Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city of 110,330 people in Orange County, California, founded in 1776.
Why visit Costa Mesa
Townapedia lists 29 museums and landmarks, 44 parks and trails, 263 places to eat, 23 places to stay and 14 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Edwards Metro Pointe Stadium 12, South Coast Repertory, Orange County Museum of Art and Balboa Inn.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; December lows average 48°F.
Weather in Costa Mesa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa ( KOH-stə MAY-sə; Spanish for 'Mesa Coast') is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban 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 111,918 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Costa Mesa, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do14
California Southern University
School · 1.8 mi
For-profit university in Costa Mesa, California
Vanguard University of Southern California
School · 0.7 mi
Christian university in California
Veritas International University
School · 2.4 mi
Non-profit Christian university in Santa Ana, California, USA
2 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks29
Balboa Inn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Hotel
Balboa Pavilion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
Architectural structure
Helme-Worthy Store and Residence
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Historic building in California, United States
Lovell Beach House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Architectural structure
Main Street Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.0 mi
Public library in Huntington Beach, California, USA
Newland House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
1898 farmhouse in Huntington Beach, California
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USS YMS-328
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
1942 YMS-1-class minesweeper converted to a yacht owned by John Wayne
Huntington Beach Municipal Pier
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Heritage Museum of Orange County
Museum · 3.8 mi
Museum in California
17 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds44
32 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes263
Milligram Coffee and Kitchen
Restaurant · Breakfast, Coffee Shop · 2.2 mi
Locally sourced and seasonal produce, combined with modern and clean cooking techniques. Our menu rotates monthly, offering dine-in...
234 East 17th Street, Costa Mesa
Sa-Mo 07:30-17:00; Tu-Fr 07:30-21:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
3030 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa
Mo-Fr 04:30-21:00; Sa-Su 05:00-21:00
Filomena's Italian Kitchen & Market
Restaurant · Italian · 0.8 mi
2400 Newport Boulevard, Costa Mesa
Tu-Fr 11:30-21:30; Sa 16:30-21:30; Su 16:30-20:30
Gina’s Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.6 mi
2701 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
Habana
Restaurant · Latin American · 1.7 mi
2930 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa
Mo-Th 11:00-01:00; Fr 11:00-02:00; Sa 09:00-02:00; Su 09:00-01:00
Kabob Republic
Restaurant · Mediterranean · 1.9 mi
1781 Newport Boulevard, Costa Mesa
Mo-Su 11:00-20:45
Rance's Chicago Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi
1420 Baker Street
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Seabirds Kitchen
Diner · American · 1.7 mi
2390 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa
Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa-Su 10:00-21:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.1 mi
1170 West Baker Street, Costa Mesa
Mo-Fr 04:30-21:30; Sa-Su 04:30-21:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.7 mi
2300 Harbor Boulevard, Harbor Center
Mo-Sa 04:30-22:00; Su 05:00-22:00
251 more on the map.
History
Members of the Tongva and Acjachemen nations long inhabited the area. The Tongva villages of Lupukngna, at least 3,000 years old, and the shared Tongva and Acjachemen village of Genga, at least 9,500 years old, were located in the area on the bluffs along the Santa Ana River.
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.
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.
To the south, meanwhile, the community of Harper had arisen on a siding of the Santa Ana and Newport Railway, 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 "coastal tableland" 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.
From the History section of Costa Mesa, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay23
Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa
Motel and hotel · 2.6 mi
3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa
Travelodge Orange County Airport/ Costa Mesa
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
1400 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa
Westin South Coast Plaza
Motel and hotel · 2.4 mi
686 Anton Boulevard, Costa Mesa
Churches and places of worship23
Church of ONAC - Medical Marijuana
Place of worship · 1.3 mi
2001 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa
First United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.6 mi
420 West 19th Street, Costa Mesa
Kingdom Hall Of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.0 mi
669 West 18th Street, Costa Mesa
Shopping53
Gas and EV charging26
Schools, colleges and libraries77
Healthcare8
Map of Costa Mesa
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67°F | 49°F | 2.6 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 50°F | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 52°F | 1.6 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 55°F | 0.5 in |
| May | 71°F | 59°F | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 63°F | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 66°F | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 67°F | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 65°F | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 59°F | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 72°F | 53°F | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 66°F | 48°F | 2.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Santa Ana John Wayne Ap (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Orange County has had 26 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-10-16: Norte Fire (Fire)
- 2026-05-25: Chemical Release (Chemical)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2022-05-12: Coastal Fire (Fire)
- 2020-12-03: Bond Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
John Wayne Airport (SNA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Newport Beach 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Fountain Valley 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Santa Ana 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Huntington Beach 6 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Tustin 7 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Midway City 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Westminster 8 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
- Irvine 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Garden Grove 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Orange 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Costa Mesa 01 Photo Don Ramey Logan, Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, circa 1960s, Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0
- Race and ethnicity 2020 Costa Mesa, CA, CensusDots, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orange Coast College Planetarium, Costa Mesa, California, 2019, Unknown author Unknown author, CC BY 4.0
- Sunflowers at sunset, Costa Mesa, CA, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- BalboaPavilion, Flickr user fontplaydotcom, CC BY 2.0
- Wild Goose, Abhishake4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lovell Beach House 01, ikkoskinen, CC BY 2.0
- Balboa Inn, Epolk ( talk ), Public domain
- Newland House, CathyHatfield, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Triangle Park & Main Street Library, Sept 2014 (2), Kathy92648, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Helme-worth store and residence, Epolk at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Technology Building, Orange Coast College, Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0
- Orange-Coast-College-Science-Building-GRI-14-1024x827, Julius Shulman, CC BY 4.0
- Architect's sketch of Science Building, Orange Coast College, Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0
- Image of Architect's sketch, Science Building, Orange Coast College, Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0
- Library, Orange Coast College, Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0
- Auditorium, Orange Coast College, Orange County Archives, CC BY 2.0
- Pacific Amphitheatre, Epolk, CC0
- Orange Coast College Pool - panoramio, Rosemarie McKeon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Orange County Fair nighttime 2023, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- OC Fair 2024 water fill, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- OC Fair 2024, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yorkshire mix sow and piglets, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Patty pan squash - prize winner top, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Red onion bulb, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Onion bulb - prize winner, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dar cucumbers, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Persian cucumbers, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Heirloom cucumbers, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Patty pan squash - prize winner oblique, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tomatillo with split skin - prize winner, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pomegranate - prize winner, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tomatillo - prize winner, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Japanese cucumbers, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eggplant - prize winner, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Black Beauty eggplant, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chinese eggplant, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Abelmoschus esculentus - Okra, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blackberries OC Fair, Eric Polk, CC BY-SA 4.0
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