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Irvine, California

"The Master-Planned City"
Built from a single 93,000-acre cattle ranch, Irvine became the most ambitious master-planned city in American history — a tech hub and perennial safest city.
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Founded 1971 | Population 323,799 | Peak 323,799 (2024) | County Orange County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Irvine, California

1
1971City of Irvine Incorporated: Residents incorporated around master-planned communities designed from scratch with villages, trails, and open space preserves.
2
1965UC Irvine Founded: UCI opened on 1,000 donated acres, growing into a top research university with 35,000+ students and Nobel laureates.
3
1864Irvine Ranch Assembled: James Irvine and partners assembled the 93,000-acre ranch from Mexican land grants. The family controlled it for over a century.
4
1999El Toro Marine Base Closes: The closure of MCAS El Toro triggered a fight over redevelopment that resulted in the Orange County Great Park.
5
2011Named Safest Large City: FBI data consistently showed Irvine among the lowest crime rates for cities over 100,000.
6
2005Tech Industry Hub: Major companies including Broadcom, Blizzard, and Western Digital established headquarters in Irvine.
7
1960Master Plan Created: Architect William Pereira designed a city around a university with distinct villages and preserved open space.
8
1978Irvine Spectrum Planned: The entertainment and business complex grew into one of Orange County's largest employment centers.
9
1990Asian American Community Growth: Irvine attracted large Chinese, Korean, and Persian communities, becoming one of OC's most diverse cities.
10
2020Great Park Expansion: The park on the former marine base expanded with sports complexes, gardens, and cultural venues.
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Population Over Time

0 80,950 161,900 242,849 323,799 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Complete Historical Timeline

1864 Business
James Irvine acquires the Irvine Ranch
1942 Government
El Toro Marine Corps Air Station opens
1960 Architecture
William Pereira creates Irvine master plan
1965 Culture
UC Irvine opens
1971 Government
City incorporated
1978 Business
Irvine Spectrum area planned
1990 Social
Asian American community growth
1999 Government
El Toro base closes
2005 Business
Tech companies establish innovation hub
2011 Government
Named safest large city
2020 Architecture
Great Park expansion
2024 Government
Population exceeds 320,000

Did You Know?

1
The entire city was designed on a master plan before a single house was built — every village, park, and road was pre-planned.
2
UC Irvine has produced multiple Nobel Prize winners despite being only about 60 years old.
3
Over 40% of Irvine's total land area is preserved as parks, trails, and open space.

Famous People from Irvine, California

WF
Will Ferrell
Screenwriter, Writer · Born Jul 16, 1967 · Age 58
RB
Rebecca Black
Actor, Singer · Born Jun 21, 1997 · Age 28
Y
Yeat
Audio Engineer, Singer · Born Feb 26, 2000 · Age 25
AP
Aaron Peirsol
Swimmer · Born Jul 23, 1983 · Age 42
AD
Austin Daye
Basketball Player · Born Jun 5, 1988 · Age 37
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