Placentia, Latin for "A Pleasant Place", has a small town warmth and a strong community spirit within its modern, well developed environs. The many parks and well kept medians give residents and visitors an open space feeling to this mostly residential area. The annual Heritage Festival and Street Faire bring the residents together each year to renew friendships. Placentia has a moderate mix of commercial and manufacturing and has enjoyed a moderate economic growth.

Placentia, home of the Valencia orange, is located 24 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 441 miles south of San Francisco. It is situated in the Southern California Coastal region, 22 miles northeast of the nearest seaport terminal of Long Beach, 95 miles north of San Diego and 16 miles inland from world famous Orange Coast beaches on the Pacific Ocean.

Like many other Orange County towns, Placentia has been transformed from an agricultural area where residents worked their own land, to a bedroom community where most residents leave the city to work.