Dana Point, California
The Acjachemen village site of Toovannga stood near the present-day Dana Point Harbor. People lived in villages of around 250 people and stewarded the land into a thriving ecosystem. Each village was politically independent and established ties with other villages through marriage. The area of Dana Point is located downstream from the mother village of Putuidem.
Starting in 1776, people from the village of Ubange were brought to Mission San Juan Capistrano for conversion to Christianity and to be exploited as labor. By 1778, dissatisfaction with the missions led to the formation of a revolt by tribal leader Cinquanto that was preemptively stopped by the Spanish. The arrival of European settlers began with the Portolá expedition between 1769 and 1770.
In 1923, Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler and General M. H. Sherman created a major real estate group to develop the Hollywood Hills. Sidney H. Woodruff, already a prominent Los Angeles homebuilder, was hired to lead the project.
In 1926, Woodruff, Chandler, and Sherman created the Dana Point Syndicate. They invited other investors, company presidents, movie producers, and real estate investors to join them in purchasing land. Promising tree-lined and paved streets, electricity, telephones, sidewalks, water mains, storm drains, sewers, and other amenities, Woodruff built 35 homes and a number of commercial buildings.
After a celebratory groundbreaking in 1930, a three-story foundation was poured and a shaft was dug for an elevator to transport hotel guests to and from the beach. The economic downturn of the Great Depression caused construction to halt. Although Woodruff continuously sought financial support through the years, this project was abandoned in 1939. Subsequently, he sold the remaining holdings of the Dana Point Syndicate. Thirty-four of the original Woodruff residences are still occupied.
The harbor, built in the 1960s and dedicated on the 31st of July 1971, is home to a marina, shops, and restaurants. It serves as a point of departure for the Catalina Express, a transportation service to and from the City of Avalon on Catalina Island.
Richard Henry Dana considered the high bluffs and sheltered coves of this area to be the most beautiful spot on the California coast. Pioneering surfers agreed as they surfed the many beach breaks along the coast. Hobie Alter opened the world's first retail surf shop in Dana Point in 1954.
Killer Dana was a legendary surf break off Dana Point that came out of deep water and broke close to the rocks that lined the beach. The Killer Dana wave was destroyed when the Dana Point Harbor was built in 1966. A breakwater now cuts through the heart of the once epic surf spot. In 1997, the surf group The Chantays recorded an instrumental track named Killer Dana.
The Strands at Headlands is a luxury housing development built on land that was originally part of the Chandler Family holdings. For decades the land facing the beach was home to the Dana Strand Beach and Tennis Club, a mobile home community that closed in the late 1980s.
During the course of a ten-year approval process, the original high-density plan was reduced in scope to just over 100 home sites. As part of negotiations with the California Coastal Commission, the developer agreed to turn the bluff into a nature preserve and build over $11 million worth of public improvements to provide easier access to Strands Beach.
Lots in the development are rectangular with modern houses commonly priced above $10,000,000. The development has provided much easier access to the beach below and has allowed surfers and other beach visitors to access the beach quickly and easily. Strands Homeowners pay for the upkeep of the beach improvements through a Mello-Roos assessment.
One of a few known specimens of the megamouth shark was caught off Dana Point in 1990. Visitors can visit the Ocean Institute at the harbor below the point and the tidal pools located nearby for a close-up view of marine life during low tide.
Dana Point is home to the longest running Festival of Whales in the World that started in 1971. This celebration is held over two weekends in March.
The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. The racial makeup of Dana Point was 74.7% White, 0.9% African American, 0.6% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.4% from other races, and 13.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.0% of the population.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $127,246, and the per capita income was $78,103. About 6.0% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line.
Since its incorporation as a city, Dana Point has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential and gubernatorial election as of 2020. As of the 10th of February 2019, Dana Point had 21,844 registered voters. Of those, 9,308 are registered Republicans, 5,758 are registered Democrats, and 5,681 have declined to state a political party.
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Common questions
When was the Dana Point Harbor built and dedicated?
The harbor was built in the 1960s and dedicated on the 31st of July 1971. It serves as a point of departure for the Catalina Express to Avalon on Catalina Island.
Who founded the real estate development known as Dana Point Syndicate?
Sidney H. Woodruff, Harry Chandler, and General M. H. Sherman created the Dana Point Syndicate in 1926. They invited investors to purchase land and promised amenities like paved streets and electricity.
What happened to the Killer Dana surf break off Dana Point?
The Killer Dana wave was destroyed when the Dana Point Harbor was built in 1966. A breakwater now cuts through the heart of the once epic surf spot.
How many people lived in the Acjachemen village site of Toovannga near present-day Dana Point?
People lived in villages of around 250 people at the Acjachemen village site of Toovannga. The area is located downstream from the mother village of Putuidem.
When did the Festival of Whales start in Dana Point and how long does it run?
Dana Point is home to the longest running Festival of Whales in the World that started in 1971. This celebration is held over two weekends in March.