Coto de Caza

History

The land that became Coto de Caza was originally part of Rancho Mission Viejo. The suburban planned community of Coto de Caza was a joint venture of Chevron and Arvida corporations. Development was first initiated in 1964. In 1979, Arvida bought out Chevron. Richard Boultinghouse, who had previously developed McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, was hired as president and general manager. In 1983, Orange County approved Coto's master plan for a community of approximately 5,000 homes, and three years later, the community officially opened. Coto de Caza's reputation as an ecologically oriented recreation community was strengthened by the former Vic Braden’s Tennis College and a 36-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course. In 1984, Arvida, Disney, Chevron, and City Federal Savings & Loan partnered in the development of Coto de Caza. Boultinghouse was later replaced by John C Yelverton. In 1996, Lennar took over as development manager. Under Lennar’s stewardship, Coto de Caza was repositioned to promote more luxurious homes and lower densities, coincident with the regional recovery from the recent recession. The average price of a home in Coto de Caza increased from $375,000 in 1996 to $840,000 in 2000, to well over a million dollars.

Geography

Coto de Caza is located in the northern portion of Wagon Wheel Canyon in southeast Orange County, at (33.595925, -117.587665). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (0.30%) is water. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Coto de Caza has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.

Largest nearby schools

• California Connections Academy Southern California
  Other · San Juan Capistrano · 5,141 students · 30.2:1 ratio
• San Juan Hills High
  High · San Juan Capistrano · 2,857 students · 23.2:1 ratio
• Aliso Niguel High
  High · Aliso Viejo · 2,774 students · 24.3:1 ratio
• Trabuco Hills High
  High · Mission Viejo · 2,579 students · 23.2:1 ratio
• Tesoro High
  High · Las Flores · 2,217 students · 24.1:1 ratio
• El Toro High
  High · Lake Forest · 2,031 students · 23.1:1 ratio
• Capistrano Valley High
  High · Mission Viejo · 2,029 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• Mission Viejo High
  High · Mission Viejo · 1,646 students · 21.9:1 ratio