The City of Aliso Viejo is the only city to be incorporated since 2000. It became Orange County’s 34th city on July 1, 2001. Aliso Viejo is located in South Orange County and is bordered by the cities of Laguna Beach on the west and southwest, Laguna Hills on the east, Laguna Niguel on the southeast and Laguna Woods on the north.
Newer communities in Aliso Viejo include:
The City, which is continually ranked of the safest cities in the nation boasts rolling hillside, valley terrain and pictureque views of mountains, streams, parks and city lights. Aliso Viejo is a masterplanned community that was developed to contain a balance between residential neighborhoods, community parks, facilities and schools as well as an appropriate mix of business, office and retail uses.
The City is home to the headquarters of several large corporations and the community features ample employment opportunities and extensive recreational facilities. The City also enjoys access to the Orange County trail system. Wood Canyon Wilderness Park is home to many rare and endangered plants and animals, along with mature oaks, sycamore and elderberry trees and year-round streams.
The ultimate vision for Aliso Viejo was to feature neighborhoods that mix homes, workplaces, stores and services. A transit-friendly, energy conscious and land-conserving commmunity, Aliso Viejo was to foster a sense of community by creating a friendlier streetscape, quality infrastructure like parks, school and new roads, shopping close to home, community services and neighborhoods that genuinely feel connected to the community and to one another in some fashion.
In the 1890’s, the Moulton family took ownership of land the Mexican government granted to Juan Avila in 1842. In 1976, Mission Viejo Company purchased the last 6,600 acres for a new master-planned community. The County approved the master plan for the comunity in 1979 and by March of 1982, the first residential units were offered for sale. About eight months later, the first residents arrived. Shea Properties purchased the Mission Viejo Company in 1988.
