Westminster

Westminster sits between Seal Beach to the west, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley to the south, and Garden Grove to the north and east. I-405, SR-22 and Beach Boulevard cross the city's 10.1 square miles, and the unincorporated county islands of Midway City sit inside its planning area.

Most homes are on single-family tracts, mixed with condos, townhomes, apartments and mobile home communities. Westminster suits buyers who want a detached house on an established street near I-405 and SR-22, buyers weighing a townhome or a manufactured home, and owners who want room for an ADU.

Neighborhoods and housing in Westminster

Westminster incorporated in 1957 from Westminster and Barber City; Midway City withdrew from that vote and remains unincorporated. Suburban tracts from the 1920s through the 1950s remain prominent, and most neighborhoods were built in the 1960s. The 2016 General Plan describes the city as essentially built out, with single-family homes its largest land use, and steers new housing to mixed-use areas along Westminster Boulevard, Beach Boulevard and I-405/SR-22.

Civic Center and Westminster Boulevard

The Civic Center at 8200 Westminster Boulevard, between Beach Boulevard and Newland Street, holds City Hall and a Coastline Community College campus, with the Rose Center next door, and the General Plan notes its Old English architecture. The 2016 plan designated about 100 acres including it and a 63-acre Downtown stretch of Westminster Boulevard for mixed use, with housing above or beside shops and offices.

Little Saigon

Little Saigon is the city's commercial and cultural district along and around Bolsa Avenue, about 180 acres in the General Plan, where the city counts more than 700 businesses. The Moran Street Specific Plan guides about 20 acres, including the two-story Asian Garden Mall, and the General Plan supports more multistory residential projects in the district.

Westminster Mall

The Westminster Mall Specific Plan, adopted in 2022, sets a framework for turning the nearly 100-acre mall site into a mixed-use district with up to 3,000 new homes.

Mobile home communities and the 2026 zoning update

The city's Mixed Use Zoning and General Plan Update took effect June 12, 2026. It merged the mixed-use districts into one MU zone, raised density in select areas and rezoned existing mobile home communities to R-3 residential use only to preserve them. The 2016 plan identified a large mobile home community in the Northwest District, between I-405 and SR-22.

Midway City

Midway City is unincorporated county land in four islands: Beach/McFadden, Bolsa/Midway, Bolsa/Pacific and McFadden/Monroe. City rules such as the short-term rental ban do not apply there, so confirm whether an address is in the city or the county.

Getting around

• I-405: OCTA's improvement project added a regular lane in each direction between Euclid Street in Fountain Valley and I-605.
• 405 Express Lanes: two lanes each way between SR-73 in Costa Mesa and I-605, with access at SR-22, Bolsa Avenue/Goldenwest Street and Magnolia Street/Warner Avenue. FasTrak is required, and eligible designated veterans license plates travel toll-free.
• SR-22: the Garden Grove Freeway meets I-405 in the Northwest District; its carpool lanes run about 12 miles east to SR-55.
• Beach Boulevard (SR-39): a north-south state highway through a street grid spaced every half mile to mile.
• Transit and air: OCTA buses; no Metrolink station. Commercial flights use John Wayne or Long Beach airports.

Schools

The city lists four districts: Westminster School District (TK-8), Ocean View School District, Garden Grove Unified School District and Huntington Beach Union High School District. Westminster and Ocean View are among the four elementary districts that share Huntington Beach Union High's area, whose high schools include Westminster High School. Garden Grove Unified covers kindergarten through 12th grade for its addresses.

Confirm any address with each district's school locator, and use the California School Dashboard for test results and other data.

Parks, beaches and things to do

• City parks: 24 in all. Sigler Park on Plaza Street has a splash pad, pickleball and soccer fields; Liberty Park on Monroe Street has a skate park.
• Civic Center area: Sid Goldstein Freedom Park, with a Vietnam War Memorial, sits beside the 419-seat Rose Center Theater.
• Mendez Tribute Monument Park: dedicated in December 2022 to the landmark Mendez v. Westminster school desegregation case, with a 2.0-mile Mendez Freedom Trail and protected bikeway along Hoover Street.
• Beaches: none in the city; the closest are in Huntington Beach and Seal Beach.

Local rules and costs to know

• Utilities: Southern California Edison provides electricity. The city's Water Division serves Westminster and portions of Midway City, and Midway City Sanitary District provides sewer and trash service to both.
• Flood zones: The 2016 General Plan, citing FEMA, places about half the city, in parts of the southeast and along waterways, in Zone A special flood hazard areas. The city notes lenders require flood insurance in Zone A, so check FEMA's current map for each address.
• Airport planning area: About half the city, generally north of Westminster Boulevard and west of Goldenwest Street, lies within the planning area for Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, home to an Army aviation support facility.
• Short-term rentals: not allowed in the city.
• ADUs: The city offers pre-approved detached ADU plans at 748, 791, 998 and 1,198 square feet. They are pre-approved, not pre-permitted, so you still need a site plan from a licensed professional and plan check.
• Property tax: Expect the 1% general levy on your new assessed value plus voter-approved and direct charges, and check the bill for any Mello-Roos tax. See our Orange County property tax guide and property tax calculator.

Buying in Westminster

To buy a house in Westminster you need a pre-approval or proof of funds, cash for the deposit, down payment and closing costs, and a written buyer representation agreement. After pre-approval, touring and an accepted offer comes escrow: under the standard C.A.R. contract your deposit is due within 3 business days, seller disclosures within 7 days, and inspection, appraisal and loan contingencies run 17 days before you remove them, do a final walkthrough and close. Our guide to buying a home in California and escrow timeline cover each step.

1. Look up the FEMA zone before you offer, and get flood and homeowners insurance quotes while contingencies are open.
2. Confirm whether the address is in the city or Midway City; it changes who issues permits and which rules apply.
3. North of Westminster Boulevard and west of Goldenwest Street, visit at different times to judge aircraft activity.
4. In a mobile home community, read the park rules and space rental agreement; you may be buying the home but not the land.
5. On 1960s houses, add a sewer camera inspection; our inspection and repair request guide shows how findings become repairs or credits.

Selling in Westminster

Who pays for repairs is negotiated. The standard California contract sells the home in its present condition, subject to the buyer's inspections; the buyer can ask for repairs, a credit or a lower price, and you can agree, counter or decline. Two items are legal requirements: certifying that the water heater is braced and giving a written smoke alarm statement.

The steps are to prepare and price the home, deliver disclosures, choose an offer and close escrow; see our guide to selling a house in Orange County.

1. Order the natural hazard disclosure report early, and have any elevation certificate and flood insurance history ready if you are in Zone A.
2. Pull permits for additions, garage conversions and ADUs, and disclose unpermitted work; see our seller disclosure guide.
3. Brace the water heater and update smoke and carbon monoxide alarms before listing.
4. Tell buyers short-term rental income is not an option inside city limits.

How Remark Homes can help

We help Westminster buyers and sellers with address-level details, from flood zones to repair requests. See how we work with buyers and sellers, or contact us about a specific home.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to buy a house in Westminster?

A pre-approval or proof of funds, money for the deposit, down payment and closing costs, and a signed buyer representation agreement. In FEMA Zone A, budget for flood insurance.

Who pays for repairs when selling a house in Westminster?

It is negotiated after the buyer's inspections, and the seller can agree, counter or decline. Sellers must still certify water heater bracing and smoke alarm compliance.

What school district is Westminster in?

Westminster School District, Ocean View School District, Garden Grove Unified or Huntington Beach Union High, depending on the address.

Is Westminster in a flood zone?

Partly. The General Plan, citing FEMA, puts about half the city in Zone A special flood hazard areas, so check each address.

Sources

• City of Westminster: General Plan
• City of Westminster: Mixed Use Zoning and General Plan Update
• City of Westminster: Westminster Mall Specific Plan
• City of Westminster: Planning Division FAQs
• City of Westminster: Preapproved ADU Standard Plan
• City of Westminster: Flood Zone
• City of Westminster: Schools
• OCTA: I-405 Improvements Open