Introduction
Santa Ana is the largest city in Orange County, California, and the seat of county government. It is located about thirty-three miles south of Los Angeles and twelve miles east of the Pacific Ocean, along the Santa Ana River and its tributary, Santiago Creek. These waterways are seasonal, sometimes running dry during the late summer drought season and subject to flooding in the early spring. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the Santa Ana River is the greatest flood hazard west of the Mississippi River, though that risk has been somewhat ameliorated by the construction and recent upgrade of the El Prado Dam near Corona, California, and the construction, in 1999, of the Seven Oaks Dam near Redlands, California.
Santa Ana was founded in 1869 by Kentucky native William H. Spurgeon who purchased 74.2 acres of land covered with sycamore trees and fields of yellow mustard plants, taller than a man. He gave the city its name and laid out twenty-four city blocks of about ten lots each. The city grew quickly and Spurgeon remained one of its leading citizens throughout his life, serving as the first postmaster, the first mayor after incorporation in 1886, and as the first chairman of the first Orange County Board of Supervisors when the county was formed in 1889. He paid for the construction of a road to Anaheim, provided an artesian well and a small water tower for the city’s use, and funded several municipal construction projects.
The Long Beach Earthquake of 1933 weakened the Old Courthouse and destroyed several downtown buildings, including City Hall. The Old Courthouse still stands, having been repaired and reinforced, though the original cupola had to be removed. After the earthquake, Orange County became one of the first areas in California to make “earthquake-proof” construction a civic priority.
Notable natives of Santa Anna include actresses Diane Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer and singer Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers. Feature films Rain Man and It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World were filmed on location in Santa Ana.
The region is served by Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.
Fast Facts
- Population inside the city limits: 2004 official estimate 342,715
- Elevation: 110 feet above sea level
- Area inside city limits: 27.1 square miles
- Average daily temperature in January: 58.1 degrees Fahrenheit
- Average daily temperature in July: 72.4 degrees Fahrenheit