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Irvine is an incorporated city in Orange County, California. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960's. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the 69.7 square mile city has a population of 202,079 (as of 2007). 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 to be made into a park called the Orange County Great Park. Currently, Irvine is larger in land area than any other city in Orange County because of its annexation of the southern and eastern unincorporated areas. In June 2007, it was named the The Safest City in the United States (Irvine has held the title since 2005 by its population).
Mission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado in its size. As of 2007, the city had a total population of 98,483. Mission Hospital is the largest hospital in south Orange County and serves as the area's regional trauma center. It also offers one of two CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County) locations providing outstanding care for children. Mission Hospital is a critical asset to the region. It is undergoing a multi-year campus expansion, which includes emergency services, conference and medical office space as well as a new in-patient hospital tower. Other medical facilities and offices have clustered around the hospital. It is conveniently located off the I-5 Crown Valley Parkway exit about half a mile from the freeway. The city's name is a reference to Rancho Mission Viejo, a large Spanish land grant from which the community was founded. It is mistakenly believed by some local residents that "Mission Viejo" is a Spanish translation of "Old Mission"; however, the correct Spanish translation of "old mission" is "misión vieja." Recreational activities abound; the city has numerous parks; there are about two per square mile. The city has three golf courses, The Mission Viejo Country Club, Casta del Sol Golf Course, and the recently finished Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club. At the center of the city is a man-made lake, Lake Mission Viejo, a private association for Mission Viejo residents with custom waterfront homes, condominiums, boat rentals,and swim beaches.
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, 10 miles south of downtown Santa Ana.. As of 2007, the population was 84,218. The city is home to several well known communities and recent annexations including Balboa Island, Corona del Mar, San Joaquin Hills, Santa Ana Heights, and Newport Coast. Attractions include beaches on the Balboa Peninsula (featuring body-boarding hot-spot The Wedge) and in Corona del Mar, Crystal Cove State Park is located at the southern end of the coast. The Catalina Flyer, a giant 500 passenger catamaran, provides daily transportation from the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach to Avalon, California located on Santa Catalina Island. The historic Balboa Pavilion, established in 1906, is Newport Beach's most famous landmark. There are a variety of options that include fishing, arcade games, and nice restaurants. The Balboa Fun Zone, located on the Balboa Peninsula near the Balboa Island Ferry, features a Ferris wheel, an old-time Merry-Go-Round and several quaint shops and restaurants. Balboa Island is an artificial island in Newport Harbor that was dredged and filled right before World War I. The Balboa Island Ferry transports cars, bicycles and pedestrians across the harbor channel between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula. The Back Bay is a wildlife sanctuary, while nearby Fashion Island provides shopping experiences with department stores like Bloomingdale's. The Newport Beach public library's spectacular architecture has been featured in the movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. The Newport Aquatic Center offers kayaking, rowing, and canoeing. It has been a training ground for many Olympians throughout the years, and runs several programs for the youth of Orange County, including programs for at-risk youth. The Pelican Hill area has two golf courses, both of which are closed for the construction of a resort hotel, golf clubhouse and residences by the Irvine Company. It is located on a small 1.2 square mile sliver of land, and contours the Pacific Coast. Update, the golf courses and the Pelican Grill Restaurant have been reopened since November 2007. Since the hit FOX drama The OC, many tourists from around the globe have explicitly increased Newport Beach's tourist rate, hoping to match sights from the show with sights in the city. However, though set in Newport Beach, the show is actually filmed an hour north in Redondo Beach. Continuing in the spotlight, another television show about Newport Beach, Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County, airs on MTV. Newport Beach extends in elevation from sea level to the 1161 foot summit of Signal Peak in the San Joaquin Hills, but the official elevation is 25 feet above sea level. The city is bordered to the west by Huntington Beach at the Santa Ana River, on the north side by Costa Mesa, John Wayne Airport, and Irvine. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.8 square miles. 14.8 square miles of it is land and 25.1 square miles of it (62.91%) is water.
Costa Mesa is a suburban middle class city in Orange County, California. The population was 108,724 at the 2000 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a suburban city with an economy based on retail, commerce and light manufacturing. The Orange County Performing Arts Center, eVocal, and South Coast Repertory Theater are based in the city. A local newspaper, the Daily Pilot, is owned, operated, and printed by the Los Angeles Times. Institutions of higher learning located in Costa Mesa include Orange Coast College, a pioneer in the community college concept, a private institution Vanguard University, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. Another fine school is the Whittier Law School, a satellite of Whittier College. Costa Mesa offers 26 parks, a municipal golf course, 26 public schools and 2 libraries. It is also home to the Orange County Fairgrounds, which hosts one of the largest fairs in California, the Orange County Fair, each July. The Fair receives more than one million visitors each year. The Fair also has the Pacific Amphitheater which is adjacent to it. The Amphitheater has hosted acts such as Madonna, Bill Cosby, Jessica Simpson, Steppenwolf, and many more. Sublime mentions Costa Mesa on their "thanx" track, on 40 oz to freedom. Costa Mesa is located 37 miles southeast of Los Angeles, 88 miles north of San Diego and 425 miles south of San Francisco, Costa Mesa encompasses a total of 16 square miles with its southernmost border only 1 mile from the Pacific Ocean. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles. 15.6 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square miles of it (0.38%) is water.
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