City Incorporation Elections

There are now 34 incorporated cities in Orange County. In order to become an incorporated city, communities must first present a petition to the county Board of Supervisors, who can then call an incorporation election. If the measure does not receive a simple majority, it fails. (Anaheim is an exception, having been originally incorporated by an act of the State Legislature.) Some local cities held several elections before finally incorporating; others never succeeded. Two Orange County cities later voted to dis-incorporate, but one was eventually re-born.

Aliso Viejo (2001)

March 6, 2001 – passed (4,053 – 290)

Anaheim (1876)

February 10, 1870 – Incorporated by Act of the State Legislature (revoked March 7, 1872)

December 6, 1876 – Incorporated by Act of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

March 18, 1878 – State Legislature confirms county action

June 4, 1888 – Citizens vote to reorganize city under new state law as a city of the sixth class

Brea (1917)

February 15, 1917 – passed (204 – 45)

Buena Park (1953)

January 20, 1953 – passed (1,233 – 697)

Costa Mesa (1953)

October 7, 1947 – failed (665 – 1,262)

June 29, 1953 – passed (1,837 – 1,461)

Cypress (1956)

June 26, 1956 – passed (217 – 73)

Dana Point (1989)

June 7, 1988 – passed (6,948 – 1,818)

Fountain Valley (1957)

June 4, 1957 – passed (91 – 63)

Fullerton (1904)

September 24, 1901 – failed (55 – 101)

January 22, 1904 – passed (185 – 44)

Garden Grove (1956)

September 26, 1922 – failed (186 – 227)

January 21, 1930 – failed (262 – 359)

May 10, 1955 – failed (2,478 – 2,816)

April 17, 1956 – passed (5,780 – 2,346)

Huntington Beach (1909)

February 9, 1909 – passed (94 – 25)

Irvine (1971)

December 21, 1971 – passed (3,224 – 1,515)

La Habra (1925)

January 12, 1925 – passed (311 – 146)

La Palma (1955)

October 11, 1955 – passed (55 – 19)

Laguna Beach (1927)

June 22, 1927 – passed (278 – 187)

Laguna Hills (1991)

June 6, 1989 – failed (8,701 – 8,985)

March 5, 1991 – passed (3,611 – 582)

Laguna Niguel (1989)

November 7, 1989 – passed (8,463 – 1,058)

Laguna Woods (1999)

March 2, 1999 – passed (5,394 – 5,052)

Lake Forest (1991)

March 5, 1991 – passed (5,590 – 2,614)

Los Alamitos (1960)

February 23, 1960 – passed (379 – 251)

Mission Viejo (1988)

November 3, 1987 – passed (7,572 – 5,661)

Newport Beach (1906)

August 21, 1906 – passed (44 – 12)

Orange (1888)

April 6, 1888 – passed (99 – 17)

Placentia (1926)

November 23, 1926 – passed (169 – 105)

Rancho Santa Margarita (2000)

November 2, 1999 – passed (4,666 – 909)

San Clemente (1928)

February 21, 1928 – passed (104 – 0)

San Juan Capistrano (1961)

April 11, 1961 – passed (358 – 88)

Santa Ana (1886)

June 1, 1886 – passed (211 – 44)

Seal Beach (1915)

October 19, 1915 – passed (84 – 14)

Stanton (1956)

May 23, 1911 – passed (76 – 65) (dis-incorporated 1924)

May 15, 1956 – passed (185 – 126)

Tustin (1927)

September 14, 1927 – passed (138 – 110)

Villa Park (1962)

January 2, 1962 – passed (257 – 134)

Westminster (1957)

March 31, 1957 – passed (1,096 – 1,008)

Yorba Linda (1967)

October 24, 1967 – passed (1,963 – 638)  

Communities that incorporated but no longer exist:

Orangethorpe

January 7, 1921 – passed (122 – 32) (dis-incorporated 1923) 

Communities that voted on incorporation but failed:

Rossmoor

August 2, 1960 – failed (1,188 – 1,708)

November 4, 2008 – failed (4,412 – 1,746)

Saddleback Valley

November 8, 1988 – failed (12,261 – 20,704)