Economic Development

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The City of Rancho Santa Margarita values your investment in our community. The Economic Development Team is committed to lending a helping hand as needed to ensure a smooth process all the way through to the grand opening of your business. Whether your business is starting, expanding, or relocating to the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, the Office of Economic Development offers a reliable point of contact through every stage of the process. City staff can assist in compiling a list of possible sites for your business, advise on zoning code and provide feedback about additional permitting measures if necessary.

What is Economic Development?
Economic Development activities are intended to maintain and improve the economic sustainability of Rancho Santa Margarita by addressing economic growth and development, business attraction and retention, and fiscal strength and stability. Economic Development is guided by the goals and policies established in the Economic Development Element of the General Plan.

Rancho Santa Margarita’s City leaders take pride in being business-friendly. Our processes are clear and streamlined to enable new businesses to establish and existing businesses to expand in the shortest amount of time possible.  

Our Retail Fact Sheet (PDF) contains information for prospective retailers and our Available Commercial Space tool will help you find the best location.

Location and Amenities
Rancho Santa Margarita and its surroundings offer an excellent location for businesses of all types. This mid-sized City complements its natural setting with a variety of local shopping and dining opportunities and ample services, along with a successful Business Park for office and light industrial users.   The City of Rancho Santa Margarita is a bustling community of 50,000 residents with nearly 45,000 additional residents in the surrounding areas of Trabuco Canyon and Coto de Caza.

This strategic location within the heart of the Saddleback Valley in south Orange County is master planned with homes and businesses situated around parks and golf courses such as:

  O'Neill Regional Park

 Lago Santa Margarita

 Tijeras Creek Golf Course

 Dove Canyon Golf Course

 Coto de Caza Golf Courses

With convenient access to State Route 241 Foothill Transportation Corridor, you are never far from anywhere in Rancho Santa Margarita.