COMMUNITY PROFILE
holdings as the Irvine Company in 1894. Agriculture intensified during World War I, and by 1918, about 60,000 acres of the Irvine Ranch were used to grow lima beans. During World War II, two Marine Corps air facilities were built on land sold to the government by the Irvine Company. In 1959, the University of California asked the Irvine Company for 1,000 acres for a new campus. The Irvine Company agreed, and the state accepted and purchased an additional 500 acres. The university’s consulting architect, William Perei ra, and the Irvine Company planners drew up master plans for a city of 50,000 people surrounding the university. The area would include industrial zones, residential and recreational areas, commercial centers, and greenbelts. The Irvine Industrial Complex West (now known as the Irvine Business Complex) opened, and the villages of Turtle Rock, University Park, Culverdale, the Ranch, and Walnut were completed in 1970.
Fly past parade at the former Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro
Circa 1943 Photograph courtesy of The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
On December 28, 1971, residents voted to incorporate a substantially larger city than originally envisioned by the Pereira
plan. The goal was to control the future of the area and protect its tax base. The City of Irvine’s current residential population has grown to 303,051 and encompasses 66 square miles, with a sphere of influence area of 74 square miles.
Demographics Irvine’s strength is the people who make up its community. The City’s population has grown significantly over the past 52 years, with population increases averaging 20 percent per year between 1970 and 1980. Between 1980 and 1990, the annual increase dropped to 7 percent per year. Since 1990, the annual increase has averaged more than 3 percent per year.
As Irvine has grown, so has its diversity and economic strength. Today, Irvine is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse and fully integrated cities in the country. The median age of the City’s residents is
FY 2023-25 Adopted Budget
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