Overview

Introduction to Newport Beach

Incorporated in 1906, the Pacific coastal city of Newport Beach, California, is situated in Orange County, 10 miles south of downtown Santa Ana and 17 miles south of Anaheim. Bordering the city is Huntington Beach to the west, Costa Mesa and Irvine to the north and Crystal Cove State Park to the east. Newport Beach is home to several well known communities, including Corona del Mar, Balboa Island, Newport Coast, San Joaquin Hills and Balboa Peninsula (also known as Balboa).

In 1870, Captain Samuel S. Dunnells successfully steered his 105-ton river steamer, the "Vaquero," through upper Newport Bay, dispelling the prevalent theory at the time that the bay was too treacherous for travel. The harbor was named a "New Port" by the principal landowners in the area, James and Robert McFadden, who created McFadden's Landing and a few years later, McFadden's Wharf. By the early 1900s, Newport Beach had already become a tourist destination with the arrival of the Pacific Electric Railway, which terminated at the Balboa Pavilion. By the mid-20th century, a number of famous celebrities would call Newport Beach their home. One of the most recognizable was John Wayne (known as "the Duke"). Other area celebrities over the years have included Shirley Temple, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Roy Rogers, Joey Bishop and George Burns. Today, Newport Beach remains very much a tourist destination, possessing a harbor crowded with boats, streets busy with shoppers and 6.2 miles of beaches filled with surfers and swimmers.

Things To Do In Newport Beach

Visitors to Newport Beach will never be at a loss for things to do, places to go or sights to see. True to its name, the city offers numerous beaches to suit every beachgoer's taste, among them the Wedge (a body-surfing hot-spot). Other outdoor attractions include:

  • The Catalina Flyer: a giant 500 passenger catamaran, which provides daily transportation from the Balboa Peninsula to Santa Catalina Island.
  • The Balboa Fun Zone: features a Ferris wheel, a 14-foot trampoline, an old-time carousel built in 1938, laser tag, and bumper cars in addition to restaurants and shops.
  • The Back Bay: a wildlife sanctuary.
  • The Newport Aquatic Center: offers kayaking, canoeing, and rowing and has been used as a training ground for many Olympians throughout the years.
  • The Balboa Island Ferry: transports pedestrians, cars, and bikes across the harbor channel between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula.
  • Fashion Island: provides an outdoor shopping experience with over 200 stores and 40 restaurants.

Among the many cultural and historic attractions in Newport Beach are the following:

  • Newport Theater Arts Center: Known as the finest community theater in Orange County.
  • Sherman Gardens Photo Tour: includes a beautiful public garden as well as the Sherman Library for California history.
  • The Orange County Museum of Art: exhibits art from a variety of modern artists.
  • Balboa Pavilion: Newport Beach's first landmark, built in 1905.
  • McFadden's Wharf: built in 1889.
  • Newport Harbor Nautical Museum: the largest nautical museum in Orange County.
  • Lido Marine Village: open air center with brick walkways, interesting shops, and gondola rides.

Annual events which take place in Newport Beach include the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race and Newport Beach International Film Festival (both held in April), the Newport Beach Festival of the Arts (held in May), the SandCastle Contest (a sand-sculpture contest held at Corona del Mar City and State Beach every summer), Flight of the Lasers (a sailboat race held in Newport Harbor every July), Character Boat Parade/Wooden Boat Festival (also held in July), Taste of Newport (a three-day food, wine and music festival held in September) and the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade (held in mid-December).

Orange County is home to several world-class attractions that are located outside the city borders of Newport Beach but still within easy commuting distance. These include Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Park (Anaheim), Knott's Berry Farm & Knott's Soak City (Buena Park), the International Surfing Museum (Huntington Beach), the Orange County Zoo (Orange), the Wild Rivers Waterpark (Irvine) and the Marconi Automotive Museum (Tustin).

Orange County is also home to several pro sports teams. Baseball fans can watch Major League action when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play their home games. Hockey fans can take the short trip to Anaheim to see the NHL's Mighty Ducks. Surfers will recognize nearby Huntington Beach as home to the Surfing Hall of Fame.

Demographics

People

Total Population86,280
Male Share of the Population49%
Female Share of the Population51%
Senior Citizens22.7%
Employed Population 16+43,022
Age of the Population47

Families

% of people married53.5%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher68.5%
Median Earnings25+$75,481
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$28,594
Median Earnings With High School Degree$53,723

Wealth

Median Family Income$168,787
% Above Poverty Level93.4%
% Below Poverty Level6.6%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time25 minutes
% Working from Home10.8%
% Walking and Biking to Work2%
% Using Public Transportation0.5%

Housing

People Living Alone33.4%
Median Gross Rent$2,175
Median House Value$1,787,300

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)23.6%
German14.6%
Irish12.6%
English11.8%
Italian8%
French Except Basque3.8%
Swedish3.6%
Polish2.8%
Scottish2.8%
Russian2.5%
Norwegian2.1%
Iranian2%
Dutch1.4%
Arab1.3%
Hungarian1.1%
Danishn1.1%
Welsh1%
Greek0.8%
African0.7%
Austrian0.6%
Swiss0.6%
Ukrainian0.6%
US/American0.6%
Czech0.5%
Slovak0.5%
Portuguese0.5%
Canadian0.5%
Croatian0.5%
South African0.4%
Lebanese0.3%
Finnish0.3%
Belgian0.2%
Lithuanian0.2%
Australian0.2%
Estonian0.2%
West Indian0.1%
Turkish0.1%
Egyptian0.1%
Nigerian0.1%
Serbian0.1%
New Zealand0.1%
Basque0.1%
Syrian0.1%
Romanian0.1%
Israeli0.1%
Iraqi0.1%
Brazilian0.1%
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Newport Beach Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyOrange County
Standard Zip Codes92661, 92660, 92663, 92662, 92657
P.O. Box Zip Codes92659, 92658
Phone Area Codes949
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude33.62
Approximate Longitude-117.92

Newport Beach Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationNEWPORT BEACH HARBOR
Distance2.9 miles
Jan Temp48 to 64 F
Apr Temp54 to 66 F
Jul Temp63 to 71 F
Oct Temp59 to 71 F
Annual Precip11.6 inches
StationLAGUNA BEACH
Distance9.6 miles
Jan Temp44 to 67 F
Apr Temp49 to 71 F
Jul Temp60 to 77 F
Oct Temp55 to 76 F
Annual Precip13.5 inches
StationTUSTIN IRVINE RANCH
Distance11.7 miles
Jan Temp41 to 68 F
Apr Temp48 to 73 F
Jul Temp60 to 84 F
Oct Temp53 to 79 F
Annual Precip13.8 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Costa Mesa113,198$84,311
Fountain Valley56,372$98,514
Huntington Beach200,606$106,305
Irvine265,502$123,658
Laguna Beach23,147$180,211
Santa Ana333,499$59,516

Newport Beach Public Libraries

Newport Beach Public Library
1000 AVOCADO AVE.
Newport Beach, California
(949) 717-3800

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More Information for Librarians

Newport Beach Hospitals

Newport Bay Hospital
(Proprietary)
1501 East 16th Street
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
(Non-profit)
One Hoag Drive

Newport Beach Public Schools

Newport Coast Elementary
6655 Ridge Park Rd.
ZIP: 92657
Primary
Total Enrollment 595
California Pacific Charter School North Central California
1200 Quail St. #175
ZIP: 92660
California Pacific Charter School Of Central California
1200 Quail St. #175
ZIP: 92660
California Pacific Charter School Of San Diego
1200 Quail St. #175
ZIP: 92660
California Pacific Charter Schs-newcastle (calpac-newcastle)
1200 Quail St., Ste. 175
ZIP: 92660
Corona Del Mar High
2101 E.bluff Dr.
ZIP: 92660
High
Total Enrollment 2557
Eastbluff Elementary
2627 Vista Del Oro
ZIP: 92660
Primary
Total Enrollment 398
Mariners Elementary
2100 Mariners Dr.
ZIP: 92660
Primary
Total Enrollment 742
Roy O. Andersen Elementary
1900 Port Seabourne Way
ZIP: 92660
Primary
Total Enrollment 370
Newport Elementary
1327 W. Balboa Blvd.
ZIP: 92661
Primary
Total Enrollment 485
Horace Ensign Intermediate
2000 Cliff Dr.
ZIP: 92663
Middle
Total Enrollment 1173
Newport Harbor High
600 Irvine Ave.
ZIP: 92663
High
Total Enrollment 2355
Newport Heights Elementary
300 E. 15th St.
ZIP: 92663
Primary
Total Enrollment 685

Newport Beach Private Schools

Newport Christian School
1000 Bison Ave
ZIP: 92660
Elementary
Total Enrollment 26
Newport Coast Preschool
2350 Ford Rd
ZIP: 92660
Elementary
Total Enrollment 22
Newport Montessori School
20221 Sw Cypress St
ZIP: 92660
Elementary
Total Enrollment 10
Our Lady Queen Of Angels School
2046 Mar Vista Dr
ZIP: 92660
Elementary
Total Enrollment 455
St Matthew's Montessori
2300 Ford Rd
ZIP: 92660
Elementary
Total Enrollment 18
Carden Hall
1541 Monrovia Ave
ZIP: 92663
Elementary
Total Enrollment 433
Sources :
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