Costa Mesa is a city located in Orange County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,724.

Geography

Costa Mesa is located at 33°39'54" North, 117°54'44" West (33.664969, -117.912289)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.6 km² (15.7 mi²). 40.5 km² (15.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.38% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 108,724 people, 39,206 households, and 22,778 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,685.8/km² (6,956.3/mi²). There are 40,406 housing units at an average density of 998.1/km² (2,585.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 69.48% White, 1.40% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 6.90% Asian, 0.60% Pacific Islander, 16.57% from other races, and 4.27% from two or more races. 31.75% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 39,206 households out of which 29.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% are married couples living together, 10.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% are non-families. 28.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.69 and the average family size is 3.34.

In the city the population is spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 103.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $50,732, and the median income for a family is $55,456. Males have a median income of $38,670 versus $32,365 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,342. 12.6% of the population and 8.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.0% of those under the age of 18 and 6.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Commerce and Culture

The business sector is heavy on retailing, with some manufacturing activity occurring in the southwest part of town. Costa Mesa is home to South Coast Plaza, a shopping center notable for its architectural design. Institutions of higher leaning located in Costa Mesa include Orange Coast College, a pioneer in the community college concept, and a private institution Vanguard University, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. The Orange County Fair is held at a permanent fairground each July. A local newspaper, the Orange Coast Daily Pilot, is owned, operated, and printed by the Los Angeles Times.

External link

• http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us/

Info

Located 37 miles southeast of Los Angeles, 88 miles north of San Diego and 475 miles south of San Francisco, Costa Mesa encompasses a total of 16 square miles with its southernmost border only 1 mile from the Pacific Ocean. The current population of approximately 103,823 has grown from 16,840 at the time of incorporation in 1953. Since that time, it has evolved from a semi-rural farming community to a city with its local economy primarily based upon retail commercial business and light manufacturing of electronics, pharmaceuticals and plastics. A general law city, Costa Mesa has a council-manager form of government and staff of approximately 600 full-time employees. Costa Mesa offers 26 parks, a municipal golf course, 26 public schools and 2 libraries. The home of Orange Coast College and Vanguard University as well as Whittier Law School and National University, a number of universities and colleges are in close proximity to Costa Mesa.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center, Orange County Fairgrounds, South Coast Repertory Theater and South Coast Plaza are prominent centers of cultural and economic activity within the City. The South Coast Plaza shopping center is the single largest commercial activity center in the City. The volume of sales generated by South Coast Plaza, on the strength of 322 stores, places it among the highest volume regional shopping centers in the nation.

The 9.5 acre (38,000 m²) 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. State Highways 55, 73 and Interstate 405 all run through Costa Mesa.

External links

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=33.664969&longitude=-117.912289&zoom=6)
  • Topographic map from Topozone (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=33.664969&lon=-117.912289&s=200&size=m&layer=DRG100)
  • Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=-117.912289&lat=33.664969&w=750&h=500)