Overview
About Foothill Ranch
Foothill Ranch is the second largest of the fifty Lake Forest communities on this site, 457.6 acres holding 2,365 homes across 87 named streets at the northern edge of the city. The city's land use layer inside the boundary sets 84.7 acres to low density residential, 44.3 to open space, 18.7 to medium density residential, 17.4 to regional park and open space, 16 to commercial, 7 to light industrial and 3.6 to public facility, seven categories inside one boundary, second only to Lake Forest II's eight.
Alton Park, 2.3 city acres, sits inside the boundary, and the Borrego Trail and Water Tank Road both cross it. The city's recreation layer records six basketball courts, five playgrounds, three tennis courts, two volleyball courts, two baseball and softball fields, a soccer field and two roller hockey rinks inside the boundary, and those are the only roller hockey rinks the layer records anywhere in Lake Forest. Irvine Ranch Water District supplies the water and children go to Foothill Ranch Elementary, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate and Trabuco Hills High.
View available homes in Foothill RanchHistory
How Foothill Ranch was built
The modern community was a master planned development finished in 1996, and it was its own census designated place with a population of 10,899 in 2000 before Lake Forest residents voted that year to annex it along with Portola Hills. That annexation is why the northeastern corner of the city has its own ZIP code, its own water district, its own fire station and its own school feed, and why Foothill Ranch reads like a separate town inside the city limits.
At 458 acres and 2,365 homes across 87 named streets it is the second largest community in the city on this site. The land use layer carries seven different designations inside one boundary, from low density housing through commercial and light industrial to regional park, which is what a master plan built all at once looks like. The recreation layer records two roller hockey rinks inside the boundary, the only two it records anywhere in Lake Forest.
By the Numbers
Foothill Ranch by the numbers
Lifestyle
The Foothill Ranch lifestyle
Alton Park sits inside the community on 2 acres. Borrego Trail runs through the community on the city's trail map.
Lake Forest keeps 31 parks open from dawn to dusk. The Lake Forest Sports Park and Recreation Center opened in November 2014 on 86 acres, with 57 of them given over to sports fields, and the city runs the largest free skatepark in Orange County at Etnies Skatepark.
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park holds 1,575 acres of county open space against the north edge of the city, and the city's trail map carries 49 named trails.
Across the whole city the general plan sets 3,756 acres to residential use and 3,065 acres to open space and parks, which is why so much of Lake Forest reads as green from the ridgelines.
Schools
Schools serving Foothill Ranch
The City of Lake Forest property record names Foothill Ranch Elementary for all 2,341 residential addresses in Foothill Ranch, with Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate for middle school and Trabuco Hills High for high school. There is no split at any level. All three are Saddleback Valley Unified campuses.
9-12 · 2,475 students
7-8 · 1,153 students
K-6 · 990 students
FAQs
Common questions about Foothill Ranch
How big is Foothill Ranch?
The community covers 457.6 acres on the boundary the City of Lake Forest publishes and holds 2,365 homes on 2,341 parcels across 87 named streets. It is the second largest of the fifty Lake Forest communities on this site by both acreage and home count, behind Lake Forest II.
When was Foothill Ranch built?
All thirty-six subdivision maps inside the boundary were recorded between October 1989 and 1991, engineered by Hunsaker and Associates under James R. Gill and by Morse Consulting Group under Gary W. Dokich. The city's build year layer places 242.6 acres of building footprint in the 1991 to 2000 band.
Which schools serve Foothill Ranch?
The city's property record names Foothill Ranch Elementary, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate and Trabuco Hills High for all 2,341 residential addresses inside the boundary, with no split at any level. All three are Saddleback Valley Unified campuses.
What recreation is inside the boundary?
Alton Park, 2.3 city acres, lies inside it, along with the Borrego Trail and Water Tank Road. The city's recreation layer also records six basketball courts, five playgrounds, three tennis courts, two volleyball courts, two baseball and softball fields, one soccer field and two roller hockey rinks, the only ones the layer records anywhere in Lake Forest.
Who provides water and fire cover?
Irvine Ranch Water District supplies water, and Orange County Fire Authority Station 54 at 19811 Pauling covers the addresses. Street sweeping runs Monday morning, and addresses carry both the 92610 and 92630 ZIP codes.