Newport Beach: Exquisite Beaches

Newport Beach, California has always owed much of its success to its proximity to the ocean. It is located in Orange County and has become part of a metropolitan area that is also made up of Santa Ana, which is about 10 miles to the north. Originally inhabited by Shoshone Indians who lived in part on the bounty of the sea as well as the fertile farmland, in the mid-18th century the Spanish began to explore more of what would become California. The Santa Ana, Tunstin, and Orange areas, which would later form Newport Beach, became farming communities with many newcomers on covered wagons in the 19th century. In the late 19th century, the population and commerce of the rather isolated settlement exploded when a wharf was built that spanned the area from the peninsula’s shallow bay to the deeper waters where the largest steamships could dock. Within a few years of the pier’s construction, the Newport Beach area was a shipping town.

With all the new shipping activity, more investors became interested in the area. By 1905, the Pacific Electric Railroad had connected Newport Beach with Los Angeles. With the arrival of the trains, many families began to come to Newport Beach to camp and enjoy the area. As a result, small hotels and lodges were soon built to meet the need for visitor facilities. In 1906, the scattered areas of West Newport, Balboa Island, Lido Isle, and the peninsula were incorporated into the City of Newport Beach. Parts of Newport Heights and Corona del Mar were soon annexed and the city increased its boundaries again.

During World War II, Newport Beach became an area for the Navy to build and repair its ships. With the influx of military, local business continued to prosper. At the end of the war, many of the military liked the area and decided to stay. Unfortunately, this triggered a real estate boom and prices increased as a result. With the increased demand for housing, many of the local seasonal rentals were converted to homes that were occupied year-round. This somewhat changed the focus of the area from a seasonal destination to a place where people lived year-round.

With the Santa Ana Freeway completed in the 1950s, it was even easier to get to Newport Beach. Housing developments spread rapidly, and the areas around Newport Beach, including the nearby hills and mesas, soon became homes to thousands. Gradually the focus of the area changed again, away from the fishing industry. Today the area is home to manufacturing, but still owes much of its success to its beaches. That is mainly what still attracts visitors today.

Even today, the original reason people wanted to visit Newport Beach, that is, the beaches that surround it, still draw people in. There are national parks and many sites to see in the area. Today the city would be unrecognizable to the first settlers. Newport Beach is a dynamic metropolis that continues to grow, attracting visitors from around the world to its beaches and attractions.