Orange County

LA and Orange County are the closest of neighbors, but in some ways they couldn't be more different. If LA is about stars, the OC is about surfers. LA: ever more urban, OC: proudly suburban, built around cars, freeways and shopping malls. If LA is SoCal's seat of liberal thinking, the OC's heritage is of megachurches and ultraconservative firebrands. If LA is Hollywood glam, the OC is Real Housewives.

Huntington Beach in Orange County in Southern California.

©Hiroyuki Matsumoto/Getty Images

Book
App
Lonely Planet App on a phone
Brand New!

Get the Lonely Planet App

World Nomads travel insurance
Trusted Partner

Dreaming of Orange County? Protect your trip

Travel with confidence. Protect your trip and your wallet.

We don’t represent World Nomads, we receive a fee from quotes using this link. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

Take your United States (USA) trip with Lonely Planet Journeys

Time to book that trip to USA

Lonely Planet Journeys takes you there with fully customizable trips to top destinations – all crafted by our local experts.

Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Orange County

Lonely Planet may earn a commission from affiliate links on our site. All recommendations and reviews reflect our own independent opinions.