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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Mission Viejo or La Paz (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Mission Viejo or La Paz. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Mission Viejo or La Paz is located in Orange County.

To see how the shape of California's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Orange County: Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino & San Diego.

Below are the counties that are near Mission Viejo or La Paz. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Mission Viejo or La Paz:

  • Orange County     (The home county of Mission Viejo or La Paz)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mission Viejo or La Paz, with the one closest to Mission Viejo or La Paz listed first.
    • Coto de Caza
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Ladera Ranch
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Trabuco Highlands
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trabuco Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trabuco Highlands
      • Trabuco Highlands is located in Orange County
    • Las Flores
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Las Flores have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Las Flores
      • Las Flores is located in Orange County
    • San Juan Capistrano
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Rancho Santa Margarita
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Mission Viejo
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • San Clemente
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Capistrano Beach
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Laguna Hills
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Dana Point
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Laguna Niguel
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Riverside County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mission Viejo or La Paz, with the one closest to Mission Viejo or La Paz listed first.
    • Lakeland Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeland Village
      • Lakeland Village is located in Riverside County
    • Temescal
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Temescal
      • Temescal is located in Riverside County
    • Lake Elsinore
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Wildomar
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Sedco Hills
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sedco Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sedco Hills
      • Sedco Hills is located in Riverside County
    • Murrieta
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Canyon Lake
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • El Cerrito
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for El Cerrito have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Cerrito
      • El Cerrito is located in Riverside County
    • Meadowbrook
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowbrook
      • Meadowbrook is located in Riverside County
    • Quail Valley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Murrieta Hot Springs
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murrieta Hot Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murrieta Hot Springs
      • Murrieta Hot Springs is located in Riverside County
    • Corona
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corona
      • Corona is located in Riverside County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 170,996 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Corona <1>
  • San Diego County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mission Viejo or La Paz, with the one closest to Mission Viejo or La Paz listed first.
    • San Onofre
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Las Flores ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Las Flores have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Las Flores
      • Las Flores is located in San Diego County
    • DeLuz
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for DeLuz have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DeLuz
      • DeLuz is located in San Diego County
    • Fallbrook
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Ysidora ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ysidora have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ysidora
      • Ysidora is located in San Diego County
    • San Luis Rey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Rainbow
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rainbow
      • Rainbow is located in San Diego County
    • Oceanside
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Bonsall
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Carlsbad
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Vista
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vista
      • Vista is located in San Diego County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 100,636 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Vista <1>
    • Pala
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Mission Viejo or La Paz, see our County-by-County Page for Mission Viejo or La Paz.

Cemeteries Near Mission Viejo or La Paz ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mission Viejo or La Paz.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Mission Viejo or La Paz covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Mission Viejo or La Paz, with the one closest to Mission Viejo or La Paz listed first.

  • Mission Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mission Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mission Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • El Toro Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the El Toro Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the El Toro Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ascension Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Wildomar Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Elsinore Valley Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Pacific View Memorial Park
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pacific View Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pacific View Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Laurel Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Laurel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Laurel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fallbrook Odd Fellows Community Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Fallbrook.
    • The Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Malsonic Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #8139 <3>
  • Cemetery of the Holy Sepulchre
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cemetery of the Holy Sepulchre
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cemetery of the Holy Sepulchre have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairhaven Memorial Park
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
  • St. John's Lutheran Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John's Lutheran Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. John's Lutheran Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Santa Ana.
    • The St. John's Lutheran Cemetery has also been known as:
    • New St. John Lutheran Cemetery
    • New St. John's Lutheran Cemetery
    • St. Johns Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #8324 <3>
  • Continue List   (20 more) ...
    • Santa Ana Cemetery
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Santa Ana Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Santa Ana Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Santa Ana.
      • The Santa Ana Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #8351 <3>
    • Harbor Lawn - Mt. Olive Memorial Park
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Corona Sunnyslope Cemetery
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<4>

While we didn't find Mission Viejo or La Paz in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Mission Viejo or La Paz.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Mission Viejo or La Paz, with the one closest to Mission Viejo or La Paz listed first.

  • San Onofre
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Modjeska
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Modjeska. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Modjeska
    • Modjeska is located in Orange County
  • Irvine
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Las Flores ‑ Historic
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Las Flores have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Las Flores
    • Las Flores is located in San Diego County
  • Murrieta
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • DeLuz
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for DeLuz have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DeLuz
    • DeLuz is located in San Diego County
  • Fallbrook
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Newport Beach
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
  • Ysidora ‑ Historic
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ysidora have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ysidora
    • Ysidora is located in San Diego County
  • El Modena
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for El Modena have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Modena
    • El Modena is located in Orange County
  • Santa Ana
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
  • McPherson
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McPherson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McPherson
    • McPherson is located in Orange County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • San Luis Rey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Villa Park
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Wanda ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wanda have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wanda
      • Wanda is located in Orange County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Mission Viejo or La Paz. See our List of 1890's Communities around Mission Viejo or La Paz.

Newspapers Published in Mission Viejo or La Paz ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 31 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mission Viejo or La Paz.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Mission Viejo or La Paz, there are papers which were published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Mission Viejo or La Paz.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Mission Viejo or La Paz:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Mission Viejo or La Paz. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Orange County: www.oc.ca.gov/

The official website for State of California: https://www.ca.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<4>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Mission Viejo or La Paz, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Mission Viejo or La Paz) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Mission Viejo or La Paz. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.5292, Longitude: -117.5734       In this case, the coordinates for Mission Viejo or La Paz have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025