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.