San Clemente

San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish Colonial style architecture. San Clemente's city slogan is "Spanish Village by the Sea". The official city flower is the Bougainvillea; the official city tree, the Coral. city, Orange county, southern California, U.S. It lies along the Pacific Ocean, midway between San Diego and Los Angeles. Founded in 1925 by Ole Hanson as a planned real-estate development called “Spanish Village by the Sea,” the site was named for offshore San Clemente Island, which was named by the Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno to honour St. Clement. Chiefly residential, the city gained national prominence in 1969 when U.S. President Richard M. Nixon purchased property there for use as a summer White House. Casa Romantica (1928), Hanson’s bluff-top home, is a popular local attraction and cultural center. Nearby are San Clemente State Beach, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, a unit of the Cleveland National Forest, and Camp Pendleton (a U.S. Marine base).