Coto de Caza
Ah, “Coto” as the locals call it. I so enjoy driving through this community. If I told you that Coto de Caza is where Bravo’s Real Housewives of Orange County was conceived and is filmed, I hope it wouldn’t keep you from wanting to live in this incredible gated community. (Sorry, at the risk of sounding judgmental, I assure you that the cast of the Real Housewives of Orange County do NOT represent the great moms and housewives I know in Orange County and certainly NOT Coto de Caza.)
Coto de Caza (meaning game preserve in Spanish) is a census-designated place (CDP) and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California. The population was 14,866 at the 2010 census, up from 13,057 at the 2000 census.
The CDP is a suburban planned community of about 4,000 homes, and one of Orange County's oldest and most expensive master planned communities. The project began in 1968, when it was envisioned as a hunting lodge, now the Lodge at Coto de Caza, and the community was completed in 2003. For the 1984 Summer Olympics, the community served as host to the riding, running, shooting, and fencing portions of the modern pentathlon events.
Around the town there are still undeveloped lots available for purchase. Currently there are two 18-hole golf courses, and two club houses, one considered the "old club" and the other the "new club." The new club, the Coto De Caza Golf & Racquet Club, harbors the facilities of the two golf courses and adjacent ten tennis courts. The old club, located in the residential area known as "the Village," was once home to tennis guru and teacher Vic Braden.
The old club was also the home location for the Coto de Caza Youth Swim Team. The new club finished construction of the new Spa & Sports Club building in April 2008 that houses a new fitness center with state of the art StarTrac exercise equipment, a spa with many services, a snack bar with Starbuck's coffee, and the Michael Chang tennis hall of fame and member lounge. The golf courses are both Robert Trent Jones Jr. design. The North course was rated the most difficult golf course in all of Orange County.
As I mentioned earlier, this community is the setting of the reality-based television show The Real Housewives of Orange County on Bravo.
Coto de Caza contains commercial endeavors, Lodge at Coto de Caza, The Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club, & The Coto de Caza General Store. Residents shop in Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, Las Flores, or Ladera Ranch. Most students in Coto de Caza reside in the Capistrano Unified School District and attend Wagon Wheel Elementary, Tijeras Creek Elementary, Las Flores Middle School, Tesoro High School, and Santa Margarita Catholic High School (not part of Capistrano Unified). The majority of the community is tract housing, with collections of custom-built homes on the outskirts off the main streets. Coto de Caza is twenty minutes from the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 5) and five minutes from the Foothill Toll Road (State Route 241) to Irvine and then Riverside County.
While some residents believe that "Coto de Caza" means "Preserve of the Hunt" in Portuguese, this is erroneous. Actually, "Coto de Caza" is Spanish for "Hunt Reserve" and implies that the reserve is private. Read more
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.0 square miles of which, 8.0 square miles of it is land and 0.02 square miles of it (0.29%) is water.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Coto de Caza had a population of 14,866. The racial makeup of Coto de Caza was 13,094 White, 132 African American, 26 Native American, 878 Asian, 20 Pacific Islander, 174 from other races, and 542 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,170 persons.
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,057 people, 4,049 households, and 3,644 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,654.5 inhabitants per square mile. There were 4,152 housing units at an average density of 526.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.36% White, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 5.16% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.65% from other races, and 2.80% from two or more races. 6.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,049 households out of which 56.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 83.4% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.0% were non-families. 7.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.40.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 35.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $136,726, and the median income for a family was $141,598. Males had a median income of $97,803 versus $50,689 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $55,900. About 0.7% of families and 0.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Education
The CDP is served by Capistrano Unified School District. Students attend Tijeras Creek Elementary, Wagon Wheel Elementary, Las Flores Middle School or Tesoro High School. St. John's Episcopal School and Serra Catholic Schools are private elementary, and middle schools located outside the gates. Santa Margarita Catholic High School is located at the North Gate.
The Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park
The Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, which is open to the general public except after rain, surrounds the community of Coto de Caza on its eastern, northern, and southern borders. The park is a Wildlife and Plant Sanctuary and is known for its biological diversity. It is known for its oak groves, sycamores, and two creeks. The park is home to mountain lions, that have been known to attack when provoked, without warning. It is nearly 500 acres in size. It features approximately 6 miles of equestrian, hiking, and biking trails. Inside the nature center it houses an educational center for outdoor education for local schools and community groups. It also serves as an ecological preserve for the native endangered plant and animal species. It is maintained and paid for by Orange County Parks, and is administered by Park Rangers and maintenance staff.
Politics
In the state legislature Coto de Caza is located in the 33rd Senate District.
The area is patrolled by the California Highway Patrol, Orange County Sheriff's Department, and the Coto de Caza Security Force.
Notable Natives and Residents
- Peter Vidmar, Olympic Medalist in Gymnastics (2 golds, 1 silver)
- Rob Bourdon, drummer for the band Linkin Park.
- Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, bassist for the band Linkin Park.
- Teemu Selänne, professional Finnish ice hockey player and Stanley Cup Champion
- Michael Chang, former French Open singles champion at age 17
- Rod Carew, baseball Hall of Famer
- Paul Goydos, PGA Tour Professional
- Bobby Grich, retired Angels second baseman
- Jim Everett, retired Los Angeles Rams quarterback
- Linda Blair, actress with most notable role in the movie Exorcist
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