Orange County, California
Orange County | |
|---|---|
Laguna Beach on the Orange Coast San Juan Capistrano Balboa Island Santa Ana Santa Ana Mountains seen from Mission Viejo | |
|
Flag Seal | |
Interactive map of Orange County | |
Location in California | |
| Coordinates: 33°40′N 117°47′W / 33.67°N 117.78°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Greater Los Angeles & South Coast |
| Incorporated | August 1, 1889[1] |
| Named after | The orange (fruit), named so the county would sound like a semi-tropical, mediterranean region to people from the East Coast[1] |
| County seat | Santa Ana |
| Largest city | Anaheim (population) Irvine (area) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–CEO |
| • Body | |
| • Chair | Doug Chaffee (D) |
| • Vice Chair | Katrina Foley (D) |
| • County Executive Officer | Michelle Aguirre |
| Area | |
• Total | 948 sq mi (2,460 km2) |
| • Land | 799 sq mi (2,070 km2) |
| • Water | 157 sq mi (410 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 5,689 ft (1,734 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,186,989 |
• Estimate (2024) | 3,170,435 |
| • Density | 3,989/sq mi (1,540/km2) |
| Demonym | Orange Countian |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $333.453 billion (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Area codes | 562, 657/714, 949 |
| Congressional districts | 38th, 40th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 49th |
| Website | ocgov |
Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county located in the Greater Los Angeles area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 3,186,989,[4] making it the third most populous county in California, the sixth most populous in the United States, and more populous than 19 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.[6] Although mostly suburban, it is the second most densely populated county in the state behind San Francisco County.[7] The county's three most populous cities are Anaheim, Santa Ana and Irvine, each of which has a population surpassing 300,000.[8] Santa Ana is also the county seat. Six cities in Orange County lie along the Pacific Coast: Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente.
Orange County is included in the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county has 34 incorporated cities. Older cities such as Tustin, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange and Fullerton have traditional downtowns dating back to the 19th century, while newer commercial development or "edge cities" stretch along the Interstate 5 (Santa Ana) Freeway between Disneyland and Santa Ana and between South Coast Plaza and the Irvine Business Complex and cluster at Irvine Spectrum.[9]
The county is a tourist center, with attractions such as Disneyland Resort, Knott's Berry Farm, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Huntington Beach Pier, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Orange County Zoo, Modjeska House, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Yost Theater, Bowers Museum, Balboa Island, Angel Stadium, Downtown Santa Ana, Crystal Cove Historic District, Honda Center, the Old Orange County Courthouse, Orange County Fair, the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, Heritage Hills Historic Park, Ocean Institute and several popular beaches along its more than 40 mi (64 km) of coastline.[10] It is also home to a major research university, the University of California, Irvine (UCI), along with a number of other notable colleges and universities such as Chapman University and Cal State Fullerton.[11]
- ^ a b "The Birth of Orange County". OrangeCountyHistory.org. Orange County Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 9, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
- ^ "Board of Supervisors". Orange County, California. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ "Santiago Peak". Peakbagger.org. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ a b "Orange County, California". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Orange County, CA". fred.stlouisfed.org.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "California Population Density County Rank". USA.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Garreau, Joel (1991). Edge City. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN 9780307801944. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
- ^ "Orange County's Best Beaches". Visit California. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "Accredited Colleges and Universities in Orange County". Orange County Government. Retrieved September 1, 2025.