ABOUT THE CITY
Now known as “The O.C.,” Orange County is the heart of Southern California! It is part of Greater Los Angeles and Orange County’s population is one of the most culturally diverse in the world. The county’s main tourist draws are its beaches and of course its two theme parks, Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. Yet that is only the beginning. Costa Mesa is alive with international acclaim. This “City of the Arts” is home to the new Orange County Performing Arts Center, the South Coast Repertory, and in nearby Santa Ana is the Bowers Museum – so you can see “Hamlet” on-stage and the Egyptian mummies all in one day. Artists and performers of all walks-of-life color the 34 distinctive neighborhoods that make up the Orange County. Art and music festivals, the US Open of Surfing and weekly farmers markets throughout the county celebrate the great outdoors and your place in it. Ecological reserves thrive along the coastlines and wetlands, eastward to the wildlife sanctuaries in the canyons and inland hills. You are so lucky to be moving here!
About Orange County
Orange County is located in Southern California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. Its population of 3,056,865 (2005 estimate), is larger than that of 20 states. It is the second most populous county in the state of California, and the fifth most populous in the United States. The county is known for its wealth and political conservatism, although it is in reality neither as uniformly wealthy nor as homogeneously conservative as its stereotypical image suggests. In fact, the wealthiest areas in the county; Anaheim Hills, Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Villa Park only account for 15% of Orange County’s total population. Thirty-four incorporated cities are located in Orange County. Some of the most exclusive (and expensive) neighborhoods in the U.S. are located here, many along the Orange County Coast.
History
In 1880 the region that is now Orange County still belonged to Los Angeles County. The population was growing rapidly with the sprouting of many new small towns. Anaheim and Santa Ana were already important population centers. It has been said that Santa Ana was second only to Los Angeles in importance. However, the residents of the southern part of then Los Angeles County were frustrated with their county government. For instance, there was only one bridge that crossed the mighty Santa Ana River, which just wouldn’t do because it was that river that separated Anaheim and Santa Ana. Also, residents of Orange County disliked making the long trek to Los Angeles to carry out official business. Many of the county offices were held by Los Angelinos, and these residents felt they were not getting the attention they deserved, so they proposed to form a new county.
Fast Facts
Population 3,056,865
Female 50.2%
Male 49.8%
Ethnic Makeup:
African American 1.7%
Asian 2.5%
Hispanic 13.6%
Native American 0.7%
White/Caucasian 64.8%
Housing Units 969,484
Median Value $270,000
Persons per household 3.00
By Car
Highways
The major interstate highways of Orange County, all are to some extent north-south arteries, include the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the San Diego Freeway (I-405 and I-5 south of Irvine), and the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605), which only briefly enters Orange County territory. The other freeways in the county are state highways, and include the perpetually congested Riverside and Artesia Freeways (CA/SR-91) and Garden Grove Freeway (CA/SR-22) running east-west, and the Orange Freeway (CA/SR-57), Costa Mesa Freeway (SR/CA-55), Laguna Freeway (CA/SR-133), San Joaquin Transportation Corridor (CA/SR-73), Eastern Transportation Corridor (CA/SR-261, CA/SR-133, and CA/SR-241), and Foothill Transportation Corridor (CA/SR-241) running north-south.
There are three transportation corridors, typically referred to as “the toll roads” or by their number designations (“the 73”, “the 133”, “the 261”, and “the 241”). These toll roads were built to connect existing freeways (including the currently non-tolled portions of CA/SR-73 and CA/SR-133) to new South County developments, and to serve as alternate routes for crowded Orange County freeways. The median of the Riverside Freeway (CA/SR-91) also contains toll lanes known as the Express Lanes maintained by OCTA; users must maintain prepaid accounts to drive on these lanes.
Public Transportation
Orange County Transportation Authority
714.636.7433
OCTA manages the extensive bus network crisscrossing the county, schedules can be found online or by calling.
Rail Transportation
Metrolink
(800) 371-LINK (5465)
700 South Flower Street, Suite 2600
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Orange County is served by three routes: the Orange County (OC) Line, the Inland Empire-Orange County (IEOC) Line, and the 91 Line (Riverside- Fullerton-Los Angeles). Service includes 19 trips each weekday on the OC Line and 12 weekday trips on the IEOC line.
There are 10 commuter rail stations serving Orange County located in: San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Irvine, Santa Ana, Orange, Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim Canyon, Tustin, Fullerton and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo.
Air Transportation
John Wayne Airport
(949) 252-5200
18601 Airport Way
Santa Ana, CA 92707
John Wayne Airport (SNA), owned and operated by the County of Orange is the only commercial service airport in Orange County, California. Orange County’s only major airport, John Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA), is located in unincorporated territory surrounded by the cities of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Newport Beach. Its terminal handles over 8 million passengers annually through 14 different airlines.
| Commercial | |
| Alaska Airlines | (800) 426-0333 |
| Aloha Airlines | (800) 367-5250 |
| American Airlines | (800) 433-7300 |
| American Eagle | (800) 433-7300 |
| Continental Airlines | (800) 525-0280 |
| Delta Air Lines | (800) 221-1212 |
| Frontier Airlines | (800) 432-1359 |
| Northwest Airlines | (800) 225-2525 |
| Southwest Airlines | (800) 435-9792 |
| United Airlines | (800) 241-6522 |
| US Airways | (800) 235-9292 |
Television
KDOC (Ch. 56), KOCE (Ch. 50), and KTBN (Ch. 40) are the only television stations actually operating from Orange County.
| KCBS | 2 | CBS | |
| KNBC | 4 | NBC | |
| KTLA | 5 | WB | |
| KABC | 7 | ABC | |
| KCAL | 9 | Independent | |
| KTTV | 11 | Fox | |
| KCOP | 13 | UPN | |
| KSCI | 18 | Independent | |
| KWHY | 22 | Independent | |
| KVCR | 24 | PBS | |
| KCET | 28 | PBS | |
| KPXN | 30 | PaxNet | |
| KJLA | 33 | Independent | |
| KMEX | 34 | Univision | |
| LA36 | 36 | L.A. Cable TV Access | |
| KNET | 38 | World TV | |
| KTBN | 40 | Trinity Broadcasting | |
| KXLA | 44 | Independent | |
| KFTR | 46 | Telefutura (Univision) | |
| KOCE | 50 | PBS | |
| KVEA | 52 | Telemundo | |
| KAZA | 54 | Azteca America | |
| KDOC | 56 | Independent | |
| KJLA | 57 | Independent | |
| KLCS | 58 | PBS | |
| KRCA | 62 | Independent |
Newspapers
The Orange County Register
714-796-7000
Circulation:
Daily: 302,864
Sunday: 370,911
The Times Orange County
714-966-5600
Circulation:
Daily: 200,000
Sunday: 285,000
Anaheim
Points of Interest
Disneyland
(714) 956-MICKEY
“The Happiest Place On Earth” has classic Disney rides and characters plus new attractions based on contemporary Disney films. Disneyland is packed with rides, attractions, special shows, shopping, musical performances and restaurants. There is something for someone of every age. Walk through the gates of Disneyland and it is like walking into another world. It truly is magical.
Feathery Regional Park
(714) 631-0210
24001 Santa Ana Canyon Rd
Take Highway 142 west to Valencia Avenue and turn left. You’re still on Highway 142 at this point. Head south and then turn left at Imperial Highway(Highway 90). Make a left at Yorba Linda Blvd, and proceed east to Featherly Regional Park. This is an excellent family overnight camping spot in Santa Ana Canyon near the edge of Cleveland National Forest. It is situated between the Chino foothills to the north and the Santa Ana Mountains to the south. The overnight camping fee is $10 per vehicle, and the usual camping facilities are all here: showers, barbecue pits, playground equipment, hiking trails and an interpretive center.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach
(714) 969-3492
8-1/2 miles of white sand beach, surfing, shops and restaurants
Huntington State Beach Park Trail
Along the side of Pacific Coast Highway.
A wonderfully long trail from Newport Beach Pier stretches to Bolsa Chica Beach State Park. This ten mile will give any cyclist or walker all the coastal beach scenery they could ever desire, without the worry of dealing with traffic or automobiles.
Imperial Woods Trail (Santa Ana River Bike Trail)
The Imperial woods is the longest trail in Orange County. It is thirty miles one way from Huntington Beach to the Riverside County Line. The trail is mostly flat, as it follows the Santa Ana River bed for most of its length. There is one detour at Santa Ana Canyon Road. You can access the trail at many cross streets. The eastern terminus of this cycling, hiking and equestrian path is the Riverside County Line. The ocean terminus is Huntington Beach State Park.
Irvine
William R. Mason Regional Park
(714) 854-2491
18712 University Dr
Hours: Open daily to sunset Fees: Small parking Fee
A day use park near the UCI campus. Mason Regional park has a nice lake with ducks. Barbecue fire rings and playground equipment make it a good place for a picnic stop. There are bicycle trails, fitness parcourse trails where you can jog and stop and exercise, a Frisbee golf course, horseshoe pits and volleyball courts. Hobbyists use the lake to sail their model sailboats. There is also a nature trail and interpretive programs.
Irvine Spectrum
(714) 966-5600
Alton Parkway and Irvine Center Drive
3rd weekend in June
The three day event has several booths that radiate around its perimeter. Several sound stages feature rock, country, reggae and jazz bands that entertain the thousands of residents who come to sample cuisine from dozens of Orange County’s favorite restaurants. Wine tasting and a special entertainment area reserved for children are popular features.
Newport Beach
San Diego Creek Trail
Irvine/Newport Beach
This short bikeway travels through mostly flat country in Irvine, following the San Diego Creek Channel from Irvine Blvd (near Culver Drive) southwest to Upper Newport Bay at Jamboree Road. The trail passes part of UCI and the San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Preserve. At Upper Newport Bay you can get in some fine birdwatching.
Upper Newport Bay State Ecological Reserve (714) 640-1751
Back Bay Drive and Jamboree Rd
Bird Hotline (714) 651-9474
Directions: Take PCH to Jamboree Road, and turn inland, then turn left on Back Bay Drive. From the 405 freeway, exit Jamboree Drive and head west to Back Bay Drive and turn right. Make your way down Back Bay Drive and follow the road till you see several dirt parking areas. This 892 acre preserve of wetlands are the largest in coastal Southern California, and have survived despite their proximity to some of the highest prices real estate in Orange County. Hear you can enjoy outdoor sports like kayaking, canoeing, hiking and cycling. The bay is open to water craft as long as they travel five miles per hour or less. This estuary is home to cormorants, grebes, ducks, and herons-nearly 200 species of water birds.
Santa Ana
For those new to the River City the sheer variety of museums is staggering. In Old Sacramento, is the Railroad Museum, in which restored locomotives and railroad cars are featured along with all sorts of railroad artifacts. Over in Midtown the Sutter Museum and the California State Indian Museum feature exhibits, which demonstrate the coexistence of two very distinct cultures. Docents in period dress re-enact various crafts and other activities from those times. The McClellan Aviation Museum features 30 aircraft dating to World War II. In addition, for those interested in a tour along memory lane, the Historic City Cemetery established in 1849, is the resting-place for more than 20,000 settlers who shaped Sacramento’s early history. Guided and self-guided tours of the cemetery are available.
Other Attractions
Attractions
Knott’s Theme Park
(714) 220-5200
Buena Park
Fun for families and thrillseekers of all ages. Including GhostRider and the new XceleratorSM.
Catalina Island
Catalina offers something for everyone, including scenic hiking and horseback riding trails, scuba diving, golf and the quaint little town of Avalon is a wonderful place to shop and dine. And it’s only a hour boat ride from Balboa Pavilion.
Education
Community Colleges
Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 collegebound high-school graduates start their college education this way.
The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.
Coast Community College Districts
A multi-college district that includes Coastline Community College, Golden West College, and Orange Coast College. The three colleges offer programs in transfer, general education, occupational & technical education, community services and student support services. Coastline, Golden West and Orange Coast enroll over 60,000 students each semester in more than 300 degree and certificate programs.
Fullerton College
Premier Institute and research facility.
Saddleback College
Saddleback College has the most comprehensive and diverse Academic Programs available in Orange County. They have a wide variety of Advanced Technology and Applied Science Programs including Aviation, Marine Science, Computer Science, Fashion Design and more. Also offering Community Education programs.
28000 Marguerite Pkwy., Mission Viejo, CA 92692
949-582-4500
Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small and personal attention is available.
Online Learning
Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes- and financial aid is equally available-while the cost to the institution can be much less.
There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited online universities out there.
Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, but many are delivered completely online. Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional.
Public vs. Private
Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention and often more prestige.
Universities
Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional size and some classes may taught by graduate students.
California State University Fullerton
Situated on a landscaped 228-acre campus, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is a comprehensive, regional university located in Orange County, CA, a technologically rich and culturally vibrant area of metropolitan Los Angeles. With seven colleges and approximately 1,900 faculty members, the university offers 100 degree programs, 46 of them at the graduate level.
Chapman University
Annually ranked in the top tier of U.S, Chapman is a preeminent university engaged in distinguished liberal arts and professional programs.
One University Drive Orange, CA 92866
714-997-2400
University of California, Irvine
Premier Institute and research facility. One of 63 universities nationally elected to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities.
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697
949-824-5011
Upper Division
Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a second year of study at a four-year college.
Voter Registration
It is important to note that if you are registering to vote for the first time, changing your name or political party, or have moved to a new county, you must also complete a Voter Registration form to update the SOS Elections Division database. Give your completed Voter Registration form to a technician, and DMV will mail it to the SOS Elections Division office for updating.
When applying for or renewing your driver license or identification card at any DMV office, you have the opportunity of registering to vote.
When you have your new address, complete a DMV change of address form, and the Secretary of State (SOS) Elections Division will be notified of your address change. You can download the DMV Change of Address form DMV 14, or you may request a change of address form by calling your local DMV office at 1 (800) 777-0133.
Even if you are not conducting business with DMV, you may pick up Voter Registration forms at any DMV office. Compete the form and mail it to the SOS Elections Division preprinted address on the form.
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