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Photo credit: City of Irvine
The results are in: Whether you are a nature lover, military veteran, working parent, or are just seeking some serenity, Irvine, California, is the place for you.
Located in central Orange County, within the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, Irvine is consistently ranked at the top of lists for amenities not typically found in nearby communities.
In many ways, Irvine is an oasis, free of the vaunted traffic jams and smog often associated with other California cities. Industries and work are important, but not at the expense of quality of life.
Irvine has been voted the best city to live in for 10 straight years by The Orange County Register and third best city in the U.S. to raise a family by WalletHub.com, which also praises the city’s green spaces and friendliness to veterans.
It might sound braggadocious to say Irvine was built to be so welcoming to so many types of citizens, except that it’s true. Incorporated on Dec. 28, 1971, Irvine is one of the nation’s original master-planned communities. With a population of just over 318,000, the city is finally hitting its growth limit, but is hardly hitting the brakes on new, enriching developments.
“Everything in Irvine is really (done) with a purpose — the way it started, the way it continues to develop, and the way it is maintained,” says Kristina Perrigoue, Irvine’s public communications manager.
Irvine seems like what the doctor ordered for citizens bombarded with distractions, stress, and other challenges.
Irvine’s design prioritizes quality of life and accessibility, reducing reliance on cars, a significant differentiator from its neighbors, known for their traffic times. The city’s planning philosophy anticipated modern preferences among younger residents and retirees, notes Perrigoue.
“It was really ahead of its time… a built environment so that people weren’t isolated by neighborhoods or business areas,” Perrigoue says.
To that point, nearly 94% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, representative of Irvine’s “village concept” that ensures each neighborhood has access to schools, open space, and amenities.
Notably, the park system is ranked the country’s second-best, behind Washington, D.C., by The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the outdoors. Irvine is also recognized as a Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation.
At this point, the commitment to healthy living is synonymous with the entire city, and citizens and public officials alike strive to maintain that level of excellence, says Perrigoue. “I’ve never worked somewhere where people want to do more than they’re asked,” she adds.
Image credit: City of Irvine
Given the focus, it’s not surprising that the Great Park is one of Irvine’s largest attractions. The site draws approximately 6 million visitors annually, including 1 million from tournaments that bring in valuable sports tourism dollars to the region, according to Perrigoue.
“It’s become this giant cultural hub that allows us to create massive events and really put Irvine on the map,” notes Perrigoue.
Multicultural festivals such as the Irvine Global Village Festival, Fiesta Latina, and Mid-Autumn Festival are among the popular gatherings held there.
On-brand with how Irvine has managed success in its first 55 years, there is a plan in place to make the Great Park even greater. The site, which originally was home to the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, spans 1,300 acres. More than 500 acres of the park are built and operating, and 300 acres are in the next phase of development, according to the Great Park Development webpage.
Among the recent improvements is the opening of a 10,000-person amphitheater, where concerts, a nighttime market, and community events are hosted throughout the year.
The momentum lives up to the park’s promise when it was originally conceived in 2002. Economic downturns and political shifts led to a lull in development, but the Great Park Framework Plan, passed in 2022, spurred on through grassroots efforts, propelled the project forward, and is the long-term blueprint for development.
Seeds for the growth have literally been planted, says Perrigoue, meaning it would be difficult for the expansion to be delayed again. Due to the enormity of the plans, Perrigoue says work will continue through 2036.
The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is set to open in 2027 and Pretend City Children’s Museum in 2028, positioning the park as a cultural hub.
Lakes, museums, trails, and cultural facilities are part of the long-term plans that will leave Great Park larger than both Central Park and Balboa Park. Perrigoue guesses visitation will double from 6 million to about 12 million people by the middle of the next decade.
The park and city’s immense drawing power is already evident. In March, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team announced it selected the Great Park as its official Team Base Camp training site during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mayor Larry Agran says the selection underscores Irvine’s appeal. “This decision reflects the caliber of the Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium and the professionalism of the staff who operate it. Irvine is proud to welcome the players, coaches, and supporters from around the world to our great City for one of the world’s most celebrated sporting events.”
Adds Councilmember and Great Park Board Chair William Go: “Hosting the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a once-in-a-generation moment for the park and a proud milestone for our entire community.”
Taking a hyper-local approach has allowed the city to preserve its community feel as density has increased. With growth has come remarkable diversity. More than 100 languages are spoken among the city’s residents, Perrigoue notes.
Parents with young families choose to live in Irvine because of its dedication to education, which includes taking control of the city’s library system from the county. Additionally, top scientific and economic minds work at major companies such as Edwards Lifesciences, Blizzard Entertainment, Google, Rivian, and Taco Bell, whose corporate offices call Irvine home.
Beyond attracting established global companies, Irvine is also investing in the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. The City is advancing plans for a new Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship that will serve as a hub for startup development, business support services, workforce connections, and technology commercialization. The initiative is designed to strengthen Irvine’s position as a leader for innovation-driven economic growth.
The city, through its Office of Economic Development, works proactively to help businesses start, grow, and thrive in Irvine by providing market intelligence, helping navigate city processes, connecting businesses to strategic resources, and partnering with organizations that expand access to business assistance, workforce development, and capital opportunities. These efforts complement a broader strategy centered on maintaining the high quality of life that has become synonymous with Irvine.
Perrigoue says the government’s focus on quality-of-life measures is the best attractor to new businesses. “Having that Irvine stamp of approval means so much in the business world,” she says.
That reputation is reinforced by Irvine’s highly educated workforce, proximity to leading research institutions, and collaborative business ecosystem. The city has emerged as a hub for technology and healthcare innovation, with a growing concentration of companies that are driving investment, entrepreneurship, and job creation throughout the region.
Innovation from those companies spills into the public sector. Irvine is aiming to become carbon neutral, and as part of its environmental push, the city is also expanding its urban tree canopy from 21% to 30%
Further promoting quality of life, UCI Health, the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, opened a seven-story, 350,000-sq.-ft., 144-bed facility in December 2025.
Residents and local officials appear intent on building upon the foundation of good works.
“Everyone who works here wants to be here and wants to do absolutely the best to help the residents,” says Perrigoue.
In another setting, those words might seem trite. In Irvine, that’s just the reality.
