Anaheim is a city in Orange County, located 28 miles southeast of Los Angeles. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 328,014, making it the tenth-largest city in California and 56thlargest in the United States. Anaheim is the second largest city in Orange County and is known for its theme parks, sports teams, and convention center.

Founded by fifty former German families in 1857 and incorporated on February 10, 1870, Anaheim developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts, and canned fruit. It is the site of the Disneyland Resort, a world-famous grouping of theme parks and hotels which opened in 1955, Angel Stadium, the Arrowhead Pond, and Anaheim Convention Center, the largest convention center on the American West Coast. Its name is a blend of “Ana”, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and “heim”, a common Upper German place name compound originally meaning “home”.

Due to the size of Anaheim, the city is generally divided between 4 major areas, or subdivisions. Central Anaheim, or The Platinum Triangle is downtown Anaheim, and the area that brings in the most revenue. It is the location of the Angel Stadium, Arrowhead Pond, and Disneyland. West Anaheim is a subdivision located west of the county island between Garden Grove. It is primarily residential construction from the 1950’s. Also located near central Anaheim is the Anaheim Colony. This area is restored to create an ambiance of the early 1900’s. These homes were preserved during the urban sprawl in the 1960’s. Many of these homes were moved here in the 1980’s to avoid demolition. The last subdivision is Anaheim Hills. This residential community is located on the eastern tip of the city. Anaheim Hills is a master planned community of around 22,000 residential units, and primarily consist of large homes in smaller subcommunities like Peralta Hills

Quick Facts

Population 2001: 328,014
Time zone: Pacific Daylight Saving
Major industries include tourism
No. 6 on the “Best Cities for Women” list (big cities), Ladies’ Home Journal, 2002
Attractions: Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure
Racing: Los Alamitos Race Course
Sports teams: Angels (AL), Mighty Ducks (NHL)
Historic sites and museums: Anaheim Museum
Colleges and universities: Southern California Institute of
Technology, Brownson Technical School, Associated Technical College