San Juan Capistrano, California

San Juan Capistrano is a city located in southern Orange County, California, USA, located approximately 23 miles southeast of Downtown Santa Ana. The current OMB metropolitan designation for San Juan Capistrano and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA.” The population was 33,826 at the 2000 census. The city was created around Mission San Juan Capistrano, and many of the homes and strip malls resemble the Spanish architecture that compose the building. It is home to the widest variety of homes in Orange County, with 10 million dollar homes in the gated communities of the hills, homes built prior to 1900 in its central district — some being adobes from the 18th century, and working ranches in its foothills.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Historical notes
4 Education
5 External links

[edit] Geography

San Juan Capistrano is located at 33°29′58″N, 117°39′42″W (33.499493, -117.661614)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.1 km² (14.3 mi²). 36.8 km² (14.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.98%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 33,826 people, 10,930 households, and 8,197 families residing in the city. The population density was 919.1/km² (2,381.2/mi²). There were 11,320 housing units at an average density of 307.6/km² (796.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.47% White, 0.78% African American, 1.07% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 14.21% from other races, and 3.43% from two or more races. 33.13% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,930 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families.19.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,392, and the median income for a family was $69,481. Males had a median income of $47,574 versus $34,821 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,926. About 6.6% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Historical notes

San Juan Capistrano is the site of a Catholic mission for which it is named, Mission San Juan Capistrano. When the Mission was founded in 1776, the region was populated by the Acjachemen band of Indians, called Juaneños by the Spanish. The mission was named after the Franciscan saint Giovanni da Capistrano (1386-1456).

The city is the site of California's oldest residential neighborhood, Los Rios. It is also the home of the oldest in use building in California, the Serra Chapel in the Mission. The area was the site of both the first vineyard and first winery in California.

In the 1830s Richard Henry Dana, Jr., author of the classic Two Years Before the Mast visited the area as a sailor engaged in the hide trade on board the ship Pilgrim. Describing the locale, which then included what is now the neighboring city of Dana Point, he gushed, "San Juan is the only romantic spot in California." The area was also the locale of the first Zorro novella, The Curse of Capistrano, published in 1919 (later renamed The Mark of Zorro after the success of of the film of the same name).

San Juan Capistrano is also known for its Cliff Swallows. The protected birds are reputed to return from migration on St. Joseph's Day (March 19) each year, a day celebrated by the city's annual Swallows' Day Parade and other festive events. The are reputed to leave on October 23, the former feast day of St. John of Capistrano.

[edit] Education

The city is served by Capistrano Unified School District. High school students currently attend schools outside the city boundaries at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo, Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, and San Clemente High School in San Clemente. In the 2007-2008 San Juan Hills High School will open off La Plata Parkway, moving almost all of San Juan Capistrano's high school students to this new campus as well as some students from Capistrano Beach and southern Ladera Ranch. Residents from these other communities did not want to attend a school in San Juan on the basis that is was farther than the current schools they were attending and that the communities had to many differences. Many residents wanted to stay at the established high schools their communities had been attending for years. Much of the tension has died down and the school is almost complete and ready to open with all facilities.

The city also has three private pre-school through high schools named Saint Margaret's Episcopal School, Stoneybrooke Christian School and Capistrano Valley Christian Schools. The city also has one private kindergarten through eighth grade named Mission Parish School, located on the historic Mission grounds, utilizing some of the historic buildings as classrooms, and situated next to Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano. Also newly Junipero Serra High School next to the Spirit Gas Station.