Westminster, California

W estminster is a city in northern Orange County, California, known for its many Vietnamese refugees who immigrated to the city during the 1980s and who, today, make up approximately 40 percent of its population. Originally founded in 1870, by Rev. Lemuel Webber as a Presbyterian temperance colony, Westminster was incorporated in 1957. The city is bordered by the city of Seal Beach on the west, by Garden Grove on the north and east, and by Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley on the south. Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange County, is right next to Westminster, on the east. With a population of approximately 96,000, Westminster prides itself on having a special quality of place that sets it apart from its neighboring cities. It has distinct local and regional activity centers, districts, and cultural destinations, including a downtown cultural/business district called “Little Saigon.” Its desirable climate, location near the beach, and adjacency to major freeways provides people who live, work, and visit there, convenient access to popular destinations throughout the region. Its residential neighborhoods are some of the most popular places to live in Southern California, and a variety of housing choices, including those for first-time home buyers, families with children, empty-nesters, and retirees, are all AT A GLANCE WESTMINSTER, CALIFORNIA WHAT: A city of 96,000 WHERE: Northern Orange County, California WEBSITE: www.westminster-ca.gov , California Reaching for the future