Santa Ana, California

Santa Ana
—  City  —
Images, from top, left to right: The Old Orange County Courthouse, Bowers Museum, old city hall, Minter House, and Broadway street

Flag
Seal
Location of Santa Ana within Orange County, California
Santa Ana
Location in the United States
Coordinates:
Country United States
State California
County Orange
Founded 1869
Government
 • Mayor Miguel A. Pulido
Area[1]
 • Total 27.518 sq mi (71.271 km2)
 • Land 27.270 sq mi (70.628 km2)
 • Water 0.248 sq mi (0.643 km2)  0.90%
Elevation 115 ft (35 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 324,528
 • Rank 2nd in Orange County
11th in California
57th in the United States
 • Density 11,793.3/sq mi (4,553.4/km2)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 92701-92708, 92711, 92712, 92725, 92728, 92735, 92799
Area code(s) 714/949
FIPS code 06-69000
GNIS feature ID 1652790 [3]
Website www.santa-ana.org

Santa Ana /ˌsæntə ˈænə/ is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States.

Founded in 1869, Santa Ana is located in Southern California adjacent to the Santa Ana River, 10 miles (16 km) away from the California coast. The city is part of the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan area which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with almost thirteen million people. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, of U.S. cities with more than 300,000 people, Santa Ana is the 4th-most densely populated behind only New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago, and slightly denser than Boston.[4]

Santa Ana lends its name to the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), which runs through the city. It also shares its name with the nearby Santa Ana Mountains, and the infamous Santa Ana winds, which have historically fueled seasonal wildfires throughout Southern California.[5] The current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) metropolitan designation for the Orange County Area is "Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA".

Contents

History

Members of the Tongva and Juaneño/Luiseño nations long inhabited the area. The Tongva Indians called the Santa Ana area "Hotuuk."[6]

After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolá out of Mexico City, then capitol of New Spain, Friar Junípero Serra named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne, or Santa Ana Valley). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano was established within this valley. This Santa Ana Valley comprised most of what is now called Orange County.

In 1810, year of the commencement of the war of Mexican Independence (1810–1821), Jose Antonio Yorba, a sergeant of the Spanish army, was granted land that he called Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. Yorba's rancho included the lands where the cities of Olive, Orange, Irvine, Yorba Linda, Villa Park, Santa Ana, Tustin, Costa Mesa and unincorporated El Modena, and Santa Ana Heights, are today. This rancho was the only land grant in Orange County granted under Spanish Rule. Surrounding land grants in Orange County were granted after Mexican Independence by the new government.

After the Mexican-American war ended in 1848, Alta California became part of the United States and American settlers arrived in this area.

Claimed in 1869 by Kentuckian William H. Spurgeon on land obtained from the descendents of Jose Antonio Yorba, Santa Ana was incorporated as a city in 1886 with a population of 2000 and in 1889 became the seat of the newly formed Orange County.

By 1906 the Pacific Electric Railway from Los Angeles was extended to Santa Ana, running along Fourth Street downtown. The "red cars" made travel to Los Angeles easier and helped continue Santa Ana's population boom. Due to declining ridership, the route was abandoned by the 1950s and the tracks were removed along with much of the rest of the Pacific Electric system. The closing coincided with the opening of the Santa Ana Freeway in 1953, increasing the ease of travel by automobile.

Santa Ana was the home of the original Glenn L. Martin aviation company, founded in 1912 before merging with the Wright Company in 1916. Later, Glenn Luther Martin created a second company of the same name in Cleveland, Ohio which eventually merged with the Lockheed Corporation to form the largest defense contractor in the world, Lockheed Martin.[7]

During World War II, the Santa Ana Army Air Base was built as a training center for the United States Army Air Forces. The base was responsible for continued population growth in Santa Ana and the rest of Orange County as many veterans moved to the area to raise families after the end of the war.[8]

In 1987, MainPlace Mall (now Westfield MainPlace) was opened north of downtown and became a major retail center for the area.

Having been a Charter City since November 11, 1952, the citizens of Santa Ana amended the Charter November 1988 to provide for the direct election of the Mayor who until that point had been an appointee of the Council. The current mayor of Santa Ana is Miguel A. Pulido, the first mayor of Latino descent in the city's history and in fact, the first Mayor directly elected by the voters.

Since the 1980s, Santa Ana has been characterized by an effort to revitalize the downtown area which had declined in influence. The Santa Ana Artist's Village was created around Cal State Fullerton's Grand Central Art Center to attract artists and young professionals to live-work lofts and new businesses. The process has continued into 2009 with the reopening of the historic Yost Theater.[9]

Geography

Santa Ana is located at (33.740717, -117.881408).[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.5 square miles (71 km2). 27.3 square miles (71 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (0.90%) is water. It is the 4th most densely populated place in the United States with a population of 300,000 or more with 12,471.5 people per sq. mile.

Santa Ana is nested on flat, low-lying plains with little land elevation change. Running through the west end of the city is the mostly channelized Santa Ana River, which is also largely seasonal due to the construction of the Prado Dam and Seven Oaks Dam. The river has caused several severe floods in the 20th century, and is a continued threat despite the existence of the dams.

Garden Grove Anaheim Orange
Westminster Tustin
   Santa Ana, California    
Fountain Valley Costa Mesa Irvine

Cityscape

Now fully developed, Santa Ana has several distinct districts. The core of the city is the downtown area, which contains both retail and housing, as well as the Santa Ana Civic Center which is a dense campus of administrative buildings for both the city and the county of Orange. The civic center is also home to the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse. Several historic homes dating from the late 1800s can be found as well, and their preservation is a key issue as development of the downtown area continues.[11]

North of downtown is the "Midtown" district along Main St., home to entertainment destinations such as the Bowers Museum, MainPlace Mall, and the Discovery Science Center.

Near the intersection of the Santa Ana Freeway and the Costa Mesa Freeway is the newly-designated "Metro East" area, which the city council has envisioned as a secondary mixed-use development district.[12] Currently the area is occupied by several office towers, but little retail or housing. Also on the east side of the city is the Santa Ana Zoo, notable for its collection of monkeys and species from South and Central America.

The south end of the city is part of the South Coast Metro area, which is shared with the city of Costa Mesa. South Coast Plaza, a major shopping center, is the primary destination of this area, which also contains several high-rise office and apartment buildings.

Climate

Santa Ana experiences a Mediterranean climate, with mild, wet winters and the dry, warm sunny weather that Southern California is famous for in summer. Winter daytime temperatures average in the high 60s to low 70s (degrees Fahrenheit), and summer daytime temperatures average in the low 80s to mid 90s. Rainfall averages about 14 inches (356 mm) per year, most of which falls from November to April. There are an average of 34 days with measurable precipitation annually.

The record high temperature was 112 °F (44 °C) on June 14, 1917. The record low temperature was 22 °F (−6 °C) on December 31, 1918, and January 1, 1919. There are an average of 24.5 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 6.4 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower.

The wettest year in Santa Ana was 1941 with 32.36 inches (82.2 cm) and the driest year was 1961 with 3.55 inches (9.0 cm). The most rainfall in one month was 13.99 inches (35.5 cm) in February 1998. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 4.69 inches (11.9 cm) on February 16, 1927.[13]

Climate data for Santa Ana, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 69
(21)		 70
(21)		 71
(22)		 74
(23)		 75
(24)		 79
(26)		 83
(28)		 84
(29)		 83
(28)		 80
(27)		 74
(23)		 70
(21)		 75.9
(24.4)
Average low °F (°C) 47
(8)		 48
(9)		 50
(10)		 52
(11)		 56
(13)		 60
(16)		 63
(17)		 64
(18)		 63
(17)		 58
(14)		 51
(11)		 46
(8)		 54.8
(12.7)
Precipitation inches (mm) 3.19
(81)		 3.03
(77)		 2.8
(71)		 0.67
(17)		 0.24
(6.1)		 0.12
(3)		 0.04
(1)		 0.12
(3)		 0.35
(8.9)		 0.35
(8.9)		 1.18
(30)		 1.77
(45)		 13.9
(353)
Source: U.S. Climate Data[14]

Education

Santa Ana Unified School District includes thirty-seven K–5 elementary schools, nine 6–8 intermediate schools, eight 9–12 high schools, five special schools, and one charter school. The school district provides an online accountability report card.[15]

Santa Ana Unified School District's public high schools include Valley High School (Santa Ana), Middle College High School, Santa Ana High School, Saddleback High School, Century High School, newly opened Segerstrom Fundamental High School and Godinez Fundamental High School, and other public schools in the area, along with the Orange County High School of the Arts in the midtown district.

The Roman Catholic Diocese operates Mater Dei High School. The Diocese also operates several K–8 schools in Santa Ana including: School of Our Lady, Saint Anne, Saint Barbara, and Saint Joseph. (Immaculate Heart Of Mary And Our Lady Of the Pillar schools were closed in 2005 and merged into the School of Our Lady which is located at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.[16]

The city is home to Santa Ana College, a two year public community college, as well as California Coast University, and the Orange County branch of the Art Institute of California. Taft Law School a correspondence law school is also based in Santa Ana.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1870 1,145
—
1880 711 −37.9%
1890 3,628 410.3%
1900 4,933 36.0%
1910 8,429 70.9%
1920 15,485 83.7%
1930 30,322 95.8%
1940 31,921 5.3%
1950 45,533 42.6%
1960 100,350 120.4%
1970 156,601 56.1%
1980 203,713 30.1%
1990 293,742 44.2%
2000 337,977 15.1%
2010 324,528 −4.0%

2010

The 2010 United States Census[17] reported that Santa Ana had a population of 324,528. The population density was 11,793.3 people per square mile (4,553.4/km²). The racial makeup of Santa Ana was 148,838 (45.9%) White, 4,856 (1.5%) African American, 3,260 (1.0%) Native American, 34,138 (10.5%) Asian, 976 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 120,789 (37.2%) from other races, and 11,671 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 253,928 persons (78.2%).

The Census reported that 319,870 people (98.6% of the population) lived in households, 1,415 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 3,243 (1.0%) were institutionalized.

There were 73,174 households, out of which 41,181 (56.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41,389 (56.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 11,808 (16.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6,451 (8.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4,933 (6.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 556 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 9,254 households (12.6%) were made up of individuals and 3,378 (4.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.37. There were 59,648 families (81.5% of all households); the average family size was 4.54.

The population was spread out with 99,678 people (30.7%) under the age of 18, 39,165 people (12.1%) aged 18 to 24, 102,399 people (31.6%) aged 25 to 44, 61,375 people (18.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 21,911 people (6.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females there were 104.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.6 males.

There were 76,896 housing units at an average density of 2,794.4 per square mile (1,078.9/km²), of which 34,756 (47.5%) were owner-occupied, and 38,418 (52.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 154,045 people (47.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 165,825 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.

2007

As of 2007, there were 327,780 people, and 77,922 housing units.[18] Santa Ana's property occupation density is 4.6 per housing unit, the highest of any American city over 50,000. (By contrast, New York's is 2.8, and Los Angeles's density is 2.6 persons per housing unit.)[19]

The racial makeup of the city, as of 2007, is 42.6% White, 16.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 9.4% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 46.3% from some other race, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino Americans compose 64.1% of all residents; 63.1% are of Mexican descent.[18]

2000

As of the census[20] of 2000, there are 337,977 people, 73,002 households, and 59,788 families residing in the city. (Owing to the large percentage of illegal immigrants in the Latino population in Southern California, this figure is widely believed to suffer from significant downward bias, and some estimates place the city's population at over 500,000.) The population density is 4,808.2/km² (12,451.9/mi²). There are 74,588 housing units at an average density of 1,061.1/km² (2,748.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 42.73% White, 1.70% African American, 1.19% Native American, 8.81% Asian, 0.34% Pacific Islander, 40.64% from other races, and 4.58% from two or more races. 76.07% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 73,002 households out of which 53.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% are married couples living together, 13.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% are non-families. 12.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 4.55 and the average family size is 4.72.

In the city the population is spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 13.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 107.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 108.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $43,412, and the median income for a family is $41,050. Males have a median income of $23,342 versus $21,637 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,152. 19.8% of the population and 16.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.1% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Politics

Santa Ana is one of a few cities in Orange County where Democratic Party registration outnumbers that of the Republican Party.[21] In the 2008 Presidential Election, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the city by a margin of 20,357 votes, 65% to 32%.[22] This was despite Obama losing to fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton in the city during the Democratic Primary.

In the state legislature Santa Ana is located in the 34th Senate District represented by Democrat Lou Correa, and in the 69th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jose Solorio. Federally, Santa Ana is located in California's 47th Congressional District and is represented by Democrat Loretta Sanchez.

The Consulate-General of Mexico in Santa Ana is located on 828 North Broadway Street.[23]The Consulate-General of El Salvador in Santa Ana is located in Suite 103 at 840 North Grand Avenue.[24]

Economy

Santa Ana is the corporate headquarters of several companies including Behr Paint, CoreLogic, Corinthian Colleges, First American Corporation, Greenwood & Hall, Ingram Micro, The Orange County Register, Powerwave Technologies, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, STEC, TTM Technologies, and Wahoo's Fish Taco. It also houses major regional headquarters for the Xerox corporation, Ultimate Software and T-Mobile.

One of Santa Ana's most notable businesses is the Rickenbacker musical instrument company, whose electric guitars and bass guitars earned fame in the hands of many rock and roll legends.

Then Glenn L. Martin Company, a precursor to Lockheed Martin, was founded in Santa Ana in 1912 before merging with the Wright Company in 1916.

In recent years, the nearby city of Irvine has outpaced Santa Ana in commercial growth, with the Irvine Business District located near John Wayne Airport. To compete with this, Santa Ana has approved commercial projects in the South Coast Metro area, as well as the "Metro East" development, located at the confluence of the Santa Ana Freeway and the Costa Mesa Freeway.

The Historic South Main Business District contains many older retail shops and other small businesses. It extends from downtown Santa Ana southwards on Main Street to the South Coast Metro area.

Top employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[25] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of employees
1 Orange County 15,390
2 Ingram Micro 4,000
3 Rancho Santiago Community College District 2,300
4 United States Postal Service 2,000
5 Tenet Healthcare 1,500
6 Freedom Communications 900
7 First American 900
7 Corinthian Colleges 858
9 California Department of Mental Health 800
10 United Building Services 800

Transportation

A few freeways run through Santa Ana, connecting the city to other areas in Orange County, the Greater Los Angeles Area, and beyond. The Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate 5) heads north to Los Angeles, and south towards Southern Orange County and San Diego. The Garden Grove Freeway (State Route 22) runs along near Santa Ana's northern border, connecting Long Beach to the west and the City of Orange to the east. The Costa Mesa Freeway (State Route 55) travels south to Costa Mesa; and then north to the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91), providing a connection to Riverside.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Santa Ana several times on weekdays with less frequent service on weekends. It operates its Pacific Surfliner between San Diego to the south and either Los Angeles or Paso Robles to the north (see Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center). Greyhound USA is the largest bus transportation service in Santa Ana. Greyhound serves the continental United States and Canada. The bus lines Crucero, Intercalifornias, and others serve all points into Mexico.

Santa Ana is also served by Metrolink's Orange County Line (Oceanside to Union Station), and Inland Empire-Orange County Line (San Bernardino to San Juan Capistrano).

Santa Ana is in the preliminary stages of implementing a street car system that will connect the Santa Ana Train station to Downtown Santa Ana.[26]

Public transit bus service is available via the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).

John Wayne Airport is located at 18601 Airport Way Santa Ana, CA 92707. The IATA code for the airport is SNA.

Sports

Santa Ana is home to some of the most successful sports high school and collegiate sports teams in the nation. Mater Dei High School has one of the most successful and reputable American football programs in the country. The Dons of Santa Ana College are one of the most successful soccer teams in the state of California, and is a frequent top finisher, statewide. In 2008 the Dons clinched their fifteenth consecutive Orange Empire Conference title. The college is also known for its historically successful baseball teams.

Recreation and attractions

Santa Ana has a number of parks that provide an improved quality of life for the residents.[27] Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm amusement parks are located northeast of Santa Ana, several kilometers away. Beaches are located around 20 minutes to the south, accessible by the 55 freeway. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach as well as other coastal communities offer world-class shopping, dining, boating, swimming and surfing opportunities.

Sites of interest

Greenville, a formerly rural section of Santa Ana, has buildings over a century old, but industrial complexes have replaced the agricultural fields that once surrounded the town.

Santa Ana has several wall paintings and murals depicting local history, community events and cultural diversity in Orange County.

Notable locations

  • Riverview Golf Course
  • Willowick Municipal Golf Course
  • Pacific Electric Sub-Station Number 14
  • Southern (D), Builders Exchange Building
  • Ronald W Reagan Federal Courthouse
  • Newhope Branch Santa Ana Public Library
  • Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House
  • Bowers Museum of Cultural Art
  • Santa Ana City Hall
  • Santa Ana Public Library
  • Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center
  • McFadden Branch Santa Ana Public Learning Center
  • Santora Building
  • Heritage Museum of Orange County (Kellogg House)
  • Old Orange County Courthouse
  • Rankin Building
  • Dexter's Chomp House

See also

Southern California portal

References

  1. ^ U.S. Census
  2. ^ "Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2007 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-07-10. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-01.csv. Retrieved 2008-07-10. 
  3. ^ "Santa Ana". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1652790. Retrieved 2009-03-05. 
  4. ^ "2000 Census: US Municipalities Over 50,000: Ranked by 2000 Density". Demographia. http://www.demographia.com/db-2000city50kdens.htm. Retrieved June 14, 2009. 
  5. ^ http://www.atmos.ucla.edu/~fovell/ASother/mm5/SantaAna/winds.html
  6. ^ Munro, Pamela, et al. Yaara' Shiraaw'ax 'Eyooshiraaw'a. Now You're Speaking Our Language: Gabrielino/Tongva/Fernandeño. Lulu.com: 2008.
  7. ^ http://www.santaanahistory.com/local_history.html
  8. ^ http://www.militarymuseum.org/SantaAnaAAB.html
  9. ^ http://soundcheck.freedomblogging.com/tag/yost-theater/
  10. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  11. ^ http://www.santaanahistory.com/dr_howe-waffle.html
  12. ^ http://www.santa-ana.org/pba/planning/MetroEastMixedUseOverlay.asp
  13. ^ http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca7888
  14. ^ "Monthly averages for Santa Ana, California". http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USCA1016. Retrieved February 27, 2009. 
  15. ^ http://www.sausd.k12.ca.us/departments/research_eval/accountability.asp
  16. ^ http://www.schoolofourlady.org
  17. ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
  18. ^ a b "Santa Ana city, California - ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates: 2007". U.S. Census Bureau. http://factfinder.dads.census.gov/servlet/MYPTable?-geo_id=16000US0669000&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_CP5_1&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_. Retrieved 2008-12-11. 
  19. ^ Mena, Jennifer. " In Housing Density, It's Too Close for Comfort." Los Angeles Times, September 15, 2003.
  20. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  21. ^ http://www.ocvote.com/districts/ror.pdf
  22. ^ http://www.ocregister.com/articles/santa-ana-election-2213303-results
  23. ^ "Dirección sobre." Consulate-General of Mexico in Santa Ana. Retrieved on February 1, 2009.
  24. ^ "Norte América." Consulate-General of El Salvador in Miami. Retrieved on February 1, 2009.
  25. ^ City of Santa Ana 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Retrieved 2010-09-26
  26. ^ http://www.ocregister.com/news/streetcar-167652-santa-garden.html
  27. ^ [1]

External links