Irvine

Irvine, CA

The city of Irvine is an incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of about 212,793 (as of January 1, 2009).  It has annexed in the past an undeveloped area to the north, and has also annexed the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, most of which is planned to be converted into the Orange County Great Park.

Because of its good schools, jobs and housing, the city was chosen in 2008 by CNNMoney.com as the fourth best place to live in the United States. In June 2009, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that Irvine had the lowest violent crime rate (four homicides, 17 rapes, 50 robberies and 55 aggravated assaults in 2006) among cities in the United States with populations of more than 100,000, and in August 2008 the Census Bureau ranked Irvine as having the seventh highest median income among cities in the United States with populations of more than 65,000.

Villages and Communities In Irvine

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

  • El Camino Glen
  • College Park
  • The Colony
  • Deerfield (mixed styles)
  • East Irvine
  • El Camino Real (Spanish/Neo-Eclectic)
  • Greentree
  • Irvine Groves
  • Irvine Spectrum (Contemporary/Moroccan)
  • Harvard Square
  • Heritage Fields
  • Laguna Crossing (under construction)
  • Northpark (French Country, Formal French, Italian Country, Formal Italian, Monterey and Spanish Colonial)
  • Northpark Square (Spanish Mission)
  • Northwood (Bungalow, Craftsman)
  • Oak Creek (mixed styles)
  • Old Towne Irvine
  • Orangetree
  • Orchard Hills (Rural Craftsman/Spanish/Tuscan)
  • Parkside
  • Portola Springs (Spanish/Tuscan)
  • Planning Area 40 (Future Village)
  • Quail Hill (Spanish/Tuscan)
  • Racquet Club
  • The Ranch
  • Rancho San Joaquin (Shed style)
  • Rosegate (Spanish/Tuscan)
  • Shady Canyon (Tuscan Ranch)
  • Turtle Ridge (Tuscan)
  • Turtle Rock (mixed styles)
  • University Hills [12]
  • University Park (California Modern)
  • University Town Center (mixed styles)
  • Walnut (Prairie Style)
  • West Irvine (California Modern)
  • Westpark (Italian Riviera/Mediterranean)
  • The Willows
  • Windwood
  • Woodbridge (Atlantic Coast)
  • Woodbury (Tuscan/Spanish/French)
  • Woodbury East (Spanish)

Schools and Education

Most of Irvine is located in the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD). The four high schools in IUSD are University High School, Irvine High School, Northwood High School and Woodbridge High School. Each earned a six-year accreditation in 2006. Arnold O. Beckman High School is located in Irvine but is administered by Tustin Unified School District.

The four high schools in IUSD have consistently made Newsweek’s list of Top 1,300 U.S. Public High Schools. In 2003, University High School ranked 58th out of the top 804 high schools in the nation while Northwood High School ranked 404th, Irvine High School ranked 505th, and Woodbridge High School ranked 803rd. In 2005, University High School ranked 117th out of the top 1000 high schools with Northwood High School ranking 389th, Irvine High School ranking 816th, and Woodbridge High School ranking 1040th. In 2006, University High School ranks at 156th out of 1,200 top high schools while Northwood High School ranks at 296th, Irvine High School ranks at 1044th, and Woodbridge High School rank at 1156th. And in 2007, University High School ranked 76th among the top 100 high schools in the nation as listed by US News & World Report.  All of these schools on the Newsweek list were in the top 4 percent in the nation.

Irvine is also home to elementary and middle schools, including two alternative, year round, open enrollment K-8 schools (Plaza Vista and Vista Verde).  The district recently constructed a new larger high tech campus for Vista Verde School in the village of Turtle Ridge. The district also has a music program starting in the 4th grade. Parts of the north and west of the city are within the Tustin Unified School District.

Irvine is home to the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Concordia University, the Orange County Center of the University of Southern California (USC), and the satellite campuses of Alliant International University, California State University Fullerton (CSUF), University of La Verne and Pepperdine University. Irvine Valley College, a community college, is also located in the city.

Click here to go to the official Irvine City website