Orange is centrally located in Orange County and is about 35 miles north of Los Angeles. The city's historic Old Towne section has been carefully preserved to provide a beautiful glimpse into the city's past. The climate in Orange is wonderful, quite moderate all year long due to its close proximity to the ocean. Anyone moving to Orange will really love the weather. Orange was built up around the original Plaza, dating from the 1800s. The area has been carefully preserved, and their historic district has been built up around the Plaza. Orange enjoys a small town ambiance while being a major California city of almost 130, 000 citizens. Moving to Orange, California would provide a person or family many opportunities to choose from when it comes to where they would like to live, ranging from homes near the Historic district all the way to ranch homes in the surrounding hills.
Economy:
The median income in Orange is higher than the national average. Due to its close proximity to so many larger California cities such as Los Angeles, jobs are plentiful in many fields. In Orange, the main employers are in the health care, scientific and technical fields.
Tourism:
The Plaza area of Orange contains many historic buildings and museums, as well as a wonderful collection of antique shops and boutiques. For over 100 years, the Plaza has featured a wonderful street fair. There are unique walking food tours in the Plaza area catering to the foodie in all of us. The Block of Orange is an entertainment complex filled with restaurants, nightclubs, over 100 shops and even a skateboard park. All summer long there are concerts in the park events. Irvine Park has the Orange Zoo, along with equestrian trails, hiking and a lagoon with paddle boats in Irvine Lake. The Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary is a fabulous stop for bird watchers.
History:
In 1801, Jose Antonio Yorba established Rancho San Antonio on lands granted to him from Spain. After the Mexican-American war, the land became part of the United States. In 1864, two lawyers bought about 5400 acres in the area. Originally named Richland, the name was changed to Orange, although there are several stories about how the name was actually chosen. The city was incorporated in1866 and the city was carefully planned around the existing central plaza. Until the 1950s the primary income was from agriculture.