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Popularly recognized as The OC, this world-class visitor destination is the center of Southern California fun located between Los Angeles and San Diego. OC's second largest city is Anaheim - the perfect starting point for your OC adventures.
You'll find plenty of things to see and do: inviting beaches, unparalleled shopping and entertainment, trendy restaurants, sexy nightlife, championship golf, lively art districts, beautiful historic landmarks and the ultimate family attractions.
Covering 50 square miles, the City of Anaheim is one of the nation's premier municipalities and is home to more than 342,000 residents (California's 10th most populous city). This vibrant metropolis attracts more than 40 million visitors each year.
More than 150 years ago, German colonists came to the land that is now Anaheim to grow grapes and produce wine. The original purchase price? A humble $2.00 an acre!
The city's name was originally spelled "Annaheim." "Anna" was taken from the nearby Santa Ana River, a vital part of the early settlers and farmers life and named for Saint Anne by Spanish explorers. The word "Heim" is the German word for home, so the name meant "home by the Santa Ana River." Today, the second "n" is dropped, blending Spanish (Ana) with German (heim).
Anaheim was the wine capital of California for many years, but in the late 1880s a blight completely wiped out the vineyards, thus ending the thriving industry.
Then, the orange industry developed and grew, as did the prosperous new city of Anaheim. The area remained a booming agricultural community until post World War II.
On July 17, 1955, an enterprising visionary named Walt Disney opened the doors of his fabled "magic kingdom" - Disneyland.
Only 11 years later, in 1966, Anaheim Stadium was built. It is currently the home field of Major League Baseball's Angels. Just across the street from the baseball stadium is the Honda Center, a 19,200-seat state-of-the-art entertainment facility and home ice for National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks - 2006/07 Stanley Cup Champion.
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