Irvine

Irvine is a city of 308,000 people (2020) in Orange County, California. Irvine is one of the newest and largest cities in Orange County, and it is still growing. The city is a perfectly planned suburbia. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971.

Understand
Irvine was incorporated on December 28, 1971, Most of the growth in Irvine was sparked by the donation of a large parcel of land to the University of California system in order to establish the 4th largest UC Campus (in terms of attendance) - UC Irvine.

The city is becoming the de facto business center of Orange County with many national and international companies having a presence in Irvine. Most of Irvine bordering Newport Beach (and the airport) and the areas surrounding any freeways are commercial areas where most of the larger companies have their offices.

The arterial streets are very wide and have very generous speed limits. Most residential areas are off the arterial streets on smaller two-lane residential streets that lead to housing communities.

By air

 * John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA) is practically located between Santa Ana and Irvine, NE of the intersection of Hwy 55 & I-405. Alternatively, Los Angeles International Airport is about an hour's drive away without traffic via freeway 405, or Long Beach Airport  about 30 minutes away, also via 405.

By train


Most buses serving the Irvine and Tustin train stations run only during peak commute hours on weekdays.

By car
Irvine is at the intersection of the 5 and 405 freeways. One does have to consider, though, that these freeways have a significant amount of traffic and may be slow during rush hour. If you are traveling northbound from San Diego and wish to avoid traffic, consider using State Route 73, which splits off from Interstate 5 in Laguna Niguel. It is a toll road.

The 55 state freeway may be used to get to destinations in the northwest of Irvine; north of the 55 is Santa Ana.

By car

 * As in all suburbs, it is extremely difficult to get around without a car. Rental cars are available near John Wayne Airport.
 * Irvine is known for its winding streets that do not follow the traditional grid pattern most urban drivers are used to. It is extremely easy to become disoriented and lost if you are unfamiliar with the area. Bring a GPS or a map if you are new to the area. In the various housing tracts, if you follow the double yellow lines it will always lead you to an exit or through fare to a major street.
 * Since Irvine is bounded on all sides by freeways, most of the arterial streets (which tend to be at least 4 lanes in either direction) will eventually lead to a freeway, but it may be many miles before this happens.
 * Gas stations are unusually rare for a city this large and are not usually visible from the street. If you are in need of gas in Irvine, your best chances are to look in large shopping plazas where a gas station is usually hidden. Hiding the gas stations are a 'sign of upscale gentrification' in this city where household incomes rank as one of the highest in the nation.
 * Most of the major roads in Irvine have a bike path near the shoulder. Watch out for cyclists using the bike paths.

By bus

 * The Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) provides local bus transport in Irvine and surrounding cities.

By bike
Irvine is a large city, covering about 66 square miles (170 km2), but is very friendly to bicyclists. There are over 45 miles of off-road bicycle trails and 282 miles of on-road bicycle lanes provided in Irvine. It is possible to transit from north to south in Irvine via tree shaded greenbelt bike trails with only two grade level crossings of highways. Other trails lead into the nearby hills for road touring or mountain biking experiences. Some paths parallel wildlife corridors and riders can often get glimpses of some of the wildlife native to the area - ranging from birds (sparrows to hawks), to opossums and skunks, and coyotes to mountain lions. City of Irvine Bikeways.

There are numerous bicyclist clubs in Irvine and weekend mornings are a favorite time for street touring by groups sometimes numbering in the dozens. Buses and trains carry bicycles when riders are traveling longer distances.

Eat

 * Walnut Village Center. Shopping plaza across from Heritage Square. Features Trader Joe's and Smart & Final, among other restaurants.
 * Walnut Village Center. Shopping plaza across from Heritage Square. Features Trader Joe's and Smart & Final, among other restaurants.
 * Walnut Village Center. Shopping plaza across from Heritage Square. Features Trader Joe's and Smart & Final, among other restaurants.
 * Walnut Village Center. Shopping plaza across from Heritage Square. Features Trader Joe's and Smart & Final, among other restaurants.
 * Walnut Village Center. Shopping plaza across from Heritage Square. Features Trader Joe's and Smart & Final, among other restaurants.
 * Walnut Village Center. Shopping plaza across from Heritage Square. Features Trader Joe's and Smart & Final, among other restaurants.
 * Walnut Village Center. Shopping plaza across from Heritage Square. Features Trader Joe's and Smart & Final, among other restaurants.

Individual restaurants

Drink
There are several areas of the city where bars are clustered. The Irvine Police Department knows where they are, too. The IPD is very concerned about keeping drunk drivers off the city's streets, so if you have been drinking to the point of intoxication don't be surprised to see flashing lights in your rear view mirror. The IPD stakes out these areas at closing time and actively pulls over anyone showing signs of DUI.

Stay safe
Irvine is considered America's safest city by FBI studies. Feel free to walk around alone at 3AM if you are over 18. The Irvine curfew is 11PM for minors unless accompanied by guardian; just don't jaywalk or you may find yourself run over on Irvine's fast moving streets.

Internet access

 * UC Irvine Libraries Both campus libraries, Langson Library and the Science Library, offer free internet access to the public.
 * Fedex Office

Telephones

 * 949 is the local area code, but a small portion of Irvine is in the 714/657 area code.
 * The area code must be diaed for all calls.
 * All numbers affiliated with UC Irvine begin with 949-824-xxxx.

Go next

 * Crystal Cove State Beach. Generally considered the nicest beach in Orange County. Follow the Pacific Coast Highway south from Newport Beach.
 * Corona del Mar. Nice small beach with tidepools and natural reserve on one side, and firepits on the other. Free parking on the side of the road, or $6 parking at lot on the beach. Southern end of Irvine. Keep going south on Jamboree until you hit the Pacific Coast highway.
 * Fashion Island. Another shopping mall similar to South Coast Plaza. Based in Newport Beach. Take Jamboree south.
 * Laguna Beach. One of the nicer beaches around here with plenty of restaurants and shops. Take the 405 or 5 south until they merge, then take the 133 south all the way until you hit the Pacific Coast Highway.
 * South Coast Plaza. The largest shopping mall around here in Costa Mesa. Just as luxurious as Fashion Island, but much larger.
 * Newport Beach and  Balboa. these two semi-connected beaches are closest to irvine. Take the 5 North to the 55 South which ends in the center of Newports shopping district.