Mission Viejo/mnvieho/ is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States. The city has a 2011 estimated population of 93,483,[3] Mission Viejo is suburban in nature and culture. The city is mainly residential, although there are a number of offices and businesses within its city limits. The city is known for its picturesque tree-lined neighborhoods, receiving recognition from the National Arbor Day Foundation. The city’s name is a reference to Rancho Mission Viejo, a large Spanish land grant from which the community was founded. Mission Viejo was named the safest city in the United States by the Morgan Quitno crime statistic survey (compiled from FBI data). The city was also ranked safest in California and third in the nation by CQ Press. Mission Viejo was purchased by John Forster, a Mexican also known as Don Juan. During the Mexican-American War, Foster provided fresh horses to United States military forces which were used on the march of San Diego to retake Los Angeles. Lake Mission Viejo was built by the city’s master developer, the Mission Viejo Company, and is an absolutely beautiful one mile long man-made lake where members enjoy swimming, boating, sailing and fishing. Many other recreational facilities are located in the city of mostly condos and single family detached tract homes. There are two lakeside areas of custom homes, two retirement communities and two Golf Courses, including the Mission Viejo Country Club. Mission Viejo homeowners enjoys panoramic views of the Saddleback Mountains and surrounding hills. Home to the famous Natadores swim team and The Shops at Mission Viejo, a major regional mall.
