Westminster, California, is located in Orange County. It is bordered by Seal Beach on the west, Garden Grove on the north and east, and Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley on the south and covers an area of 10 square miles. It has a population of about 90,000 and in 1996 won the All-America City Award.
Westminster was founded in 1870 as a Presbyterian temperance colony. It was incorporated in 1957 and originally named Tri-City as it was comprised of three local cities - Westminster, Barber City and Midway City. Midway City decided not to become incorporated and Barber City was absorbed into Westminster. Westminster now surrounds the unincorporated area of Midway City, except for an area where Huntington Beach and Midway City meet in the south.
Westminster Homes for Sale and Real Estate
Most of the real estate in Westminster is new construction. This is due in part to the healthy local economy and recent residential and commercial growth in the city. Housing costs are on the high end for the country, although they are reasonable for communities of this size in California. The city has a mix of white and blue collar workers as well as young professionals and families.
In the 1970s a large number of Vietnamese refugees came to the city and most now live in an area known as Little Saigon. More than 40 percent of Westminster's population is Vietnamese, making it the largest community of Vietnamese-Americans in the country. It is often referred to as the "capital" of overseas Vietnamese. Westminster is also home to a sizable Hispanic population.
Westminster Neighborhoods
Westminster is generally divided into two neighborhoods - Civic Center and Little Saigon. Little Saigon is centered around Bolsa Avenue where businesses were first established in the late 1970s. The street was officially designated Little Saigon by the city council in the late 1980s. The borders of Little Saigon are Trask and McFadden on the north and south and Euclid and Magnolia on the east and west.
There are a variety of things to see and do for residents and visitors of Westminster. Some of the attractions, activities and events to enjoy include:
In addition to these attractions, Westminster is home to a memorial and final resting place for the victims of the Pan Am plane that was involved in the Tenerife Disaster that took place on March 27, 1977.
