About Placentia

Placentia is a city in northern Orange County, California. The population was 50,533 at the 2010 census, up from 46,488 at the 2000 census. This includes the community of Atwood, which is included in the city of Placentia, and is located in its southernmost quadrant. Primarily known as a bedroom community, Placentia is known for its quiet neighborhoods and strong public safety.

The name of the city is derived from the Latin word for "pleasant".

Placentia is located in Orange County at 33°52′57″N 117°51′18″W (33.882364, -117.855130). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17 km2). 6.6 square miles (17 km2) of it is land and 0.22% is water. The 57 Freeway (Orange Freeway) runs through the southwest section of Placentia. The 91 Freeway (Riverside Freeway) passes directly south of the city. Districts in Placentia include the Neighborhood of La Jolla, and the formerly unincorporated community of Atwood.

Placentia is home to one of the 13 special district libraries in California. The Placentia Library District is a single-purpose library district governed by an elected Board of Trustees. Its principal source of income is property tax proration. The library's early history is much like other communities. Beginning in 1914, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union established a reading and recreation room for boys in a storefront on Bradford Avenue.[10] After a successful petition and election by the residents, the Placentia Library District was officially formed on September 2, 1919. The new library district included seven square miles of the Placentia area: the north line was beyond Golden Avenue, the east line along Linda Vista through Hazard’s subdivision,the south through Golden State Tract but not as far as Miraloma Avenue and the west line along the Fullerton boundary. The Library Board of Trustees hired Placentia’s first Librarian, Sara Rideout, for $0.25 an hour, and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union turned over their reading room and 193 books. The library officially opened to the public on January 15, 1920, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.[10] By 1926, a new library building was needed to meet the needs of the growing community. The building,designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by renowned architect Carleton Monroe Winslow, features beautiful Talavera tiles created by Mexican potter, Pedro Sanchez. In March 1927, the grand opening was held for the new library building located at 143 S.Bradford Avenue. In 1974, the library again become too small for its growing collection and was moved to its current location in the Civic Center Plaza. That same year the library boundaries expanded to reflect the same boundaries as the city. Today the Placentia Library District holds over 102,000 library materials.