Established in 1864, the original Irvine Ranch comprised 120,000 acres reaching 22 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean at Newport Beach to the edge of the Cleveland National Forest. Encompassing more than 185 square miles, the ranch represented more than one-quarter of Orange County's total land area at the time.

Today, at about 93,000 acres, it still reaches 22 miles inland and represents 18 percent, or a bit more than one-sixth, of the county's total land area and touches six cities, including the entire city of Irvine. The Irvine Ranch also includes portions of the cities of Newport Beach, Tustin, Orange, Laguna Beach and Anaheim, plus unincorporated land in the County of Orange.

While the ranch encompasses 145 square miles, dedicated open space of 53,000 acres represents nearly 83 square miles, roughly equivalent to the combined land areas of the cities of Irvine, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

- Source: The Irvine Co.

Orange County as a whole is a remarkable place to make one's mark. Here are the vital figures, according to Chapman University statistics:

• With a population of nearly 3 million people and an estimated annual gross county product of $127 billion, if we were a country, we would rank No. 33.

Here are the properties owned by The Irvine Co., mostly on the Irvine Ranch and, increasingly, throughout the state.

Office: 350 properties. Most are on the Irvine Ranch with office centers also in the Silicon Valley, San Diego and Los Angeles. The Irvine Spectrum is the largest. Also includes Newport Center surrounding Fashion Island, Jamboree Center, MacArthur Park and University Research Park at UC Irvine.

Retail: 32 retail centers, plus three in development or construction. The biggest is Fashion Island. Includes Irvine Spectrum Center, The Market Place, several neighborhood centers, and the newly opened Crystal Cove Promenade.

Apartment: 82 communities, with the majority located in the Irvine Ranch. Four are in San Diego, 10 are in Northern California and one is in Santa Monica.

Resort: Four Seasons Hotel; Hyatt Regency; golf courses at Pelican Hill, Oak Creek and Shady Canyon.

Other: Nearly 500 boat slips in Newport Harbor.