Santa Anais thecounty seatand second most populous city inOrange County,California.Located inSouthern California, adjacent to theSanta Ana River, is a very densely populated city, rankingfourth nationallyin that regard among cities of over 300,000 residents (trailing onlyNew York City,San Francisco, andBoston).Founded in 1869, the city is part of theGreater Los Angeles Area, and in 2011Forbesranked Santa Ana the fourth-safest city of over 250,000 residents in the United States.
Santa Ana lends its name to theSanta Ana Freeway(I-5), which runs through the city. It also shares its name with the nearbySanta Ana Mountains, and theSanta Ana winds, which have historically fueled seasonalwildfiresthroughout Southern California.[10]The currentOffice of Management and Budget(OMB) metropolitan designation for theOrange County AreaisSanta Ana–Anaheim–Irvine, California.