Aliso Viejo, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aliso Viejo, California
City
The Aliso Viejo Town Center
Flag Seal
Etymology: Spanish for "Old Alder Tree"
Motto(s):  "Live, Work, Learn, Shop and Play."
Location of Aliso Viejo within Orange County, California
Aliso Viejo, California Location in California Show map of California Aliso Viejo, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States Aliso Viejo, California Location in North America Show map of North America
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
Incorporated	July 1, 2001
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	6.93 sq mi (17.94 km2)
• Land	6.93 sq mi (17.94 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation	410 ft (125 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	52,176
• Density	7,533.35/sq mi (2,908.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	92656, 92698
Area code(s)	949
FIPS code	06-00947
GNIS feature IDs	252532, 2409683

Aliso Viejo is a city in southern Orange County, California. Its name means "Old Sycamore" in Spanish.

The city is located in the San Joaquin Hills. In 2020, about 52,176 people lived there. Aliso Viejo became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001. It was the only city in Orange County to become official since 2000.

Aliso Viejo is surrounded by other cities. These include Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, and Laguna Woods.

History of Aliso Viejo

The Acjachemen people were the first to live in the Aliso Viejo area. They lived here for thousands of years. They built many villages along Aliso Creek. Later, these village sites became part of the Moulton Ranch.

The land that is now Aliso Viejo was once part of the large Moulton Ranch. The Moulton family owned this land since the 1890s. It was originally given to Juan Avila by the Mexican government in 1842. Over time, parts of the ranch were sold. These parts became other communities like Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel.

In 1976, the Mission Viejo Company bought 6,600 acres of the ranch. They planned to build a new community called Aliso Viejo. Their plan was to build 20,000 homes for about 50,000 people. Orange County approved this plan in 1979. The first homes were sold in March 1982, and the first family moved in that November.

As part of the project, a large area was set aside for nature. About 2,600 acres became part of the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. Another 800 acres were used for local parks, schools, and community buildings.

The Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) was created to manage the local parks. It was the first group of its kind in California. It helps provide many services and facilities for the community.

Aliso Viejo was also planned to have a good balance of homes and jobs. Pacific Park, a business area, was expected to create over 22,000 jobs. This way, people could live and work close by.

Becoming a City

Aliso Viejo was not officially a city until 2001. Before that, it was an "unincorporated community." This means it was part of the county but not its own city.

A group called the Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 Committee worked hard to make it a city. They put the idea on the ballot for a special election in 2001. Most voters (93.3%) said yes to making Aliso Viejo a city. Carmen Vali-Cave, who helped start the committee, became the city's first mayor.

The city's official seal was chosen in 2001. It shows mountains, a sunset, a tree, and buildings. It also says "July 2001" to remember when the city was formed.

Aliso Viejo has a council-manager government. This means a group of five volunteer city council members makes decisions. A professional city manager handles the daily operations. The council members serve four-year terms. Each year, they choose one of their members to be the Mayor and another to be the Mayor Pro Tem.

Clock tower of the Aliso Viejo Library

Government Representation

Aliso Viejo is part of different areas for state and federal government.

• In the California State Legislature, it is in the 37th Senate District and the 72nd Assembly District.
• For the United States House of Representatives, it is in the 40th Congressional District.

Geography of Aliso Viejo

Aliso Viejo is located at 33°34′30″N 117°43′32″W / 33.57500°N 117.72556°W / 33.57500; -117.72556. It is in the San Joaquin Hills of Orange County. The city covers about 7.5 square miles (19.4 square kilometers) of land.

Aliso Viejo is next to the Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park. Aliso Creek forms part of the city's border with Laguna Niguel. Much of the city is on the east side of the San Joaquin Hills. These are mountains that run along the Pacific coast.

Population Facts

Aliso Viejo first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1980. After it became a city in 2001, it was counted as a city in the 2010 Census.

In 2020, the population of Aliso Viejo was 52,176 people. Most people were White (68.3%), followed by Asian (15.4%), and African American (2.7%). About 18.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, the population was 47,823. About 99% of people lived in homes. The average household had about 2.6 people. Many homes had children under 18. The median age in the city was 35.1 years.

Economy

Many different companies have offices in Aliso Viejo. These companies offer many jobs in various fields.

Some of the companies located here include:

• AND1, a shoe and clothing company
• Buy.com, an online store
• Centon Electronics, Inc., which makes computer memory
• Ketel One, a vodka company
• Marie Callender's, a restaurant chain
• Microsoft (an office after buying DATAllegro)
• Pacific Life, an insurance company
• Quest Software, a software company
• Smith Micro Software, another software company
• Sony Interactive Entertainment, a video game and digital entertainment company
• UST Global, an IT and technology company
• Microsemi Corporation, a semiconductor company
• Metagenics, a medical manufacturing company

Major Employers

Here are some of the largest employers in Aliso Viejo:

Places to Visit

• The Aliso Viejo Library is part of the Orange County Public Library system. It opened in 1998.
• The Aliso Viejo Golf Course was designed in 1999. It became the Aliso Viejo Country Club after a new design in 2005.
• Soka University of America opened on May 3, 2001. It has a 103-acre campus with many buildings.
• The Soka Performing Arts Center is a concert hall with 1,000 seats. It opened in September 2011. Its sound system was designed by Yasuhisa Toyota.

Sports Teams

• The Orange County Gladiators were a basketball team. They were part of the ABA. They played their games at Aliso Niguel High School from 2007 to 2009.

Emergency Services

• Fire protection in Aliso Viejo is provided by the Orange County Fire Authority.
• Ambulance services are provided by Care Ambulance.
• Law enforcement (police) is handled by the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Education

Public Schools (K-12)

Most students in Aliso Viejo attend schools in the Capistrano Unified School District.

• Elementary Schools:
  • Canyon Vista Elementary School
  • Don Juan Avila Elementary School
  • Oak Grove Elementary School
  • Wood Canyon Elementary School
• Middle Schools:
  • Aliso Viejo Middle School
  • Don Juan Avila Middle School
• High School:
  • Aliso Niguel High School

Private Schools (K-12)

• VanDamme Academy
• St. Mary and All Angels School
• Aliso Viejo Christian School

Colleges and Universities

• Saddleback College (in Mission Viejo, California)
• Irvine Valley College (in Irvine, California)
• Orange Coast College (in Costa Mesa, California)
• Soka University of America (in Aliso Viejo)

Notable People

Many interesting people have lived in Aliso Viejo, including:

• Farzad Bonyadi, a professional poker player
• Ryan Coiner, a soccer player for the Columbus Crew
• Ryan Getzlaf, a hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks
• McKayla Maroney, a gymnast and 2012 Olympic champion
• Alex Michelsen, a tennis player
• Kyla Ross, a gymnast and 2012 Olympic champion
• Blake Sabol, a baseball player for the San Francisco Giants
• Ashley Wagner, a figure skater and 3-time U.S. champion
• Alicia Leigh Willis, an actress

Aliso Niguel High School

Founders Hall of Soka University of America

See also

In Spanish: Aliso Viejo para niños