More about Irvine

Irvine is an incorporated city located in Orange County, California. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated in 1971, the 46-square mile city has a population of 152,048 (as of 2003). It currently has plans to annex an undeveloped area to the north, as well as the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, most of which is to be made into a park called the Orange County Great Park. Irvine has been consistently ranked among the safest cities in the U.S., currently 3rd safest  among cities with populations between 100,000 and 499,999 residents and 11th safest overall  (data compiled by Morgan Quinto Press  and based on 2003 FBI crime statistics). The city has also been acclaimed for its stellar public schools under the Irvine Unified School District, attracting young families seeking schools with above average standardized test scores and other performance distinctions. Residents living in the western and northern regions of Irvine are served by the Tustin Unified School District, which is similarly noted for its outstanding schools winning national recognition. Irvine is home to the University of California, Irvine (UCI), ranked the 12th best public university in the nation according to the U.S. News and World Reports 2004 annual rankings, and 43rd overall. Irvine is a growing hub of the commercial and technology industries. Companies in the technology sector, including the American division of Toshiba, Blizzard Entertainment, and Broadcom call the Irvine home. Other major corporations have settled into the city as well, such as the offices of automotive giants Ford and Mazda, as well as fast food chains In-N-Out Burger and Taco Bell, both of which are headquartered in Irvine. The citys two biggest employers are UCI and Verizon. In recent years, the area has attracted a number of minority groups notably comprised of Chinese-American, Korean-American, and Iranian-American populations. The presence of such diversity is reflected by the emergence of various ethnically-influenced small businesses in local shopping centers. However, Irvine is not to be mistaken with cities comprised of much larger Asian populations in neighboring Los Angeles County such as Monterey Park and Rowland Heights. In 1992, former Irvine mayor Larry Agran briefly attracted national attention by running as a protest candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Contents //