Ladera Ranch is a 4,000 acre master-planned community adjacent to Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, and San Juan Capistrano. Located along Antonio Parkway and Crown Valley Parkway. Construction of the community began in 1999 on portions of the O'Neill, Avery, & Moiso families' 23,000 acres Rancho Mission Viejo cattle ranch. 

The community is unincorporated, managed by the County of Orange and consists of around 8,300 single-family residences. 

In addition to four clubhouses, the community has a private water park and skate park, 18 community parks, Wagsdale dog park, six smaller neighborhood pools, many pocket parks and green belts, and miles of hiking/biking trails that connect to Doheny Beach.

The economic engine of the community is its 1.5 million square feet of retail distributed among four centers:

Mercantile West, Mercantile East, Bridgepark Plaza and The Terrace Shops

• Population ~31,205
• • % White - 65.1%
  • % Hispanic or Latino - 16.6%
  • % Asian - 11.8%
  • % Other - 6.5%
• Median Age - 34.4
• • % Age 0 to 17 - 38.3%
  • % Age 18 to 24 - 4.6%
  • % Age 25 to 34 - 9.4%
  • % Age 35 to 54 - 37.4%
  • % Age 55+ - 10.3%
    
• Median Household Income - $161.348
• • Per Capita - $80,782

• Business Data
• • Number of Businesses - 402
  • Number of Employees - 2,45
  • % of Telecommuters - 10%
• Government Representatives
• • Orange County Supervisor - Lisa Bartlett
  • State Senator - Patricia Bates
  • State Assembly - Laurie Davies
  • US Congress - Mike Levin
  • US Senate - Dianne Feinstein & Alex Padilla