Irvine Neighborhoods: A Guide to Every Village (2026)

Irvine's neighborhoods are its villages. The City of Irvine tracks the city as numbered planning areas, and most of the residential ones carry village names such as Northwood, Woodbridge, Turtle Rock, Portola Springs and the Great Park Neighborhoods. The idea goes back to the master plan that UC's consulting architect, William Pereira, and Irvine Company planners drew up for a city around the new University of California campus. The City's history says Turtle Rock, University Park, Culverdale, the Ranch and Walnut were completed by 1970, and much of the newer building has been north of I-5, toward the foothills.

The simplest way to learn the villages is by area. I-5 and I-405 cross the city and meet near the Irvine Spectrum, so most villages sit north of I-5, between the two freeways, or south of I-405, with the Great Park, the Spectrum and the Irvine Business Complex as districts of their own. For each village we note what official and builder sources confirm about location, era, housing, amenities, special taxes and schools.

We do not rank the villages, because the right fit depends on the type of home you want, your commute, what you can budget for HOA dues and special taxes, and which side of a school district line an address falls on. For schools, parks, transit and local rules citywide, start with our Irvine area guide.

What are the neighborhoods in Irvine?

These are the City's residential planning areas, with planning area (PA) numbers from the City's GIS map, grouped by area:

North of I-5: Orchard Hills (PA 1), Gateway Village (PA 2), Lower Peters Canyon (PA 4), Northwood Point (PA 5), Portola Springs (PA 6), Northwood (PA 8), Woodbury (PA 9) and Cypress Village (PA 40), plus Stonegate and Eastwood, Irvine Company villages that have their own assessment districts but no separate number on the City's map.
Great Park: the Great Park Neighborhoods, in the Great Park planning area (PA 51).
Between I-5 and I-405: Walnut (PA 10), El Camino Real (PA 11), Oak Creek (PA 12), Westpark (PA 14), Woodbridge (PA 15) and Westpark II (PA 38).
South of I-405: Quail Hill (PA 17), Laguna Altura (PA 18), Rancho San Joaquin (PA 19), University Park (PA 20), Turtle Rock (PA 21), Shady Canyon (PA 22), University Town Center (PA 24), Turtle Ridge (PA 27) and Los Olivos (PA 39).
Business districts with housing: the Irvine Spectrum planning areas (PAs 13 and 31 to 35) and the Irvine Business Complex (PA 36).

The remaining planning areas are mostly open space, campus and research land, such as Limestone Canyon, Bommer Canyon, the San Joaquin Marsh and UC Irvine. Many villages mix detached homes with townhomes, condos and apartments; where a source describes a village's housing, we say so.

North of I-5

Most of Irvine's newer villages are here, on land rising toward the foothills. Two things to know before you shop: much of this area is in City assessment districts, and parts of it are in Tustin Unified rather than Irvine Unified.

Northwood and Northwood Point

The City's Northwood Community Park and Community Center are on Bryan Avenue, and Irvine Unified's Northwood High School is in Northwood (PA 8). The village is not named on the City's assessment district list, but District No. 97-16 is titled "Northwest Irvine/Walnut Village" and Irvine Unified's CFD No. 04-1 lists a Northwood project, so read the tax bill for any home you consider.

Northwood Point (PA 5) is a separate planning area to the northeast of Northwood. Compare its tax bills and association documents on their own.

Lower Peters Canyon

Lower Peters Canyon (PA 4) lies northwest of Northwood. School district lines matter here: three Tustin Unified campuses, Beckman High School, Hicks Canyon Elementary and Myford Elementary, are in this planning area. The City's David Sills Lower Peters Canyon Park and Hicks Canyon Community Park are here too.

Woodbury and Stonegate

Woodbury (PA 9) is in City Assessment District No. 03-19, and Irvine Unified's CFD No. 04-2 has two improvement areas whose bond reports are both titled Woodbury. The City's Woodbury Community Park and Community Center are on Sanctuary, and Woodbury Town Center is the village's shopping center. Irvine Unified has announced that starting in fall 2028, ninth graders living in Woodbury will be assigned to the Irvine High School attendance area. Woodbury is also in the City's 2025 fire hazard zones.

Stonegate, near Woodbury Town Center, is in City Assessment District No. 07-22. In 2016 the Irvine Company described Stonegate's single-family neighborhoods as inward-oriented enclaves with seven village parks and access to the Jeffrey Open Space Trail.

Eastwood

Eastwood is in City Assessment District No. 13-25, the newest-numbered district on the City's list. When the Irvine Company called it Irvine's newest village in 2016, it had seven neighborhoods of townhomes, flats and single-family homes, with parks, sports courts and fields, and an underpass to the Jeffrey Open Space Trail.

Cypress Village

Cypress Village (PA 40) is in City Assessment District No. 11-24. The City's Cypress Community Park and Community Center are on Visions. The Irvine Company's 2016 description lists townhomes, flats and single-family homes. Irvine Unified's posted assignments for Cypress Village are Cypress Village Elementary, Jeffrey Trail Middle and Irvine High.

Portola Springs and Lambert Ranch

Portola Springs (PA 6) sits in the northeast foothills with Loma Ridge behind it. It has two layers of special charges: City Reassessment District No. 04-20 and Irvine Unified's CFD No. 06-1, whose bond reports name the Portola Springs project. The City's Portola Springs Community Park and Community Center are on Tomato Springs. The Irvine Company's 2016 description lists townhomes, flats and single-family homes, and in October 2026 its Villages of Irvine site listed six new-home neighborhoods here. The village is in the City's 2025 fire hazard zones.

Lambert Ranch is a gated community of detached homes built by The New Home Company off Portola Parkway in the Portola Springs area. As anywhere in Irvine, ask whether a home pays dues to more than one association, and read its tax bill.

Orchard Hills and Gateway Village

Orchard Hills (PA 1) is the hillside village at the city's northern edge, in City Reassessment District No. 05-21. The Irvine Company has described an elevated setting near avocado groves, with townhomes, single-family homes and the gated Groves at Orchard Hills, and in October 2026 it listed new homes at the gated Summit at Orchard Hills. Check schools carefully: Irvine Unified's Orchard Hills assignments apply only to areas within its boundaries, and Tustin Unified's Orchard Hills School, a TK-8 campus on Culver Drive, is in the planning area. Orchard Hills is also in the City's 2025 fire hazard zones.

Gateway Village (PA 2) is a small planning area near Orchard Hills and Portola Springs that appears on the City's current map.

Great Park Neighborhoods

The Great Park Neighborhoods are FivePoint's community on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, about 2,100 acres beside the City's Orange County Great Park. FivePoint says it plans 10,556 homes, including 1,056 affordable units. The neighborhoods so far are Pavilion Park, Beacon Park, Parasol Park, Cadence Park, Novel Park, Rise, Solis Park and Luna Park, the eighth.

The neighborhoods are linked by parks and trails, and the community lists 26 pools and spas that residents can use, including a park devoted to pools. The City's Mello-Roos district for the area is CFD No. 2013-3 (Great Park), divided into numbered improvement areas, so the special tax depends on the neighborhood and parcel. Two school districts serve the area, Irvine Unified and Saddleback Valley Unified; Irvine Unified posts assignments for Cadence Park, Luna Park, Rise and Solis. Weighing new construction here? Our guide to buying new construction in Orange County covers builder contracts and inspections.

Between I-5 and I-405

These central villages include some of Irvine's oldest neighborhoods, and fewer of them are in City assessment districts.

Walnut and El Camino Real

Walnut (PA 10) is one of the villages the City lists as completed by 1970. It is named in Assessment District No. 97-16 (Northwest Irvine/Walnut Village), and the City's Harvard Community Athletic Park and Harvard Community Center are in the village.

El Camino Real (PA 11) is next door. The City's Deerfield and Heritage community parks, each with a community center, are both in this planning area.

Woodbridge

Woodbridge (PA 15) is the Irvine village built around two lakes, North Lake and South Lake. The Irvine Company sold its first 221 homes by lottery in September 1976. The Woodbridge Village Association says it owns and operates 41 recreation facilities, including both lakes with docks, two beach lagoons, 22 pools, 16 spas and 23 tennis courts. The City's Mike Ward Community Park and Windrow Community Park are also in Woodbridge. Woodbridge is not on the City's assessment district list.

Westpark

Westpark (PA 14) and Westpark II (PA 38) are on the west side of the city, between the freeways. Parts are in City Assessment District No. 94-15 (Westpark II). Irvine Unified says the Westpark and Culverdale elementary schools share a "super attendance" area, so either may serve as the neighborhood school. Our guide to neighborhoods near UCI covers Westpark's attached homes in more detail.

Oak Creek

Oak Creek (PA 12) is in City Assessment District No. 94-13, with the City's Oak Creek Community Park on Valley Oak Drive and the Oak Creek Golf Course. The City is reviewing the Irvine Company's proposed Oak Park, a new 281-acre Planning Area 52 within Oak Creek, largely on the golf course, with up to 2,400 homes and a public nature park. Nothing has been approved; environmental review began in July 2026.

South of I-405

These villages surround UC Irvine and climb the hills toward Laguna Beach.

University Park and Turtle Rock

University Park (PA 20) and Turtle Rock (PA 21) are both on the City's list of villages completed by 1970. The City's University Community Park is in University Park, and Turtle Rock has the City's Turtle Rock Community Park and Community Center. Turtle Rock is in the City's 2025 fire hazard zones.

Rancho San Joaquin and University Town Center

Rancho San Joaquin (PA 19) and University Town Center (PA 24) are smaller planning areas near the UC Irvine campus. Our UCI neighborhoods guide covers the villages next to campus.

Quail Hill, Shady Canyon and Turtle Ridge

These three hillside villages share City Assessment District No. 00-18. Quail Hill (PA 17) has the City's Quail Hill Community Park and Community Center on Shady Canyon Drive and the Irvine Company's Quail Hill Shopping Center, and it is in the 2025 fire hazard zones. Shady Canyon (PA 22) lies between Quail Hill and Turtle Rock. Turtle Ridge (PA 27) has the City's Las Lomas Community Park and Community Center.

Laguna Altura and Los Olivos

Laguna Altura (PA 18), near SR-133, is in City Assessment District No. 10-23. Los Olivos (PA 39) has the City's Los Olivos Community Park and Community Center, and Irvine Unified assigns it to Alderwood Elementary, Rancho San Joaquin Middle and University High. Both are in the City's 2025 fire hazard zones.

The Spectrum and the Irvine Business Complex

The Irvine Spectrum districts (PAs 13 and 31 to 35) surround the I-5 and I-405 junction and mix offices, apartments and for-sale homes. They carry their own City assessment districts, Nos. 85-7, 87-8 and 93-14. Irvine Station, with Metrolink and Amtrak, is in the Spectrum. Our Irvine Spectrum guide covers its condos, townhomes and commute.

The Irvine Business Complex (PA 36) is the city's northwest district beside John Wayne Airport, where residential and mixed-use buildings sit among offices and industrial space. Irvine Unified's posted assignments for the IBC north of I-405 cover only areas within its boundaries, so check the district for each address.

How to choose an Irvine village

Housing type and age: The first villages, completed by 1970, and Woodbridge, which began selling in 1976, have the oldest homes. New construction is concentrated in the Great Park Neighborhoods, Portola Springs and Orchard Hills. Gated enclaves exist in a few places, such as the Groves and the Summit at Orchard Hills and Lambert Ranch.
Commute: I-5 and I-405 meet at the Spectrum, and villages north of I-5 also have access to the SR-133, SR-241 and SR-261 toll roads. Irvine Station is in the Spectrum, and Tustin Station on Edinger Avenue is a short drive from the city's northwest villages.
HOA and Mello-Roos budget: Some Irvine homes belong to two associations, a master and a sub-association. On top of dues, the City lists 14 assessment districts and three Mello-Roos CFDs: Central Park (No. 2004-1), Columbus Grove (No. 2005-2) and Great Park (No. 2013-3). Irvine Unified's CFDs include Nos. 01-1, 04-1, 04-2, 06-1 and 09-1. Our guide on how to look up Mello-Roos shows how to read the tax bill and find when each charge ends. This is general information, not tax advice; confirm amounts with the levying agency or a CPA.
School district lines: Irvine Unified serves most of the city. The City says Tustin Unified serves western and northern Irvine, and Tustin Unified runs four campuses with Irvine addresses in Lower Peters Canyon and Orchard Hills. Saddleback Valley Unified serves part of the Great Park Neighborhoods, and the City also lists Santa Ana Unified. Check each address with the Irvine Unified and Tustin Unified school locators.
Fire zones: The City's 2025 fire hazard map, effective July 23, 2025, extends zones into Orchard Hills, Woodbury, Portola Springs, Quail Hill, Turtle Rock, Laguna Altura, Los Olivos and Irvine Spectrum. Get insurance quotes early.
Rental plans: Irvine prohibits rentals of fewer than 31 consecutive days in all residential zones, in every village.

Looking beyond Irvine

If your search drifts past the city line, Tustin is the closest comparison, with homes from Old Town houses to new construction at Tustin Legacy. Our Irvine vs Tustin comparison covers the differences in taxes, schools and utilities.

How Remark Homes can help

We are a veteran-owned brokerage based in neighboring Tustin. For each Irvine home you consider, we pull the tax bill, every association's documents and the school assignment, so you can compare villages on total monthly cost. See our home buying services to get started.

Frequently asked questions

What are the villages in Irvine?

North of I-5 are Northwood, Northwood Point, Lower Peters Canyon, Woodbury, Stonegate, Eastwood, Cypress Village, Portola Springs and Orchard Hills; between I-5 and I-405 are Walnut, El Camino Real, Woodbridge, Westpark and Oak Creek; south of I-405 are University Park, Turtle Rock, Rancho San Joaquin, University Town Center, Quail Hill, Shady Canyon, Turtle Ridge, Laguna Altura and Los Olivos. The Great Park Neighborhoods, the Spectrum and the Irvine Business Complex also have homes.

Which Irvine villages have Mello-Roos?

The City's Mello-Roos CFDs cover Central Park, Columbus Grove and the Great Park, Irvine Unified has CFDs including Woodbury and Portola Springs, and many newer villages are in City assessment districts. Check each tax bill.

Which school district serves my Irvine neighborhood?

Most of Irvine is in Irvine Unified, but Tustin Unified serves western and northern parts of the city, and Saddleback Valley Unified serves part of the Great Park Neighborhoods. Confirm with the district locators for the exact address.

Which Irvine village has the lakes?

Woodbridge, built around North Lake and South Lake, which the Woodbridge Village Association operates along with two beach lagoons.

Which are Irvine's newest villages?

New homes are being built in the Great Park Neighborhoods, Portola Springs and Orchard Hills. Eastwood, Cypress Village, Stonegate and Laguna Altura carry the City's most recently numbered assessment districts.