Mission Viejo History
Mission Viejo was originally claimed by Spain in 1769 as part of a 52,000 acre ranch. The community's name bears testament to an early attempt by Spaniards to establish a Catholic mission in the area, although the unfinished mission's whereabouts remain unknown. Lack of available water forced to the friars to move to San Juan Capistrano to build a new mission, but the location of choice was always Mission Viejo.
The Mission Viejo area was used for ranching throughout the 1800s and well into the 20th century, during which time the land switched hands several times and became part of ranches as large as 205,000 acres.
A master plan for residential development in the Mission Viejo real estate area was unveiled in 1965, and in 1966 the first residents moved into new neighborhoods near the intersection of Chrisanta Drive and La Paz Road.
Mission Viejo's second residential boom began in the 1970s with an ambitious community plan modeled along local hills and valleys, previously thought undevelopable. Urban planner Donald Bren, who later became president of the Irvine Company, guided development through most of this second phase, which lasted until 1980 when the city was completed. Most homes and commercial buildings in the Mission Viejo real estate area follow a distinct Spanish style, which can also be seen in later developments by Mr. Bren in Irvine and Newport Beach.
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