Irvine, California

Irvine, California
San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary Balloon ride at Orange County Great Park University of California, Irvine
Camphor[3]
Vegetable	Asparagus[3]

Irvine (

.

A number of corporations, particularly in the technology and semiconductor sectors, have their national or international headquarters in Irvine. Irvine is also home to several higher-education institutions including the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Concordia University, Irvine Valley College, the Orange County Center of the University of Southern California (USC),^[12] and campuses of California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), University of La Verne, and Pepperdine University.

History

The

parceled out land for missions and private use.

After Mexico's independence from

.

Californio

vaquero.

In 1864,

was permitted.

In 1878,

. James Irvine II shifted the ranch operations to field crops, olive and citrus crops.

In 1888, the

By 1918, 60,000 acres (240 km²) of

, were built during World War II on ranch land sold to the government.

James Irvine II died in 1947 at the age of 80. His son, Myford, assumed the presidency of the Irvine Company. He began opening small sections of the Irvine Ranch to urban development.

The Irvine Ranch played host to the

, was among the attendees at the 1953 Jamboree. Sills came back to Irvine as an adult and went on to serve four terms as the city's mayor.

Myford Irvine died in 1959. The same year, the

The first phases of the villages of Turtle Rock, University Park, Westpark (then called Culverdale), El Camino Real, and Walnut were completed by 1970.

On December 28, 1971, the residents of these communities voted to incorporate a substantially larger city than the one envisioned by the Pereira plan. By January 1999, Irvine had a population of 134,000 and a total area of 43 square miles (111 km²).[11]

In late 2003, after a ten-year-long legal battle, Irvine annexed the former

was developed there.

Geography

Irvine borders

SR 261

.

San Diego Creek, which flows northwest into Upper Newport Bay, is the primary watercourse draining the city. Its largest tributary is Peters Canyon Wash. Most of Irvine is in a broad, flat valley between Loma Ridge in the north and San Joaquin Hills in the south. In the extreme northern and southern areas, however, are several hills, plateaus and canyons.

Planned city

Irvine Business Complex

and the 405 Freeway

Los Angeles architect William Pereira and Irvine Company employee Raymond Watson designed Irvine's layout beginning in the late 1950s, which is nominally divided into townships called "villages", separated by six-lane arterial roads. Each township contains houses of similar design, along with commercial centers, religious institutions, and schools. Commercial districts are checker-boarded in a periphery around the central townships. Only automobile transportation was planned for, with other forms of transportation ignored, resulting in Irvine becoming extremely car dependent today.

Pereira originally envisioned a circular plan with numerous artificial lakes and the university in the center. When the Irvine Company refused to relinquish valuable farmland in the flat central region of the ranch for this plan, the university site was moved to the base of the

to the east. Traces of the original circular design are still visible in the layout of the UCI campus and the two artificial lakes at the center of Woodbridge, one of the central villages.

All streets have landscaping allowances. Rights-of-way for powerlines also serve as bicycle corridors, parks, and greenbelts to tie together ecological preserves. The city irrigates the greenery with reclaimed water. The

which govern some village neighborhoods exercise varying degrees of control on the appearances of homes. In more restrictive areas, houses' roofing, paint colors, and landscaping are regulated. Older parts of the Village of Northwood that were developed beginning in the early 1970s independently of the Irvine Company and does not have homeowners' associations.The more tightly regulated villages generally offer more amenities, such as members-only swimming pools, tennis courts and parks.

Homeowners in villages developed in the 1980s and later may be levied a

era.

Villages

Each of the villages was initially planned to have a distinct architectural theme.

Climate

Late spring and early summer in Irvine is subject to the June Gloom phenomenon widespread in southern California, with overcast mornings and occasional drizzle. Late summer and autumn are warm and mostly dry, with occasional bouts of humid weather extending from Pacific hurricanes off the west coast of Mexico. Winters are mild, with most winters having no frost, and can be hot and dry when the Santa Ana winds blow. Irvine has a Mediterranean climate wherein precipitation occurs predominantly during the winter months. Because Irvine is close to the coast, different parts of Irvine have different microclimates; for instance, the June Gloom effect is stronger in the southern parts of Irvine, closer to the Pacific Ocean.

It can occasionally snow in the Santa Ana Mountains to the northeast of Irvine.^[20] Snow within the lower-lying parts of Irvine is very rare, but the area received three inches of snow in January 1949.^[21] A tornado touched down in Irvine in 1991, an event that happens in Orange County more generally approximately once every five years.^[22]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1970	10,081		—
1980	62,127		516.3%
1990	110,330		77.6%
2000	143,072		29.7%
2010	212,375		48.4%
2020	307,670		44.9%
2022 (est.)	313,685		2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[25]

Historical racial profile	1980[26]	1990[26]	2000[27]	2010[28]	2020[29]
White	87.8%	77.9%	61.1%	50.5%	37.7%
—Non-Hispanic	84.5%	73.9%	57%	45.1%	34.5%
Black or African American	1.5%	1.8%	1.5%	1.8%	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	5.8%	6.3%	7.4%	9.2%	11.7%
Asian	7.8%	18.1%	29.8%	39.2%	45.4%
Two or more Races	n/a	n/a	5.4%	5.5%	9.7%

Irvine, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[30]	Pop 2010[31]	Pop 2020[32]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	81,613	95,822	106,056	57.04%	45.12%	34.47%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,977	3,494	6,646	1.38%	1.65%	2.16%
Alaska Native alone (NH)	162	199	285	0.11%	0.09%	0.09%
Asian alone (NH)	42,506	82,722	139,725	29.71%	38.95%	45.41%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	180	295	341	0.13%	0.14%	0.11%
Other race alone (NH)	359	554	1,790	0.25%	0.26%	0.58%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	5,736	9,668	16,972	4.01%	4.55%	5.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	10,539	19,621	35,855	7.37%	9.24%	11.65%
Total	143,072	212,375	307,670	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2010

The

The census reported that 205,819 people (96.9% of the population) lived in households, 5,968 (2.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 588 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 78,978 households, out of which 26,693 (33.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 40,930 (51.8%) were

families

(65.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.13.

The age distribution of the population was as follows: 45,675 people (21.5%) under the age of 18, 30,384 people (14.3%) aged 18 to 24, 66,670 people (31.4%) aged 25 to 44, 51,185 people (24.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 18,461 people (8.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

There were 83,899 housing units at an average density of 1,262.5 per square mile (487.5/km²), of which 39,646 (50.2%) were owner-occupied, and 39,332 (49.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%. 109,846 people (51.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 95,973 people (45.2%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009–2013, Irvine had a median household income of $90,585, with 12.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[34]

2000

The

, and 4.8% from two or more races.

There were 51,199 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 persons and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 14.4% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $98,923, and the median income for a family was $111,455; these numbers make Irvine the seventh richest city in the US, among cities with population 65,000 or higher.

. Of the total population, 6.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

In 2006, the median gross rent paid for housing was $1,660 a month. This was the highest of any place in the United States of more than 100,000 people.^[36] The skyrocketing high cost of housing is a major issue in Irvine and Orange County, as the city council faces pressure to approve future income-subsidized housing projects to meet the demands of working-class citizens.

Economy

Irvine's tourism information is coordinated through the Destination Irvine program run by the Chamber of Commerce. The program provides information on Irvine as a place to vacation and as a destination for meetings, events and other business initiatives. Irvine has been rated one of the top cities for start-up businesses and its strong, fast-growing economy helped place Orange County as one of the top ten fastest growing job markets.^[37]

Irvine is also used as a location for film projects. The city government grants free or low-cost filming permits and offers location information to prospective productions.

Top employers

Largest employers

#	Employer	Employees (2021)[38]	Industry	HQ
1	University of California, Irvine	18,373	Education
2	Blizzard Entertainment	4,022	Gaming
3	Irvine Unified School District	3,897	Education
4	Edwards Lifesciences	3,152	Healthcare
5	B.Braun	1,910	Healthcare
6	Center for Autism	1,892	Healthcare
7	Haskell	1,453	Architecture
8	Western Digital	1,350	Computer storage
9	Capital Group	1,198	Financial services
10	Thales Group	1,084	Aerospace

Business

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The following companies are headquartered in Irvine:

The following international companies have their North American headquarters in Irvine:

Arts and culture

The Irvine Global Village Festival

Every October, Irvine hosts the Irvine Global Village Festival to celebrate the diversity among the citizens of Irvine and Orange County. The festival consists of exhibits from local merchants, entertainment from diverse cultures, and sampling of foods from various regions of the world.^[41] The event is held at the Orange County Great Park.

Irvine Community Television

The Irvine Community Television (ICTV) produces and broadcasts television programs on news, sports, arts, culture, safety for the Irvine community. The motto of ICTV is "For You, About You". ICTV airs on Cox Communications channel 30 and online.^[42][43]

Libraries

Irvine has three public libraries: Heritage Park Regional Library, University Park Library, and Katie Wheeler Library. The Heritage Library serves as the regional reference library for Central Orange County and has a strong business and art focus while the University Park Library has 95,745 books, including a substantial Chinese collection.^[44] Katie Wheeler was the granddaughter of James Irvine, and the library is a replica of the house owned by Irvine in which she grew up.^[45] Additionally, most UCI Libraries are open to the public.^[46]

Points of interest

Sports

Irvine is home to USA Water Polo, the national governing body of the sport of water polo.^[47]

Irvine is home to Orange County SC, a professional soccer team who is a member of the USL Championship. The team plays its home matches at Championship Soccer Stadium, located inside Great Park.

Parks and recreation

Community parks in Irvine have public facilities located on each site, and neighborhood parks provide open space and some recreational amenities within the various villages of Irvine.

Other parks include:

• Aldrich Park - A 19-acre (7.7 ha) park at UC Irvine campus. The park marks the center of the planned city, and features a plaque to Daniel Aldrich.^[49]
• Jeffrey Open Space Trail
• San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary
• William R. Mason Regional Park

Government

Local government

Irvine is a charter city, operating under a Council/Manager form of government.^[5]

City Council

The City Council consists of the Mayor and four City Council members.^[50] The Mayor serves a two-year term and Council members serve four-year terms. The city has a two-term limit for elected officials. Elections are held every two years, on even-numbered years. During each election, two Council members and the Mayor's seat is up for consideration. The City Council appoints the City Manager, who functions as the chief administrator of the city. The City Council sets the policies for the city, and the City Manager is responsible for implementing the policies. The City Council appoints volunteers that serve on various advisory boards, commissions and committees.

Elected Official	Title	Term	Term Beginning	Term Ending	Party (officially nonpartisan)	References
Farrah Khan	Mayor	2nd	2022	2024	Democratic	[51]
Tammy Kim	Vice Mayor	1st	2020	2024	Democratic	[52]
Larry Agran	Councilmember	8th	2022	2026	Democratic	[53]
Kathleen Treseder	Councilmember	1st	2022	2026	Democratic	[54]
Mike Carroll	Councilmember	2nd	2020	2024	Republican	[55]

According to the city's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for FY2014–2015, as of June 30, 2015, the city has net assets of $2.59 billion. FY2014–15 revenues totaled $395.2 million, with property tax accounting for $50.7 million and sales tax accounting for $58.8 million. As of June 30, 2015, the city's governmental funds reported combined ending fund balances of $960.9 million.^[56]

City departments

The city of Irvine is served by eight departments. These departments are responsible for managing and performing all of the business of the

and its services.

Support services are provided through other agencies including: Irvine Unified School District, Tustin Unified School District, Southern California Edison, Irvine Ranch Water District, and Orange County Fire Authority.

State and federal

In the

.

In the United States House of Representatives, Irvine is in California's 47th congressional district, represented by Democrat Katie Porter.^[57]

Politics

According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, as of March 8, 2021, Irvine has 150,014 registered voters. Of those, 60,212 (40.14%) were registered Democrats, 37,510 (25.00%) were registered Republicans, and 45,913 (30.61%) have declined to state a political party/are independents.^[58]

Irvine voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 1976 to 2004. Since 2008, Irvine has voted for the Democratic candidate by a comfortable margin in each presidential election. In 2020, Democratic candidate Joe Biden won 64.3% of the vote in Irvine to Republican Donald Trump's 33.6%.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Most of Irvine is located in the

, are also located in Irvine.

Irvine is also home to elementary and middle schools, including two alternative, year round, open enrollment K-8 schools, Plaza Vista and Vista Verde.^[59][60] Parts of the north and west of the city are within the Tustin Unified School District. A very small portion of the city, near Orange County Great Park, is located within the Saddleback Valley Unified School District.^[61]

Colleges and universities

Irvine is home to the

.

According to the

Infrastructure

Transportation

Automotive

Streets and intersections owned by the city have trademark mahogany signage and are fiber optically linked to the city's Irvine Traffic Research and Control Center (ITRAC).^[63] Traffic cameras and ground sensors monitor the flow of traffic throughout the city and automatically adjust signal timing to line up traffic, allowing more vehicles to avoid red lights.^[64] Several major highways pass through Irvine (Interstate 5, and Interstate 405, California State Route 73, California State Route 133, California State Route 241, and California State Route 261). Major arteries through Irvine are built out widely and run in a northeasterly direction with speed limits of 50 mph (80 km/h) or greater.

In 2015, 5.0 percent of Irvine households lacked a car; this percentage decreased to 4.0 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Irvine averaged 1.83 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.^[65]

Mass transit and freight services

Bus and shuttle services

Local bus routes are operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority.

The city of Irvine has operated its own bus service called the iShuttle since 2008. Four weekday commuter shuttles serve major employers, residential areas, shopping centers, and transportation facilities. Two lines, Route A and Route B, connect the

Passenger rail

Irvine is served by commuter rail to Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties at both the Irvine and Tustin stations of Metrolink's Orange County Line and Inland Empire–Orange County Line. Currently, trains are infrequent for a city the size of Irvine, with Metrolink trains approximately every 30 minutes only during peak weekday commuting hours and no Metrolink service in off-peak directions or times. Amtrak trains run approximately every 60 to 180 minutes all days of the week along the Pacific Surfliner route between San Diego and Los Angeles. Amtrak trains stop only at the Irvine station, unlike Metrolink, which stops at both the Irvine and Tustin stations. All Amtrak service heading north stops at 10:49 PM, while southerly service stops at 11:12 PM, while Metrolink never operates trains after 7:39 PM. Rail2Rail monthly passes allow commuters to use both Metrolink and Amtrak services, standard tickets are specific to a single operator. The Irvine station features a four-story parking structure.

Freight rail

A major contributing factor to the growth of Irvine was by freight rail provided by

. Built in the 1920s, it moved citrus from three processing plants in what is now Northwood to the rest of the country. The processing plants were essentially Irvine's first and biggest employers of the time.

The plants started to go out of business in the 1970s and the spur was abandoned in 1985. In 1999, following its donation to the city of Irvine, it was turned into the Venta Spur bike trail.

The Irvine Industrial Spur is the second railroad spur in Irvine. It serves various industries in Irvine's Business Complex.

Bikeways

Irvine offers a system of bicycle lanes and trails to encourage the recreational use of bikes as a means of transportation. There are 113.2 miles (182.2 km) of off-road bicycle trails and 286.4 miles (461 km) of on-road bicycle lanes in Irvine.^[67]

Emergency services

Irvine contracts with the

also maintains its own on campus police department.

Notable people

Sister cities

Irvine has four

• 
  Tsukuba, Ibaraki
  , Japan
• 
  Taoyuan City
  , Taiwan
• Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
• 
  Seocho-gu, Seoul
  , South Korea

In popular culture

According to the

References

External links

Archival collections

• Guide to the East Irvine Historic Resources Documentation Photographs, 1988. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
• Guide to the George Leidal Collection on the City of Irvine. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.

Other

• Official website