Community Profile: Fountain Valley

Government

City Council: Barbara Brown (mayor), George Scott (mayor pro tem), Fred Voss, Jim Neal, Laurann Cook

City Manager: Judy Kelsey

Fire Chief: Richard E. Jorgensen

Chief of Police: Elvin Miali

City Services

City Hall

10200 Slater Ave.

(714) 963-8321

Police (business)

10200 Slater Ave.

(714) 965-4485

Fire (business)

17737 Bushard St.

(714) 965-4436

Post Office

17227 Newhope

(714) 966-0580

In Emergency, Dial: 911

Statistics

Population: (1986 est.): 55,551

Area: 9.75 square miles

Incorporation: June 13, 1957

Median household income: $43,217

Median home value: $126,322

Racial/ethnic mix: white, 90.6%; Latino, 8.9 %; black, 1.0%; other, 8.4 %

(Total is more than 100% because racial/ethnic breakdowns overlap)

Employment status

Employed persons: 27,539

Unemployed: 1,037

Not in labor force: 10,698

Per capita income: $9,387

Travel time to work

0-14 minutes: 25.2%

15-29 minutes: 38.2%

30-59 minutes: 27.1%

60+ minutes: $9.6%

Population

By sex and age In thousands

MALES: 14-17,25-34,45-54,65+

FEMALES: 6-13,18-24,35-44,55-64

Median Age: 31.7 years

Education

Adults over 25 Years of school completed:

0-11 years: 13.0%

12 years: 32.6%

13-15 years: 28.3%

16+ years: 26.0%

Median years completed: 13.4

FOCUS

Careful Planning

Fountain Valley is considered by some to be the best orginially planned and developed community in Orange County. In June, to commemorate the city’s 30th anniversary, a $20,000 fountain was built in front of city hall. Mile Square Park, which was a U.S. Naval Air Base during World War II, is one of the largest county parks in southern California, with tennis, basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts, ,12 baseball diamonds, a gymnasium, soccer and two utility fields. A new David Baker Memorial Golf Course is slated to open this summer. Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, one of the county’s four regional trauma centers, opened in 1980.

In the mid-1800s Fountain Valley was known as Gospel Swamp . The landscape was then dominated by swamp, and the area was frequented by itinerate preachers who sermonized from make-shift tent churches. Later, when businessman Tom Talbert opened a general store and a post office, the community was called the “Village of Talbert.” As the town developed, its need for water supply increased. By driving a pipe into the ground, free-flowing artesian wells were discovered, giving the town its present name.

Statistics: Donnelley Demographics