city, seat (1889) of Orange county, southern California, U.S. It lies at the base of the Santa Ana Mountains, on the Santa Ana River. It was explored by the Spaniard Gaspar de Portolá (Portolá, Gaspar de) in 1769, and Juan Pablo Grijalva was subsequently (1801) given a land grant for the area, which he named Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana and developed for cattle grazing and agriculture. William H. Spurgeon purchased part of the land from Grijalva's heirs and laid out a town in 1869. The community developed as a centre for the farm produce of the Santa Ana valley after the Southern Pacific Railroad connected it (1878) to Los Angeles. Nearby military installations and freeway construction spurred residential and industrial growth after World War II. The city is the seat of a community college (1915) and California Coast University (1973). Notable local attractions include the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art (1936), which features Pacific coast history and artifacts, and the Santa Ana Zoo, located in Prentice Park. Inc. city, 1886. Pop. (1990) 293,742; (2000) 337,977.

city, western El Salvador. Santa Ana is situated in a basin between mountains at an elevation of 2,182 feet (665 metres). It is located on the Inter-American Highway, a section of the Pan-American Highway, at a point northwest of San Salvador and 10 miles (16 km) north-northeast of Santa Ana Volcano. Known as Santa Ana since 1708, it ranks among the country's largest cities and is the commercial centre of western El Salvador. Santa Ana is a major coffee (coffee production)-processing centre, having one of the world's largest coffee mills (El Molino). The city's industrial activities include alcoholic-beverage distilling and the manufacture of cotton textiles, furniture, and leather goods. Historic landmarks include the Spanish Gothic cathedral and El Calvario colonial church. The city has a branch of the University of El Salvador. There are summer resort facilities at nearby Lake Coatepeque. In early 1981, Santa Ana was at the centre of a fierce attack by guerrilla units of the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional; FMLN). This supposed “final” guerrilla offensive (which continued throughout the 1980s) caused heavy damage in Santa Ana. The ruins of the Indian city of Chalchuapa are located 9 miles (14 km) to the west of the city. Pop. (2005 est.) urban area, 178,600.