Costa Mesa, California

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Costa Mesa, California
City
City of Costa Mesa
Diego Sepúlveda Adobe
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  "City of the Arts!"
Location of Costa Mesa in Orange County, California
Costa Mesa Location within Greater Los Angeles Costa Mesa Location in California Costa Mesa Location in the United States Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan areaShow map of CaliforniaShow map of the United StatesShow all
Coordinates: 33°39′54″N 117°54′44″W / 33.66500°N 117.91222°W / 33.66500; -117.91222Coordinates: 33°39′54″N 117°54′44″W / 33.66500°N 117.91222°W / 33.66500; -117.91222
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
Incorporated	June 29, 1953[3]
Government
• Type	Council-CEO
• City Council[1]	Mayor John Stephens Mayor Pro Tem Andrea Marr John Harper Loren Gameros Manuel Chavez Jeff Harlan Arlis Reynolds
• City Manager	Lori Ann Farrell Harrison[2]
Area [4]
• Total	15.81 sq mi (40.96 km2)
• Land	15.81 sq mi (40.94 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)  0.29%
Elevation [5]	98 ft (30 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	109,960
• Estimate  (2019)[6]	113,003
• Rank	8th in Orange County 58th in California
• Density	7,149.37/sq mi (2,760.35/km2)
Demonym(s)	Costa Mesan
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes	92626–92628
Area code(s)	714/657/949
FIPS code	06-16532
GNIS feature IDs	1652692, 2410239
Website	www.costamesaca.gov

Costa Mesa (/ˌkoʊstə ˈmeɪsə/) is a city in Orange County, California. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a suburban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city, one of the region's largest commercial clusters, with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 United States Census.

History[]

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Members of the Gabrieleño/Tongva and Juaneño/Luiseño nations long inhabited the area. After the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolà, a Spanish expedition led by Junípero Serra named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana (Valley of Saint Anne). On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano became the area's first permanent European settlement in Alta California, New Spain.

In 1801, the Spanish Empire granted 62,500 acres (253 km²) to Jose Antonio Yorba, which he named Rancho San Antonio. Yorba's great rancho included the lands where the communities of Olive, Orange, Villa Park, Santa Ana, Tustin, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach stand today.

After the Mexican-American war, California became part of the United States, and American settlers arrived in this area and formed the town of Fairview in the 1880s near the modern intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue. However, a flood in 1889 wiped out the railroad serving the community, and it shriveled.

To the south, meanwhile, the community of Harper had arisen on a siding of the Santa Ana and Newport Railroad, named after a local rancher. This town prospered on its agricultural goods. On May 11, 1920, Harper changed its name to Costa Mesa, which means "coast table(land)" in Spanish. This is a reference to the city's geography as being a plateau by the coast. Fanny Bixby Spencer and her husband sponsored the contest which selected the city's new name.^[7]

Costa Mesa surged in population during and after World War II, as many thousands trained at Santa Ana Army Air Base and returned after the war with their families. Within three decades of incorporation, the city's population had nearly quintupled.^[8]

Geography[]

Costa Mesa is located 37 miles (60 km) southeast of Los Angeles, 87 miles (140 km) northwest of San Diego and 425 miles (684 km) southeast of San Francisco. Costa Mesa encompasses a total of 16 square miles (41 km²) with its southernmost border only 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Pacific Ocean. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (41 km²). 15.7 square miles (41 km²) of it is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) of it (0.29%) is water.

Climate[]

Costa Mesa has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) with mild temperatures year round. Rain falls primarily in the winter months and is close to nonexistent during the summer. Morning low clouds and fog are common due to its coastal location.

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1960	37,550		—
1970	72,660		93.5%
1980	82,562		13.6%
1990	96,357		16.7%
2000	108,724		12.8%
2010	109,960		1.1%
2019 (est.)	113,003	[6]	2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

2010[]

At the 2010 census Costa Mesa had a population of 109,960. The population density was 7,004.0 people per square mile (2,704.3/km²). The racial makeup of Costa Mesa was 75,335 (68.5%) White (51.8% Non-Hispanic White),^[11] 1,640 (1.5%) African American, 686 (0.6%) Native American, 8,654 (7.9%) Asian, 527 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 17,992 (16.4%) from other races, and 5,126 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39,403 persons (35.8%).^[12]

The Census reported that 106,990 people (97.3% of the population) lived in households, 2,232 (2.0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 738 (0.7%) were institutionalized.

There were 39,946 households, 12,298 (30.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 16,478 (41.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,369 (10.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,392 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,013 (7.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 281 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,963 households (27.4%) were one person and 2,775 (6.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68. There were 23,239 families (58.2% of households); the average family size was 3.30.

The age distribution was 23,682 people (21.5%) under the age of 18, 12,847 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 38,211 people (34.7%) aged 25 to 44, 25,106 people (22.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,114 people (9.2%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.

There were 42,120 housing units at an average density of 2,682.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 15,799 (39.6%) were owner-occupied and 24,147 (60.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 42,517 people (38.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 64,473 people (58.6%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009–2013, Costa Mesa had a median household income of $65,830, with 15.1% of the population living below the poverty line.^[11]

2000[]

At the 2000 census there were 108,724 people in 39,206 households, including 22,778 families, in the city. The population density was 6,956.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,685.8/km²). There were 40,406 housing units at an average density of 2,585.2 per square mile (998.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.48% White, 1.40% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 6.90% Asian, 0.60% Pacific Islander, 16.57% from other races, and 4.27% from two or more races. 31.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[13] Of the 39,206 households 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 6.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.34.

The age distribution was 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.

The median household income was $50,732 and the median family income was $55,456. Males had a median income of $38,670 versus $32,365 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,342. About 8.2% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Housing[]

Measure Y is a ballot initiative approved by voters in 2016. It requires public approval of projects that have a general plan amendment or zoning change and would add 40 or more dwelling units or 10,000 or more square feet of commercial space.^[14] The median housing price is $807,000 ($505 per sq ft) and $3,500 for the median rent per month.^[15]

Economy[]

The city's economy relies heavily on retail and services. The largest center of commercial activity is South Coast Plaza, a shopping center noted for its architecture and size. The volume of sales generated by South Coast Plaza, on the strength of its more than 270 stores, places it among the highest volume regional shopping centers in the nation. It generates more than $1 billion per year in revenue.^{[citation needed]} South Coast Metro is a commercial, cultural, and residential district surrounding South Coast Plaza in northern Costa Mesa and southern Santa Ana, itself part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city.

Some manufacturing activity also takes place in the city, mostly in the industrial, southwestern quarter, which is home to a number of electronics, pharmaceuticals and plastics firms. Business services company Experian is the largest employer in the city,^{[citation needed]} and has its North American headquarters in Costa Mesa.

Ceradyne, El Pollo Loco, Emulex, Hurley, RVCA, Toyota Racing Development, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Vans, and Volcom are among the businesses headquartered in Costa Mesa. A local newspaper, the Daily Pilot, is published by the Los Angeles Times.

Costa Mesa offers 26 parks, a municipal golf course, 26 public schools and two libraries.

Top employers[]

According to the city's 2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[16] the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of employees
1	El Pollo Loco	3,998
2	Experian	3,700
3	Coast Community College District Foundation	2,900
4	Orange Coast College	1,900
5	Automobile Club of Southern California	1,200
6	Dynamic Cooking Systems	700
7	IBM FileNet	600
8	Sure Haven	550
9	TTM Technologies	500
10	Shurflo	430

Arts and culture[]

Annual cultural events[]

The Orange County Fair takes place at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa each July. The Fair receives more than one million visitors each year.^{[citation needed]}

The Annual Scarecrow & Pumpkin Festival was first held in 1938, went on hiatus for seven decades, and then was restarted in 2013.^[17]

Facilities[]

Adjacent to the Fairgrounds is the Pacific Amphitheatre, which has hosted acts such as Madonna, Jessica Simpson, Steppenwolf, and Kelly Clarkson.

The Segerstrom Center for the Arts and South Coast Repertory Theater are based in the city.

Los Angeles Chargers[]

Costa Mesa has been home to the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers training center, training camp and cooperate headquarters since 2017. The team agreed to a lease with the facility they moved into prior to their relocation from San Diego.

The building is a former office space, but Chargers players and coaches said it was an upgrade from what the team had in San Diego.^[18] The team has a 10-year lease on the building. The team gutted the first floor of the building to make room for team rooms. Construction cost more than $3.8 million. Decades prior, the facility was a lima bean farm owned by a Swedish immigrant family who became prominent developers in Orange County.^[19]

Government[]

Local[]

A general law city, Costa Mesa has a council-manager form of government. In November 2016, voters approved changing the City Council seats from at-large to six voting districts and a directly elected mayor, who acts as the chairperson for the council and head of the government. Day to day, the city is run by a professional city manager and staff of approximately 460 full-time employees.

Management of the city and coordination of city services are provided by:^[20]

Needle exchange programs are prohibited in Costa Mesa.^[21]

Office	Officeholder
City Manager	Lori Ann Farrell Harrison
Assistant City Manager	Susan Price
City Attorney	Kimberly Hall Barlow
City Clerk	Brenda Green
Acting Economic & Development Services Director	Jennifer Le
Finance Director	Carol Molina
I.T. Director	Steve Ely
Public Services Director	Raja Sethuraman
Parks and Community Services Director	Jason Minter
Fire Chief	Dan Stefano
Police Chief	Bryan Glass

State and federal[]

In the California State Legislature, Costa Mesa is in the 37th Senate District, represented by Democrat Dave Min, and in the 74th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Cottie Petrie-Norris.^[22]

In the United States House of Representatives, Costa Mesa is in California's 48th congressional district, represented by Republican Michelle Steel.^[23]

Politics[]

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Costa Mesa has 55,849 registered voters. Of those, 17,920 (32.1%) are registered Democrats, 17,900 (32.1%) are registered Republicans, and 17,019 (30.5%) have declined to state a political party/are independents.^[24]

Until 2008, Costa Mesa was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Since 2008, Costa Mesa has mostly voted Democratic in presidential elections, owing to the GOP's shift towards cultural conservatism. In 2008, Barack Obama was the first Democrat to carry Costa Mesa in decades, while Republican nominee Mitt Romney carried the city by only 364 votes in the 2012 presidential election. Costa Mesa flipped back to Democratic in 2016, voting for Hillary Clinton by a 10.2% margin, and for Joe Biden by a 14.6% margin in 2020.

In 2008, Costa Mesa was one of four cities in Orange County to vote against Proposition 8 (along with Aliso Viejo, Irvine, and Laguna Beach), a statewide ballot measure that banned same-sex marriages.

Costa Mesa city vote
by party in presidential elections

Year	Democratic	Republican	Third Parties
2020[25]	56.00% 29,804	41.44% 22,056	2.55% 1,358
2016[26]	50.95% 21,528	40.75% 17,219	8.30% 3,507
2012[27]	47.66% 18,414	48.60% 18,778	3.74% 1,443
2008[28]	51.88% 20,542	45.32% 17,945	2.80% 1,107
2004[29]	42.91% 16,442	55.55% 21,284	1.54% 590
2000[30]	40.06% 13,733	54.13% 18,556	5.81% 1,990
1996[31]	36.97% 11,949	50.16% 16,213	12.87% 4,161
1992[32]	32.46% 12,702	40.02% 15,659	27.52% 10,769
1988[33]	33.90% 11,849	64.47% 22,534	1.63% 571
1984[34]	26.16% 8,908	72.39% 24,652	1.45% 493
1980[35]	24.67% 7,796	63.38% 20,028	11.95% 3,775
1976[36]	35.51% 9,805	62.16% 17,161	2.33% 643

Education[]

Institutions of higher learning located in Costa Mesa include Orange Coast College, Vanguard University (affiliated with the Assemblies of God), Whittier Law School (a satellite of Whittier College) and National University (a private university based in La Jolla, California).

Costa Mesa has two public high schools, Costa Mesa High School and Estancia High School. Costa Mesa has two public middle schools; Tewinkle Middle School, which was named after Costa Mesa's first mayor, and Costa Mesa Middle School which shares the same campus as Costa Mesa High School. Costa Mesa also has two alternative high schools that share the same campus, Back Bay High School and Monte Vista High School and another, Coastline Early College High School which is on its own facility.

Infrastructure[]

Transportation[]

Costa Mesa is served by several bus lines of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), but most transportation is by automobile. Two freeways terminate here, State Route 73 and State Route 55 (also known as the Costa Mesa Freeway). The San Diego Freeway, Interstate 405, also runs through the city.

Civic Center[]

The 9.5 acre (38,000 m²) Costa Mesa Civic Center is located at 77 Fair Drive. City hall is a five-story building where the primary administrative functions of the city are conducted. Also contained in the Civic Center complex are Council Chambers, the Police facility, Communications building and Fire Station No. 5.

Emergency services[]

Fire protection is provided by the Costa Mesa Fire Department.^{[citation needed]} Law enforcement is the responsibility of the Costa Mesa Police Department. Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Costa Mesa Fire Department and Care Ambulance Service.

Notable people[]

• See List of people from Costa Mesa, California

Sister city[]

• Wyndham, Australia^[37]

See also[]

• Los Angeles Times suburban sections

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Costa Mesa, California.

• Costa Mesa travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website
• City of Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce
• City of Costa Mesa official Conference & Visitor Bureau