Orange County is a
county in the
U.S. state of
California. Its
county seat is
Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, making it the third most populous county in California, behind
Los Angeles County and
San Diego County and the second most populous in
Greater Los Angeles behind Los Angeles County.
It is the sixth most populous county in the
United States as of 2009 while at the same time is the smallest area-wise county in
Southern California, being roughly half the size of the next smallest county,
Ventura. The county is famous for its tourism, as the home of such attractions as
Disneyland and
Knott's Berry Farm, as well as several beaches along its more than 40 miles of coastline. It is known for its
affluence and political
conservatism – a 2005 academic study listed three Orange County cities as being among America's 25 "most conservative," making it the only county in the country containing more than one such city.