General Plan

The County of Orange is required by State law to have a legally adequate General Plan (Cal. Code § 65300 et seq.), which primarily addresses unincorporated territory, yet affects the entire county. As part of its General Plan, the County must include the following seven elements: 1) Land Use; 2) Circulation; 3) Housing; 4) Conservation; 5) Open Space; 6) Noise; and 7) Safety. The County's General Plan also includes two optional elements: Public Services and Facilities, and Growth Management.

General Plan Land Use Element Map - 2015 picture_as_pdf A map of Orange County displaying the current land use.

The County of Orange General Plan consists of an introductory chapter, a demographics chapter, and nine elements: Land Use, Transportation, Public Services and Facilities, Resources, Recreation, Noise, Safety, Housing, and Growth Management.

• Chapter I Introduction Amended 2012 picture_as_pdf
• Chapter II Background for Planning (Demographics)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter III Flood Hazard Mappicture_as_pdf
• Chapter III City Spheres of Influence Mappicture_as_pdf
• Chapter III Land Use Element - (updated June 2024) picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IV Bikeway Plan Map picture_as_pdf (updated 2020) (Figure IV-7)
• Chapter IV Transportation Elementpicture_as_pdf  - (updated May 2025)
• Chapter IV Circulation Plan Map picture_as_pdf (updated May 2025) (Figure IV-1)
• Chapter IV Scenic Highway Plan Mappicture_as_pdf
• Chapter V Public Services & Facilities Elementpicture_as_pdf
• Chapter V-20 Santa Ana River Mainstem Project (Figure V-1)
• Chapter V-28 County Operated Solid Waste Facilities (Figure V-2)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter V-38 California Water System Facilities (Figure V-3)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter V-41 Orange County Groundwater Facilities (Figure V-4)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter V-94 Orange County School Districts (Figure V-5)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI Resources Elementpicture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-10 Prime Farmland in Orange County (Figure VI-1)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-11 Orange County Agricultural Preserves (Figure VI-2)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-13 Orange County Mineral Resources (Figure VI-3)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-18 Wildlife Habitat Areas (Figure VI-4) picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-20 Open Space/Conservation Program Map (Figure VI-5)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-36 Orange County Energy Resources (Figure VI-6) picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-49 Orange County Water Resource Sources (Hydrology Cycle) (Figure VI-7) 
• Chapter VI-51 Orange County Groundwater Basin (Figure VI-8)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-54 Ground Water Basin and Operational History (Chart VI-2)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-55 Groundwater Basin and Operational History (Chart VI-2)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-113 Paleontology (General Areas of Sensitivity) (Figure VI-9) picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-114 Prehistoric Archeology (General Areas of Sensitivity) (Figure VI-10)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VI-115 Orange County Historical Areas (Figure VI-11)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VII Recreation Element picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VII Master Plan of Regional Recreation Facilities Mappicture_as_pdf
• Chapter VII Master Plan of Regional Riding and Hiking Trails Mappicture_as_pdf
• Chapter VIII Noise Element picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VIII-16 Generalized Community Noise Equivalent Level Contours (Highways) (Figure VIII-5)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VIII-17 Generalized Community Noise Equivalent Level Contours (Railroads) (Figure VIII-6)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VIII-12 Generalized Noise Equivalent Level Contours (Air Facilities) (Figure VIII-2)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VIII-13 Effect of Speed on Community Noise Equivalent Levels (Figure VIII-3) picture_as_pdf
• Chapter VIII-14 Typical Noise Mitigation Measures (Figure VIII-4)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX Safety Element (updated August 2025) picture_as_pdf
  • OC Sheriff Hazard Mitigation Plan Website:
• Chapter IX-17 Fire Hazard Severity Zones (Figure IX-1)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-31 Hazardous Waste Facilities (Figure IX-2)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-33 Regional Class 1 Disposal Sites (Figure IX-3)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-41 E.P.Z & P.E.Z For San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (Figure IX-4) picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-53 Orange County Traffic Control Areas (Figure IX-5)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-63 Santa Ana River Overflow Area (Figure IX-6)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-64 Santiago Creek Overflow Area (Figure IX-7)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-67 Major Orange County Watercourses (Figure IX-8)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-68 Prado Dam and Santiago Reservoir Inundation Areas (Figure IX-9) picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-68 Major Orange County Watercourses (Figure IX-8)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-70 Santa Ana River Mainstem Project (Figure IX-10)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-79 Fault Map (Figure IX-11)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-83 7.5 Newport-Inglewood Fault (Figure IX-12)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter IX-84 8.3 San Andreas Fault (Figure IX-13)picture_as_pdf
• Chapter X Housing Element - (updated February 2025) 
• Chapter XI Growth Managementpicture_as_pdf - November 2020
• General Plan Appendix Amended 2012picture_as_pdf

If there are any questions regarding the details of a document, or to obtain a hard copy or other alternative formats of the original document, or to have a document read to you, please contact the OC Public Works offices, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST, at 601 N Ross St, Santa Ana, CA, 92701, by email at ocpcustomercare@ocpw.ocgov.com or by phone at phone  (714) 667-8888.

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