Tustin, California

Tustin is a city in Orange County, California, United States, within the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In 2020, Tustin had a population of 80,276. History Presently known as Red Hill, it was previously called the Katuktu hill by the indigenous while the Spanish also came up with the name "Cerrito de las ranas" which translates to little hill of frogs due to the quantity of frogs inhabiting the area. On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano became the area's first permanent European settlement in Alta California, New Spain. In 1801, the Spanish Empire granted 62,500 acres (253 km2) to José Antonio Yorba, which he named Rancho San Antonio. Yorba's great rancho included the lands where the cities and communities of Olive, Orange, Villa Park, Santa Ana, Tustin, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach stand today. Smaller ranchos evolved from this large rancho including the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. After the Mexican–American War, Alta California became part of the United States and American settlers arrived in this area. Columbus Tustin, a carriage maker from Northern California, founded the city in 1868 on 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of land from the former Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. The city was incorporated in 1927 with a population of about 900. The townsite was bordered by Camino Real on the south, Newport Avenue on the east, 1st Street on the north, and Route 43, now known as the Costa Mesa Freeway, on the west. 20th century During World War II, a Navy anti-submarine airship base (later to become a Marine Corps helicopter station) was established on unincorporated land south of the city; the two dirigible hangars are among the largest wooden structures ever built and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and ASCE List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks. The north hangar burned down in 2023. Suburban growth after the war resulted in increased population, annexation of nearby unincorporated land, including the former Marine Corps Air Station, and development of orchards and farmland into housing tracts and shopping centers. In 1996, two white supremacists, Gunner Lindberg and Domenic M. Christopher, stabbed a 24-year-old Vietnamese American to death on the Tustin High School tennis courts. In 2008, Lindberg became the first person in Orange County to be sentenced to death for a hate crime. In June 2024, a United States Secret Service agent was robbed at gunpoint in a residential area of Tustin while President Joe Biden was in Southern California for a re-election fundraiser, drawing national media attention. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (28.9 km2). It is bordered by Irvine on the south and east, Orange and the unincorporated community North Tustin on the north, and Santa Ana on the west. The city is sometimes referred to as "The City of Trees". Sycamores and oaks, native to the area, grew in abundance at the time of the founding of the city, and city founder Columbus Tustin was responsible for planting many more along the streets of the city. Neighborhoods Aliso Columbus Grove Columbus Square Greenwood Old Town Tustin Tustin Legacy Tustin Meadows/Peppertree/Laurelwood (one of the city's oldest planned neighborhoods) Tustin Ranch Climate Tustin has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). Demographics Tustin appeared in the 1880 United States census. After incorporation in 1927 it appeared as a city in the 1930 U.S. Census as part of Tustin Township (pop 1,691 in 1920). Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Tustin had a population of 80,276 and a population density of 7,192.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,777.0/km2). The median age was 36.3 years. 23.0% of residents were under age 18 and 11.8% were age 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males. The census reported that 99.4% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.1% were institutionalized. There were 27,266 households, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.1% were married-couple households, 7.1% were cohabiting-couple households, 26.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 16.5% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. About 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93. There were 19,611 families (71.9% of all households). 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 0.0% lived in rural areas. There were 28,223 housing units at an average density of 2,528.7 units per square mile (976.3 units/km2), of which 27,266 (96.6%) were occupied. Of occupied units, 47.6% were owner-occupied and 52.4% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%, the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%, and 3.4% of housing units were vacant. 2023 ACS estimates In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $108,435, and the per capita income was $50,723. About 8.3% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line. 2010 census As of the 2010 census, Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 per square mile (2,631.9/km2). The racial makeup was 39,729 (52.6%) White (34.8% Non-Hispanic White), 1,722 (2.3%) African American, 442 (0.6%) Native American, 15,299 (20.3%) Asian, 268 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 14,499 (19.2%) from other races, and 3,581 (4.7%) from two or more races. There were 30,024 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (39.7%). The census reported that 75,020 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 340 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and 180 (0.2%) were institutionalized. There were 25,203 households, of which 10,465 (41.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 12,969 (51.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,494 (13.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,472 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,568 (6.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships and 193 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,178 households (20.5%) were one person and 1,403 (5.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.98. There were 17,935 families (71.2% of households) and the average family size was 3.46. The age distribution was 20,212 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 6,856 (9.1%) aged 18 to 24, 25,033 (33.1%) aged 25 to 44, 17,006 (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,433 (8.5%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. There were 26,476 housing units at an average density of 2,389.2 per square mile (922.5/km2). Of the occupied units, 12,813 (50.8%) were owner-occupied and 12,390 (49.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 36,783 people (48.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 38,237 people (50.6%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 census, Tustin had a median household income of $74,011, with 12.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line. Crime Economy Top employers According to the city's 2024 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Arts and culture Points of interest include: The Market Place, formerly known as Tustin Market Place The District Tustin Area Museum Tustin Ranch Enderle Center Marine Corps Air Station Tustin Marconi Automotive Museum Tustin Legacy Old Town Tustin Tustin Ranch Golf Course Sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include: Artz Building David Hewes House Sherman Stevens House Government Local The Tustin City Council is composed of five members elected at large; the mayorship rotates among the council members and is primarily a ceremonial role. Mayor Austin Lumbard was elected to the Tustin City Council in 2022. As of 2025, John Nielsen, Ryan Gallagher, Ray Schnell, and Lee K. Fink are also on the City Council. Local politics in the late 1990s and early 2000s were dominated by the 1997 closure of the local Marine Corps Air Station and plans for the subsequent commercial development of the land, including an unsuccessful bid by neighboring Santa Ana to build a school on the land, part of which is within Santa Ana Unified School District's territory. State, federal, county In the California State Legislature, Tustin is in the 37th senatorial district, represented by Republican Steven Choi and in the 73rd Assembly district, represented by Democrat Cottie Petrie-Norris. In the United States House of Representatives, Tustin is in California's 40th congressional district, represented by Republican Young Kim. In the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tustin is split between two districts: 2nd supervisorial district, represented by Vicente Sarmiento since 2023. 3rd supervisorial district, represented by Donald P. Wagner since 2019. Education Primary and secondary education in Tustin and surrounding unincorporated areas is overseen by the Tustin Unified School District. Schools include: Tustin High School Foothill High School Arnold O. Beckman High School Springfield College, a non-profit, private, higher education institute, is located in Tustin. Infrastructure Transportation Orange County Transportation Authority operates bus service in Tustin. Police and fire services The Tustin Police Department was founded in 1927, and has jurisdiction over the city of Tustin, and the Tustin Legacy development. Fire protection is provided by the Orange County Fire Authority. Water Services Water in Tustin is supplied by the City of Tustin Water Services, which sources its water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California via the Municipal Water District of Orange County. This water is imported from Northern California and the Colorado River. In addition, groundwater is managed by the Orange County Water District, sourced from underground aquifers. Notable people Actors Cuba Gooding Jr., actor Rachel Kimsey, actress Matthew Lillard, actor Caroline Sunshine, actress Athletes Sam Baker, former NFL player James Beaumont "Beau" Bell, NFL player Heath Bell, MLB player Milorad Čavić, swimmer Chris Chester, NFL player Gerrit Cole, MLB player DeShaun Foster, NFL player Evelyn Furtsch, swimmer Alfonso Gómez, boxer Doug Gottlieb, TV sports analyst and host, former college basketball player Mark Grace, former MLB player, coach Shawn Green, former MLB player Rex Hudler, former MLB player Phil Hughes, MLB player Matt Konan, professional ice hockey player Jillian Kraus (born 1986), water polo player Caitlin Lowe, former softball player Matt McCoy, former NFL player Frostee Rucker, NFL player Dave Staton, former MLB player Richard Umphrey III, former NFL player Zack Weiss, American-Israeli MLB pitcher Coryn Rivera, professional cyclist Bobby Okereke, NFL player Other Mary Kay Letourneau, former schoolteacher convicted for statutory second degree rape Claude Nowell, businessperson Julie Sweet, businessperson References Further reading Juanita Lovret, Tustin As It Once Was, 2011, History Press, ISBN 978-1-60949-461-2 Guy Ball, Tustin, Arcadia Publishing, 2011. ISBN 0-7385-7037-0 Carol Jordan, Tustin: An Illustrated History, ISBN 978-0-9800224-0-7 reprinted 2010 by the Tustin Area Historical Society Juanita Lovret, Remember When, 2003, Tustin Area Historical Society Carol Jordan, Mary Etzold, Tustin Heritage Walk, 1975. Tustin Area Bicentennial Foundation and Tustin Area Historical Society External links Official website