Orange, California

Geography Orange is located at 33°48'11" North, 117°49'57" West (33.802945, -117.832506)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 61.9 km² (23.9 mi²). 60.6 km² (23.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.13% water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 128,821 people, 40,930 households, and 30,165 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,126.5/km² (5,506.4/mi²). There are 41,904 housing units at an average density of 691.7/km² (1,791.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 70.50% White, 1.60% African American, 0.78% Native American, 9.32% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 13.82% from other races, and 3.75% from two or more races. 32.16% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 40,930 households out of which 37.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% are married couples living together, 11.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% are non-families. 19.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.02 and the average family size is 3.43.

In the city the population is spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $58,994, and the median income for a family is $64,573. Males have a median income of $42,144 versus $34,159 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,294. 10.0% of the population and 6.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 12.5% are under the age of 18 and 7.5% are 65 or older.

History

In 1869, Andrew Glassell and Alfred Chapman received as payment for legal services 1,400 acres of land from Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana[?], which they quickly subdivided into a one-square-mile town with numerous ten-acre farm lots surrounding it. The small town was constructed around a central Plaza, which still exists today. The small town grew slowly, incorporating in 1888.

Like most cities in Orange County, California, growth was slow and steady until the 1950's, when a real-estate boom spurred development. Motivated by the development of a region-wide freeway system which connected Los Angeles' urban center with outerlying areas like Orange, large tracts of housing were developed from the 1950's to the early-1970's, and continues (at a slower pace) today at the eastern edge of the city.

Points of Interest

The one square mile around the original Plaza (which is at the intersection of the appropriately-named Chapman Avenue and Glassell Street) contains many of the original structures built in the period after the city's incorporation. It is a vibrant commercial district, containing Orange County's oldest operating bank, the oldest operating soda fountain, and many excellent examples of Victorian and Craftsman-style homes. Because of its classic "small town" look, many movies have been filmed using the Historic District, including the recent Tom Hanks film That Thing You Do!

The Block, a major shopping and entertainment center for the region, is located on the westen edge of the city.

Orange borders Anaheim, California, the home of Disneyland. Edison International Field[?] (the current home of the Anaheim Angels baseball club) and the Arrowhead Pond[?] (home of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey team) is located just inside Anaheim's eastern border with Orange.

Transportation

Like most cities in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, the primary means of transportation is the automobile. Orange is situated near many intra-regional freeways, and one Interstate (Interstate 5, also known as the "Santa Ana Freeway"). The junction of Interstate 5 and two state freeways (SR-57[?] "Orange Freeway" and SR-22[?] "Garden Grove Freeway"), commonly called the "Orange Crush", is one of the busiest interchanges in Orange County and is located on the southwestern edge of the city. The eastern side of the city is served by the Eastern and Foothill Toll Roads, two of Califorina's first toll highways, and connects Orange with the cities of Irvine, California and Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

Orange is also connected to Los Angeles by the Metrolink regional commuter rail network. The Metrolink station is housed in a 1930s-era Santa Fe railway station in the downtown Historic District.

While it has no airport of it's own, the nearby John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana, California provides daily scheduled airline service.