Newport Beach

Sister cities

• Yeosu
• Juan-les-Pins
• Cabo San Lucas
• Okazaki
• Antibes

History

The Upper Bay of Newport is a canyon carved by a stream in the Pleistocene period. The Lower Bay of Newport was formed much later by sand brought along by ocean currents, which constructed the offshore beach now recognized as the Balboa Peninsula of Newport Beach. For thousands of years, the Tongva people lived on the land in an extensive, thriving community. The Tongva villages of Genga and Moyongna were located in Newport Beach. The Spanish Empire colonized the land, followed by Mexicans and Americans, all of whom displaced the Tongva. The State of California sold -plots of land for $1 apiece in the Newport area. Anglo-American inhabitation in the area grew substantially following 1870 when a 105-ton steamer named The Vaquero, captained by Captain Samuel S. Dunnells (against warnings posted by surveyors), safely steered through the lower and upper bay of Newport where it unloaded its cargo. James Irvine, upon hearing the astonishing news, quickly traveled from his home in San Francisco to the San Joaquin Ranch. Meeting in Irvine's ranch house near present-day UC Irvine with his brother Robert Irvine and friend James McFadden, they agreed that the newly found port should be simply named "Newport" which is where Newport Beach gets its name. James McFadden built a long McFadden Wharf in 1888, it became a shipping hub. In 1905, city development increased when the Pacific Electric Railway established a southern terminus in Newport connecting the beach with downtown Los Angeles. In 1906 (with a population of 206 citizens), the scattered settlements were incorporated as the City of Newport Beach. Settlements were filled in on the Peninsula, West Newport, Newport Island, Balboa Island, and Lido Isle. In 1923, Corona del Mar was annexed and in 2002, Newport Coast, East…

Geography

Newport Beach extends in elevation from sea level to the summit of Signal Peak in the San Joaquin Hills, but the official elevation is above sea level at a location of (33.616671, −117.897604). The city is bordered on the west by Huntington Beach at the Santa Ana River; on the north by Costa Mesa, John Wayne Airport, the City of Irvine and UC Irvine; and on the east by Crystal Cove State Park. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it (55.07%) is water. Areas of Newport Beach include Corona del Mar, Balboa Island, Balboa Peninsula (also known as Balboa), Lido Peninsula, Newport Coast, San Joaquin Hills, Santa Ana Heights, and West Newport. Newport Harbor is a semi-artificial harbor that was formed by dredging Newport Bay estuary during the early 1900s. Several artificial islands were built, which are now covered with private homes: Newport Island, Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island, Collins Island, Bay Island, Harbor Island, Lido Isle, and Linda Isle. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries such as boatbuilding, shipbuilding, and commercial fishing, but today it is used mostly for recreation. Its shores are occupied mostly by private homes and private docks. Newport Harbor has approximately 9,000 boats and is one of the largest recreational boat harbors on the U.S. west coast. It is a popular destination for all boating activities, including sailing, fishing, rowing, canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Commercial maritime operations today include the Catalina Flyer ferry to Catalina Island, harbor tours, sport fishing, whale watching day trips, and charters as well as a few small commercial fishing boats. Newport Bay is divided by the Pacific Coast Highway bridge, which is too low for…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  86,489
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  81,822
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  75,469
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  66,077
• Allen's Hummingbird

  Selasphorus sasin (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  61,157
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  60,856
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  52,738
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  51,375

Largest nearby schools

• Fountain Valley High
  High · Fountain Valley · 3,180 students · 26.3:1 ratio
• Huntington Beach High
  High · Huntington Beach · 2,807 students · 26.2:1 ratio
• Segerstrom High
  High · Santa Ana · 2,489 students · 25.4:1 ratio
• Newport Harbor High
  High · Newport Beach · 2,268 students · 23.9:1 ratio
• Valley High
  High · Santa Ana · 2,197 students · 20.9:1 ratio
• Corona del Mar High
  High · Newport Beach · 2,059 students · 22.4:1 ratio
• Edison High
  High · Huntington Beach · 2,034 students · 21.2:1 ratio
• Hector G. Godinez
  High · Santa Ana · 2,026 students · 21.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.56 — 2026-09-13
  27 km SSE of Malibu, CA
• M 2.65 — 2026-09-12
  4 km E of Lennox, CA
• M 3.31 — 2026-09-12
  26 km ESE of Avalon, CA
• M 2.95 — 2026-09-12
  26 km ESE of Avalon, CA
• M 2.54 — 2026-09-12
  26 km ESE of Avalon, CA
• M 2.62 — 2026-09-12
  5 km WNW of Willowbrook, CA