Orange is a beautiful city situated in the middle of Orange County. The city's 38 square miles hosts a population of roughly 138,640. The city has a "Sphere of Influence" of about 55 square miles. In this sphere of influence lies more than 18,500 acres of undeveloped land, which is presently owned by the Irvine Company. Los Angeles lies approximately thirty two miles northwest of Orange.
The city was founded by Andrew Glassell and Alfred Chapman, both of which were lawyers, during the year 1869. Instead of cash, they were given\accepted more than 1285 acres of land from the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana as legal fees. They first created a large, forty acre centre town location known as the Plaza and after that began to lay out 10 acre farm lots surrounding it. Nowadays, the Plaza remains the symbol of the community and the centre of the town. There are various buildings and houses in the area which have lasted the test of time, amongst which are registered on the national registry of historic places. The city was formally incorporated on April 6, 1888.
As for government, the city chooses a new mayor every two years. There are four council members who are chosen to four year terms but are alternated every two years. The city council selects the City Manager, who is the administrative official of the city.
For its residents, the city of Orange offers several services and amenities including police, fire, paramedic, and emergency transportation in addition to recreation areas such as parks and the library. The senior citizen center is a private agency which is contracted with the city. Orange is kept up to date as far as street lighting and improvements are concerned. The city operates its in the city its very own water utility.