Lake Forest, California

Lake Forest, California
Aerial view showing portion of Lake Forest to the left
Aerial view showing portion of Lake Forest to the left
Flag of Lake Forest, California
Official seal of Lake Forest, California
Location of Lake Forest in Orange County, California
Location of Lake Forest in Orange County, California
Lake Forest, California is located in the United States
Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 33°38′30″N 117°41′27″W / 33.64167°N 117.69083°W / 33.64167; -117.69083
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyOrange
IncorporatedDecember 20, 1991[1]
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager[2]
 • MayorDoug Cirbo[2]
 • Mayor Pro TemMark Tettemer
 • City CouncilBenjamin Yu
Robert Pequeno
Scott Voigts
 • City ManagerDebra D. Rose
 • Assistant City ManagerKeith Neves
Area
 • Total16.79 sq mi (43.49 km2)
 • Land16.71 sq mi (43.29 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)  0.48%
Elevation489 ft (148 m)
Population
 • Total85,858
 • Rank97th in California
 • Density5,100/sq mi (2,000/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
92609, 92610, 92630, 92679
Area code949
FIPS code06-39496
GNIS feature IDs1656503, 2411602
Websitewww.lakeforestca.gov

Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 85,858 at the 2020 census.

Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to incorporation, the community had been known as El Toro.[6] Following a vote in 2000, Lake Forest expanded its city limits to include the master-planned developments of Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills. This expansion brought new homes and commercial centers to the northeastern boundary of the city.

Lake Forest has two lakes from which the city gets its name. The lakes are man-made, and condominiums and custom homes ranging from large to small line their shores. Neighborhood associations manage the lakes (Lake 1, known as the Lake Forest Beach and Tennis Club, and Lake 2, the Sun and Sail Club.) Each facility features tennis courts, gyms, basketball courts, barbecue pits, volleyball courts, multiple swimming pools, saunas, hot tubs and club houses for social events.

The "forest" for which the city is also named lies in the area between Ridge Route, Jeronimo, Lake Forest and Serrano roads, and consists mostly of Eucalyptus trees. It is also man-made, and was created in the first decade of the 1900s when a local landowner, Dwight Whiting, planted 400 acres (1.6 km2) of Eucalyptus groves in the vicinity of Serrano Creek as part of a lumber operation intended to draw development to the area.[6] In the late 1960s, the Occidental Petroleum company developed a residential community in and around the Eucalyptus groves, which had long since expanded and grown much more dense.

  1. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Elected Officials". City of Lake Forest. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  3. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. ^ "Lake Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  5. ^ "Lake Forest (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  6. ^ a b WHITCOMB, JANET (September 6, 2013). "El Toro's founding father meets his death". Retrieved July 16, 2016.

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