History & Facts

Shoshonean Native Americans by the name of Acjachemen were the first inhabitants of the region that became known as Rancho Santa Margarita. Juan Forster bought this region in 1843 and gave it the new name "La Victoria."

Forster expanded his already sizable land holdings by acquiring Rancho Santa Margarita in 1864. Forster's heirs sold a large portion of the land that he had worked so hard to acquire after his death because the cost of managing so much land left him in debt.

James C. Flood and Richard O'Neill Sr. purchased the land. After buying the entire estate "on a handshake," O'Neill gave his son Jerome the deed to his land holdings. Under Jerome's direction, the ranch expanded to 230,000 acres and covered three counties. Rancho Santa Margarity Company was the name under which these lands were organized. O'Neill's estate was given to his heirs after his death in 1926, and they used the area to build developed neighborhoods like Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.

Rancho Santa Margarita, which was designed to be a "Urban Village," combines the best of both worlds: all of the features and benefits of a small city and the standard of living of a small village. The vision statement for Rancho Santa Margarita was created in 1996 by the Celebrating the Vision Committee and is entitled "A Small City with the Soul of a Small Village."

Located along the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, the city incorporated on January 1, 2000, and became the 33rd city in the County of Orange. The City has a population of over 49,000.