Get to know Irvine, CA

The affluent city of Irvine lies in Orange County.  The land had been apart of three ranches under Spanish and then Mexican reign.  Following the Mexican-American War, these lands were split up.  Between 1864 and 1878 James Irvine slowly acquired the land.  Upon his death in 1886 his son, James Irvine, Jr., inherited the land and incorporated it into The Irvine Company.  He shifted the ranch to field crops, including olives and citrus.  In 1888 the Santa Fe Railroad named a station after James Irvine.  A  town grew around the station and was officially called Irvine in 1914.  When James, Jr. died in 1947, his son Myford took over The Irvine Company and began to make sections of the Irvine Ranch available to urban development.  In the 1960’s the The Irvine Company and architect William Pereira designed the layout for the planned community of Irvine around the newly purchased land for the University of California, Irvine.  The economy relies on tourism, business, as well as film productions.  A number of companies are headquartered in the city, including In-N-Out Burger and Meade Instruments.  The top employers include the University of California, Irvine and the Irvine Unified School District.  Notable residents have included Amanda Beard, Ezra Klein, and Will Ferrell.

Quick Facts

Population: 256,927

Median Household Income: $93,781

Median Property Value: $777,000