The city of Stanton is located in western Orange County, bound by Cypress on the west, Anaheim on the north and east and Garden Grove on the east and south. The City is a little over three square miles and was officially incorporated on June 4, 1956. In October of 1959 the Jacaranda was selected at the City Tree, as recommended by the Stanton Women’s Civic Club, and the Bird of Paradise was selected as its City Flower. The City Flag wasn’t adopted until February 1989.
Newer communities in Stanton include:
The City’s origin is traced to one of the largest land grants made in California. It was a concession that covered over 300,000 acres of land. Manuel Perez Nieto was the petitioner and upon his death his son, Juan Jose, took title in 1804 to Rancho Los Coyotes and Rancho Los Alamitos. In 1834 the then-governor, Jose Figueroa, purchased Rancho Los Alamitos from Juan Joses Nieto for $500 and sold it in 1842 to Don Able Stearns for $6,000, who was one of the first American immigrants to arrive in California in 1829.
The Pacific Electric Railway began operations through the area in 1906. The train was so busy after four years that they ran two cars both ways and on holidays they ran four cars. It was a great asset to the people of Stanton as it gave them a main line into Los Angeles for business and made it easy for the agent of the Stearns Rancho Corporation to bring prospective buyers out to see the land.
Recently Stanton has experienced rapid growth in the commercial, industrial and residential sectors, creating a balanced community with a deep sense of pride in its accomplishments. The City of Stanton operates under the Council-Manager form of government and every citizen in the City is a stakeholder entitled to be heard on City issues. The City mitigates the high cost of cityhood for the small population by contracting out its municipal services. The City had formed its own police department but it was disbanded due to a union strike and the Sheriff’s Department took it over in 1988.
