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City guide

Rancho Santa Margarita, California

Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California, United States. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master-planned community.

Type CityPopulation 47,949

Why go

  • City in California, United States.
  • Served by McConville Airstrip.

History

Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California, United States. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master-planned community. The population was 47,949 at the 2020 census, up from 47,853 at the 2010 census. Although it is named for Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, which was in San Diego County, the city limits fall within the borders of Rancho Mission Viejo. At 20 characters long, it is the longest city name in California.

Airports

John Wayne Airport Orange County (SNA) 15 mi to the centre
Santa Ana, CA, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 13 airlines (Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines…) · direct flights to 21 destinations incl. Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Los Angeles (34 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 13 airlines, 21 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL) 23 mi to the centre
6951 Flight Rd, Riverside, CA 92504 — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Chino Airport (CNO) 23 mi to the centre
Chino, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
McConville Airstrip 10 mi to the centre
Lake Elsinore, CA, US
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is McConville Airstrip. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Bus · Orange County, California · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Bus · San Diego, California · Schedules & GTFS data
Bus · Riverside, California · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Jet card, management · Managed fleet across US bases · Locally based jet card and aircraft management with private terminals in ~20 US cities.
Helicopter, by-the-seat · Helicopters, seaplanes, jets via partners · By-the-seat helicopters Manhattan–JFK/Newark and the Hamptons; jet charter through partners.
Membership charter · King Air 350i, Citation, Hawker, Global · US membership and on-demand charter; Delta Air Lines is a major shareholder.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Charter, management, FBO · Managed fleet, light to ultra-long-range · Charter, management and FBOs at Van Nuys and Orange County; the original Hollywood jet operator.