Year: 2026

The financial services company WalletHub has released its Best Places to Raise a Family in 2026 list and Irvine is ranked third-best in America. (Actually, we believe that our city is the very best place to raise a family!)

Irvine’s abundance of family-friendly activities, world-class medical facilities, quality of education and childcare programs, low crime rate, low divorce rate, high-paying jobs, outstanding parks and trails, and thriving community programs were among the many reasons for the City’s third-best ranking.

Throughout the summer, there will be a variety of free outdoor community events for families, friends, and neighbors to gather and enjoy summer fun at the City of Irvine’s award-winning parks.

On select Saturday evenings, enjoy live outdoor concerts at Mike Ward Community Park. And make plans now to attend the Homecoming-themed dance party on August 8th at the Great Park!

Earlier this month, the first truckload of steel was delivered for the future home of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at the Great Park. The delivery marked the beginning of construction for a world-class aviation museum, set to open in spring 2027.

In addition to housing more than 50 restored aircraft, the aviation museum will feature a number of artifacts and interactive displays.

Since taking office, Mayor Agran has made it a point to publicly thank and spotlight Irvine-based non-profits, community programs, and the City’s churches, synagogues, and mosques for the work they do to promote kindness in our community.

The Mayor recently connected volunteerism to kindness: “One of the things I value most about Irvine is our shared commitment to helping our neighbors and our community through volunteerism — whether it’s making deliveries for the Meals on Wheels program, leading hikes in the Irvine Open Space Preserve, caring for pets at the Irvine Animal Care Center, or joining the City’s Community Emergency Response Team.”