Orange County is located in beautiful Southern California. The county seat is Santa Ana. According to the 2000 Census, its population was 2,846,289, making it the second most populous county in the state of California, and the fifth most populous in the United States. The state of California estimates its population as of 2007 to be 3,098,121 people, dropping its rank to third, behind San Diego County.

Unlike many other large centers of population in the United States, Orange County uses its county name as its source of identification whereas other places in the country are identified by the large city that is closest to them. This is because there is no defined center to Orange County like there is in other areas which have one distinct large city. Five Orange County cities have populations exceeding 150,000 while no cities in the county have populations surpassing 370,000.

Orange County is famous as a tourist destination, as the county is home to such attractions as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, as well as sandy beaches for swimming and surfing, yacht harbors for sailing and pleasure boating, and extensive acreage devoted to parks and open space for golf, tennis, hiking, kayaking, cycling, and other outdoor recreation. It is at the center of Southern California's Tech Coast, with Irvine being the primary business hub.

Thirty-four incorporated cities are located in Orange County; the newest is Aliso Viejo. Seven of these cities are among the 200 largest cities in the United States.

Orange County has also been the setting for numerous films and television shows although it is best-known as the setting of the eponymous 2003 Fox Network television drama "The O.C." which is set in the Orange County coastal harbor town of Newport Beach, California (although the series is actually filmed in Los Angeles County to keep production costs down). It is a very loose and locally criticized interpretation of the county and its residents. Since its premiere, Orange County has often been referred to as "The O.C." by those ignorant of the community. It's residents, however, continue to call it Orange County.