Villa Park is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States. It was founded in 1962. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,812, making it the smallest city in Orange County. The city is largely zoned for single-family residences on lots that average about 20000 sqft, or 1/2 acre, in size. Within the city limits there is one small shopping center. City Hall, including a community room, and a branch of the Orange County Public Libraries system is adjacent to the city's only shopping center.

History

After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolá, a Spanish expedition led by Father Junípero Serra named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano became the areas first permanent European settlement in Alta California, New Spain. In 1810, the Spanish Empire granted 62500 acre to Jose Antonio Yorba, which he named Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. Yorba's rancho included the lands where the cities of Olive, Orange, Villa Park, Santa Ana, Tustin, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach stand today. After the Mexican-American War in 1848, Alta California became part of the United States in 1850 and American settlers arrived in this area. Villa Park was known as "Mountain View" in the 1860s. The U.S. Post Office refused to allow the local post office to be so named as there was already a post office with that name in Santa Clara County, so the post office and hence the area came to be called Villa Park after a town in Illinois. It was then an agricultural area producing, in turn, grapes, walnuts, and apricots. Finally, citrus became the major crop for about 60 years. Ranchers established the Serrano Water District in 1876, which still provides Villa Park's water, and founded the Villa Park Orchards Association (still a business in Orange, although the packing house that was a local landmark was torn down in 1983). In 2005, The Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission shrunk Villa Park's Sphere of Influence to Zero due to being landlocked by the city of Orange. By October, LAFCO restored Villa Park's Sphere of Influence after outcry from local community leaders.

Geography

Villa Park is located at 33.81611°N, -117.81111°W (33.816183, −117.811106). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 sqmi, all land. There are no public parks within city limits; many homes have pools and/or tennis courts. Unlike more urban areas of Orange County west of the city, Villa Park has winding streets with few sidewalks and limited street lights. Throughout are trees and flower beds in planted medians and parkways. Surrounded by the city of Orange, Villa Park has the appearance of an enclave: the city's early unwillingness to annex lands beyond Santiago Creek and those east of a power line easement between the city and Anaheim Hills.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Villa Park had a population of 5,812. The population density was 2,796.6 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Villa Park was 4,550 (78.3%) White (71.9% Non-Hispanic White), 42 (0.7%) African American, 34 (0.6%) Native American, 854 (14.7%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 162 (2.8%) from other races, and 169 (2.9%) from two or more races. There were 598 people of Hispanic or Latino origin (10.3%). The census reported that 5,767 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 40 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 5 (0.1%) were institutionalized. There were 1,976 households, out of which 625 (31.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,525 (77.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 123 (6.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 80 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 36 (1.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 208 households (10.5%) were made up of individuals, and 144 (7.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92. There were 1,728 families (87.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.11. There were 1,164 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 458 people (7.9%) aged 18 to 24, 845 people (14.5%) aged 25 to 44, 1,934 people (33.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,411 people (24.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. There were 2,016 housing units at an average density of 970.1 /sqmi, of which 1,886 (95.4%) were owner-occupied, and 90 (4.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.2%. 5,486 people (94.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 281 people (4.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,999 people, 1,950 households, and 1,764 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,844.9 PD/sqmi. There were 2,008 housing units at an average density of 952.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 82.40% White, 0.80% African American, 0.43% Native American, 12.92% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 5.90% of the population. There were 1,950 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.1% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.5% were non-families. 7.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.22. In the city, 24.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $116,203, and the median income for a family was $124,852. Males had a median income of $78,563 versus $46,667 for females.

Government

The city is governed by five council members each elected for four-year terms. The current (2024) representatives on the City Council include Mayor Vince Rossini, Mayor Pro-Tem Nicol Jones and Councilmembers Crystal Miles, Robbie Pitts and Jordan Wu.

Politics

66.0% of the city's 4,533 registered voters declared their affiliation with the Republican party. 17.3% are registered Democrats, and 14.3% were unaffiliated voters. In the United States House of Representatives, Villa Park is in. In the California State Legislature, Villa Park is in, and in. On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Villa Park is in the 3rd District, represented by Donald P. Wagner. Villa Park is one of the most consistently Republican cities in Orange County and in California as a whole. Every GOP candidate for president since the city's incorporation in 1962 has received at least 60% of the vote in the city. From 1968 to 1988, the city gave the Republican candidate over 80% of the vote in each election. Villa Park is also largely Republican in California's gubernatorial elections. In 1978, even as Orange County supported Jerry Brown in his re-election bid, Villa Park gave his opponent Evelle Younger, 57% of the vote. 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 2,391 votes, Cruz Bustamante received 234 votes, and Tom McClintock received 384 votes. NOTE: In the 2016 and 2018 senate elections in California, both candidates on the ballot were Democrats. The bolded totals listed were those of the candidates that won Villa Park Kamala Harris in 2016, and Dianne Feinstein in 2018. The runners-up in Villa Park were shaded in blue as well, but wound up in the Republican column of this table.

Education

There are four public schools with the city that are operated by the Orange Unified School District (the city's largest employer).

Notable people