Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California, United States. One of Orange County’s youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master-planned community. The population was 47,853 at the 2010 census, up from 47,214 at the 2000 census. Although it is named for Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, which was in San Diego County, the city limits fall within the borders of Rancho Mission Viejo. At 20 characters long (22 including spaces), it is the longest city name in California.
Geography
Rancho Santa Margarita is located at 33°38′29″N 117°35′40″W (33.641518, -117.594524). It occupies much of a high plateau known as Plano Trabuco.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.0 square miles (34 km2). 13.0 square miles (34 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.27%) is water.
Demographics
The 2020 United States Census reported a population of 48,119. The racial makeup was 75.5% White, 2.2% African American, 10.9% Asian, and 21.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.