Laguna Beach, California

What Laguna Beach is

The Census Bureau estimated 22,391 residents in July 2025, down from 23,032 at the 2020 Census. The city covers 8.84 square miles of southwest Orange County, counts six million visitors a year and became a city on June 29, 1927.

The shoreline carries state protection. Between Abalone Point, the city’s northern limit, and Goff Island, the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve spans more than four miles of coast. From Goff Island south to Table Rock, a no-take conservation area continues the protection, and the state bars taking marine resources in both.

Inland, the land rises into canyons and hills. Laguna Canyon Road runs between Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. OC Parks puts the first at 7,000 acres, with trails for hikers, mountain bikers and riders on horseback, and counts it as one piece of a South Coast Wilderness of almost 20,000 acres.

How the town lays out from north to south

State Route 1 follows the shore through town under the name Coast Highway. The California Coastal Commission’s public access points in Laguna Beach run from Smithcliffs View Park in the north through Crescent Bay, Shaw’s Cove, Heisler Park, Main Beach, Woods Cove, Victoria Beach, Aliso Beach Park and Table Rock to Thousand Steps in the south, with other access points in between.

The gated communities of Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove lie at the north end. Their beaches are private, and land access is for residents and their guests. Smithcliffs sits on the North Laguna bluffs. North Laguna follows Cliff Drive past Crescent Bay, Shaw’s Cove and Heisler Park, and its housing mixes single-family homes and condos, in styles from historic to contemporary.

The Village sits in the middle. Main Beach lies at the foot of Broadway, and the Village holds galleries, theaters, restaurants and the Laguna Art Museum. Cottages and condos sit among shops and other commercial property.

The hills and canyons rise inland of that coast. Top of the World, Alta Vista, Mystic Hills, Arch Beach Heights and Portafina are hillside neighborhoods, and Alta Vista, Mystic Hills and Arch Beach Heights have ocean views. Temple Hills and Bluebird Canyon sit inland from the Village and the central beaches, and Laguna Canyon follows the canyon road. Streets on the hillsides are steep, so drive them before you decide.

Farther south the beaches run through Woods Cove and Victoria Beach to Aliso Beach Park and South Laguna, where beach cottages and modern homes line the coastline. Woods Cove and Victoria Beach share names with beaches. Lagunita and Blue Lagoon sit near Victoria Beach. Three Arch Bay lies south of Thousand Steps Beach. It is a gated community, and land access to its private beach is for homeowners.

Costs in short

The figures at the top of this page are CRMLS recorded closings, each with its date range.

Property tax starts from Proposition 13, which fixes the base rate at 1 percent of assessed value. Bonds that local voters approved sit on top of that rate. After a sale, the county reassesses the home at its market value, usually the price paid, and the assessed value then grows with inflation, capped at 2 percent a year, until the next sale or new construction. If the home is your principal residence, the homeowners’ exemption trims $7,000 off the assessed value, and the deadline for the full amount is February 15.

The cost of living guide goes through the costs beyond the purchase price. Our Orange County property tax guide estimates the first-year bill on a purchase at the median price in 19 Orange County cities, Laguna Beach among them.

Getting around in short

State Route 133 begins on Broadway at Coast Highway, a block from the water, then runs inland as Laguna Canyon Road to the 73 toll road and continues to Interstates 405 and 5. John Wayne Airport is about 15 road miles from Main Beach. Downtown Los Angeles is about 50 and downtown San Diego about 70, while Irvine Spectrum is about 10.

Trolleys cost nothing to ride. On Coast Highway, the Coastal Route links North Laguna and South Laguna, with a trolley every 20 to 30 minutes in the off-season. A weekend alternative starts at the Act V lot, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road: $5 to park, then the Canyon Route into downtown between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. For rides between neighborhoods and major activity centers, Laguna Local runs on demand at no charge.

The city’s parking page lists enforcement from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., while its lots page gives 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at city lots for the off-season. Spaces are tight between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The getting around guide covers routes and the parking guide covers the rules.

How to use Search Laguna

Visiting? Start with things to do, where to eat and where to stay, and check plan your visit for the weather, getting here and a page for each month. The beaches hub lists the beaches and coves from north to south, and each beach page covers parking, stairs and rules.

Moving here or already local? The neighborhoods hub sets the market figures for each area side by side and covers areas not named above, such as Park Avenue Estates. The Living here guides cover schools, golf carts, events, short-term rentals, the moving checklist and your first 30 days.

Every page lists its sources at the bottom. A neighborhood median needs at least five sales, and the table says so when there are fewer. Listings live on realatrends.com, on the Laguna Beach search of our real estate sponsor.