San Juan Capistrano

San Juan is a community rich in history centered around the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, which was founded in 1776. The neighborhood of Los Rios is the oldest post-colonial in California. Today the city is home to a population of over 35,000 and over 11,000 households. The community offers a variety of amenities from local restaurants and shops surrounding the mission, great trails for horses or hiking, and retains a feel of a lot of the history of being a site for the historic mission and ranch lands that once occupied most of the area. San Juan Capistrano is also famous for the swallows that return every year to nest and is celebrated with the annual Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Fair.   Location San Juan Capistrano is located in South Orange County off of Interstate 5 between Avery Parkway and Camino Capistrano. Coming from the east, Ortega Highway (California State Route 74) runs into San Juan Capistrano before meeting Interstate 5. The community is also accessible from the 73 Toll Road which merges into Interstate 5 in San Juan or from Pacific Coast Highway. Surrounding communities include Dana Point to the south, San Clemente to the southwest and east, Laguna Niguel to the north and west, Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo to the east. Orange County airport is approximately 20 miles to the north and San Diego is an hour to the south and Los Angeles an hour to the north.