Anaheim, the oldest city in
Greater Orange County, is southeast of
Los Angeles between
Long Beach and Orange. It lies along Interstate 5 on the banks of the
Santa Ana River, near the San Pedro Channel and the Pacific Ocean.
German immigrants founded Anaheim as a colony in 1857. The city's name is an amalgam of Ana, taken from the river's name, and the German word for "home". The settlers grew grapes, but disease killed most of the vines in the latter 1800s; successful citrus groves replaced them. In 1876, Anaheim incorporated as a city. The city grew in the mid-1950s with the advent of Disneyland.
Today Anaheim's is a growing convention, tourist, and industrial city blessed by balmy Southern California weather. In addition to Disneyland, cultural points of interest include the Anaheim and Bowers museums. The Anaheim Angels baseball team and Mighty Ducks hockey team call the city home.
Anaheim is part of the Orange County, California metro area.
