San Juan Capistrano, California

San Juan Capistrano, California
Top: San Juan Mission Basilica (left), San Juan Capistrano station (right); middle: Mission San Juan Capistrano; bottom: Downtown San Juan Capistrano
Motto: 
"Preserving The Past To Enhance The Future"
Location of San Juan Capistrano within Orange County, California.
San Juan Capistrano, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 33°29′58″N 117°39′42″W / 33.49944°N 117.66167°W / 33.49944; -117.66167
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyOrange
FoundedNovember 1, 1776
IncorporatedApril 19, 1961
Named afterJohn of Capistrano
Government
  TypeCouncil-Manager
  MayorTroy A. Bourne
  Mayor Pro TemJohn Campbell
  City CouncilSergio Farias
Howard Hart
John Taylor
  City managerBenjamin Siegel
Area
  Total
14.43 sq mi (37.37 km2)
  Land14.43 sq mi (37.37 km2)
  Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
121 ft (37 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
35,196
  Density2,439.09/sq mi (941.82/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific)
  Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
92675
Area code949
FIPS code06-68028
GNIS feature IDs1661383, 2411793
Websitesanjuancapistrano.org

San Juan Capistrano (also known colloquially as San Juan or SJC) is a city in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 35,253 at the 2020 Census.

Named for Saint John of Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when Father Junípero Serra established Mission San Juan Capistrano. Extensive damage caused by an earthquake in 1812 caused the community to decline. Following the Mexican secularization act of 1833, the mission village officially became a town and was briefly renamed as San Juan de Argüello. After the American conquest of California, San Juan remained a small, rural town until the 20th century; the restoration of the mission in the 1910s–20s transformed the town into a tourist destination and a backdrop for Hollywood films.