Mission Viejo (vee-AY-hoh; corruption of Misin Vieja [misjon bjexa]; Spanish for 'Old Mission') is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado in size. Its population as of 2020 was 93,653.
Mission Viejo is suburban in nature and culture, and consists of residential properties, offices and businesses. The city is noted for its tree-lined neighborhoods, receiving recognition from the National Arbor Day Foundation. The city's name is a reference to Rancho Mission Viejo, a large Spanish land grant from which the community was founded.
The United States Census Bureau defines an urban area of Orange County cities not part of Los Angeles's urban area with Mission Viejo as the principal city: the Mission ViejoLake ForestLaguna Niguel, CA urban area had a population of 646,843 as of the 2020 census, ranked 65th in the United States.
Rancho Mission Viejo was purchased by Don Juan Forster, an English-born Mexican ranchero. During the MexicanAmerican War, Forster provided fresh horses to United States military forces which were used on the march of San Diego to invade Los Angeles.
Mission Viejo was a hilly region primarily used as cattle and sheep grazing land, since it was of little use to farmers. This city was one of the last regions of Orange County to be urbanized due to its geologic complexity. In 1960, early developers dismissed most of the land in Mission Viejo as simply "undevelopable".
Donald Bren, an urban planner who later became the president of the Irvine Company, drafted a master plan which placed roads in the valleys and houses on the hills, and contoured to the geography of the area. The plan worked, and by 1980 much of the city of Mission Viejo was completed. During the late 1970s and the 1980s, houses in Mission Viejo were in such high demand that housing tracts often sold out before construction even began on them. The houses and shopping centers in the city are almost uniformly designed in a Spanish mission style, with "adobe"-like stucco walls and barrel-tile roofs. Many point to Mission Viejo as the first and largest manifestation of Bren's obsession with Spanish architecture. Bren's company was also the creator of the developments in Irvine and Newport Beach. The company expanded its operations and went on to build the Lakes project in Tempe, Arizona and Mission Viejo Aurora, and was the initial master planner of Highlands Ranch, both located in the Denver, Colorado Metropolitan area.
The seal of the city of Mission Viejo was designed and drawn by Carl Glassford, an artist and former resident of the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.1 square miles (17.7 square miles (of which is land and 0.4 square miles ((is water. A significant portion of the surface water is held in Lake Mission Viejo, an artificial lake stretching approximately one mile from Olympiad Road to Alicia Parkway along Marguerite Parkway.
Mission Viejo is located 49mi (southeast of Los Angeles, and 73mi (northwest of San Diego. It is bordered by Lake Forest on the northwest, Trabuco Canyon on the northeast, Rancho Santa Margarita and Ladera Ranch on the east, San Juan Capistrano on the south, and Laguna Niguel and Laguna Hills on the west.
Mission Viejo enjoys a borderline semi-arid/Mediterranean climate (climate classification BSh/Csa), with mild temperatures and plentiful sunshine year-round. Rainfall totals, which average around 14 inches (millimetres) annually are focused primarily in the months from November to March. Summer is very dry and virtually rainless. Due to the city's proximity to the ocean, nighttime and morning clouds are fairly common, especially in May and June, a weather phenomenon commonly known as June Gloom or May Gray.
Like most of Southern California, the city is prone to dry Santa Ana winds, bringing hot air from inland and punctuating the normally mild temperatures with noticeable jumps. For example, temperatures have reached highs of 90F (and above throughout many months of the year, occasionally into autumn. From 2012 to 2016, California experienced the worst drought in a century. In 2016, California experienced more rainfall than expected and ended most of the drought. Orange County was the last to have drought restrictions lifted.
The 2020 United States Census reported that Mission Viejo had a population of 93,653.
There were 5,057 (persons under the age of 5, 18,824 (persons under the age of 18, and 19,948 (persons over the age of 65. In the census, 47,295 (of people were female while 46,358 (were male.
The Mission ViejoLake ForestLaguna Niguel, CA urban area had a population of 646,843 as of 2020, making it the 65th most populous in the United States.
The 2010 United States Census reported that Mission Viejo had a population of 93,305. The population density was 5,148.3 inhabitants per square mile (The racial makeup of Mission Viejo was 74,493 (White (Non-Hispanic White), 1,210 (African American, 379 (Native American, 8,462 (Asian, 153 (Pacific Islander, 4,332 (from other races, and 4,276 (from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15,877 persons (Census reported that 92,363 people (of the population) lived in households, 859 (lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 83 (were institutionalized.
There were 33,208 households, out of which 11,767 (had children under the age of 18 living in them, 20,792 (were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,967 (had a female householder with no husband present, 1,306 (had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,211 (unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 225 (same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,314 households (were made up of individuals, and 2,949 (had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 25,065 families (of all households); the average family size was 3.18.
The population was spread out, with 21,270 people (under the age of 18, 7,852 people (aged 18 to 24, 21,648 people (aged 25 to 44, 29,003 people (aged 45 to 64, and 13,532 people (who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
There were 34,228 housing units at an average density of 1,888.6 per square mile (of which 25,859 (were owner-occupied, and 7,349 (were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 72,390 people (of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,973 people (lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Mission Viejo had a median household income of $96,088, with 5.3% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
The Mission Viejo-Lake Forest-San Clemente urban area (also includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Rancho Santa Margarita and San Juan Capistrano) had a population of 583,681 at the 2010 Census.
At the 2000 census, there were 93,102 people, 32,449 households and 25,212 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,990.1 inhabitants per square mile (There were 32,986 housing units at an average density of 1,767.9 per square mile (The racial makeup of the city was 79.7% white, 1.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 8.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.9% of the population. There were 32,449 households, out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.22.
Age distribution was 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
According to a 2008 estimate, the median household income was $93,330, and the median family income was $113,439. Males had a median income of $74,703 versus $53,196 for females. The per capita income for the city was $41,459. 1.9% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over.
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:
Marie Callender's has its corporate headquarters in the Marie Callender's Corporate Support Center in Mission Viejo.
The Shops at Mission Viejo and the Kaleidoscope Center serve as the city's two main shopping, dining and entertainment centers. Both cater to an upper middle class customer demographic and feature family-oriented facilities and services.
Mission Viejo also hosts a number of athletic events such as 5K runs and triathlons throughout the year. The city holds a variety of annually recurring events to celebrate holidays including a street fair and fireworks for Independence Day and public decorations and interactive activities for children during the winter holiday season featuring representation for multiple popular religions.
Mission Viejo has a major youth athletic facility, Mission Viejo Youth Athletic Park. The park consists of eight baseball fields and five soccer fields. It is host to Little League District 68, AYSO Region 84, and four competitive soccer clubs: Pateadores Soccer Club, Mission Viejo Soccer Club, West Coast Futbol Club, and Saddleback United Soccer Club.
The Mission Viejo Nadadores Swimming and Mission Viejo Nadadores Diving Team won a string of national championships and produced a number of Olympians and world record holders in the 1970s and 1980s. Olympians included Shirley Babashoff, Brian Goodell, Larson Jenson, Maryanne Graham, Nicole Kramer, Casy Converse, Marcia Morey, Dara Torres, and Greg Louganis.
Mission Viejo hosted the Road Cycling Events during the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. The old O'Neill Road was renamed Olympiad Rd. in honor of the Olympic events in 1984. In 2004, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 1984 Olympics Cycling Road Race, the City of Mission Viejo dedicated a permanent start/finish line and historic markers which are installed on Olympiad Road near the entrance to Lake Mission Viejo.
There is also a soccer facility, now used by the town's youth soccer program, that was used as a training field by the United States men's national soccer team before and during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States.
The Saddleback College ballpark hosted the Mission Viejo Vigilantes minor league baseball team of the Western Baseball League from 1996 to 2001. Now the ballpark has a semi-pro collegiate team, the Orange County Fire.
Mission Viejo is also the hometown of NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez, Minnesota Twins pitcher Phil Hughes, and Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche, former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Don August, Boston Red Sox outfielder Allen Craig, Top Shot Season 4 Champion Chris Cheng, and PBA Tour Champion Scott Norton.
Mission Viejo has numerous recreational areas, such as the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center. The city has about two parks per square mile, and three golf courses. At the center of the city is a man-made lake, Lake Mission Viejo, accessible to a private association of Mission Viejo residents, with custom waterfront homes, condominiums, boat and paddle board rentals, fishing, and swim beaches. Lake Mission Viejo also holds events such as music concerts and movie screenings, usually complimentary for members and typically during the summer season.
Geocaching, a popular 21st century treasure hunting game, is prevalent in Mission Viejo and surrounding cities. On June 10, 2023, the City of Mission Viejo launched Southern California's first GeoTour consisting of 27 unique and creative geocaches hidden across the city, with most placed along the Oso Creek Trail system and city recreation facilities. The purpose is meant as a tourism draw, with the geotour being SoCal's first, and a potential economic boost for the city. Using a "passport", seekers can visit and find the GeoTour geocaches. A complementary trackable geocoin is issued to those who find at least 24 out of the 27 geocaches, which can be picked up at the Norman P. Murray Center.
Of the 58,677 registered voters in the city, 24,639 (are Republicans, 16,477 (are Democrats, 15,002 (have no party preference, and the remaining are registered with a minor party.
Mission Viejo is a general law city, which operates under a council-manager form of government. The Mission Viejo City Council consists of five members elected at-large to staggered four-year terms. Each year, the City Council elects a Mayor and a Mayor Pro Tem amongst themselves to serve for one calendar year. The Mayor, who has equal legislative power with fellow members of the City Council, serves as the ceremonial leader of the city and as the presiding officer of the bi-weekly City Council meetings.
The current members of the city council are Mayor Patricia "Trish" Kelley, Mayor Pro Tem Bob Ruesch, Brian Goodell, Wendy Bucknum, and Cynthia Vasquez.
In county government, Mission Viejo is located in the 3rd District, currently represented by Donald P. Wagner.
In the California State Legislature, Mission Viejo is in the 38th Senate District, represented by Democrat Catherine Blakespear and in the 71st Assembly District, represented by Republican Kate Sanchez.
Federally, Mission Viejo is located in California's 40th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R+2 and is represented by Republican Young Kim.
Mission Viejo is served by two school districts, the Capistrano Unified School District and Saddleback Valley Unified School District. Capistrano Unified serves the eastern, northeastern, and southern portions of the city with eight schools. Students from western Mission Viejo (of Oso Parkway and west of Marguerite until Alicia Parkway) attend Saddleback Valley's Mission Viejo High School. Far northern Mission Viejo attends Saddleback Valley's Trabuco Hills High School, though most of that school has students from Rancho Santa Margarita and Lake Forest. A few residents attend Tesoro High School in Las Flores or the private Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Silverado High School, Mira Monte High School, and Pathfinder are continuation and adult schools within the city. Silverado High School provides a day school environment while Mira Monte, which shares the same campus, is strictly independent study.
Saddleback College, near The Shops at Mission Viejo and Capistrano Valley High School, is a large community college in the southern half of the city. In addition, the University of California, Irvine, Chapman University, Soka University of America, and California State University, Fullerton (Campus), are nearby in adjacent cities.
La Tierra Elementary shut down in June 2009 due to budget cuts. It was chosen due to its small size and minimal student body. The school will remain closed until further notice. Mission Viejo residents refer to La Tierra as "The Little School with a Big Heart". Students there are reassigned to Del Cerro Elementary.
O'Neill Elementary, the city's first elementary school, closed in June 2009 also due to budget cuts in SVUSD. Students in the Deane Home community surrounding the school will be moved to nearby De Portola Elementary. Students living in the homes north of the lake will be moved to Melinda Heights Elementary in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Elementary
Capistrano Unified
Saddleback Valley Unified
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Middle school
High school
College
The Orange County Transportation Authority (operates the 82, 85, 86, 89, and 91 bus routes in Laguna Niguel. The City of Mission Viejo operated MV Shuttle route 182. The 85 and 182 bus lines provides connecting service to the Metrolink train station.
The Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station near I-5 in Laguna Niguel is served by the Orange County Line and Inland EmpireOrange County Line of Metrolink commuter rail, providing service to points in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner served Laguna Niguel from 2007 to 2012, but has since ceased to stop here. Amtrak continues to serve the nearby Irvine and San Juan Capistrano stations.
Interstate 5 travels within Mission Viejo's city limits and has five interchanges within the city: Avery Parkway, Crown Valley Parkway, Oso Parkway, La Paz Road, and Alicia Parkway.
California State Route 241 travels within Mission Viejo's city limits and has one interchange within the city at Los Alisos Boulevard.
A very short portion of California State Route 73 travels within Mission Viejo's city limits. There is a Mission Viejo population and elevation road sign directly beneath the northbound onramp that roughly marks the official city limits which travels down the center of Via Escolar to the rail tracks on either side of the interstate. The entrance to SR 73 from I-5 northbound is located in the nearby city of San Juan Capistrano as well as the off ramp from SR 73 to I-5 in the southbound direction. There are no exits or entrances to SR 73 within Mission Viejo.
County Route S18, also known as El Toro Road, travels within Mission Viejo's city limits between Marguerite Parkway / Saddleback Church and Glen Ranch Canyon Road in the most northern part of the city.
The original route for U.S. Highway 101 previously ran through Mission Viejo on what is now El Paseo and Camino Capistrano. A historical marker was placed by the City of Mission Viejo commemorating the historic road route which is located about 0.15 miles south of the intersection of Oso Parkway and Cabot Road, although it is located in the nearby city of Laguna Niguel. It was at the time the only major road connecting San Diego to Los Angeles and San Francisco. It was abandoned when Interstate 5 was completed in the 1950s and has since been mostly removed to make way for interstate expansions and housing or commercial developments. There is a bridge on Camino Capistrano that crosses over Oso Creek that was built for U.S. 101 and dates back to 1938.