Fountain Valley, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fountain Valley, California
City
View of Fountain Valley
Flag Seal Logo
Motto(s):  "A Nice Place to Live"
Location of Fountain Valley in Orange County, California
Fountain Valley, California Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Fountain Valley, California Location in California Show map of California Fountain Valley, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
Incorporated	June 13, 1957
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
Area
• Total	9.08 sq mi (23.53 km2)
• Land	9.07 sq mi (23.50 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)  0.14%
Elevation	33 ft (10 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	57,047
• Density	6,283/sq mi (2,424.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	92708, 92728
Area codes	657/714
FIPS code	06-25380
GNIS feature ID	1652712

Fountain Valley is a city in Orange County, California. It's a suburb, which means it's a smaller town near a bigger city. In 2020, about 57,047 people lived there.

History

Hauling hay in the Talbert area

Harbor Blvd at Heil Ave in the 1960s

Fountain Valley welcome sign

Early Days

Long ago, the Tongva people lived in the Fountain Valley area. Their village, called Pasbenga, was near the Santa Ana River.

Later, in the 1700s, European settlers arrived. The land became part of a huge Spanish land grant called Rancho Los Nietos. This land later became part of Mexico and then the United States.

Talbert Settlement

A settlement called Talbert grew where Talbert and Bushard streets are now. It was also known as Gospel Swamp.

Thomas B. Talbert and his family moved to the area around 1896. They bought over 300 acres of land and opened a general store. This is how the Talbert settlement began.

The area was mostly farms, growing beets for sugar plants. A post office opened in 1899, with Thomas B. Talbert as the first postmaster. The All-Saints Church is the only building left from that time. A train line, the Pacific Electric Railway, also passed through Talbert.

Becoming a City

Fountain Valley officially became a city in 1957. The name "Fountain Valley" comes from the many artesian wells in the area. These wells are like natural fountains where water flows up from underground.

Early settlers built canals to drain the land so they could farm. Farming was the main activity until the 1960s, when more houses were built. James Kanno became the first mayor of Fountain Valley. He was one of the first Japanese-American mayors in the mainland United States.

After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, many Vietnamese refugees came to Fountain Valley. This happened especially in the late 1970s and 1980s. They became a big part of the city's Asian population.

Geography

Fountain Valley is located in Orange County. The San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) cuts diagonally through the city.

The city is surrounded by other cities:

• Huntington Beach to the south and west
• Westminster and Garden Grove to the north
• Santa Ana to the northeast
• Costa Mesa to the southeast

The Santa Ana River forms its eastern border. The city covers about 9.08 square miles (23.5 square kilometers), with a very small part being water.

Demographics

Population in 2010

In 2010, Fountain Valley had 55,313 people. Most people lived in homes, with a small number in group housing or institutions.

There were about 18,648 households. Many had children under 18. About 59.7% were married couples. The average household had almost 3 people.

The population included:

• 21% under 18 years old
• 8.4% aged 18 to 24
• 24.1% aged 25 to 44
• 29% aged 45 to 64
• 17.6% aged 65 or older

The average age was 42.6 years. Most homes (72.2%) were owned by the people living in them. The median household income in 2010 was $81,212. About 6.7% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Economy

Fountain Valley is a suburban city, so many people who live there travel to other cities for work. However, the city has been growing its own job opportunities. A business area called the "Southpark" district has developed near the Santa Ana River.

In the past, the area was mostly farms. Now, there are only a few fields left, like those growing strawberries. These farms are slowly being replaced by new office buildings. The city even has a mural on a water treatment building that says "Shop in Fountain Valley" to encourage people to support local businesses.

Fountain Valley is home to some big companies:

• Hyundai Motor America (national headquarters)
• D-Link Corporation (national headquarters)
• Kingston Technology (global headquarters for memory chips)
• Surefire, LLC (makes flashlights for military and commercial use)

Other companies with offices in the Southpark area include Starbucks and the Orange County Register newspaper. There are also some light industrial businesses.

Top Employers

Here are the top employers in Fountain Valley as of 2023:

Arts and Culture

Fountain Valley hosts an event called Summerfest every June. It takes place in Mile Square Regional Park. The festival includes a car show, rides, music, and booths.

The city has many places of worship, including 18 churches, one Reform synagogue, and a mosque. There is also a public library.

Parks and Recreation

Mile Square Regional Park is a large park in Fountain Valley, covering 640 acres. It has:

• Two lakes
• Three 18-hole golf courses
• Playing fields for sports
• Picnic areas
• A 20-acre nature area with California native plants

The park also has a recreation center with tennis courts, basketball courts, and a gym. There's a community center and a senior center too. The recreation center and sports fields were updated in 2009.

Education

Fountain Valley has several schools for different age groups:

• Three high schools
• Three middle schools
• Nine elementary schools
• One K-12 school (kindergarten through 12th grade)
• Two K-8 schools (kindergarten through 8th grade)

Some students who live in Fountain Valley actually go to schools in nearby cities.

Fountain Valley is also home to Coastline Community College. Other community colleges nearby include Orange Coast College and Golden West College.

High Schools

• In the Huntington Beach Union High School District:
  • Fountain Valley High School
  • Valley Vista High School
• In the Garden Grove Unified School District:
  • Los Amigos High School

Middle Schools

• In the Fountain Valley School District:
  • Harry C. Fulton Middle School
  • Kazuo Masuda Middle School (named after a World War II soldier)
  • Talbert Middle School
• In the Ocean View Middle School District:
  • Vista View Middle School

Elementary Schools

• In the Garden Grove Unified School District:
  • Allen Elementary School
  • Monroe Elementary School
  • Northcutt Elementary School
• In the Fountain Valley School District:

Private Schools

• Shoreline Christian School (K-8)

Media

Fountain Valley has its own local newspaper, the Fountain Valley View. It is run by the Orange County Register.

Infrastructure

Besides the San Diego Freeway, Fountain Valley has several bus lines run by the Orange County Transportation Authority. These buses cover the city's main streets.

Many major roads have bicycle lanes. There are also special bike paths along the Santa Ana River that go all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

In the past, Fountain Valley had a "Red Car" train service along Bushard Street. It ran from 1909 to 1922.

The Fountain Valley Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services. The Fountain Valley Police Department handles law enforcement. Ambulance services are provided by Care Ambulance Service.

The Orange County Sanitation District, which handles wastewater, has its main offices and plant in Fountain Valley. The Municipal Water District of Orange County and the Orange County Water District also have offices here. The Orange County Water District manages the local groundwater and runs a large water purification plant.

Fountain Valley has two major hospitals:

• Fountain Valley Regional Hospital (400 beds)
• Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center (230 beds)

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Fountain Valley (California) para niños