Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach covers 8.84 square miles of southwest Orange County coast between Newport Beach and Dana Point, with coves and beaches below a ring of canyons and ridgelines. The city dates its founding to June 29, 1927, and it welcomes about six million visitors a year.

Housing is mostly single-family homes, many on steep hillside or canyon lots, plus multifamily zones and some units in the commercial and mixed-use districts. It suits buyers who want beaches, trails and a walkable downtown close by and can work with sloped lots, design review and a two-lane canyon road as the main route inland. Also see our Newport Beach and Dana Point guides.

Neighborhoods and housing in Laguna Beach

The city's 22 evacuation zones double as a neighborhood map, from North Coast and Downtown to Bluebird Canyon, Temple Hills, Top of the World and South Coast.

North Laguna, Downtown and the canyons

North Laguna runs along the coast north of downtown, with Heisler Park and Crescent Bay Point Park on the bluffs. Downtown, around Main Beach, follows a Downtown Specific Plan updated in 2022. Bluebird Canyon, Boat Canyon, Canyon Acres and the Laguna Canyon area follow the canyons inland, while Top of the World and Arch Beach Heights sit on the hillsides above. Arch Beach Heights, Diamond-Crestview and the Laguna Canyon Annexation Area each have a specific plan, and the city publishes design guidelines for hillside development.

South Laguna, Three Arch Bay and Emerald Bay

South Laguna, at the city's southern end, has its own electric, water and sewer providers and its own design and landscape guidelines, adopted in 2022. Three Arch Bay there is a locked-gate community where coastal permits come from the Coastal Commission rather than the city.

Emerald Bay, just north of the city, has a Laguna Beach mailing address but is unincorporated. Its Emerald Bay Service District, formed by the County in 1961, funds Orange County Sheriff's Department patrols; the Orange County Fire Authority provides fire protection.

Design review and the Historic Register

The city says most projects will likely need discretionary approval, such as design review, before a building permit. Expect a preliminary zoning review of about 30 days, required early contact with neighbors, hearing notices mailed to owners within 300 feet and a 14-day appeal period; approvals last two years.

The Historic Register is voluntary: an owner applies, the Heritage Committee reviews, and a recorded preservation agreement binds later owners. Mills Act applications are paused this year while the city reviews that program.

Getting around

• Coast Highway (SR-1) runs the length of the city, north toward Newport Beach and south into Dana Point.
• Laguna Canyon Road (SR-133) is, in the city's words, the only direct route into town from SR-73 and I-405. Its two-lane stretch from Canyon Acres Drive to El Toro Road is also an evacuation route.
• Toll roads: SR-133 is tolled from I-405 north to the 241, and the 73 runs from I-405 in Costa Mesa to I-5 at the Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo border. Tolls are electronic only.
• Free trolley: The Coastal Route runs on Coast Highway from North Laguna to the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point every 20 to 30 minutes, and Laguna Local offers free on-demand rides.
• OCTA Route 1 runs along Pacific Coast Highway from Long Beach to San Clemente.
• Rail and air: There is no Metrolink station in town; the nearest are in Irvine and Laguna Niguel. John Wayne Airport is reached via SR-73 or I-405.

Schools

Laguna Beach Unified School District operates the public schools in Laguna Beach: Laguna Beach High School, Thurston Middle School, El Morro Elementary and Top of the World Elementary. Its street list, which also covers South Laguna and Emerald Bay, assigns each street to El Morro or Top of the World; find it on the LBUSD school boundaries page. For data on a school, use the California School Dashboard.

Parks, beaches and things to do

• Heisler Park and Crescent Bay Point Park: Bluff-top parks in North Laguna.
• Main Beach Park: At Broadway and Coast Highway, with sand volleyball, basketball and a playground.
• Aliso Beach Park: On South Coast Highway, with a large parking lot, showers and a playground.
• Hilltop parks: Alta Laguna Park has tennis and pickleball courts, and Moulton Meadows Park has a trailhead and dog play area. The open space by Alta Laguna Park is part of OC Parks' Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.
• Laguna Coast Wilderness Park: About 7,000 acres of OC Parks wilderness off Laguna Canyon Road, with the Nix Nature Center.

Local rules and costs to know

Coastal development permits

The Coastal Commission certified the city's Local Coastal Program on January 13, 1993, so the city issues most coastal development permits (CDPs). Blue Lagoon, Irvine Cove and Three Arch Bay are not covered, so CDPs there stay with the Commission. Where a city CDP is appealable, an appeal can reach the Commission within 10 business days of the city's notice of final action.

Wildfire and landslide hazards

The fire department reports that 87 percent of the city's land, and about 65 percent of its buildable property, is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Homes there must keep defensible space or approved fuel modification landscaping, and the department offers free wildfire consultations.

Landslides are a separate concern. The California Geological Survey calls Bluebird Canyon an area of notable historic slope failures, including an October 2, 1978 landslide, and the USGS reports that a rainfall-triggered slide there on June 1, 2005 led to 350 homes being evacuated, 15 of them damaged or destroyed. The municipal code sets geology report requirements (Chapter 14.78). Our homeowners insurance guide explains how hazard zones affect coverage.

Short-term lodging

New short-term lodging is no longer allowed in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential zones; units already permitted there continue as legal nonconforming uses that run with the land. New permits are limited to certain commercial and downtown districts under a citywide cap of 300 units plus 165 home-share units. Since July 1, 2025, operators also need a city license and a contact who can respond to complaints within 60 minutes, and they collect 14 percent in occupancy tax and tourism assessments.

Utilities, ADUs and taxes

Southern California Edison serves central and North Laguna and SDG&E serves South Laguna. Laguna Beach County Water District supplies water to central and North Laguna, and South Coast Water District provides water and sewer in South Laguna.

ADUs follow state law, city rules updated by an urgency ordinance on March 11, 2025, and the Local Coastal Program. See our ADU guide.

Some streets, including West Street and Fairview and La Brea, are paying for utility undergrounding through resident-funded assessment districts; the City Treasurer can confirm balances. Read our property tax guide and try our property tax calculator.

Buying in Laguna Beach

1. Before removing contingencies, ask a city planner what design review, coastal permit or geology report a planned remodel would need.
2. On hillside and canyon lots, get a geotechnical review and read the permit history for grading, retaining walls and slope repairs.
3. Check the fire hazard zone and any fuel modification conditions, and get an insurance quote early.
4. If rental income matters, confirm the zoning and whether a short-term lodging permit is already on record.
5. Ask the City Treasurer about any undergrounding assessment on the parcel.

Selling in Laguna Beach

1. In a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, state law (Civil Code 1102.19) requires giving the buyer defensible space compliance documentation where an inspection is available, or signing an agreement for the buyer to obtain it.
2. Gather design review approvals, CDPs, permits and any geology reports before listing.
3. If the home is on the Historic Register, give buyers the recorded preservation agreement early.
4. Disclose fire, landslide and assessment details fully; our seller disclosure guide explains what is required.

How Remark Homes can help

We help buyers check design, coastal, hazard and rental rules for a specific Laguna Beach address, and help sellers assemble permits and disclosures. Reach us on our contact page, or see how we work with buyers and sellers.

Frequently asked questions

Is Laguna Beach in Orange County?

Yes. Laguna Beach is a coastal city in southwest Orange County, between Newport Beach and Dana Point.

Is Emerald Bay part of the City of Laguna Beach?

No. Emerald Bay uses a Laguna Beach mailing address but is an unincorporated community with its own County-formed service district.

What school district is Laguna Beach in?

Laguna Beach Unified School District. Its street list assigns each address to El Morro or Top of the World Elementary.

Are short-term rentals allowed in Laguna Beach?

Only in certain commercial and downtown districts, with a use permit, a city license and a citywide cap. Previously permitted units in residential zones may continue.

Sources

• City of Laguna Beach: Utilities and School District Information
• City of Laguna Beach: Design Review Process
• City of Laguna Beach: Historic Preservation
• City of Laguna Beach: Local Coastal Program
• City of Laguna Beach: Short-Term Lodging
• City of Laguna Beach: Wildfire Mitigation and Vegetation Management
• City of Laguna Beach: Laguna Canyon Road Protect and Connect
• Laguna Beach Unified School District: School Boundaries