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.
