Yorba Linda (, ) is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, with the city hall approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at the 2020 census.
Yorba Linda is known for its connection to Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States. His birthplace is a National Historic Landmark, and his presidential library and museum are also located in the city.
Etymology
thumb|left|upright|Yorba Linda is named after Don [[Bernardo Yorba, noted Californio figure in early 19th century California.]]
The name Yorba Linda is made up of two parts: Yorba, after Don Bernardo Yorba, a Californio ranchero who historically owned the area, and linda, Spanish for beautiful. The name was created in 1908 by the Janss Investment Company.
History
Pre-history
The area is the home of the Tongva, Luiseño, and Juaneño tribal nations, who were there "as early as 4,000 years ago." The Tongva defined their world as Tovaangar, a nation which "extended from Palos Verdes to San Bernardino, from Saddleback Mountain to the San Fernando Valley" and included the entire territory of present-day Yorba Linda. Spanish colonization between 1769 and 1840 brought "disease, invasive species, and livestock" into the area, which "upended the ecological balance of the region and forced the Tongva to resettle around three missions." The village of Hutuknga was located in the area of Yorba Linda.
Early years
In 1810, the Spanish crown granted José Antonio Yorba 63,414 acres of land, which "spread across much of modern-day Orange County." In 1834, following Mexico's independence from Spain, Yorba's most successful son, Bernardo Yorba (after whom the city would later be named), was granted the Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana by Mexican governor José Figueroa. Most of this original land was retained after the Mexican–American War in 1848 by descendants of the Yorba family. A portion of the city's land is still owned and developed by descendants of Samuel Kraemer, who acquired it through his marriage to Angelina Yorba, the great-granddaughter of Bernardo Yorba. The site of the Bernardo Yorba Hacienda, referred to as the Don Bernardo Yorba Ranch House Site, is listed as a California Historical Landmark.
Near that same site sits the second oldest private cemetery in the county, the historic Yorba Cemetery. The land was given to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Bernardo Yorba since Orange County was not established out of Los Angeles County as a separate county until 1889. The cemetery closed in 1939 and was subsequently vandalized; however, in the 1960s, the Orange County Board of Supervisors took possession of the property to repair the damage, and tours are now available one day per month. and proceeded to subdivide the land and sell it for agriculture and manufacturing. In 1910, the agricultural aspect of that endeavor materialized, and the first of many lemon and orange groves were planted: at the time, the population was still less than 50.
In 1917, the first street was paved, Yorba Linda Boulevard. It has since become an online section of the OC Register. A printed version of the Star is available at various city buildings free of charge and is delivered to every household in Yorba Linda each Thursday. Past articles are on microfilm at the Yorba Linda Public Library. The townspeople of Yorba Linda "refused to allow the housing of braceros in their city, forcing the nearby town of Placentia to board them within the segregated Mexican colonia."
Population growth
thumb|Sunkist citrus packing house, 1961
thumb|This housing development in 1966 was the result of a population increase in the 1960s, from 1,198 people in 1960 to 11,856 in 1970.
thumb|Yorba Linda's city flag from 1981 to 2021.
The small town had grown significantly by the 1960s, with more than 1,000 residents by the 1960 census. Three annexation attempts were made by adjoining cities: Brea in 1958 and Anaheim and Placentia in 1963. The campus included the Birthplace of Richard Nixon. In 1994, the community center opened. many residents now oppose further urban development and have organized to reduce traffic congestion. The Yorba Linda Preservation Foundation seeks to protect historical buildings in the city.
Post 2008
In November 2008, eastern Yorba Linda suffered from fires that destroyed 113 homes and damaged 50 others. The destruction was due largely to erratic winds causing embers to fly up to half a mile away.
On February 3, 2019, at approximately 1:45 pm, a twin engine 1981 Cessna (N414RS) on route from Fullerton Municipal Airport to Nevada crashed from roughly 7,500 ft into a single family residence in the 19700 block of Crestknoll Drive near Glenknoll Elementary School. The pilot (75-year-old Antonio Pastini) and four individuals in the residence were killed.
In October of the heightened 2020 California wildfires, fires destroyed one home and damaged ten others in the Yorba Linda area. Initially a brush fire, the Blue Ridge Fire quickly spread to 13,964 acres before being doused on November 11, 2020.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . of which is land and (0.10%), water. The city is served by area codes 657 and 714 in a geographical overlay situation, in which 714 numbers were running out, so that 657 numbers are now also being issued in the same area. Eleven-digit dialing is therefore now required for local calls.
It is bordered by Anaheim on the south, Placentia on the west and southwest, Brea on the northwest, Chino Hills State Park on the north, and Corona on the east.
The two nearest seismic faults are the Whittier Fault and the Chino Fault, both of which are part of the Elsinore Fault Zone.
Climate
The city receives to of rain per year on average. The average temperatures in January and July are and , respectively, with the overall average for the year at .