Westminster is a city in western
Orange County, California
Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county (United States), county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population ...
, United States. Westminster was founded in 1870 by Rev. Lemuel Webber as a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
temperance colony and was incorporated in 1957.
Westminster is bordered by the city of
Seal Beach on the west, by
Garden Grove on the north and east, and by
Huntington Beach and
Fountain Valley on the south.
Santa Ana, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Orange County, is east of Westminster.
Westminster has one of the largest
Vietnamese populations in the US. They settled largely in
Little Saigon
Little Saigon () is a name given to ethnic enclaves of overseas Vietnamese, expatriate Vietnamese mainly in English-speaking countries. (). Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City), where a lar ...
,
and the city is known as the "capital" of overseas Vietnamese with 39,799
Vietnamese Americans
Vietnamese Americans () are Americans of Vietnamese people, Vietnamese ancestry. They constitute a major part of all overseas Vietnamese. As of 2023, over 2.3 million people of Vietnamese descent live in the United States, making them the fourth ...
, or 43.8% of the total population, as of the
2020 United States census.
In the court case ''
Mendez v. Westminster'' (1947), a
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
man sued the
Westminster School District for forcing his daughter,
Sylvia Mendez, to attend a school for Mexican children. They eventually won and thus began the process of desegregation. Sylvia Mendez was later awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
by President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
on February 15, 2011.
Westminster won the
All-America City Award in 1996.
History
Westminster was founded in 1870 by Rev. Lemuel Webber as a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
temperance colony. The name is derived from the
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was a council of Divinity (academic discipline), divines (theologians) and members of the English Parliament appointed from 1643 to 1653 to restructure the Church of England. Several Scots also attended, and ...
of 1643, which established the basic tenets of the Presbyterian faith. During the early years of its history, farmers refused to harvest grapes since they associated grapes with
alcohol
Alcohol may refer to:
Common uses
* Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds
* Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life
** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages
** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
.
During the late 1800s, arable land held dairy farms alongside agricultural plots which cultivated walnuts, strawberries, celery, and lima beans until they were replaced by the sugar beet industry at the turn of the century.
A change in tariffs laws along with an influx of beet pests resulted in the collapse of the Southern California Sugar Beet Industry and was supplemented by goldfish farms.
Transitions from agricultural spacing to suburban housing was delayed by the economic strain of the Great Depression and later 1933 earthquake as well as a severe flood in 1938.
The varied residential landscape is a direct result from the relatively early homeowner development of less uniform spaces.
Westminster was incorporated in 1957, at which time it had 10,755 residents. Originally, the city was named ''Tri-City'' because it was to be the amalgamation of three cities: Westminster, Barber City, and Midway City.
Midway City ultimately refused incorporation, leaving only Barber City to be absorbed into the new city, which changed its name to Westminster in a vote just five months later. The former Barber City was located in the western portion of the current city of Westminster.
The city has attracted large numbers of
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
,
refugees
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
, and
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...
groups due to historic accessibility and community that had been built.
One of the most notable examples of this is the influx of a Vietnamese refugee population during the 1970s due to the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
.
Westminster hosts a portion of
Little Saigon
Little Saigon () is a name given to ethnic enclaves of overseas Vietnamese, expatriate Vietnamese mainly in English-speaking countries. (). Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City), where a lar ...
, the largest population of ethnically Vietnamese people outside of
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. The heart of the enclave runs along Bolsa Avenue,
where historic shops such as
Danh's Pharmacy (one of the first Vietnamese businesses on the street) and cultural icons like
Asian Garden Mall (also known as Phước Lộc Thọ) line the street. The area is the first officially recognized Vietnamese business enclave.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all land. The
San Diego Freeway and a short segment of the
Garden Grove Freeway pass through Westminster.
Westminster is bordered by the city of
Seal Beach on the west, by
Garden Grove on the north and east, and by
Huntington Beach and
Fountain Valley on the south.
Santa Ana, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Orange County, is east of Westminster, although a small portion of Garden Grove lies between the two cities. Westminster borders the unincorporated area of Midway City, except for a small portion where Midway City borders Huntington Beach on the south. The
Little Saigon
Little Saigon () is a name given to ethnic enclaves of overseas Vietnamese, expatriate Vietnamese mainly in English-speaking countries. (). Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City), where a lar ...
district of the town is mostly situated on Bolsa Avenue between Magnolia Street and Brookhurst Street.
Climate
Demographics
2020
2010
At the
2010 census Westminster had a population of 89,701. The population density was . The racial makeup of Westminster was 32,037 (35.7%) White (25.6% Non-Hispanic White),
849 (0.9%) African American, 397 (0.4%) Native American, 42,597 (47.5%) Asian, 361 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 10,229 (11.4%) from other races, and 3,231 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,176 persons (23.6%). A total of 36,058 residents were of Vietnamese ancestry (40.2% of city residents), the highest concentration of
Vietnamese Americans
Vietnamese Americans () are Americans of Vietnamese people, Vietnamese ancestry. They constitute a major part of all overseas Vietnamese. As of 2023, over 2.3 million people of Vietnamese descent live in the United States, making them the fourth ...
of any community in the United States.
The census reported that 89,031 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 381 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 289 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 26,164 households, 10,759 (41.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,986 (57.3%) were
opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,681 (14.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,810 (6.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,114 (4.3%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 151 (0.6%)
same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,247 households (16.2%) were one person and 2,170 (8.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.40. There were 20,477 families (78.3% of households); the average family size was 3.74.
The age distribution was 20,920 people (23.3%) under the age of 18, 8,568 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 24,065 people (26.8%) aged 25 to 44, 23,356 people (26.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 12,792 people (14.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
There were 27,650 housing units at an average density of 2,751.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 15,135 (57.8%) were owner-occupied and 11,029 (42.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.3%. 51,408 people (57.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 37,623 people (41.9%) lived in rental housing units.
During 2009–2013, Westminster had a median household income of $52,633, with 16.7% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
At the
2000 census there were 88,207 people in 26,406 households, including 20,411 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 26,940 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 45.79% White, 0.99% African American, 0.61% Native American, 38.13% Asian, 0.46% Pacific Islander, 10.19% from other races, and 3.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.70%.
Of the 26,406 households 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 16.9% of households were one person and 7.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 3.71.
The age distribution was 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.
The median household income was $49,450 and the median family income was $54,399. Males had a median income of $37,157 versus $28,392 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,218. About 10.7% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
In the
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
, Westminster is in , and in .
In the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Westminster is in
California's 45th congressional district, represented by Democrat
Derek Tran.
In the
Orange County Board of Supervisors
The Orange County Board of Supervisors is the five-member governing body of Orange County, California, along with being the executive of the county.
Membership
The board consists of five supervisors elected by districts to four-year terms by t ...
, Westminster is in first district represented by
Janet Nguyen since 2024.
It has a city council form of local government.
The city council is the legislative body of Westminster and elected to four-year terms in their respective district, a total of four. It focuses on maintaining order and resolving issues to progress development of the city. Westminster also has a mayor in addition to the city council. Chi Charlie Nguyen is the current mayor for Westminster since 2022.
Crime
Economy
Top employers
According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Business sector

The city's major
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
is
Westminster Mall, which consists of more than 180 stores. The mall is located south of the 405 freeway, between Goldenwest Street and Edwards Street. Westminster's
Little Saigon
Little Saigon () is a name given to ethnic enclaves of overseas Vietnamese, expatriate Vietnamese mainly in English-speaking countries. (). Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City), where a lar ...
community is home to the
Asian Garden Mall (Phước Lộc Thọ), a large Asian mall.
Since joining the Sequential Brands company, the
DVS Shoes
DVS Shoes is an American footwear and clothing company that specialises in products for skateboarding, moto, bmx, mtb and snowboarding. The company defines itself as "... driven from the pursuit of building product that embodies the sports the c ...
footwear brand relocated from
Torrance, California
Torrance is a coastal city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the metropolitan ...
to Westminster. The company's headquarters is located on Fenwick Lane.
Education
Four school districts have boundaries that cover parts of Westminster:
*
Westminster School District (elementary)
*
Garden Grove Unified School District (unified K-12)
*
Huntington Beach Union High School District (covers the Westminster and Ocean View areas)
*
Ocean View School District (elementary)
Huntington Beach Union HSD operates
Westminster High School, while Garden Grove USD operates
La Quinta High School.
Some sections of HBUHSD Westminster are zoned to
Ocean View High School.
Asahi Gakuen, a
part-time Japanese school, leases La Quinta on Saturdays for its Orange County campus.
Previously
Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove, next to Westminster housed the Asahi Gakuen Orange County campus.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Orange County Transportation Authority operates bus service in Westminster.
Water services
Water in Westminster is supplied by the City of Westminster Water Division, which sources its water from the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a regional wholesaler and the largest supplier of treated water in the United States. The name is usually shortened to "Met," "Metropolitan," or "MWD." It is a cooperative of fourteen cit ...
via Municipal Water District of Orange County. This water is imported from Northern California and the Colorado River. In addition, groundwater is pumped from an underground aquifer managed by Orange County Water District by 9 wells within the city.
Landmarks

* A memorial for the victims of the Pan Am plane involved in the
Tenerife Disaster of March 27, 1977, is located in Westminster.
* The Vietnam War Memorial is located Sid Goldstein Freedom Park, next to the Westminster Civic Center. The project was initiated by Westminster City Councilman Frank G. Fry in 1997 and completed in 2003.
* Final resting place for frontman
Bradley Nowell of the band
Sublime. Nowell died of a heroin overdose in his San Francisco hotel room on May 25, 1996.
* A statue is dedicated to
Trần Hưng Đạo, with the road Bolsa Avenue given an alternative name "Đại Lộ Trần Hưng Đạo", translating to "Trần Hưng Đạo Boulevard".
*
Westminster Museum
Notable people
*
Harrod Blank, documentary filmmaker
*
Jeromy Burnitz,
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player
*
Mike Burns,
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player
*
Paul Caligiuri, soccer player
*
Mark Eaton
Mark Edward Eaton (January 24, 1957 – May 28, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career (1982–1993) with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Named an NBA All-Star in 1989, he w ...
, former
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
player
*
Danny Flores (1929–2006), head of the rock group
The Champs
The Champs are an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged 1958 instrumental single "Tequila (The Champs song), Tequila". The group took their name from that of Gene Autry's horse, Champion, and was formed by recording s ...
*
Ken Hoang, professional video gamer and contestant on
Survivor Gabon
*
Gerard Huerta, designer of the AC/DC logo and other logos
*
Ryan Klesko, former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
first baseman
*
Nguyễn Cao Kỳ (1930–2011), former Prime Minister of
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
, lived in exile in Westminster, where he ran a
liquor store
A liquor store is a retail business that predominantly sells prepackaged alcoholic beverages, including liquors (typically in bottles), wine or beer, usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom ...
*
Iris Kyle, 10-time overall
Ms. Olympia professional bodybuilder
*
Trent McDuffie,
NFL Cornerback
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
*
Carlos Palomino, former welterweight boxing champion
*
Vang Pao,
Hmong former Major General of the Royal Lao Army
*
Nam Phan, professional mixed martial artist and a contestant in
The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck
*
Poreotics, dance crew who won
ABDC Season 5 in 2010
*
Dylan Rieder, professional skateboarder, artist, and model
*
Stafford Repp, film and television actor
*
Westminster Chorus, won the Pavarotti Trophy of Choir of the World 2009
*
Geoff Zanelli, prominent Emmy Award-Winning film and TV composer
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Orange County, California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Little Saigons
Populated places established in 1957
1957 establishments in California