One of Orange Counties most affluent cities, Newport Beach sits on the ocean just 10 miles south of downtown Santa Ana. With a population estimated at 83,361, this sparkling beach city is more than a vacation destination. Residents enjoy award-winning schools, magnificent homes, world-class shopping and culturally-diverse dining both in town and on the Bay. Surfers and sunbathers flock to the city’s expansive, soft-sand beaches in Corona del Mar and on the Balboa Peninsula, where they also find body-surfing hot-spot The Wedge, and Crystal Cove State Park is located at the southern end of the coast. The Balboa Peninsula features the city’s most popular attractions, including the Catalina Flyer, a giant 500 passenger catamaran that provides daily transportation to Santa Catalina Island, the Balboa Fun Zone, boasting a ferris wheel, old-time Merry-Go-Round, and bumper cars as well as quaint shops and restaurants. Other special features include Balboa Island, famous for its quintessential beach cottages and shopping on Marine Avenue, the Orange County Museum of Art, the Newport Aquatic Center, offering kayaking, rowing and canoeing, and the Back Bay wildlife sanctuary.
