Orange is a city located in Orange County, California. Known as “The OC,” Orange County isn't Los Angeles, an important distinction for us locals, even though we live just below the larger than life city. Orange County encompasses Huntington Beach, Anaheim (also known as Disneyland), Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Costa Mesa, Buena Park, Irvine and Santa Ana. In northern Orange County, many businesses will have someone who speaks Spanish on staff; however, the further south you travel, the less common Spanish-speaking staff may be, although someone nearby who speaks Spanish is likely to help translate if asked.
Smog is common in much of Orange County, although the coast generally has cleaner air due to ocean winds. Orange County is home to many great places to drink and very few options for how to get home after a few drinks. You can also reach Orange County by sea with marinas and small ports in Newport Beach and Dana Point. Orange Coast was established in 1974 and is the oldest continuously published lifestyle magazine in the region.
Health care centers include CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County), Kaiser Permanente Health Pavilion (Anaheim), St. Locals and visitors often divide Orange County into three sections to know where to go. A less formal destination is the Orange County coast, which stretches from north to south and covers beach areas and those who enjoy water recreation, such as surfing, sailing and swimming. Retail complexes include Anaheim GardenWalk, Anaheim Marketplace (which claims to be the largest indoor exchange meeting in Orange County with more than 200 vendors), MainPlace Mall, Orange Town & Country, and The Outlets at Orange, originally a mall called The City, which was the centerpiece of a usage project planned mixed from the 70s development with the same name.
Northern Orange County, including Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana, was the first part of the county to develop and is culturally closer to neighboring Los Angeles County. After several failed attempts in previous sessions, the California legislature passed a bill authorizing the part of Los Angeles County south of Coyote Creek to hold a referendum on whether to remain part of Los Angeles County or separate and form a new county to be called “Orange,” as indicated by the legislature. In 1969, Richard Nixon, born in Yorba Linda, became the 37th president of the United States. Bordered by Los Angeles to the north, San Diego to the south, and Riverside and San Bernardino counties to the east, Orange County is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Santa Ana Mountains.
Although Barbara Boxer won statewide in the concurrent Senate elections and fared better in Orange County than in 1998, Republican Bill Jones defeated her in the county, 51% to 43%. Orange County is a foodie's paradise, with nearly 5,000 restaurants serving everything from the freshest seafood to exotic delicacies. In the north, the San Gabriel River also briefly crosses Orange County and flows into the Pacific on the Los Angeles-Orange County line between the cities of Long Beach and Seal Beach.
