Tustin, California

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 62500 acre 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 acre 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.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (28.9 km). 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

| align-fn = center 1860–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

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).

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Tustin had a population of 80,276. The population density was 7,192.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup was 34.4% White, 2.2% African American, 1.3% Native American, 24.0% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 22.7% from other races, and 15.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40.7% of the population.

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, out of which 37.0% included children under the age of 18, 50.1% were married-couple households, 7.1% were cohabiting couple households, 26.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 16.5% had a male householder with no partner present. 20.0% of households were one person, and 7.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93.

The age distribution was 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% aged 18 to 24, 30.1% aged 25 to 44, 25.6% aged 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 36.3years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males.

There were 28,223 housing units at an average density of 2,528.7 /mi2, of which 27,266 (96.6%) were occupied. Of these, 47.6% were owner-occupied, and 52.4% were occupied by renters.

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

The 2020 United States census reported that Tustin had a population of 79,430. The population density was 6,816.7 /sqmi. 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 /sqmi. 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 Auto Center
• Enderle Center
• Marine Corps Air Station Tustin
• Marconi Automotive Museum
• Old Town Tustin
• Tustin Ranch Golf Course
• Tustin Legacy Park
• Citrus Ranch Park 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 and in .

In the United States House of Representatives, Tustin is in .

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. Tustin High School is a California Distinguished School, as is Foothill High School. Arnold O. Beckman High School is in the Best High Schools according to U.S. News & World Report. Tustin High School is also well-known regionally for its strong Model United Nations program. Springfield College, a non-profit, private, higher education institute, is located in the city of 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

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