Stanton is a small, fully developed city in northern Orange County, California, situated within the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Covering just over three square miles, it is one of the county's smallest and most densely settled cities, wedged between Anaheim to the east, Garden Grove to the south, Cypress to the west, and Buena Park to the north. Its central position places it minutes from Disneyland, the Anaheim Resort district, and Knott's Berry Farm, and near the intersection of several major freeways. The city's history is a product of Orange County's post-war transformation. Stanton incorporated in 1956, largely to avoid being absorbed piecemeal by its expanding neighbors as tract housing replaced the area's agricultural landscape. The decision preserved a distinct municipal identity just as the region's population boomed, and the subdivisions that sprang up in the 1950s and 1960s still define the city's residential fabric today. Stanton is home to about 38,000 people and is notable for its diversity. Hispanic and Latino residents form the largest share of the population, with a significant Asian American community, including one of Orange County's larger Vietnamese American populations. This diversity is reflected in the city's restaurants, markets, churches, and civic life, and gives Stanton a character distinct from the more homogeneous image often associated with Orange County suburbs. The city's housing is dominated by mid-century single-family homes and a substantial supply of apartments and small multifamily buildings. Stanton's compact, built-out form, its comparatively attainable housing stock, and its freeway-friendly location make it a practical and increasingly popular choice for families and workers seeking a foothold in central Orange County without the scale or cost of its larger neighbors.