Los Alamitos: Los Alamitos ("The Little Cottonwoods" in Spanish) is a small city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,536 at the 2000 census. It is often mistakenly thought to include the adjacent but unincorporated community of Rossmoor (population just under 11,000) which uses Los Alamitos as its mailing address. Although Rossmoor is not part of Los Alamitos, it is speculated that it may be annexed to the city, or Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and Los Alamitos will combine to form one city.


The USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center, where the men's and women's US Olympic water polo team train, is located on the US Military Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. The facility is also used for major water polo tournaments, swim classes and local swim teams.


The Joint Forces Training Base includes the Los Alamitos Army Airfield.


Although Rossmoor never officially became part of Los Alamitos proper, it has become inextricably linked to the town. When Los Alamitos incorporated in 1960 its population was only about 3,400, while still-growing Rossmoor was nearing 10,000. Now they are fairly equal with Los Alamitos being slightly larger than 11,000, and Rossmoor just below that. Rossmoor, still an unincorporated part of Orange County, doesn't pay taxes to Los Alamitos, but the city virtually treats Rossmoor residents as if they were residents. In exchange, the city's many youth programs benefit from the overwhelming number of Rossmoor residents who volunteer for those programs.


The ambitious sugar-beet processor of today would be hard pressed to set up shop in Los Alamitos. Zoning laws keep out heavy manufacturing or industry because nearly all the city land is developed. The Armed Forces Reserve Center takes up 48 percent of the city's 4.3 square miles (11.1 km2). The rest of the city is a snug fitting mix of homes, apartments, businesses and open space.


The small city has been the hometown for a number of noted athletes including Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby, and many major league baseball players, including Andy Messersmith, who challenged baseball's reserve clause and helped established free agency in professional sports . At one point in the late 1980s, six natives of Rossmoor and Los Alamitos were playing baseball in the major leagues -- Robb Nen, J. T. Snow, Greg Harris, Dennis Lamp, Greg Pirkl, and Mike Kelly. The area is also home to record holding long distance swimmer Lynne Cox. It was also home to California Supreme Court Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas while he served on the Court, and to award-winning mystery writer Jan Burke.


Los Alamitos High School, which serves the communities of Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and Seal Beach, is a nationally recognized high school, whose reputation has been further enhanced by its success in sports. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, the football team was consistently nationally ranked and at one point went over 45 games without a loss. Its 2005 girls soccer team won the national championship, and its tennis and volleyball teams have had extraordinary success - the latter having captured three state championships in 2003, 2005, and 2006.