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is an unincorporated community located in southern Riverside County, California, United States, in the Anza Valley, a semi-arid region at a mean elevation of above sea level. It is located approximately southwest of Palm Springs, southeast of Los Angeles, California and approximately northeast of San Diego, California, being traversed by State Route 371.
In local vernacular Anza, and several other mountain communities (including Garner Valley, Idyllwild, Pinyon Pines and Aguanga) are collectively referred to as "the Hill". As of the 2000 census, the unincorporated town of Anza had a total population of approximately 2,100.
As of 2007, Anza's population is about 8,000 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 25.74 percent.
Regional geographic subdivisions of the unincorporated town include Anza Valley and Cave Rocks (Central); Tripp Flats, Chandler Heights and Cahuilla (West) as well as Oak Spring, Burnt Spring and Heller Spring (East). The Anza Valley in which the unincorporated town is nestled is bordered by three significant mountains- Cahuilla Mountain to the West, Thomas Mountain to the northeast and Beauty Mountain to the southwest.
The area is characterized as high desert experiencing somewhat stronger temperature variations than those of the coastal cities, including sudden dips of temperature even on summer evenings, due to the high elevation. The Anza Trail originally travelled on horseback by Juan Bautista de Anza in 1774 through what was then referred to as the Cahuilla Valley, traverses the city from southeast to northwest.
Significant local landmarks include Saddleback Mountain with its characteristic triple peak located in the northwest of the city and bordered on the northwest by Tripp Flats and the South by Chandler Heights.