newport
Beach, the Irvine
Spectrum Center and South
Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Local sports teams include the Anaheim
Angels, which were the 2002 World
Series champions and the NHL’s Mighty
Ducks of Anaheim.
Unique art galleries and museums in the area include the Artists
Village in Santa Ana, the Cove Gallery in Laguna Beach and the Surfing
Museum in Huntington Beach. Orange County, CA is also home to
numerous well-known historical sites, such as the Mission
San Juan Capistrano, which is the annual destination of migrating
swallows. Also found here is the home of Madame
Helena Modjeska on Santiago
Creek, as well as Richard
Nixon’s Library and Birthplace in Yorba
Linda.
Orange
County, California
features lovely beachside communities along the Pacific Ocean,
coastal bluffs, and mile after mile of hilly countryside. Due to its
portrayal in movies and television shows, such as “The
O.C”, Orange County, CA has developed a reputation for its
affluent communities and citizens. In actuality, while some of the
most wealthy and exclusive neighborhoods do exist in Orange County,
California, it is not as uniform as it is stereotypically portrayed.
Residents here enjoy their choice of a vast array of neighborhoods
with prices that range from reasonable to outlandish.
