Mission Viejo, Planned residential community in Orange County, United States
Mission Viejo is a city in Orange County, California, that spreads across the Saddleback Valley and is marked by residential areas with wide streets, parks, and a man-made lake. The layout follows a uniform plan with low houses, plenty of green space, and several schools distributed throughout the entire city area.
The land belonged to Rancho Mission Viejo from 1845, which Don Juan Forster acquired during the Mexican land grant period in California. In the 1960s the Donald L. Bren Company began planning and building the present city, which was officially incorporated in the mid-seventies.
The name recalls the ranching era and the Spanish roots of the area, though the present city took shape only in the 1960s. In the neighborhoods you often see facades in a California-Mediterranean style with tile roofs and light colors that bring to mind southern European coastal towns.
The city has many biking and walking trails that run through residential areas and parks and are suitable for strolls or bicycle rides. The lake is centrally located and accessible only to residents, while public parks and sports fields can be found all over the city.
The city was designed as the first fully planned community in the United States, with all streets, houses, and facilities built according to a single overall concept. Today more than 90,000 people live here in an environment that still follows the original design from the 1960s.
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