City of Laguna Woods

The city of Laguna Woods is made up primarily of the retirement living community Laguna Woods Village. It is one of the smallest cities in Orange County and one of the youngest, with incorporation taking place in March 1999. At just over three square miles, ninety percent of the city is dedicated to Laguna Woods Village, and the remaining ten percent is made up of businesses and city hall. The city of Laguna Woods profile includes city history and information for residential services, shopping, dining, and points of interest throughout the city.

City of Laguna Woods, California
About Laguna Woods	History	Things to Do
City Statistics	Information & Services	Schools & Libraries

About Laguna Woods

The City of Laguna Woods is a small community located in southwest Orange County, California. It is one of the youngest cities in the county, becoming incorporated on March 24, 1999. Laguna Woods is surrounded by Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, and Irvine, with Crystal Cove on the city’s western border. It is approximately 50 miles from Los Angeles and 75 miles from San Diego. The city is primarily residential.

Due to the size of the city, working residents commute outside the city for work, mostly to surrounding cities such as Irvine, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana.

The majority of the city is part of Laguna Woods Village, a private 55 and older active lifestyle community with over 18,000 residents. Laguna Woods Village features many resort-style amenities including an equestrian center, art studios, a performing arts center, two professional golf courses, a tennis facility, lawn bowling center, ten scenic trails, three fitness centers, and five swimming pools.

Residents can take advantage of the many recreational and educational resources. There are more than 250 clubs and special interest groups ranging from arts and crafts to religious and spiritual. Each group offers a calendar of activities and events for members to take part in from monthly meetings to group outings. For those interested in continuing education, the Saddleback College Emeritus Institute offers numerous instructional and recreational courses focusing on health, art, foreign language, literature, photography, and more.

There are several neighborhoods within Laguna Woods Village and over 80 floor plans to choose from. The Towers at Laguna Woods Village offers the ultimate luxury lifestyle with nightly gourmet dinners and weekly housekeeping. Residences at the Towers range from 500 square foot studios to 1600 square foot three-bedrooms. The United Mutual neighborhood offers one to three-bedroom condo alternative residences located on the greenbelt, many adjacent to nearby Aliso Creek. The Third Mutual neighborhood offers everything from single family homes to stylish condos, all adjacent to the PGA 27-hole golf course. Residents of Laguna Woods Village have access to free transportation via Easy Rider and Plan A Ride.

Additional residential communities in Laguna Woods include Las Palmas Senior Living Community, The Regency Senior Living Community, San Sebastian Apartments, and Whispering Fountains at Laguna Woods.

Residents of Laguna Woods are surrounded by Orange County wilderness with easy access to the areas larger community amenities and local hot spots.

Laguna Woods History

Laguna Woods was once part of Orange County’s Moulton Ranch, and the land was used primarily for farming and cattle grazing with just a handful of ranches and barns for the few who lived in the area. In 1962, Ross Cortese purchased a portion of the Moulton Ranch land and created a Leisure World Community similar to that previously developed in Seal Beach. The first residents of the 52 and up community moved into the area in 1964. The community became Orange County’s 32nd city in 1999.

Laguna Woods Statistics

Size: 3.35 Square Miles
Population: 16,053 (2019)

Things to Do in Laguna Woods

Because Laguna Woods is a small, primarily private residential community, most of the events and activities are planned privately within the communities like Laguna Woods Village. However, residents also have access to the community services and many exciting destinations and events in the neighboring cities of Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Irvine, Mission Viejo, and Lake Forest.

Arts & Culture:

Laguna Woods Community:

Entertainment:

Information & Services

Residential Services:

Trash & Recycling

Safety:

Transportation:

Laguna Woods Village Transportation

Schools & Libraries

Schools:

Libraries:

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park	Best Hiking & Mountain Biking Trails In Orange County
Orange County Beaches: Laguna Beach	City of Laguna Beach
Best Tidepools in Orange County	City of Laguna Niguel

Heidi Deal

Heidi Deal is the author of the Newcomers Handbook to Living In Los Angeles & Orange County, and a children’s book author specializing in history and human rights. When she's not writing you can find her solo hiking and going on new adventures with her kids and pup.