Santa Ana, California

Santa Ana, California is the county seat of Orange County and the county’s second most populous city. Santa Ana is situated in the approximate center of the county on a low-lying plain. The name “Santa Ana” receives conspicuous usage in Southern California. The Santa Ana River runs through the city, as does the Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate 5). The Santa Ana winds are a dry, cool season wind that blows into the area from the Mojave Desert and through Santa Ana Canyon, which lies upriver from the City of Santa Ana. According to the United States Census Bureau, Santa Ana had a population of about 310,000 in 2020, a significant portion of whom are immigrants.

Santa Ana is home in part to two large economic hubs. Just beyond the southern edge of the city there is South Coast Plaza, one of the largest shopping malls both on the West Coast and in California, and John Wayne Airport, Orange County’s largest airport. Just beyond the northwest edge of the City lies the Disneyland Resort and Angel Stadium at Anaheim.

The city’s largest employers are County of Orange; Santa Ana Unified School District; Santa Ana College (which is part of the Rancho Santiago Community College District); First American Financial Corporation; KPC Healthcare, Inc.; City of Santa Ana; United States Postal Service; Superior Court of California-County of Orange; Johnson & Johnson Vision; and Aluminum Precision Products, which is both headquartered and has facilities in Santa Ana.

Taxable sales in the city in 2019 exceeded 4.4 billion. According to the State of California, Employment Development Department, Santa Ana’s civilian workforce totaled 153,800 in 2020.

The corporate headquarters west for Allied Universal (a large provider security and other services with 800,000 employees overall) is located in Santa Ana.

Behr Paint Company, a major supplier of architectural paint, is headquartered in Santa Ana.

The Flame Broiler, Inc. which has about 180 restaurant locations, is also headquartered in Santa Ana.

Advanced Medical Optics, Inc., a manufacturer of ophthalmic care, has its corporate headquarters in Santa Ana.

United Water Works Inc., which provides valve and sewer testing, has its corporate headquarters in Santa Ana.

The Downtown Santa Ana Business Improvement District was established in 1984. Area business owners collectively chose to be assessed, so that the proceeds of the assessment can be used by local business organizations to improve and promote the business district. Specifically, the proceeds are used to promote business activities within the district, to furnish music in any public place within the district, and to promote events and decorate areas in the district.

The Santa Ana Tourism Marketing District was established by the hospitality community to improve tourism activity and increase hotel room night occupancy within the City of Santa Ana through marketing strategies. To accomplish this goal, a 2% assessment on room revenue for hotels of 70 rooms or more within the city was slated to begin on January 1, 2021 for an initial five-year term.

The Santa Ana WORK Center collaborates with Employment Development Department, Orange County Social Service Agency, City of Santa Ana and other agencies to help people obtain vocational training and employment.

The Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce’s Santa Ana Business Retention Program helps businesses remain in Santa Ana, thereby employing residents and strengthening the local economy.

The valley in which Santa Ana is located and the river that runs through it was named Santa Ana in honor of Saint Anne, one of the patron saints of Brittany and Canada, by Don Gaspár de Portolá, a Spanish expedition party leader, on July 26, 1769. Later the area was part of a Spanish land grant called Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana that was used for cattle grazing and farming.

A Southern Pacific Railroad line came to Santa Ana in 1877. Santa Ana was incorporated as a city in 1886. Santa Ana became the seat for the newly formed Orange County in 1889. In 1905, streetcars arrived in Santa Ana, connecting it to Los Angeles and other Southern California cities.

The French Park Historic District is a 20-square-block residential district near downtown Santa Ana. Large homes built during the late 1890s and through the 1920s are found here.

Bowers Museum, which opened in 1936 in Santa Ana as the Charles W. Bowers Memorial Museum, is now 8.6 times larger than it was upon opening.

Discovery Cube Orange County is a hands-on science orientated center for children.

The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park includes an aviary and the Amazon's Edge, which is home to howler monkeys, mallards, and black-necked swans.

The Heritage Museum of Orange County contains a plaza featuring several buildings from the 1890s situated on landscaped grounds.

Orange County's Original Courthouse, built in 1900 of granite and Arizona red sandstone, is the oldest existing county courthouse in Southern California. The 30,000-square foot building has been restored to look much as it did at the time of its dedication in 1901, with period chandeliers, high ceilings, and an ornate judge’s bench. The Courthouse, which contains the Orange County History Center, is a State of California Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Episcopal Church of the Messiah, completed in 1888, is Santa Ana's oldest church in continuous use.

The attorneys at Kokozian Law Firm, APC practice employment law and represent workers throughout the City of Santa Ana and surrounding cities such as Orange, Tustin, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Westminster, and Newport Beach. We represent workers concerning a variety of Discrimination claims, including Pregnancy and Physical Disability discrimination claims. We also represent workers concerning Wage and Hour claims involving failure to pay Minimum Wage and an Employer's Failure To Pay For All Hours Worked. We have pursued numerous claims on behalf of clients in Orange County Superior Court at the Central Justice Center and the Civil Complex Center in the City of Santa Ana. If your employer or former employer has violated your rights, call the experienced employment attorneys at Kokozian Law Firm, APC or Contact Us via our online form.