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Coto de Caza, California
Location of Coto de Caza within Orange County, California.
Coordinates: 33°35′45″N 117°35′16″W / 33.59583, -117.58778
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
Area
- Total	7.9 sq mi (20.5 km²)
- Land	7.9 sq mi (20.4 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	13,057
- Density	1,655/sq mi (639.0/km²)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC−8)
- Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC−7)
ZIP code	92679
Area code(s)	949
FIPS code	06-16580
GNIS feature ID	1867008

Coto de Caza is a census-designated place (CDP) and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California. The population was 13,057 at the 2000 census.

The CDP is a suburban planned community of about 4,000 homes, and one of Orange County's oldest and expensive planned communities. The project began in 1970, when it was envisioned as a hunting lodge and was completed in 2000. Around the town there are still undeveloped lots available for purchase as well as two 18-hole golf courses. Currently there are two club houses, one considered the "old club" and the other the "new club." The new club harbors the facilities between the golf courses and the tennis club. The old club, located in the residential area known as "the Village," once held tennis guru and teacher Vic Braden, but after its numerous changes in ownership the club has become less attractive. The old club was also the home location for the Coto de Caza Youth Swim Team.

The community is the setting of the reality-based television show The Real Housewives of Orange County on Bravo.

Coto de Caza contains commercial endeavors, The Coto de Caza General Store and Merry Hill School. The whole community is guard-gated, and some of the more exclusive areas are even guard-gated multiple times. Residents shop five minutes away in Rancho Santa Maragarita or ten to twenty minutes away in Mission Viejo. Most students in Coto de Caza reside in the Capistrano Unified School District and attend Wagonwheel, Las Flores Middle School, Ladera Ranch Middle School, RSM Intermediate, Tesoro High School, Newhart Middle School, Capistrano High School, and Santa Margarita Catholic High School (not part of Capistrano Unified). But the list goes on. The community is mainly middle class and upper middle class with a few scattered condos and townhomes. The most prestigious part is Los Ranchos Estates which is the most exclusive part of the community, the most rural, and where prices are the highest. A select few of very wealthy residents reside in Los Ranchos. The majority of the community is tract homes and semi-custom homes, with collections of customs on the outskirts off the main streets. The community is a good value in that large homes with large amounts of land can be purchased in Coto de Caza for less money than a similar home in the more costal and developed areas. Coto de Caza is twenty minutes from the Interstate 5 freeway and five minutes from the 241 tollroad to Irvine and then Riverside County.

While some residents believe that "Coto de Caza" means "Preserve of the Hunt" in Portugese, this is erroneous. The proper wording in Portuguese is "Couto de Caça". In actuality, "Coto de Caza" is Spanish for "Reserve of Hunt" and implies that the reserve is private.

Coto de Caza is located at 33°35′45″N, 117°35′16″W (33.595925, -117.587665)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20.5 km²), of which, 7.9 square miles (20.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.38%) is water.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 13,058 people, 4,049 households, and 3,644 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,654.5 people per square mile (639.0/km²). There were 4,152 housing units at an average density of 526.1/sq mi (203.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.36% White, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 5.16% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.65% from other races, and 2.80% from two or more races. 6.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,049 households out of which 56.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 83.4% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.0% were non-families. 7.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.40.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 35.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $136,726, and the median income for a family was $141,598. Males had a median income of $97,803 versus $50,689 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $55,900. About 0.7% of families and 0.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

The CDP is served by Capistrano Unified School District. The only school located within the gates is a private elementary school, Merryhill School, teaching grades pre-school through fourth. No public schools are located within the gates.

The Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park surrounds the community of Coto de Caza on its eastern, northern, and southern borders. It is known for its oak groves, sycamores, and 2 creeks. It is nearly 530 acres in size, and comprises over half of the community of Coto de Caza. It features nearly 5 miles of equestrian trails, 12 miles of hiking trails, and several biking trails. It houses an educational center for outdoor education for the local schools, and has an on-site gift shop. It also serves as an ecological preserve for the native endangered plant and animal species, and is run by a staff of about 12 groundskeepers and 5 tourguides. It is maintained and paid for by the Orange County Park and Recreational Department, but in recent years, a recorded profit from the park was made.

• Coto de Caza, California is at coordinates 33°35′45″N 117°35′16″W / 33.595925, -117.587665Coordinates: 33°35′45″N 117°35′16″W / 33.595925, -117.587665

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Orange County, California
County seat: Santa Ana
Cities	Aliso Viejo | Anaheim | Brea | Buena Park | Costa Mesa | Cypress | Dana Point | Fountain Valley | Fullerton | Garden Grove | Huntington Beach | Irvine | La Habra | La Palma | Laguna Beach | Laguna Hills | Laguna Niguel | Laguna Woods | Lake Forest | Los Alamitos | Mission Viejo | Newport Beach | Orange | Placentia | Rancho Santa Margarita | San Clemente | San Juan Capistrano | Santa Ana | Seal Beach | Stanton | Tustin | Villa Park | Westminster | Yorba Linda
CDPs	Coto de Caza | Las Flores | Rossmoor | Tustin Foothills
Unincorporated communities	Ladera Ranch | Midway City | Modjeska Canyon | Orange Park Acres | Santa Ana Heights | Santiago Canyon | Silverado | Sunset Beach | Trabuco Canyon