City of Irvine | |||||||||||||||
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Motto: Innovation. Integrity. Professionalism. Flexibility. Responsiveness. | |||||||||||||||
Location of Irvine within Orange County, California. | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates: | |||||||||||||||
Country | United States | ||||||||||||||
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State | California | ||||||||||||||
County | Orange | ||||||||||||||
Government | |||||||||||||||
- Mayor | Beth Krom | ||||||||||||||
- City Council | Sukhee Kang Larry Agran Dr. Steven Choi Christina Shea |
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- City Manager | Sean Joyce | ||||||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||||||
- Total | 69.7 sq mi (180.5 km²) | ||||||||||||||
- Land | 69.4 sq mi (179.7 km²) | ||||||||||||||
- Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²) | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 45 ft (17 m) | ||||||||||||||
Population (January 1, 2008) | |||||||||||||||
- Total | 209,806 | ||||||||||||||
- Density | 3,023.8/sq mi (1,167.5/km²) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||||||||||||||
- Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||||||||||||||
ZIP code | 92602, 92603, 92604, 92606, 92612, 92614, 92616, 92617, 92618, 92619, 92620, 92623, 92697, 92709, 92710 | ||||||||||||||
Area code(s) | 714/949 | ||||||||||||||
FIPS code | 06-36770[1] | ||||||||||||||
GNIS feature ID | 1660804[2] | ||||||||||||||
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Website: http://www.cityofirvine.org/ |
Irvine (pronounced /ˈɜrvaɪn/) 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 69.7 square mile (180.5 km²) city has a population of about 209,806 (as of January 1, 2008) [3]. 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. In June 2008, 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,[4] 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.[5]
Irvine is home to the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Concordia University, the Orange County Center of the University of Southern California, and the Irvine campuses of Alliant International University, California State University Fullerton, and Pepperdine University. Irvine Valley College, a community college, is also located in the city.
Irvine is home to a number of corporations, particularly in the technology sector.
Irvine was inhabited by the Gabrielino indigenous group about 2,000 years ago. Gaspar de Portolà, a Spanish explorer, came to the area in 1769. This brought on the establishment of forts, missions and herds of cattle. The King of Spain parceled out land for missions and private use.
After Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican government secularized the missions and assumed control of the lands. It began distributing the land to Mexican citizens who applied for grants. Three large Spanish/Mexican grants made up the land that later became the Irvine Ranch: Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, Rancho San Joaquin and Rancho Lomas de Santiago.
In 1864, Jose Sepulveda, owner of Rancho San Joaquin sold 50,000 acres (200 km2) to Benjamin and Thomas Flint, Llewellyn Bixby and James Irvine for $18,000 to resolve debts due to the Great Drought. In 1866, Irvine, Flint and Bixby acquired 47,000-acre (190 km2) Rancho Lomas de Santiago for $7,000. After the Mexican-American war the land of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana fell prey to tangled titles. In 1868, the ranch was divided among four claimants as part of a lawsuit: Flint, Bixby and Irvine. The ranches were devoted to sheep grazing. However, in 1870, tenant farming was permitted.
In 1878, James Irvine acquired his partners' interests for $150,000. His 110,000 acres (450 km2) stretched 23 miles (37 km) from the Pacific Ocean to the Santa Ana River. James Irvine died in 1886. The ranch was inherited by his son, James Irvine, Jr. who incorporated it into The Irvine Company. James, Jr. shifted the ranch operations to field crops, olive and citrus crops.
In 1888, the Santa Fe Railroad extended its line to Fallbrook Junction (north of San Diego) and named a station along the way after James Irvine. The town that formed around this station was named Myford, after Irvine's son, because a post office in Calaveras County already bore the family name. The town was later renamed Irvine, however, in 1914.[1]
By 1918, 60,000 acres (240 km2) of lima beans were grown on the Irvine Ranch. Two Marine Corps facilities, MCAS El Toro and MCAS Tustin, were built during World War II on ranch land sold to the government.
James Irvine, Jr. died in 1947 at the age of 80. His son, Myford, assumed the presidency of The Irvine Company. He began opening small sections of the Irvine Ranch to urban development. Myford died in 1959. The same year, the University of California asked The Irvine Company for 1,000 acres (4 km2) for a new university campus. The Irvine Company gave away the requested land and the State purchased an additional 500 acres (2 km²).
William Pereira, the University's consulting architect, and The Irvine Company planners drew up master plans for a city of 50,000 people surrounding the new university. The plan called for industrial, residential and recreational areas, commercial centers and greenbelts. The new community was to be named Irvine; the old agricultural town of Irvine, where the railroad station and post office were located, was renamed East Irvine.[2] The villages of Turtle Rock, University Park, Culverdale, the Ranch and Walnut were completed by 1970.
On December 28, 1971, the residents of these communities voted to incorporate a substantially larger city than the one envisioned by the Pereira plan. By January 1999, Irvine had a population of 134,000 and a total area of 43 square miles (111 km2).
Irvine is a charter city, operating under a Council/Manager form of government.
The City Council consists of the Mayor and four City Council members. The Mayor serves a two year term and Council members serve 4 year terms. The city has a two term limit for elected officials. Elections are held every two years, on even-numbered years. During each election, two Council members and the Mayor's seat is up for consideration. The City Council appoints the City Manager, who functions as the chief administrator of the city. The City Council sets the policies for the city, and the City Manager is responsible for implementing the policies.The City Council appoints volunteers that serve on various advisory boards, commissions and committees.
The City of Irvine is served by eight departments. These departments are responsible for managing and performing all of the business of the City Hall and its services:
Irvine has three independent districts: Educational, Police and Utilities. Other government services are:
Irvine contracts with the County of Orange for fire and medical services. Fire protection in Irvine is provided by the Orange County Fire Authority with ambulance service by Doctor's Ambulance. Law enforcement is provided by the Irvine Police Department (IPD). The IPD operates in a suburban city rated as having one of the lowest violent crime rates among cities with over 100,000 inhabitants by the FBI in 2005.[6]
In the state legislature Irvine is located in the 33rd and 35th Senate Districts, represented by Republicans Dick Ackerman and John Campbell respectively, and in the 70th Assembly District, represented by Republican Chuck DeVore. Federally, Irvine is located in California's 48th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +8[7] and is represented by Republican John Campbell.
The cities bordering Irvine include Tustin, Santa Ana, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach.
Irvine, like most of coastal Southern California, generally has a Mediterranean climate. The name derives from its similarity to the climate of areas along the Mediterranean Sea. Summers are warm to hot, and winters are cool, rarely falling below freezing. Precipitation in Irvine occurs predominantly during the winter months. The average January temperature in Irvine is 56 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average August temperature is 71 °F (22 °C). [8]
The layout of Irvine was designed by Los Angeles architect William Pereira and Irvine Company employee Raymond Watson, and is nominally divided into townships called villages. The townships are separated by six-lane streets. Each township contains houses of similar design, along with commercial centers, religious institutions and schools. Commercial districts are checker-boarded in a periphery around the central townships.
Pereira originally envisioned an Atlantis-like circular plan with numerous man-made lakes and the university in the center. When the Irvine Company refused to relinquish valuable farmland in the flat central region of the ranch for this plan, the University site was moved to the base of the southern coastal hills. The design that ended up being used was based on the shape of a necklace (with the villages strung along two parallel main streets, which terminate at UCI, the "pendant") . Traces of the original circular design are visible in the layout of the UCI campus and the two man-made lakes at the center of Woodbridge, one of the central villages.
All streets have landscaping allowances. Rights-of-way for powerlines also serve as bicycle corridors, parks and greenbelts to tie together ecological preserves. The greenery is irrigated with reclaimed water.
The homeowners' associations which govern some village neighborhoods exercise varying degrees of control on the appearances of homes. In more restrictive areas, houses' roofing, paint colors, and landscaping are regulated. Older parts of the Village of Northwood that were developed beginning in the early 1970s independent of the Irvine Company, have the distinction of being a larger village that is not under the purview of a homeowners' association. As a result, homeowners in the older Northwood areas do not pay a monthly village association fee; and its neighborhoods are generally not as uniform in appearance as those in other villages such as West Park and Woodbridge, the latter which, however, generally offer more amenities such as members-only swimming pools, tennis courts, and parks.
In addition to association dues, homeowners in villages developed in the 1980s and later may be levied a Mello-Roos assessment, which came about in the post-Proposition 13 era. For homeowners in these areas, the association dues coupled with the Mello-Roos assessment may add significantly to the cost of living in the city.
The Irvine Ranch played host to the Boy Scouts of America's 1953 National Scout Jamboree. Jamboree Road, a major street which now stretches from Newport Beach to the City of Orange, was named in honor of this event.
Each of the villages was initially planned to have a distinct architectural theme.
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Historical populations | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1970 | 10,081 |
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1980 | 62,127 | 516.299% | |
1990 | 110,330 | 77.6% | |
2000 | 143,072 | 29.7% | |
Est. 2007 | 202,079 | 41.2% | |
historical data source: [10] |
The census[1] of 2000 found there were 143,072 people, 51,199 households, and 34,354 families in the city. The population density is 1,196.2/km² (3,098.0/mi²), as of the census. There are 53,711 housing units at an average density of 449.1/km² (1,163.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 61.06% White, 1.45% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 29.83% Asian American, 1.14% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 4.82% from two or more races. 7.37% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 51,199 households out of which 36.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% are married couples living together, 9.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% are non-families. 22.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.70 persons and the average family size is 3.17.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 14.4% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.0 males.
According to 2008 Census Bureau estimates, the median income for a household in the city is $98,923, and the median income for a family is $111,455; these numbers make Irvine the seventh richest city in the USA, among cities with population 65,000 or higher.[5] 9.1% of the population and 5.0% of families are below the poverty line. Of the total population, 6.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
In 2006, the median gross rent paid for housing was $1,660 a month. This was the highest of any place in the United States of more than 100,000 people.[11] The skyrocketing high cost of housing is a major issue in Irvine and Orange County, as the city council faces pressure to approve future income-subsidized housing projects to meet the demands of working-class citizens.
Like much of Orange County, more resident voters are registered in the Republican Party than the Democratic Party [12]. However, the city council, including the last three mayors, is composed mostly of progressive community leaders.
In the 2008 presidential election, amid surprising turnout, Democrat Barack Obama defeated Republican John McCain among Irvine voters by 17%. [13]
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[3]out of the top 804 high schools in the nation while Northwood High School ranked 404th[4], Irvine High School ranked 505th[5], and Woodbridge High School ranked 803rd[6]. In 2005, University High School ranked 117th[7] out of the top 1000 high schools with Northwood High School ranking 389th[8], Irvine High School ranking 816th[9], and Woodbridge High School ranking 1040th[10]. In 2006, University High School ranks at 156th[11] out of 1,200 top high schools while Northwood High School ranks at 296th[12], Irvine High School ranks at 1044th[13], and Woodbridge High School rank at 1156th[14]. And in 2007, University High School ranked 76th among the top 100 high schools in the nation as listed by US News & World Report.[14] 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). [15][16] 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.[15] Parts of the north and west of the city are within the Tustin Unified School District.
Irvine is home to University of California, Irvine, which is the second-newest campus (established 1965) in the UC system after University of California, Merced. Concordia University and Irvine Valley College are also in Irvine, while Chapman University and Soka University of America are in adjacent cities.
According to the 2000 United States Census Irvine is ranked 7th nationwide, among cities with populations of at least 100,000, for having the highest percentage of people who are at least 25 years old with doctoral degrees, with 3,589 residents reporting such educational attainment.[16]
Irvine has three public libraries: Heritage Park Regional Library, University Park Library, and Katie Wheeler Library. The Heritage Library serves as the regional reference library for Central Orange County and has a strong business focus while the University Park Library has 95,745 books including a substantial Chinese collection.[17] Katie Wheeler was the granddaughter of James Irvine, and the library is a replica of the house owned by Irvine in which she grew up.[18] Additionally, most UCI Libraries are open to the public.[19]
The majority of the Irvine's economic development is coordinated through the Destination Irvine program run by the Chamber of Commerce. The program provides information and assistance on business-related incentives, demographics, development standards and various services such as affordable housing and childcare, schools.
Irvine is also used as a location for film projects. The city government grants free or low-cost filming permits and offers location information to prospective productions.
Name | Sector | Employed |
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University of California, Irvine | Education | 7645 |
Irvine Unified School District | Education | 3707 |
St. John Knits | Clothing | 2616 |
Irvine Company | Real Estate | 2600 |
Parker Hannifin | Aircraft | 1985 |
Allergan | Pharmaceutical | 1922 |
Freedom Communications | Media | 1875 |
New Century | Mortgage & Finance | 1840 |
Parker Aerospace | Aerospace & Defense | 1825 |
Option One Mortgage | Mortgage & Finance | 1801 |
Edwards Lifesciences | Health | 1723 |
Washington Mutual | Financial | 1700 |
Verizon Wireless | Communications | 2100 |
Albertsons - Sav-On | Grocery & Pharmacy Retailer | 1508 |
Claim Jumper | Restaurant | 1400 |
Broadcom | Semiconductor | 1313 |
Western National Group | Apartments | 1100 |
In-N-Out Burger | Restaurant | 1041 |
General Electric | Consumer Finance, Infrastructure | 900 |
Source[8]
Every September, Irvine hosts the Irvine Global Village Festival to celebrate the diversity among the citizens of Irvine and Orange County. The festival consists of exhibits from local merchants, entertainment from diverse cultures, and sampling of foods from various regions of the world.[20]
The Irvine Community Television (ICTV) produces and broadcasts television programs on news, sports, arts, culture, safety for the Irvine community. The motto of ICTV is For You, About You. ICTV can be viewed within the city of Irvine on Cox Communications channel # 30. ICTV is also available to view online at ICTV Live Streaming.[21]
Irvine has Community Parks and Neighborhood Parks. The Community Parks have public facilities located on each site. Neighborhood Parks provide open space and some recreational amenities within the various villages of Irvine.
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Streets and intersections owned by the city have trademark mahogany signage and are fiber optically linked to the city's Irvine Traffic Research and Control Center (ITRAC).[22] Traffic cameras and ground sensors monitor the flow of traffic throughout the city and automatically adjust signal timing to line up traffic, allowing more vehicles to pass through fewer red lights.[23] Several major highways pass through Irvine (Interstate 5, and Interstate 405 (California), California State Route 73, California State Route 133, California State Route 241, and California State Route 261). Major arteries through Irvine are built out widely and will run in a northeasterly direction with speed limits higher than 50 mph (80 km/h). As a result of the signal timing, wide streets, and road layout, Irvine's side streets are capable of handling a higher volume of traffic than other cities in Orange County.
Local bus routes are operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority. Additionally, Irvine is served by commuter rail at both the Irvine and Tustin stations of the Metrolink Orange County Line and the IEOC Line. OCTA is currently implementing a major service increase on the Orange County line, with trains running every 30 minutes. A four-story parking structure is currently under construction at the Irvine station to coincide with the service increase.
Plans are currently underway to connect the Orange County Great Park to the Irvine Spectrum Center and surrounding businesses with a fixed-route transit system, also stopping at the Irvine Transportation Center. As of early 2008, two possible routes have been selected, and the vehicles have been narrowed down to a either a traditional streetcar, elevated people mover, or rubber-tired vehicles operating in a separate right-of-way. The project has been dubbed the "Irvine Guideway Demonstration Project". City planners envision it as a starter system for a potentially more expansive transit system throughout Irvine.
The city of Irvine has recently begun operating its own mass-transit bus service called the iShuttle [24]. This new bus service, which debuted on March 2008, consists of three routes linking the Tustin Metrolink station to the Irvine Business Complex area and John Wayne Airport.[24] The service will be free to all passengers until January 1, 2009.
Irvine offers a system of bicycle lanes and trails to encourage the use of bikes as a means of transportation. There are 44.5 miles (71.6 km) of off-road bicycle trails and 282 miles (454 km) of on-road bicycle lanes in Irvine. [25]
On May 30, 2006, an Irvine City Staff member signed a sister-city memorandum with the Xuhui District of Shanghai. The memorandum, signed without the knowledge of the City Council or City Manager, disavowed the legitimacy of Taiwan's sovereignty, barred Irvine officials from making official trips to Irvine's sister city Taoyuan, Taiwan, and prohibited the City of Irvine from participating in events relating to the sovereignty of Taiwan. After the memorandum was made public, an uproar arose from the Irvine Taiwanese American community. In response, the City Council held hearings to negate the validity of this memorandum and to suggest more inclusive and appropriate language.[26] Xuhui District did not respond to Irvine's request and the memorandum was terminated.
See also List of University of California, Irvine people.
The following companies are headquartered in Irvine:
The following international companies have their North American headquarters in Irvine:
Irvine is twinned with:
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According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), the following productions have either been partially or entirely filmed in Irvine:[80][81]
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