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Costa Mesa, California

Costa Mesa (Spanish for "Mesa Coast") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city, one of the region's largest commercial clusters, with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing. The city is home to the two tallest skyscrapers in Orange County. The population was 111,918 at the 2020 census.

History
Members of the Tongva and Acjachemen nations long inhabited the area. The Tongva villages of Lupukngna, at least 3,000 years old, and the shared Tongva and Acjachemen village of Genga, at least 9,500 years old, were located in the area on the bluffs along the Santa Ana River.

After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolà, a Spanish expedition led by Junípero Serra named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano became the area's first permanent European settlement in Alta California, New Spain.

In 1801, the Spanish Empire granted 62500 acre to Jose Antonio Yorba, which he named Rancho San Antonio.

After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States, and American settlers arrived in this area and formed the town of Fairview in the 1880s near the modern intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue.

To the south, meanwhile, the community of Harper had arisen on a siding of the Santa Ana and Newport Railway, named after a local rancher. This town prospered on its agricultural goods. On May 11, 1920, Harper changed its name to Costa Mesa, which means "mountain coast" in Spanish. This is a reference to the city's geography as being a plateau by the coast. Fanny Bixby Spencer and her husband sponsored the contest which selected the city's new name.

Costa Mesa surged in population during and after World War II, as many thousands trained at Santa Ana Army Air Base and returned after the war with their families. Within three decades of incorporation, the city's population had nearly quintupled.

Geography
Costa Mesa is located 37 mi southeast of Los Angeles, 87 mi northwest of San Diego and 425 mi southeast of San Francisco. Costa Mesa encompasses a total of 16 sqmi with its southernmost border only 1 mi from the Pacific Ocean.

Climate
Costa Mesa has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) with mild temperatures year round. Rain falls primarily in the winter months and is close to nonexistent during the summer.

2010
At the 2010 census Costa Mesa had a population of 109,960. The population density was 7,004.0 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Costa Mesa was 75,335 (68.5%) White (51.8% Non-Hispanic White), 1,640 (1.5%) African American, 686 (0.6%) Native American, 8,654 (7.9%) Asian, 527 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 17,992 (16.4%) from other races, and 5,126 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39,403 persons (35.8%).

The Census reported that 106,990 people (97.3% of the population) lived in households, 2,232 (2.0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 738 (0.7%) were institutionalized.

There were 39,946 households, 12,298 (30.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 16,478 (41.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,369 (10.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,392 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,013 (7.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 281 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,963 households (27.4%) were one person and 2,775 (6.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68. There were 23,239 families (58.2% of households); the average family size was 3.30.

The age distribution was 23,682 people (21.5%) under the age of 18, 12,847 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 38,211 people (34.7%) aged 25 to 44, 25,106 people (22.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,114 people (9.2%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.

There were 42,120 housing units at an average density of 2,682.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 15,799 (39.6%) were owner-occupied and 24,147 (60.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 42,517 people (38.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 64,473 people (58.6%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009–2013, Costa Mesa had a median household income of $65,830, with 15.1% of the population living below the poverty line.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 108,724 people in 39,206 households, including 22,778 families, in the city. The population density was 6,956.3 PD/sqmi. There were 40,406 housing units at an average density of 2,585.2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 69.48% White, 1.40% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 6.90% Asian, 0.60% Pacific Islander, 16.57% from other races, and 4.27% from two or more races. 31.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 39,206 households 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 6.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.34.

The age distribution was 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.

The median household income was $50,732 and the median family income was $55,456. Males had a median income of $38,670 versus $32,365 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,342. About 8.2% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Housing
Measure Y is a ballot initiative approved by voters in 2016. It requires public approval of projects that have a general plan amendment or zoning change and would add 40 or more dwelling units or 10,000 or more square feet of commercial space. The median housing price is $807,000 ($505 per sq ft) and $3,500 for the median rent per month. Measure Y was amended in 2022 by Measure K.

Economy
The city's economy relies heavily on retail and services. The largest center of commercial activity is South Coast Plaza, a shopping center noted for its architecture and size. The volume of sales generated by South Coast Plaza, on the strength of its more than 270 stores, places it among the highest volume regional shopping centers in the nation. It generates more than $1 billion per year in revenue. South Coast Metro is a commercial, cultural, and residential district surrounding South Coast Plaza in northern Costa Mesa and southern Santa Ana, itself part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city.

Some manufacturing activity also takes place in the city, mostly in the industrial, southwestern quarter, which is home to a number of electronics, pharmaceuticals and plastics firms. Business services company Experian is the largest employer in the city, and has its North American headquarters in Costa Mesa.

Ceradyne, El Pollo Loco, Emulex, Hurley, RVCA, Toyota Racing Development, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Vans, and Volcom are among the businesses headquartered in Costa Mesa. A local newspaper, the Daily Pilot, is published by the Los Angeles Times.

Wahoo's Fish Taco was founded in Costa Mesa in 1988 by Chinese-Brazilian brothers Eduardo "Ed" Lee, Renato "Mingo" Lee and Wing Lam.

Costa Mesa offers 26 parks, a municipal golf course, 26 public schools and two libraries.

Top employers
According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Annual cultural events
The Orange County Fair takes place at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa each July. The Fair receives more than one million visitors each year.

The Annual Scarecrow & Pumpkin Festival was first held in 1938, went on hiatus for seven decades, and then was restarted in 2013.

Facilities
Adjacent to the Fairgrounds is the Pacific Amphitheatre, which has hosted acts such as Madonna, Jessica Simpson, Steppenwolf, and Kelly Clarkson.

The Segerstrom Center for the Arts and South Coast Repertory Theater are based in the city.

National Football League
Costa Mesa has been home to the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers training center, training camp and cooperate headquarters since 2017. The team agreed to a lease with the facility they moved into prior to their relocation from San Diego.

The building, called the Jack Hammett Sports Complex is a former office space, but Chargers players and coaches said it was an upgrade from what the team had in San Diego. The team has a 10-year lease on the building and plans to stay there until 2024 when it will depart it for a purpose-built practice facility in El Segundo. The team gutted the first floor of the building to make room for team rooms. Construction cost more than $3.8 million. After the Chargers derpart for El Segundo, the facility will become the training camp home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Decades prior, the facility was a lima bean farm owned by a Swedish immigrant family who became prominent developers in Orange County.

Local
A general law city, Costa Mesa has a council-manager form of government. In November 2016, voters approved changing the City Council seats from five at-large seats to six voting districts and a directly elected mayor, who acts as the chairperson for the council and head of the government. The mayor serves two-year terms and councilmembers serve four year terms, with each office having a two-term limit. Municipal elections are held every two years, during which the mayor and three councilmembers are up for election.

Day to day, the city is run by a professional city manager and staff of approximately 460 full-time employees. Management of the city and coordination of city services are provided by:

Residents of the city are also governed by various special districts, including the Mesa Water District, the Orange County Water District, the Municipal Water District of Orange County, the Irvine Ranch Water District, and the Costa Mesa Sanitary District.

State and federal
In the California State Legislature, Costa Mesa is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Costa Mesa is in.

Politics
According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Costa Mesa has 55,849 registered voters. Of those, 17,920 (32.1%) are registered Democrats, 17,900 (32.1%) are registered Republicans, and 17,019 (30.5%) have declined to state a political party/are independents.

Until 2008, Costa Mesa was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Since 2008, Costa Mesa has mostly voted Democratic in presidential elections, owing to the GOP's shift towards cultural conservatism. In 2008, Barack Obama was the first Democrat to carry Costa Mesa in decades, while Republican nominee Mitt Romney carried the city by only 364 votes in the 2012 presidential election. Costa Mesa flipped back to Democratic in 2016, voting for Hillary Clinton by a 10.2% margin, and for Joe Biden by a 14.6% margin in 2020.

In 2008, Costa Mesa was one of four cities in Orange County to vote against Proposition 8 (along with Aliso Viejo, Irvine, and Laguna Beach), a statewide ballot measure that banned same-sex marriages.

Education
Institutions of higher learning located in Costa Mesa include Orange Coast College, and Vanguard University (affiliated with the Assemblies of God). Whittier Law School was a former school.

Costa Mesa has two public high schools, Costa Mesa High School and Estancia High School. There are also two public middle schools; TeWinkle Middle School, which was named after Costa Mesa's first mayor, and Costa Mesa Middle School which shares the same campus as Costa Mesa High School. Costa Mesa also has two alternative high schools that share the same campus, Back Bay High School and Monte Vista High School and another, Coastline Early College High School which is on its own facility. These are located in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Transportation
Costa Mesa is served by several bus lines of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), but most transportation is by automobile. Two state highways, State Route 55 (Costa Mesa Freeway) and State Route 73 (Corona del Mar Freeway), have their respective southern and northern terminus points within Costa Mesa. The San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) also runs through the city.

Civic Center
The 9.5 acre Costa Mesa Civic Center is located at 77 Fair Drive. City hall is a five-story building where the primary administrative functions of the city are conducted. Also contained in the Civic Center complex are Council Chambers, the Police facility, Communications building and Fire Station No. 5.

Emergency services
Fire protection is provided by the Costa Mesa Fire Department. Law enforcement is the responsibility of the Costa Mesa Police Department. Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Costa Mesa Fire Department and Care Ambulance Service.

Notable people

 * See List of people from Costa Mesa, California

Sister city

 * Wyndham, Australia

title: Costa Mesa, California


text:
Coto de Caza, California

Coto de Caza (Spanish for "Hunting Reserve") is a census-designated place (CDP) and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 14,710 at the 2020 census.

The CDP is a suburban planned community of about 4,000 homes and one of Orange County's oldest and most expensive master-planned communities. The project began in 1968, when it was envisioned as a hunting lodge, now the Lodge at Coto de Caza, and the community was completed in 2003. Coto de Caza also includes Los Ranchos Estates, a 355-acre rural community of 75 large custom homes. Los Ranchos Estates is a separate private community behind the gates of Coto de Caza and has its own homeowner's association.

History
The suburban planned community of Coto de Caza was a joint venture of Chevron and Arvida corporations. Development was first initiated in 1964. In 1979, Arvida bought out Chevron. Richard Boultinghouse, who had previously developed McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, was hired as president and general manager. In 1983, Orange County approved Coto's master plan for a community of approximately 5,000 homes, and three years later, the community officially opened. Coto de Caza's reputation as an ecologically oriented recreation community was strengthened by the former Vic Braden’s Tennis College and a 36-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course.

In 1984, Arvida, Disney, Chevron, and City Federal Savings & Loan partnered in the development of Coto de Caza. Boultinghouse was later replaced by John C Yelverton.

In 1996, Lennar took over as development manager. Under Lennar’s stewardship, Coto de Caza was repositioned to promote more luxurious homes and lower densities, coincident with the regional recovery from the recent recession. The average price of a home in Coto de Caza increased from $375,000 in 1996 to $840,000 in 2000, to well over a million dollars.

Geography
Coto de Caza is located in the northern portion of Wagon Wheel Canyon in southeast Orange County, at 33.59583°N, -117.58778°W (33.595925, -117.587665).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.0 sqmi, of which, 8.0 sqmi of it is land and 0.02 sqmi of it (0.29%) is water.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Coto de Caza has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.

2020
The 2020 United States Census reported a population of 14,710. The racial makeup was 82.3% White, 1.7% African American, 8.4% Asian, and 11.2% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Coto de Caza had a population of 14,866. The population density was 1,864.2 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Coto de Caza was 13,094 (88.1%) White (82.2% Non-Hispanic White), 132 (0.9%) African American, 26 (0.2%) Native American, 878 (5.9%) Asian, 20 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 174 (1.2%) from other races, and 542 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,170 persons (7.9%).

The Census reported that 14,866 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 4,736 households, out of which 2,407 (50.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,763 (79.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 294 (6.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 133 (2.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 96 (2.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 30 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 420 households (8.9%) were made up of individuals, and 116 (2.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14. There were 4,190 families (88.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.35.

The population was spread out, with 4,545 people (30.6%) under the age of 18, 996 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 2,706 people (18.2%) aged 25 to 44, 5,452 people (36.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,167 people (7.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.

There were 4,853 housing units at an average density of 608.6 /sqmi, of which 4,341 (91.7%) were owner-occupied, and 395 (8.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 1.5%. 13,738 people (92.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,128 people (7.6%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Coto de Caza had a median household income of $169,176, with 2.0% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,057 people, 4,049 households, and 3,644 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,654.5 PD/sqmi. There were 4,152 housing units at an average density of 526.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.36% White, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 5.16% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.65% from other races, and 2.80% from two or more races. 6.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,049 households, out of which 56.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 83.4% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.0% were non-families. 7.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.40.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 35.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $136,726, and the median income for a family was $141,598. Males had a median income of $97,803 versus $50,689 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $55,900. About 0.7% of families and 0.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Residents shop in Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, Las Flores, or Ladera Ranch.

Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park
The Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, which is open to the general public, surrounds the community of Coto de Caza on its eastern, northern, and southern borders. The park is a Wildlife and Plant Sanctuary. Its nature center houses an educational center for outdoor education for local schools and community groups. It also serves as an ecological preserve for the native endangered plant and animal species. The park is maintained and paid for by Orange County Parks, and is administered by Park Rangers and maintenance staff.

Education
Most students in Coto de Caza reside in the Capistrano Unified School District and attend Tijeras Creek Elementary, Wagon Wheel Elementary, Las Flores Middle School, Tesoro High School, and Santa Margarita Catholic High School (located at the North Gate and not part of Capistrano Unified). St. John's Episcopal School and St. Junipero Serra Catholic School are private elementary and middle schools located outside the gates in nearby Rancho Santa Margarita.

The residents rebuffed an attempt to build a 400-student public school within the walls of the community. They had concerns that it would "undermine the privacy and security" of the enclave, that it would be "downright illegal [to place a public school on a gated private property]", that it would force admission of large numbers of non-residents to the community, and that an eventual lawsuit would force the removal of the gates. The reason for proposal was that Wagon Wheel Elementary School, which is located immediately outside the community gates, had far more students than planned. The school equipment was to consist of 20 portable buildings which would have simply been added to Wagon Wheel if the new school's construction could not be completed. Had it been built, it would have become the first public school to be built inside the limits of a gated community.

Politics and government
In the California State Legislature, Coto de Caza is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Coto de Caza is in.

Coto de Caza gave more than 65 percent support to Proposition 8 in 2008.

The area is patrolled by the California Highway Patrol, Orange County Sheriff's Department, and the Coto de Caza security force.

In popular culture
For the 1984 Summer Olympics, the community served as host to the riding, running, shooting, and fencing portions of the modern pentathlon events. Princess Anne of the United Kingdom attended the event to support Richard Phelps, who finished fourth at the Olympic event.

The community was the original setting of the reality-based television show The Real Housewives of Orange County on Bravo, though over the years the show has expanded into other places like Newport Beach.

Notable people

 * Gideon Ariel (born 1939), Israeli Olympic competitor in the shot put and discus throw
 * Linda Blair, actress with most notable role in the movie The Exorcist
 * Rob Bourdon, drummer for the band Linkin Park
 * Rod Carew, Baseball Hall of Famer
 * Parker Case, guitarist for the band Say Anything and singer/guitarist for the band JamisonParker
 * Michael Chang, former French Open singles champion at age 17
 * Madison Curry, soccer player for Angel City FC
 * Morris Day, musician
 * Jim Everett, retired Los Angeles Rams quarterback
 * Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, bassist for the band Linkin Park
 * Ryan Getzlaf, ice hockey captain for the Anaheim Ducks - Los Ranchos Estates
 * Paul Goydos, PGA Tour professional
 * Bobby Grich, retired Los Angeles Angels second baseman
 * Vicki Gunvalson, Original housewife of Bravo TV series
 * Akeem Hunt, football former running back for the Kansas City Chiefs
 * Jeana Keough, Original housewife of Bravo TV series
 * Nancy Lerner, philanthropist and billionaire - Los Ranchos Estates
 * William Lyon, retired major general of the United States Air Force
 * Booger McFarland, NFL commentator
 * Bode Miller, Olympic and World Championship gold medalist skier - Los Ranchos Estates
 * Robb Nen, former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher
 * Teemu Selänne, retired Finnish ice hockey player "The Finnish Flash" and Stanley Cup Champion - Los Ranchos Estates
 * Peter Vidmar, Olympic medalist in gymnastics (2 golds, 1 silver)
 * Tamra Judge, RHOC, Real Housewives of Orange County

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Coto de Caza, California


text:
Cypress, California

Cypress is a city in northwestern Orange County within Southern California. Its population was 50,151 at the 2020 census.

History
Cypress originally was nicknamed "Waterville" due to the preponderance of artesian wells in the area, but was incorporated under the name Dairy City in 1956 by local dairy farmers as a means of staving off developers and to preserve their dairies, much like the then-neighboring cities of Dairy Valley in Cerritos and Dairyland in La Palma. After World War II, however, the land became too valuable for farming or ranching, and the dairies gradually sold out to housing developers during the 1960s, so that by the 1970s no dairies remained. Many of the dairymen moved their operations to Chino, where development is once again pushing them out of the area.

In 1957, local residents voted to change the name of "Dairy City" to "Cypress". The name was taken from Cypress Elementary School (originally built in 1895) which took its name from the Cypress trees planted to protect the schoolhouse from the seasonal Santa Ana winds. Cypress Elementary School also provided the name for new Pacific Electric Railway station on Walker Street at Lincoln Avenue when the Santa Ana Line was completed in 1906, as "Waterville" already had been used elsewhere in the system.

In 1981, the City of Cypress inaugurated an annual birthday celebration for the city. The event, the Cypress Community Festival, currently may be the largest single-day event of its kind in Orange County, California. The Cypress Community Festival is held annually on the 4th Saturday in July at Oak Knoll Park, located adjacent to the Cypress Community Center at 5700 Orange Avenue, between Valley View Street and Walker Avenue.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.1 km2. 17.0 km2 of it is land and 0.14% is water.

2023
As of 2023, the Census Bureau QuickFacts estimates the population of Cypress to be at 49,243. Cypress is a fairly diverse city. Asian Americans make up 37.1% of the population. White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, make up 33.5%. Hispanic or Latino make up 20.4% of the population. Those who identify as two or more races make up 10.6% of the population. Black or African Americans make up 3.4%. Foreign born residents make up 29.9% of the population.

2010
At the 2010 census Cypress had a population of 47,802. The population density was 7,253.4 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Cypress was 26,000 (54.4%) White (43.6% Non-Hispanic White), 1,444 (3.0%) African American, 289 (0.6%) Native American, 14,978 (31.3%) Asian, 234 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 2,497 (5.2%) from other races, and 2,360 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,779 persons (18.4%).

The census reported that 47,300 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 502 (1.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 15,654 households, 6,481 (41.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,602 (61.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,203 (14.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 833 (5.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 506 (3.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 86 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,401 households (15.3%) were one person and 1,005 (6.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.02. There were 12,638 families (80.7% of households); the average family size was 3.35.

The age distribution was 11,343 people (23.7%) under the age of 18, 4,700 people (9.8%) aged 18 to 24, 11,685 people (24.4%) aged 25 to 44, 13,913 people (29.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,161 people (12.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

There were 16,068 housing units at an average density of 2,438.1 per square mile, of the occupied units 10,960 (70.0%) were owner-occupied and 4,694 (30.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%. 32,780 people (68.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 14,520 people (30.4%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Cypress had a median household income of $80,440, with 6.7% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 46,229 people in 15,654 households, including 12,241 families, in the city. The population density was 6,991.1 PD/sqmi. There were 16,028 housing units at an average density of 2,423.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 65.61% White, 20.81% Asian, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 2.77% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 5.44% from other races, and 4.38% from two or more races. 15.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. Of the 15,654 households 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 17.6% of households were one person and 6.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.31.

The age distribution was 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median household income was $64,377 and the median family income was $70,060 (these figures had risen to $80,331 and $86,286 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $50,781 versus $36,337 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,798. About 4.6% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

The 2008 population estimated by the California Department of Finance was 49,541.

Economy
Real Mex Restaurants is headquartered in Cypress. The Los Alamitos Race Course is located in Cypress, even though it bears the name of its neighboring city of Los Alamitos.

Top employers
As of 2018, the top employers in the city are:

Government
The city uses plurality block voting to elect two sets of city councilmembers (in staggered terms). The city council has received a letter written by attorney Kevin Shenkman that claims existence of racially-polarized voting within the city, which combines with this election system to result in a violation of the California Voting Rights Act. The city council held forums for public input on how to respond. The council reached a decision during the March 14, 2022, council meeting's closed session to have the city attorney send a response letter. This letter disagrees with the claims and asks for more evidence.

In the California State Legislature, Cypress is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Cypress is in.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 19, 2020, Cypress has 30,207 registered voters. Of those, 11,029 (36.51%) are registered Democrats, 10,226 (33.85%) are registered Republicans, and 7,514 (24.88%) have declined to state a political party/are independents.

Education
The city is part of the Anaheim Union High School District and the Cypress Elementary School District.

Public schools:
 * Cypress High School
 * Lexington Junior High
 * Oxford Academy
 * Christine P. Swain Elementary
 * Margaret Landell Elementary
 * A.E. Arnold Elementary
 * Juliet Morris Elementary
 * Frank Vessels Elementary
 * Robert C. Cawthon Elementary
 * Clara J. King Elementary
 * Steve Luther Elementary

Private schools:
 * St Irenaeus Parish School

Cypress College is located in the city.

Notable people

 * Shannel - drag queen
 * John Stamos - actor and musician
 * Brian Tochi - actor
 * Matthew Morrison - entertainer
 * Tiger Woods - professional golfer
 * Adrian Young - drummer of rock band No Doubt
 * Jerry Quarry - professional boxer
 * Troy O'Leary - Major League Baseball player
 * David Fletcher - Major League Baseball player
 * Dominic Fletcher- Major League Baseball player
 * Scott Aukerman - Comedian and Broadcaster
 * Jamil Douglas- National Football League player

title: Cypress, California


text:
Dana Point, California

Dana Point is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a popular local destination for surfing.

The city was named after the headland of Dana Point, which was in turn named after Richard Henry Dana Jr., author of Two Years Before the Mast, which included a description of the area. Dana described the locale, including neighboring San Juan Capistrano, as "the only romantic spot on the coast". This area is designated California Historical Landmark #189.

Indigenous
The Acjachemen village site of Toovannga was located near the present-day site of Dana Point Harbor. The village was located near the mouth of the San Juan Creek. The people lived in villages of around 250 people and stewarded the land into a thriving ecosystem. Each village was politically independent and established ties with other villages through marriage. The area of Dana Point is located downstream from the mother village of Putuidem.

The arrival of European settlers in the area began with the Portolá expedition (1769-1770). Starting in 1776, people from the village of Ubange, located near Dana Point, were brought to Mission San Juan Capistrano for conversion to Christianity and to be exploited as labor to work the mission's grounds. By 1778, dissatisfaction with the missions led to the formation of a revolt by tribal leader Cinquanto that was preemptively stopped by the Spanish.

Mexican era
Dana Point was a popular port for ships involved with the hide trade with nearby Mission San Juan Capistrano. Trading reached its peak in the 1830s and 1840s. In 1818, Argentine sailor Hippolyte de Bouchard anchored there while conducting his raid on the mission. Richard Henry Dana then visited the area in 1835 while serving aboard the sailing brig Pilgrim on her voyage along the California coastline.

American era
In 1923, Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler and General M. H. Sherman, director of the Pacific Electric Railway Company, created a major real estate group to develop the Hollywood Hills. Sidney H. Woodruff, already a prominent Los Angeles homebuilder, was hired to lead the project.

In 1926, Woodruff, Chandler, and Sherman created the Dana Point Syndicate. They invited other investors, company presidents, movie producers, and real estate investors to join them in purchasing 1388 acre of land, some of which includes the "Headlands" of today. Promising tree-lined and paved streets, electricity, telephones, sidewalks, water mains, storm drains, sewers, and other amenities, Woodruff built 35 homes and a number of commercial buildings.

Most of these "Woodruff" houses are concentrated in the Dana Point historic core, also called Lantern Village (currently about 12,000 residents). The streets are named after different colored lanterns—Street of the Violet Lantern, Blue Lantern, etc.—because colored lanterns were used by ships 200 years ago to advertise their fares when in the Dana Point natural harbor. His crowning structure was to be the Dana Point Inn, a Mediterranean-like resort hotel on the cliffs overlooking the harbor. After a celebratory groundbreaking in 1930, a three-story foundation was poured and a 135 ft shaft was dug for an elevator to transport hotel guests to and from the beach. The economic downturn of the Great Depression caused construction to halt, however. Although Woodruff continuously sought financial support through the years, this project was abandoned in 1939. Subsequently, he sold the remaining holdings of the Dana Point Syndicate. Thirty-four of the original Woodruff residences are still occupied.

Dana Point Harbor
The harbor, built in the 1960s and dedicated on July 31, 1971, is home to a marina, shops, and restaurants, and is a point of departure for the Catalina Express, a transportation service to and from the City of Avalon on Catalina Island. The entire harbor of Dana Point, including the Embarcadero Marina shops and restaurants, is set for complete demolition and redevelopment. The current vintage nautical style is being abandoned for a Tech Minimalist concept using metal roofs as well as Minimalist landscaping.

Although Richard Henry Dana Jr., author of Two Years Before the Mast, described the anchorage as poor, it is now a developed harbor and had a replica of his ship, the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim was used as a classroom by the Ocean Institute until it sank in 2020.

Strand
The Strands at Headlands is a luxury housing development built on land that was originally part of the Chandler Family holdings. For decades the land facing the beach was home to the Dana Strand Beach and Tennis Club, a mobile home community that closed in the late 1980s. For years, access to the Strands beach was limited to hiking down a dirt trail where the mobile homes had stood. The Strands parcel included the actual headlands and bluff of Dana Point as well and was one of the last large coast properties available for development along the Orange County Coast. During the course of a ten-year approval process, the original high-density plan, which included a large multi-story hotel on the bluff top and hundreds of houses and multi-family units, was reduced in scope to just over 100 home sites. As part of negotiations with the California Coastal Commission, the developer agreed to turn the bluff into a nature preserve and build over $11 million worth of public improvements to provide easier access to Strands Beach. The improvements include stairs, restrooms, a beach-front sidewalk and a funicular to transport visitors from the parking lot to the beach. After extensive infrastructure construction, lots were offered for sale in the fall of 2006. Lots in the development are rectangular with modern houses commonly priced above $10,000,000. The development has provided much easier access to the beach below and has allowed surfers and other beach visitors to access the beach quickly and easily. Strands Homeowners, through a Mello-Roos assessment, pay for the upkeep of the beach improvements.

The community of Niguel Shores is subject to the eroding bluffs of the Strand.

Capistrano Beach
In 1928, a corporate entity of the American industrial giant Edward Doheny, who had built his fortune in oil production in Southern California and Mexico, purchased a number of lots in Capistrano Beach. Doheny's son, Ned, formed a development company, the Capistrano Beach Company, which included his wife's twin brothers, Clark and Warren Smith, and Luther Eldridge, a contractor, to build a community of Spanish style houses. According to Dana Point historians Baum and Burnes,* Eldridge favored two dominant characteristics in his homes, a typically Spanish roofline and the use of large ceiling beams in the main rooms of the houses. The roofline, covered with red ceramic tiles, incorporated a low-pitched gable, spreading out to one short and one long roof. The ceiling beams were decorated with stenciled artwork painted by artist Alex Meston. Eldridge was able to complete the original Doheny family house on the bluffs, four houses on the beach, and 18 other homes scattered throughout the area before tragedy struck the ambitious project.

Edward Doheny was preparing for his criminal trial for bribery in the Teapot Dome Scandal, and on February 16, 1929, Ned Doheny and Hugh Plunkett, his friend and secretary, who were to testify in the trial, were killed in a murder that still remains unsolved. In 1931, as a memorial to Ned, Petroleum Securities Company, Doheny's family-owned business, made a gift of 41.4 acre to the State of California, which is now Doheny State Beach. The unimproved Capistrano Beach properties passed back to Edward Doheny, and, upon his death in 1935, to his wife and heirs. By 1944, all of the properties had been sold to private parties. The Doheny family also funded the building of what was then called St. Edward's Chapel in Capistrano Beach. The chapel soon grew, received canonical status as a parish, and moved to its current bluff-top location in Dana Point, overlooking Doheny State Beach.

In October 2022, the California Coastal Commission approved the Doheny Desalination Plant at Doheny State Beach capable of producing 5 to 15 million gallons of fresh water per day.

Surfing
Richard Henry Dana (the author of "Two Years Before the Mast") considered the high bluffs and sheltered coves of this area of Southern California to be the most beautiful spot on the California coast. Pioneering surfers agreed as they surfed the many beach breaks along the coast. Dana Point had a notable surfing history, and was home to many of the first companies that produced products for surfing. Hobie Alter opened the world's first retail surf shop in Dana Point in 1954. Many surf publications such as the Surfer's Journal and Surfer Magazine were formed and headquartered in Dana Point. Bruce Brown produced the iconic surfer film Endless Summer in Dana Point.

"Killer Dana" was a legendary surf break off Dana Point. The surf break was notorious because it came out of deep water and broke close to the rocks that lined the beach. The Killer Dana wave was destroyed when the Dana Point Harbor was built in 1966. A breakwater now cuts right through the heart of the once epic surf spot. In 1997, the surf group The Chantays recorded an instrumental track named "Killer Dana".

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.5 sqmi. 6.5 sqmi of it is land and 23.0 sqmi of it (77.96%) is water.

The Dana Point headlands are a prominent feature in Orange County geography and after years of controversy, are currently being developed as a 118-house gated community, however 68 acre of the site is open to the public and features a nature center and walking trails exhibiting "lost" plants of the Southern California coast. Views on a clear day extend to Catalina Island and La Jolla in San Diego County.

The city is located 59 miles southeast of Los Angeles, and 65 miles northwest of San Diego. Dana Point is bordered by San Clemente to the southeast, San Juan Capistrano to the northeast, Laguna Beach to the northwest, and Laguna Niguel to the north.

Climate
Dana Point enjoys a mild climate with temperatures that tend to average around the 70s. The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 79 °F. The coldest month is December with an average maximum temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Frost is extremely rare, allowing for a year-round growing season. Annual rainfall (with almost all of it falling between November and March) is about 12 inches but is highly variable from year to year.

2020
The 2020 United States Census reported a population of 33,107. The racial makeup was 83.9% White (70.87% white Non-Hispanic), 2.1% African American, 3.9% Asian, and 16.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Dana Point had a population of 33,351. The population density was 1,131.1 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Dana Point was 28,701 (86.1%) White (76.4% Non-Hispanic White), 294 (0.9%) African American, 229 (0.7%) Native American, 1,064 (3.2%) Asian, 37 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,952 (5.9%) from other races, and 1,074 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,662 persons (17.0%).

The Census reported that 33,110 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 160 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 81 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 14,182 households, out of which 3,459 (24.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,902 (48.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,232 (8.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 645 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 780 (5.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 137 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,012 households (28.3%) were made up of individuals, and 1,406 (9.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33. There were 8,779 families (61.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.85.

The population was spread out, with 5,959 people (17.9%) under the age of 18, 2,522 people (7.6%) aged 18 to 24, 8,261 people (24.8%) aged 25 to 44, 10,927 people (32.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,682 people (17.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

There were 15,938 housing units at an average density of 540.6 /sqmi, of which 8,314 (58.6%) were owner-occupied, and 5,868 (41.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 19,419 people (58.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,691 people (41.1%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Dana Point had a median household income of $80,938, with 8.4% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

As of the census of 2000, there were 35,110 people, 14,456 households, and 9,280 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,290.1 PD/sqmi. There were 15,682 housing units at an average density of 2,362.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 87.3% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 15.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,456 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $63,043, and the median income for a family was $73,373 (these figures had risen to $81,665 and $97,826 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $52,159 versus $38,902 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,938. About 3.4% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

In 2010 Dana Point had a population of 33,351. The median age was 44.8 years. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 76.4% non-Hispanic white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% non-Hispanic of some other race, 3.2% reporting two or more races and 17.0% Hispanic or Latino. Mexicans made up 13.2% of the population.

Arts and culture
Dana Point has held a Festival of Whales since 1972. This celebration is held over two weekends in March.

The Tall Ships Festival is held in September. It is considered the largest annual gathering of its kind on the West Coast of the United States.

Dana Point has hosted the Dana Point Concours d'Elegance since 2008. The event is located on the Monarch Beach Golf Links and supports various charities.

The Dana Point Grand Prix is an annual criterium bike race overlooking Dana Point Harbor. The course winds its way through downtown Dana Point into Heritage Park and the adjoining residential community with ocean views for participants and spectators before finishing on a long straightaway on PCH.

The Dana Point Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual Turkey Trot, which includes a 5K, 10K and Kids’ Gobble Wobble race for ages 5–12, which was voted as a top destination for Thanksgiving by Fodor's Magazine. This event attracts more than 10,000 runners throughout the country and another 5,000 family and friends.

The Dana Point Symphony presents classical music concerts with a 50-piece orchestra and local and international soloists.

Marine life

One of a few known specimens of the megamouth shark was caught off Dana Point in 1990. Visitors can visit the Ocean Institute at the harbor below the point and the tidal pools located nearby for a close-up view of marine life during low tide. With the kelp beds located just offshore, Dana Point is a popular destination for snorkelers, fisherman, and spearfishers. Juvenile great white sharks sometimes congregate in the area, but are rarely a threat to humans, mostly feeding on fish. The high cliffs at Dana Point are popular for scanning the horizon for whales, dolphins and other marine life.

Dana Point is home to the longest running Festival of Whales in the World that started in 1971.

Dana Point was trademarked as the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World® in 2019 and Dana Point was named a Whale Heritage Site in 2021. Prior to Dana Point's designation, this certification was shared with only three other locations in the world and is defined as an outstanding location where cetaceans (whales and dolphins) are embraced through the cultural, economic, social, and political lives of associated communities, and where people and cetaceans coexist in an authentic and respectful way.

Government
Dana Point is a general law city governed as a council-manager form of government.

The city council has five council members, who are elected by area by registered voters of the city. Council members each serve four-year staggered terms. Dana Point has a two-term-limit for elected officials. Annually, the city council appoints a mayor and a mayor pro tem from its own membership to serve a one-year term. The mayor presides over city council meetings, represents the city council at various business and ceremonial events, and executes all city ordinances, resolutions, and contracts. The mayor pro tem performs these duties in the absence of the mayor. As a legislative body, the city council is responsible for the enactment of local laws (ordinances), the adoption of the annual city budget and capital improvement program, and the review and adoption of proposed policies, agreements, contracts, and other city business items.

The 2021 city council roster is as follows:
 * Jamey Federico, Mayor
 * Joseph L. Muller, Mayor Pro Tem
 * Richard A. Viczorek, Council Member
 * Mike Frost, Council Member
 * Michael Villar, Council Member

State and federal representation
In the California State Legislature, Dana Point is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Dana Point is in.

Politics
Since its incorporation as a city, Dana Point has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential and gubernatorial election as of 2020. According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Dana Point has 21,844 registered voters. Of those, 9,308 (42.61%) are registered Republicans, 5,758 (26.36%) are registered Democrats, and 5,681 (26.01%) have declined to state a political party/are independents.

NOTE: The totals listed for the 2003 governor's special election are the aggregate totals for all Republican candidates, all Democratic candidates, and all Independent candidates. Individually, Arnold Schwarzenegger received 8,862 votes, Cruz Bustamante received 1,907 votes, Tom McClintock received 1,838 votes, and Peter Uberroth received 50 votes.

Education
The city is served by Capistrano Unified School District. It includes Dana Hills High School, one of the oldest high schools in the area, which opened in 1972. The cross country program at Dana Hills High School won California state titles in 1988, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Emergency services
Fire protection in Dana Point is provided by the Orange County Fire Authority with ambulance service by Doctor's Ambulance. Law enforcement is provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Year-round marine safety services are provided by US Ocean Safety, d.b.a. OC Lifeguards, on the county beaches, and California state lifeguards on the state beaches.

Media
Dana Point is served by two newspapers, the Dana Point News (owned by the Orange County Register) and the Dana Point Times. Both papers run once weekly.

The Laguna Niguel-Dana Point Patch is an online-only news website that also serves Dana Point along with its neighbor, Laguna Niguel.

title: Dana Point, California


text:
Foothill Ranch, California

Foothill Ranch is a neighborhood of the city of Lake Forest in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 10,899 at the 2000 census. The master planned community was a census-designated place prior to being incorporated into the city in 2000.

Foothill Ranch is notable for being the headquarters of Oakley, Inc., and ProBoards. Other companies such as Nike, Kaiser Aluminum, Kawasaki, and TAE Technologies also have offices in Foothill Ranch. It is also the home of Saddleback Church.

Geography
Foothill Ranch is located at 33.68852°N, -117.66428°W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.8 sqmi, all of it land. The ZIP Code for Foothill Ranch is 92610.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,899 people, 3,816 households, and 2,976 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,858.8 PD/sqmi. There were 3,873 housing units at an average density of 1,371.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 74.38% White, 1.92% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 14.96% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 3.38% from other races, and 4.78% from two or more races. 10.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,816 households, out of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 31.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 47.5% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 2.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $89,038, and the median income for a family was $97,897. Males had a median income of $67,791 versus $41,786 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $36,013. About 1.4% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. Foothill Ranch was completed in 1996 and was annexed to Lake Forest in 2000.

Politics
In the state legislature, Foothill Ranch is located in the 37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min, and in the 70th Assembly District, represented by Republican Donald P. Wagner.

In the United States House of Representatives, Foothill Ranch is in.

title: Foothill Ranch, California


text:
Fullerton, California

Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 143,617.

Fullerton was founded in 1887. It secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Historically it was a center of agriculture, notably groves of Valencia oranges and other citrus crops; petroleum extraction; transportation; and manufacturing. It is home to numerous higher educational institutions, particularly California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College. From the mid-1940s through the late 1990s, Fullerton was home to a large industrial base made up of aerospace contractors, canneries, paper products manufacturers, and is considered to be the birthplace of the electric guitar, due in large part to Leo Fender. The headquarters of Vons, which is owned by Albertsons, is located in Fullerton near the Fullerton–Anaheim line.

Indigenous
Evidence of prehistoric animal habitation, such as saber-toothed cats and mammoths, is present in Ralph B. Clark Regional Park in the northwest of the city.

The area of the city was a part of the homelands of the Tongva for thousands of years. There was a large village in the area along the Santa Ana River that has since been identified as the Hutuknga. The village was one of the largest throughout all of Tovaangar, or the Tongva world. It was connected by marriage ties to other villages in the area, including Genga. Acorns and seeds from grasses and sages were regularly cultivated. Trade connections were established with villages on the coast and those further inland.

Spanish era
Europeans first passed through the area in 1769 when Gaspar de Portolá led a Spanish expedition north to Monterey. From the description recorded in the diary of Father Juan Crespi, it seems likely that the party camped on July 29 near present-day Laguna Lake, in the Sunny Hills area.

American era
In 1894, Charles Chapman purchased an orange orchard in eastern Fullerton. The Valencia variety of oranges he promoted from his Santa Ysabel Ranch, well suited to the local climate, proved a boon to producers; Fullerton boasted more orange groves than any other municipality in the United States. Cultivation of walnuts and avocados also flourished, and the Western railroad town became an agricultural center. Fullerton was incorporated in 1904,

Boom years
Drilling for petroleum began in 1880 with the discovery of the Brea-Olinda Oil Field and fueled the first real boom, peaking in the 1920s. Construction reflected the vogue for Spanish Colonial and Italian Renaissance–inspired architecture, as in the historic Fox Fullerton Theatre (erected 1925); the Muckenthaler House, designed by Frank K. Benchley (erected 1924); and the city's chief landmark, the Plummer Auditorium and clock tower (erected 1930). Fullerton College was established at its present location at Chapman Avenue and Lemon Street in 1913. Meanwhile, the city banned all overnight street parking in 1924 – a law enforced to the present day, unless an area is specifically exempted.

In 1943, the Alex Bernal residence became the site of one of the first successful lawsuits against household covenant laws in the country after Alex and Esther Bernal purchased a home in a Fullerton neighborhood that barred purchases from "Mexicans." After a home invasion that resulted in their belongings being thrown into the street and a petition signed by fifty neighborhood residents to have the Bernal's removed from the neighborhood, a lawsuit was issued against the Bernals on the basis that their presence caused "irreparable injury" to the neighborhood that could lead to "coming in contact with said other races, including Mexicans, in a social and neighborhood manner." Lawyer David C. Marcus represented the Bernals in Doss vs. Bernal and won the case, which received national attention.

In 1949, Leo Fender developed and refined the world's first commercially successful solid-body electric guitar, the Fender Telecaster.

Postwar suburbanization
Although Fullerton, like other Southern California cities, had experienced an expansion of population due to housing development, this increased by an order of magnitude during the post war years. Fullerton's population soared after World War II as American veterans migrated to California, bought housing in the land development which destroyed the surrounding farming and park areas, and in particular after the construction of Interstate 5 and development in neighboring Anaheim.

To serve the growing population, the California State Legislature authorized Orange County State College in 1957, which began operating out of Fullerton high schools in 1959. In 1963, it moved to its present campus on State College Boulevard, and later, after several name-changes, was finally redesignated California State University, Fullerton. The Fullerton Arboretum, a 26-acre (105,000 m2) botanical garden, opened in 1979.

Manufacturing growth leveled off as ever-soaring property prices, increasing environmental regulation, traffic, and other pressures increased. By the late 20th century the city had lost much of its rural character in favor of suburban housing tracts and shopping centers.

Recent history
In the 1990s, the downtown commercial district had become economically depressed, and was known mainly for being an area of sleepy antique stores and small shops. A symbol of downtown's problems was the Fox Theatre, a local landmark, which had fallen into disrepair. As of November 2004, a fundraising drive had accumulated sufficient funds to buy the theater, but not yet enough money to restore it. By 2006, restoration was started.

During this same period, downtown Fullerton (DTF), especially in the south of Commonwealth area (SOCO), has become more of a busy entertainment district, described by the OC Weekly as "Bourbon Street West." In less than five years, some 30 businesses that sell alcohol have opened, making the downtown area much more active at night. In 2008, City Manager Chris Meyer called together department head and the finance department and reported to the city council that the Restaurant Overlay District (established December 2002) was costing the city $935,000 over and above the sales taxes collected.

The 293 acre Hughes Aircraft Company's Ground Systems Group campus in western Fullerton was redeveloped into a new residential and commercial district called Amerige Heights, in between 2001 and 2004.

Geography
Fullerton is located at 33.88°N, -117.92861°W (33.879914, -117.928749). It is approximately 25 mi southeast of downtown Los Angeles, and approximately 11 mi north-northwest of Santa Ana, the county seat. The city has a mean elevation of 150 ft and lies approximately 11 mi northeast of the Pacific Ocean straight-line distance. It has a Mediterranean climate, with a mean temperature of 62.2 F.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.4 sqmi, of which 22.4 sqmi is land and 0.01 sqmi, comprising 0.05%, is water.

It is bordered by La Habra and Brea on the north, La Mirada on the northwest, Buena Park on the west, Anaheim on the south, and Placentia on the east.

The flat downtown area is laid out in a grid plan centered at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue. After recent renewal and beautification projects, it has attracted specialty stores, coffee shops, and restaurants, and has uncharacteristically retained much of its downtown character. Southeastern Fullerton is historically the industrial sector, and is home to small manufacturing, particularly east of Raymond Street and south of Commonwealth.

The northern and western reaches of Fullerton are dominated by the Coyote Hills, a low-lying mountain range divided into the East Coyote Hills and West Coyote Hills. The land south of West Coyote Hills is known as Sunny Hills. For most of the city's history these areas were groves of citrus trees, open scrubland, and oil fields. While equestrian trails and many old estates endure along Bastanchury Road, the meandering roads through these areas today mostly connect a succession of housing tract subdivisions and commercial developments. In recent years, the city council has tried to allow development in the remaining open land throughout the city. The most notable impending project, in West Coyote Hills, has been met with opposition by many of the citizens in the area.

Development of West Coyote Hills
West Coyote Hills is a ridge lying mostly in northern Fullerton, including 510 acres owned by Pacific Coast Homes (a land development division of the Chevron Corporation) that are the largest remaining tract of undeveloped land in north Orange County. The current development agreement calls for building houses on some of the land while donating the remainder to the city as a nature preserve. A group that supports keeping the entire area as open space/nature preserve qualified a referendum for a November 2012 election. In the election, voters approved Measure W, which would prevent development in the area. Ongoing lawsuits between the City of Fullerton (pro-development) and local conservationists (anti-development) have resulted over the interpretation of the measure. In February 2019, the California State Supreme Court denied a petition to review a lower court pro-development decision against Measure W. The City of Fullerton and The Friends of Coyote Hills are currently in competing negotiations with Chevron over either purchasing the land for development or donating the land for conservation with Chevron receiving tax credits and conservation funds in exchange for the donation.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fullerton has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated Csa on climate maps.

Parks
Fullerton maintains more than 50 city parks and is home to Hillcrest Park, Chapman Park, and the Orange County Regional parks Craig Regional Park and Ralph B. Clark Regional Park (in neighboring Buena Park, although a small portion lies within Fullerton city limits). The Fullerton Arboretum comprises 26 acres (105,000 m2) of sculpted gardens and unusual plants in northeastern Fullerton. Additionally, the city features approximately 200 acre of recreational land in the Brea Dam Recreational Area, plus an equestrian center and trails, two golf courses, a sports complex located southeast of St. Jude Medical Center Hospital and the Janet Evans swim Complex.

The Fullerton city council voted on November 15, 2019, to proceed with work on a concept plan for a memorial to Korean War veterans at Hillcrest Park. The project will be funded and developed by The Orange County Korean War Memorial Committee.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Fullerton had a population of 135,161. The population density was 6,043.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Fullerton was 72,845 (53.9%) White, 3,138 (2.3%) African American, 842 (0.6%) Native American, 30,788 (22.8%) Asian, 321 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 21,439 (15.9%) from other races, and 5,788 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46,501 persons (34.4%). Non-Hispanic Whites were 38.2% of the population, down from 79.0% in 1980.

The Census reported that 132,084 people (97.7% of the population) lived in households, 2,318 (1.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 759 (0.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 45,391 households, out of which 16,155 (35.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 23,240 (51.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 5,502 (12.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,505 (5.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,366 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 290 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 9,771 households (21.5%) were made up of individuals, and 3,342 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91. There were 31,247 families (68.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.43.

The population was spread out, with 31,558 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 17,522 people (13.0%) aged 18 to 24, 37,764 people (27.9%) aged 25 to 44, 32,465 people (24.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 15,852 people (11.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

There were 47,869 housing units at an average density of 2,140.5 /sqmi, of which 24,600 (54.2%) were owner-occupied, and 20,791 (45.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 73,127 people (54.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 58,957 people (43.6%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Fullerton had a median household income of $67,617, with 14.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
In 2000, there were 44,771 housing units at an average density of 2,016.7 /sqmi. There were 43,609 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,345 (Orange County 2005), and the median income for a family was $75,700. Males had a median income of $40,674 versus $31,677 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,370. About 8.0% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Government
Fullerton is a General-law municipality with a council-manager government system. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of five non-partisan members who serve four-year staggered terms, who elect a chair who serves as mayor. Elections are held every two years and are consolidated with the statewide general elections held in November of even numbered years. The city manager is responsible for day-to-day operations. Prior to 2016, all council seats were elected at large. In 2016 voters passed Measure II which changed at large representation to election for five districts.

State and federal representation
In the United States House of Representatives, Fullerton is split between California's 45th congressional district and California's 46th congressional district, which are represented by and  respectively.

Emergency services
Fire protection and emergency medical services are provided by the Fullerton Fire Department with ambulance transport by Care Ambulance Service. Fullerton has one full-service hospital with an emergency room, St.Jude Regional Medical Center. The Fullerton Police Department provides law enforcement for the city, while the California State University Police Department provides services around the Cal State Fullerton campus.

Public schools
The city of Fullerton is served by three elementary and junior high school districts, two unified school districts, and one high school exclusive school district:

 * La Habra City School District
 * Buena Park School District
 * Fullerton School District
 * Brea Olinda Unified School District
 * Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
 * Fullerton Joint Union High School District

Fullerton has four public high schools within the city limits, all part of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District:
 * Sunny Hills High School.
 * Fullerton Union High School. The oldest high school in Orange County, it is the home of historic Plummer Auditorium and the Academy of the Arts magnet program.
 * Troy High School (which includes Troy Tech, a public magnet program).
 * La Vista High School and La Sierra High School (continuation schools, adjacent to Troy)

Other public schooling in Fullerton is provided by the Fullerton School District. There are three public junior high schools, enrolling grades 7-8: Ladera Vista, Nicolas, and D. Russell Parks Junior High School. Fullerton has only two public elementary K-8 schools: Beechwood and Robert C. Fisler. Fullerton has fifteen public elementary schools enrolling grades K-6: Acacia, Commonwealth, Fern Drive, Golden Hill, Hermosa Drive, Laguna Road, Maple, Orangethorpe, Pacific Drive, Raymond, Richman, Rolling Hills, Sunset Lane, Valencia Park, and Woodcrest.

Private schools
Fullerton's Catholic schools are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. They include: Annunciation Catholic School, Saint Justin School, Saint Juliana School, and Rosary Academy.

Other private schools include the Arborland Montessori School, the IvyCrest Montessori School, Eastside Christian School, Veritas Classical Academy, West Fullerton Christian School, and Berkeley School.

Postsecondary institutions

 * California State University, Fullerton, commonly known as Cal State Fullerton or CSUF, was first established in 1957 as Orange County State College. The twelfth member of the California State University system, it is currently composed of eight colleges, a community extended education program and several institutions and centers. The main campus is located on 236 acre of former orange groves in northeast Fullerton near State Route 57 and Nutwood Avenue. As of 2019, 39,868 students were enrolled in 55 undergraduate and 55 graduate degree programs (including doctorate in education and doctor in nursing practice programs), making it the largest university in the California State University system and the second largest university in the state of California in terms of enrollment.
 * Fullerton College is a two-year community college, the oldest in continuous operation in California. Part of the North Orange County Community College District, it is situated on a 63-acre (255,000 m2) campus adjacent to Fullerton Union High School on Chapman Avenue and had 25,051 students enrolled as of 2019. The college offers 90 majors leading to A.A. or A.S. degrees in academic and vocational subjects, 68 programs leading to vocational certificates, and transfer programs specializing in preparing students to transfer into the California State University and University of California systems.
 * Hope International University is a private Christian university
 * Marshall B. Ketchum University is a health sciences university.

Culture
Fullerton is home to a vibrant music scene. In the early 1990s, the Historic Ice House, built in 1902 and restored in 1989 featured several venues showcasing bands such as Room to Roam and Trip the Spring. It was a center for the Orange County hardcore punk music scene, producing acts such as The Adolescents, Agent Orange, Social Distortion, D.I., the "fathers of hardcore punk" The Middle Class, Gwen Stefani, lead vocalist of the alternative rock group No Doubt, was a student at CSUF and the group performed there regularly. The Ice House was subsequently forced to close for special events. Years later, other popular groups and musicians from the area include Lit, 80s synthpop acts Berlin and Stacey Q, and Mike Ness. The popular singer-songwriter Jackson Browne attended Sunny Hills High School in the city. Singer-songwriter Tim Buckley also attended Fullerton College and dropped out after only a few weeks to focus on his music career. Fullerton is also home to one of the signature cities in the Make Music Day Alliance. Make Music Day is a global annual music celebration occurring on the summer solstice (June 21) each year in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries across the globe. Starting in 2015, The Day of Music Fullerton began as a grass roots initiative by a team of volunteers to create a unique and free music festival in alliance with the internationally renowned Fête de la Musique. Each year on June 21 Fullerton comes alive from morning to night with musicians of all ages and musical persuasions performing in musical venues, shops, bars, restaurants, plazas, churches, parks and parking lots. From high school bands to established musicians/bands, Day of Music Fullerton is open to anyone who wants to perform and enjoyed by everyone who wants to attend for free. Since its inception, Day of Music Fullerton has grown into a popular and critical success,  hosting over 150 performances in more than 40 venues around the city, including the Museum Plaza, Historic Fox Theatre, Hillcrest Park, Villa del Sol, and The Muckenthaler Cultural Center, among others. Contributing greatly to Fullerton's musical heritage was the Fender musical instrument company, whose products such as the Stratocaster and Telecaster electric guitars, Precision Bass bass guitar, and Twin Reverb guitar amplifier revolutionized the music business and contributed greatly to the development of rock and roll. Leo Fender sold the company to CBS in 1965; production continued in the Fullerton plant until 1985, when the company was sold to a group of private investors. In 1980, Leo Fender and his original partner George Fullerton (relation to the Fullerton founder of the same name unknown) reunited and started a new company, G&L (George and Leo) Guitars, which are built in what had been Leo Fender's CLF Research factory in Fullerton.

The Muckenthaler Cultural Center on Malvern Avenue near Euclid Avenue houses art galleries and a theater group. The former estate of the Muckenthaler family, it was donated to the city by Harold Muckenthaler in 1965. Fullerton Friends of Music, the oldest chamber music society in Orange County, perform five concerts a year at Sunny Hills Performing Arts Center, a notable classical concert venue in the county. Fullerton is home to the Fullerton Public Library. The Main Library is located on Commonwealth Avenue in Downtown Fullerton and adjacent to the City Hall. Formerly there was a branch library, called the Hunt Branch on Basque Avenue. The Hunt Branch was closed in 2013

There are several storefront theaters, including the Maverick Theater and Stages Theater. The Maverick Theatre is the host for the "World Famous Skipper Stand Up Show." Held six times a year, The Skipper Stand Up Show has, since 2006, showcased former and current skippers from Disneyland's famous attraction, the Jungle Cruise.

Fullerton was also home to the Golden Baseball League's Orange County Flyers (formerly known as the Fullerton Flyers), which disbanded in 2012. The team's home was Goodwin Field, home to the Cal State Fullerton Titans.

Media
From 1921 to 1984, Fullerton had the largest independent daily newspaper in Orange County, The Fullerton Daily News Tribune. The Fullerton Daily News Tribune circulated 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday, in all of Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, La Habra, Buena Park, Yorba Linda, and a northern section of Anaheim. At one point in the 1970s The Fullerton News Tribune reached a peak circulation of 30,000 daily subscribers. Formerly owned, for 30 years, by former Scripps newspaper executive Edgar F. Elfstrom, The Fullerton News Tribune was bought by Scripps Howard Newspapers in 1975. In 1984 the Orange County Register bought the Fullerton News Tribune and converted the daily newspaper to a once-weekly free distribution newspaper.

Fullerton is also one of the few Southern California municipalities to be served by an independent newspaper, the Fullerton Observer. The Fullerton Observer Community Newspaper is an all-volunteer 40-year-old paper that is printed twice a month. It was founded in the late 1970s by Ralph Kennedy, a fair housing and civil rights activist who advocated saving Coyote Hills as an open space. In 2010, the city of Fullerton and the Orange County Register came out in court against the then 32-year-old Fullerton Observer in its request to adjudicate the paper. In response to the city of Fullerton and the Orange County Register's high-powered lawyers coming out against the newspaper, the not-for-profit Fullerton Observer dropped its court case to be adjudicated a newspaper.

Rail
Fullerton was founded as a railroad town and is still bisected by the BNSF Railway.

The Fullerton Transportation Center is home to train station serving Metrolink and Amtrak and a major north Orange County bus terminal for the Orange County Transportation Authority. The center is located at Harbor Blvd and Santa Fe Avenue. The bus terminal is located north of Santa Fe Avenue and serves routes 26, 43, 47, 143, 543. The Fullerton Train Station is located south of Santa Fe Avenue.

The Southern California Metrolink commuter rail system serves the city of Fullerton from the Orange County Line (Union Station, Los Angeles to Oceanside, California) and the 91/Perris Valley Line (Union Station, Los Angeles to Perris Valley in Riverside County). Travel time on Metrolink or Amtrak from Fullerton to Los Angeles is approximately 45 minutes. The city is served by two Amtrak lines. The Southwest Chief (running between Chicago and Los Angeles) and the Pacific Surfliner (running between San Diego and San Luis Obispo with major stops at Los Angeles and Santa Barbara).

In addition to the Fullerton Transportation Center, the Orange County Transportation Authority has a park-and-ride transportation hub in Fullerton located on Orangethorpe Avenue at Magnolia Avenue which makes connections to OCTA routes 25, 26, 30, 33, 35, 83, and 529 and Los Angeles Metro 460 (Downtown Los Angeles).

Roads
Fullerton is crossed by five state-maintained highways (all maintained by Caltrans' 12th district), three of which are freeways. State Route 91, the Riverside Freeway, runs east-to-west down the length of the city south of Orangethorpe Avenue. It intersects with Interstate 5, the Santa Ana Freeway, in the west near Magnolia Avenue and with State Route 57, the Orange Freeway, in the east near State College Boulevard. Short portions of State Route 39 (Beach Boulevard) and State Route 90 (Imperial Highway), also run through western and northern portions of the city, respectively.

The main road in Fullerton is Harbor Boulevard (served by OCTA route 43/143/543), a 23-mile road running from Costa Mesa to Rowland Heights. Fullerton is composed of many main arterials. Other main south-to-north arterials include Magnolia Street, Brookhurst Street, Lemon Street, Placentia Avenue, Gilbert Street, Raymond Avenue, State College Boulevard (served by OCTA route 57), Brea Boulevard (served by OCTA route 143), Euclid Street (served by OCTA route 37). Rosecrans Avenue, Bastanchury Road (not served by OCTA), Chapman and Malvern Avenues (served by OCTA route 123), Commonwealth Avenue (served by OCTA route 26) and Orangethorpe Avenue (served by OCTA route 30) are the main west-to-east arterials. Yorba Linda Boulevard (served by OCTA route 26) runs along the east end of the city. Minor arterials include Nutwood Avenue, Associated Road, Highland Avenue, Berkeley Avenue, Parks Road/Castlewood Drive, Kimberly Avenue, Acacia Avenue, Valencia Drive, and Dale Street.

Airport
Fullerton Municipal Airport, the only general aviation airport remaining in Orange County, located in the southwest of the city, is the last remnant of the Hughes Company in the area, which was prominent in the aerospace industry up until the 1970s. From the early 1970s through the early 1980s the airport was served by Golden West Airlines, one of the larger commuter airlines of the period. The nearest airport with scheduled service is John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana.

Sister cities

 * 🇯🇵 Fukui, Japan
 * 🇲🇽 Morelia, Mexico (the city of Fullerton has a street named Morelia Avenue, named after their sister city)
 * 🇰🇷 Yongin, South Korea

title: Fullerton, California


text:
New Jersey Route 50

Route 50 is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs 26.02 mi from an intersection with U.S. Route 9 (US 9) and the Garden State Parkway in Upper Township, Cape May County, north to an intersection with US 30 and County Route 563 (CR 563) in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County. The route, which is mostly a two-lane undivided road, passes through mostly rural areas of Atlantic and Cape May counties as well as the communities of Tuckahoe, Corbin City, Estell Manor, and Mays Landing. Route 50 intersects several roads, including Route 49 in Tuckahoe, US 40 in Mays Landing, and US 322 and the Atlantic City Expressway in Hamilton Township.

The portion of current Route 50 between Seaville and Petersburg received funding in 1910 to become a spur of the Ocean Highway. In 1917, what is now Route 50 was designated a part of pre-1927 Route 14, a route that was to run from Cape May to Egg Harbor City. Route 50 was designated onto its current alignment in 1927, replacing this portion of pre-1927 Route 14. In 1960, a freeway was proposed for Route 50, running from the Garden State Parkway in Dennis Township north to US 30 in Mullica Township. This proposal was canceled by the mid-1970s due to financial and environmental concerns as well as lack of traffic. The interchange between Route 50 and the Atlantic City Expressway was reconstructed into a full interchange, with completion in June 2010.

Route description
Route 50 begins at an intersection with US 9 in the Seaville section of Upper Township, Cape May County, heading to the north on a two-lane undivided road. From the southern terminus, a ramp provides access to the southbound Garden State Parkway and from the northbound Garden State Parkway. The road heads north through mostly rural wooded areas with some buildings. It intersects CR 671 in Greenfield before coming to a junction with CR 616. Later, Route 50 crosses the Cedar Swamp Creek in an area of marshland. At this crossing, the road runs closely parallel to the Beesleys Point Secondary railroad line operated by the Cape May Seashore Lines railroad before entering Petersburg, where it splits from the railroad tracks and comes to a crossroad with CR 610. Upon leaving Petersburg, Route 50 turns to the north again and crosses over the Beesleys Point Secondary, intersecting CR 631. It continues to Tuckahoe and comes to CR 669. Past this intersection, the route meets CR 557 and CR 664. Route 50 forms a concurrency with CR 557 and the two routes head north and encounter the eastern terminus of Route 49 before leaving Tuckahoe.

Not far after Route 49, the road crosses the Tuckahoe River into Corbin City, Atlantic County. In Corbin City, it heads into residential areas, with CR 611 looping to the west of the route. Route 50 and CR 557 continue northwest and intersect CR 648, where the road turns north into more forested areas. At the junction with CR 645, the route turns to the northeast and enters Estell Manor, becoming Broad Street. CR 557 splits from Route 50 by heading northwest on Buena Tuckahoe Road and Route 50 heads through some agricultural clearings concurrent with CR 557 Truck, passing to the west of the MacNamara Wildlife Area, which is known as a breeding ground for several species of birds. The route intersects CR 637, turning to the northeast.

After passing some homes and Stephen Lake, the road turns to the north and passes to the west of Estell Manor County Park. The route crosses the South River into Weymouth Township, passing the residential community of Belcoville to the east and meeting CR 669. It soon enters Hamilton Township, where the name of the road becomes Mill Street and it comes to a junction with US 40 (Harding Highway). CR 557 Truck heads to the west on US 40 at this point while Route 50 heads east on US 40, and CR 616 continues north.

US 40 and Route 50 follow the Harding Highway, a two-lane undivided road, turning to the northeast and crossing the Great Egg Harbor River. Upon passing over the river, enters Mays Landing and turns north, encountering CR 617 before passing over an abandoned railroad line and heading into the downtown area of Mays Landing. Here, the road crosses CR 559, and US 40 splits from Route 50 by turning east along that road. Meanwhile, Route 50 continues north on Cape May Avenue, passing through developed areas. It leaves Mays Landing and heads into back into forests. The route turns to the northeast, passing near the Clover Leaf Lakes residential development, before coming to a diamond interchange with US 322 (Black Horse Pike). Past this interchange, Route 50 widens to a four-lane divided highway and reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with the Atlantic City Expressway. The route becomes a two-lane undivided road again and continues through inhabited areas, crossing into Galloway Township, where there is an intersection with CR 686. A short distance later, the road crosses NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line at-grade northwest of the Egg Harbor City station and enters Egg Harbor City, turning into Philadelphia Avenue. A block after the railroad crossing, Route 50 ends at an intersection with US 30 and CR 563 (White Horse Pike), with CR 563 continuing north on Philadelphia Avenue at this point.

Route 50 is an important route linking the Atlantic City Expressway with the Jersey Shore resorts in Cape May County, serving as an alternate to more congested routes. It also serves as a hurricane evacuation route from Cape May County to inland areas.

History
What is now Route 50 followed the corridor of the Shamong Trail, a Lenape trail running from Crosswicks south to Cape May. The trail was later called the Old Cape May trail. The portion of current Route 50 between Seaville and Petersburg received funding to become a spur of the Ocean Highway in 1910. The modern-day alignment of Route 50 was legislated as part of pre-1927 Route 14 in 1917, a route that was to run from Cape May to Egg Harbor City. In the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, the portion of pre-1927 Route 14 between Seaville and Egg Harbor City was designated as Route 50, the highest state route number assigned in the renumbering. Route 50 retained its current routing in the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering. A freeway was proposed for Route 50 around 1960, running from the Garden State Parkway in Dennis Township north to US 30 in Mullica Township. This proposed freeway was intended to provide economic development to the region as well as provide a better route to the Jersey Shore resorts of Cape May County for travelers from the Delaware Valley. However, this freeway was canceled by the mid-1970s due to financial and environmental concerns as well as lack of traffic along Route 50. On November 21, 2008, construction began on making the interchange with the Atlantic City Expressway a full interchange as part of a series of improvements set for the Atlantic City Expressway. This project was completed on June 18, 2010.

In 2020, NJTA proposed a $20 million project to reconstruct the partial interchange between Route 50 and the Garden State Parkway into a full interchange. As part of the project, the current northbound exit on the left-side of the parkway would be rebuilt on the right hand side.

title: New Jersey Route 50