The city of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA is located in the eastern portion of South Orange County.  It is located at the foothills of Cleveland National Forest.  Rancho Santa Margarita or RSM as it is sometimes called is one the newer cities in Orange County, as it was incorporated as a city January 1, 2000.  The population as of 2010 was 47,853. 

Residents of Rancho Santa Margarita enjoy an active lifestyle thanks to all the outdoor activities which the city offers.  O'Neil Regional Park bisects the city and is great for walking, running or just enjoying the outdoors.  Biking through the canyons behind Rancho Santa Margarita or hiking some of the many trails in the area are also enjoyed by the residents.  The area also offers a few great golf courses, Tijeras Creek and Dove Canyon, both in Rancho Santa Margarita or nearby Coto de Caza.

Rancho Santa Margarita is served by the Saddleback Valley Unified School District and the Capistrano Unified School District, both are considered excellent school districts.  Also serving the area is Rancho Santa Margarita High which is a Catholic Private school which draws students from the entire South Orange County area.

While most residents of Rancho Santa Margarita commute to the large regional employment hubs of Newport Beach, South Coast Metro, Santa Ana or Irvine, there are also great employment opportunities within the city limits.  Commuting is made easy as the Rancho Santa Margarita is bisected by the SR-241 providing quick access to Irvine, Newport Beach and Santa Ana.  Some of the large employers in Rancho Santa Margarita include Applied Medical, Cox Communications and Saddleback Valley Unified District.

Rancho Santa Margarita offers a collection of great starter condos, executive homes and golf view homes.  Rancho Santa Margarita can be divided into three separate areas, Robinson Ranch and Dove Canyon, Wagon Wheel and Las Flores and Central and North Rancho Santa Margarita.  Robinson Ranch and Dove Canyon are located at the northern end of RSM, both offer primarily Single family homes with Dove Canyon being a gated golf community offering beautiful golf view homes. Wagon Wheel and Las Flores are located at the Southern end of RSM and offers primarily single family homes. 

Central and North Rancho Santa Margarita is considered the core of RSM and offers a variety of homes and condos.  Some of the Rancho Santa Margarita condos include, Mission Courts, Cabo Vista, Brisa del Lago and Las Flores.  The single family home neighborhoods include Melinda Heights, Cantamar, Arroyo Oaks and Vista Ladera.

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