Members of theTongva andAcjachemen nations long inhabited the area. The Tongva villages ofLupukngna, at least 3,000 years old, and the shared Tongva and Acjachemen village ofGenga, at least 9,500 years old, were located in the area on the bluffs along theSanta Ana River.[8][9]
After theMexican-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 theSanta 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.[7] 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.[11]
Costa Mesa surged in population during and after World War II, as many thousands trained atSanta Ana Army Air Base and returned after the war with their families. Within three decades of incorporation, the city's population had nearly quintupled.[12]
Costa Mesa is located 37 miles (60 km) southeast ofLos Angeles, and 87 miles (140 km) northwest ofSan Diego. 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.
Costa Mesa has asemi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSh) with mild temperatures year round. Rain falls primarily in the winter months and is close to nonexistent during the summer.
Climate data forJohn Wayne Airport, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1998–present
Costa Mesa was first listed as an unincorporated community in the1950 U.S. census as part of unincorporated Newport Beach Township;[24] and listed as a city in the1960 U.S. census.[25]
Costa Mesa, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households, 1.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.4% were institutionalized.[36]
There were 42,179 households, out of which 28.2% included children under the age of 18, 41.2% were married-couple households, 9.5% werecohabiting couple households, 27.0% had a female householder with no partner present, and 22.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 26.5% of households were one person, and 8.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61.[36] There were 25,143families (59.6% of all households).[37]
The age distribution was 19.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% aged 18 to 24, 35.0% aged 25 to 44, 24.0% aged 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 35.9years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males.[36]
There were 44,047 housing units at an average density of 2,786.7 units per square mile (1,076.0 units/km2), of which 42,179 (95.8%) were occupied. Of these, 38.9% were owner-occupied, and 61.1% were occupied by renters.[36]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $110,073, and theper capita income was $56,625. About 5.2% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line.[38]
At the2010 census Costa Mesa had a population of 109,960. The population density was 7,004.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,704.3/km2). The racial makeup of Costa Mesa was 75,335 (68.5%) White (51.8% Non-Hispanic White),[39] 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%).[40]
TheCensus 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.[citation needed]
There were 39,946 households, 12,298 (30.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 16,478 (41.3%) wereopposite-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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[39]
Measure Y is a ballot initiativeapproved 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.[41] The median housing price is $807,000 ($505 per sq ft) and $3,500 for the median rent per month.[42] Measure Y was amended in 2022 byMeasure K.
The city's economy relies heavily on retail andservices. The largest center of commercial activity isSouth 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.[43]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 theSouth 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 companyExperian has its North American headquarters in Costa Mesa.
TheTrinity Broadcasting Network was headquartered in Costa Mesa (and had its main production studio there) until it relocated most of its operations.[44]
Costa Mesa has been home to theNFL'sLas Vegas Raiders training camp since 2024. Previously it was home to the training center, training camp and corporate headquarters of theLos Angeles Chargers from 2017 to 2024. The team agreed to a lease of the facility they moved into prior to their relocation from San Diego.[51]
The building, called the Jack Hammett Sports Complex is a former office space, but Chargers players and coaches said it was an upgrade from what the team had in San Diego.[52] The Chargers occupied the facility until 2024 when they left for a purpose-built practice facility inEl Segundo. The team gutted the first floor of the building to make room for team rooms. Construction cost more than $3.8 million. After the Chargers departed for El Segundo, the facility became the training camp home of theLas Vegas Raiders.[53]
Decades prior, the facility was a lima bean farm owned by a Swedish immigrant family who became prominent developers in Orange County.[54]
A general law city, Costa Mesa has acouncil-manager form of government. InNovember 2016, voters approved changing the City Council seats from five at-large seats to six voting districts and a directly elected mayor, who acts as the chairperson for the council and head of the government.[55] The mayor serves two-year terms and councilmembers serve four year terms, with each office having a two-term limit.Municipal elections are held every two years, during which the mayor and three councilmembers are up for election.
Day to day, the city is run by a professional city manager and staff of approximately 460 full-time employees.[56] Management of the city and coordination of city services are provided by:[57]
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2025)
According to theCalifornia Secretary of State, as of February 20, 2024, Costa Mesa has 60,789 registered voters. Of those, 22,661 (37.3%) are registered Democrats, 19,888 (32.7%) are registered Republicans, 15,204 (25%) have declined to state a political party/are independents, 2,717 (4.5%) are registeredAmerican Independents, and 319 (0.5%) are registered to theGreen Party.[72]
Until 2008, Costa Mesa was aRepublican stronghold in presidential elections. Since 2008, Costa Mesa has mostly votedDemocratic 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 nomineeMitt Romney carried the city by only 364 votes in the 2012 presidential election. Costa Mesa flipped back to Democratic in 2016, voting forHillary Clinton by a 10.2% margin, and forJoe Biden by a 14.6% margin in 2020.[citation needed]
In 2008, Costa Mesa was one of four cities in Orange County to vote againstProposition 8 (along with Aliso Viejo, Irvine, and Laguna Beach), a statewide ballot measure that banned same-sex marriages.[73]
Costa Mesa has two public high schools,Costa Mesa High School andEstancia High School. There are also 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. These are located in theNewport-Mesa Unified School District.
The 9.5 acres (3.8 hectares; 38 thousand square metres) 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.[75]
Fire protection is provided by the Costa Mesa Fire Department.[76] Law enforcement is the responsibility of theCosta Mesa Police Department. Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Costa Mesa Fire Department andCare Ambulance Service.[77]
^Koerper, Henry; Mason, Roger; Peterson, Mark (2002).Catalysts to complexity : late Holocene societies of the California coast. Jon Erlandson, Terry L. Jones, Jeanne E. Arnold, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. p. 64.ISBN978-1-938770-67-8.OCLC745176510.
