Anaheim, California

Anaheim is a lively city in northern Orange County, California, part of the big Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, it is the most populous city in Orange County and the tenth-most populous city in all of California. It is also the 57th-most populous city in the whole United States.

The city is famous around the world for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, which includes two huge theme parks, many hotels, and shops. Anaheim also has two professional sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels baseball team and the Anaheim Ducks hockey team. In the past, it was even home to the Los Angeles Rams football team from 1980 to 1994.

Anaheim was started by fifty German families in 1857 and became an official city in 1876. For many years, it was mostly a place for farming. Everything changed when Disneyland opened its doors on July 17, 1955. After that, lots of hotels, homes, and businesses grew up around the area. Today, Anaheim is a busy city with many different kinds of neighborhoods, from older home areas to modern business districts.

Toponymy

Anaheim's name comes from two parts. "Ana" is from the nearby Santa Ana River, and "_heim" is a German word meaning "home". This kind of name is common in Germany and other places.

History

See also: Timeline of Anaheim, California

Tongva era

The Tongva people were the original inhabitants of the area where Anaheim is today. They lived there as early as 3500 BCE. The Tongva village in Anaheim was called Hutuukuga. They used local plants like oak trees and sage bushes for food, along with rabbit and mule deer for meat. The village traded with other villages, both nearby and far away.

Spanish and Mexican era

The land that is now Anaheim was part of a large ranch called Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana. It was given to Juan Pacífico Ontiveros by the governor of Alta California in 1837. After California became part of the United States, the ranch was confirmed as Ontiveros' property. In 1857, Ontiveros sold a part of the ranch to 50 German-American families who wanted to start a new community.

Founding

The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by these 50 German-Americans. They bought 1,165 acres of land from Ontiveros for $2 per acre. They named their new community Annaheim, meaning "home by the Santa Ana River" in German, which later became Anaheim. At first, they planned to grow grapes and make wine, but most of the settlers were craftsmen without experience in wine-making. They built a school and a newspaper, and the town began to grow. However, a disease destroyed their grapevines in 1884, so they started growing walnuts, lemons, and oranges instead.

Anaheim's Chinatown

The German settlers brought in Chinese laborers to help build the town. Each Chinese worker received a town lot as payment. Over time, Chinese immigrants became a significant part of the community. They helped build railroads, worked on farms, and provided medical care and other services. However, after laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and some unfair treatment, the Chinese community in Anaheim slowly disappeared.

Helena Modjeska

A famous Polish actress named Helena Modjeska moved to Anaheim with her husband and friends. She became friends with Clementine Langenberger, and two streets in Anaheim, Helena Street and Clementine Street, are named after them. Modjeska Park is also named in her honor.

Early 20th century

During the early 1900s, Anaheim was mostly rural, with many orange groves. One landowner, Bennett Payne Baxter, helped improve ways to water the groves and shared his ideas with others. Another important figure was Rudolph Boysen, Anaheim's first Park Superintendent, who created a new type of berry called the boysenberry. Boysen Park is named after him.

Mid to late 20th century

After World War II, new roads were built to help people move out of Los Angeles, which helped Anaheim grow. The construction of Disneyland in 1955 brought many tourists to the area. The city also became home to baseball and hockey teams. In the 1990s, the area around Disneyland was renamed the Anaheim Resort, and many new hotels and attractions were built.

21st century

In 2001, Disney California Adventure Park opened next to Disneyland. In 2007, Anaheim celebrated its 150th anniversary. In 2012, there were protests by some residents about concerns like police treatment and representation in the city government.

Geography

Anaheim is about 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city follows the path of the 91 Freeway from the border of Orange and Riverside counties to Buena Park.

The city has several different areas, including the Anaheim Resort near Disneyland, Anaheim Canyon (an industrial area north of California State Route 91 and east of California State Route 57), and the Platinum Triangle around Angel Stadium. Anaheim Hills also has its own special character. The busy area stretching from Disney Resort through Orange, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana is called the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city.

Anaheim has a climate that is just shy of a Mediterranean climate. Winters are warm with occasional heavy rain, and summers are hot and dry. The highest temperature ever recorded there was 115 °F (46 °C) on July 6, 2018, and the coldest was 30 °F (−1 °C) on February 15, 1990, and January 30, 2002.

Demographics

Anaheim began as a city in Los Angeles County in the 1870 U.S. census and became part of Orange County in the 1900 U.S. census.

2020

The 2020 United States census found that Anaheim had a population of 346,824 people. The city had many different groups of people, with about half of the population identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Most people lived in homes with families, and many had children.

2010

The 2010 United States census reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265 people. Many people in Anaheim spoke Spanish or Vietnamese at home, and the city had a rich mix of different backgrounds.

Economy

Anaheim's economy is mostly based on tourism. The largest employer in the city is The Walt Disney Company, and the Disneyland Resort helps bring in about $4.7 billion each year to Southern California's economy. It also helps pay for $255 million in taxes yearly. The Anaheim Convention Center is another big attraction, hosting many important meetings and events.

The city has many places to stay, especially hotels near the theme parks and convention center. Anaheim Canyon is a big business area and makes up most of the city's industrial space. Several well-known companies have offices or headquarters in Anaheim, including Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, AT&T, CKE Restaurants, and many others.

Larger shopping areas include the Downtown Disney area at the Disneyland Resort, Anaheim Plaza, Anaheim Town Square, and Anaheim GardenWalk.

Attractions

Anaheim has many fun places to visit. You can explore the Anaheim Convention Center and enjoy shopping at Anaheim GardenWalk. There are also golf courses like Anaheim Hills and Dad Miller, and beautiful spots such as Anaheim Founders' Park and Oak Canyon Nature Center.

One of the most famous places is the Disneyland Resort, which includes Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney. Other exciting spots are Angel Stadium of Anaheim where baseball games happen, and the Honda Center for hockey games. You can also visit MUZEO, an art museum, and learn about flights at the Flightdeck Flight Simulation Center.

Registered Historic Places

Anaheim has many special places that have been saved because they are important to the city's history. Some of these places include the Anaheim Orange and Lemon Association Packing House, the Carnegie Library, and the Ferdinand Backs House. Others are the George Hansen House, John Woelke House, and the Kroger-Melrose District. Additional historic spots are the Melrose-Backs Neighborhood Houses, Old Backs House, Phillip Ackley Stanton House, Pickwick Hotel, Samuel Kraemer Building, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, and the Truxaw-Gervais House.

Sports teams

Anaheim is home to two major sports teams. The Anaheim Ducks are an NHL team that won the Stanley Cup in 2007. The Los Angeles Angels are an MLB team that won the World Series in 2002 when they were called the Anaheim Angels.

In the past, Anaheim has had many other teams that are no longer there. These include teams from different leagues such as football, basketball, and hockey. One famous moment involved the Angels changing their name from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005. This caused a legal battle between the team and the city, which the team eventually won.

Current teams

• NHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup Champions
• MLB team: Los Angeles Angels – 2002 World Series Champions under the name Anaheim Angels

Defunct or relocated teams

• NLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)
• NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim in Anaheim Stadium from 1980 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis, Missouri.
• NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers played select games in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim from 1994 through 1999 before playing in Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles from 1999 to 2024
• World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974 to 1975.
• Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.
• AFL team: Los Angeles Kiss played at Honda Center from 2014 to 2016.
• Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.
• American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.
• ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001 to 2002.
• NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006 to 2009. The team moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and was renamed for the 2009–2010 season.
• World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges played in 1978.
• Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.
• California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.
• Anaheim Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps A part of Drum Corp International now defunct active from 1958 to 1991

Court battle against the Angels

Main article: City of Anaheim v. Angels Baseball LP

Government and politics

Anaheim used to be one of the more conservative big cities in the United States, but it has been shifting toward more liberal views in recent years. As of May 5, 2025, there are 176,980 registered voters in Anaheim. About 41% are registered with one political group, 28% with another, and 27% have not chosen a political party.

Anaheim runs under a system where a group of elected leaders, called a city council, works with a professional city manager to handle daily tasks. The mayor is one of these leaders but has a similar voting power to the others. In 2014, voters chose to change how council members are elected and to add more seats on the council. Today, the city council includes the mayor and six other members from different areas of the city.

Anaheim is part of different voting areas for state and national leaders. For example, it is split between two areas in the United States House of Representatives, two areas in the California State Senate, and three areas in the California State Assembly. It is also split among three areas on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

City government

See also: List of mayors of Anaheim, California and Anaheim City Council

Infrastructure

Fire protection in Anaheim is handled by the Anaheim Fire Department. The Disneyland Resort has its own fire department, but it works with the Anaheim Fire Department for support and medical help. The Anaheim Police Department takes care of law enforcement, and Care Ambulance Service provides ambulance services.

The city has several medical facilities, including hospitals and clinics, to help people stay healthy.

Anaheim Public Utilities is the city’s own water and electricity service. It gets water from places far away and also uses local sources like the Santa Ana River. The city is also working on putting electricity lines underground to make them look nicer and more reliable, but this will take many years to complete.

Crime

In 2019, Anaheim had fewer murders compared to the national average. Some types of crime, like robbery and theft, happened less often in Anaheim than in most places. The city keeps track of crime reports through the Uniform Crime Report, which collects data from police departments all over the United States.

Education

Anaheim has many schools to help children learn. The city is served by seven public school districts, including the Anaheim Elementary School District and the Anaheim Union High School District. There are 74 public schools in total, with options for elementary, junior high, high school, and alternative education. Private schools such as Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, and Servite High School are also available.

For higher learning, Anaheim has two private universities: Anaheim University and the Southern California Institute of Technology. Community college options include the North Orange County Community College District and the Rancho Santiago Community College District. The city also has eight public library branches for reading and research.

Transportation

Anaheim has many important roads that help people get around the city. Some of the main streets going side to side are Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road, and Katella Avenue. Streets going up and down include Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard, Magnolia Avenue, and many more.

The city has several big highways, like the Santa Ana Freeway, Orange Freeway, and Riverside Freeway. There are also train services, such as the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway. The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center is a busy station where different types of trains and buses meet. Bus services help connect Anaheim to nearby areas, and there are special shuttles for the Disneyland Resort and other tourist spots. Anaheim is close to several airports, including John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Anaheim, California

Anaheim, California, has been home to many famous people throughout its history. Some well-known individuals grew up in or lived in Anaheim at various times. You can find more details about these people in the list linked above.

Sister cities

Anaheim has special friends in other parts of the world. These are called sister cities. Anaheim’s sister cities are:

• Mito, Japan
• Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain