Irvine residents are seeing their paychecks outpace inflation faster than those in nearly any other major U.S. city, according to a recent study by financial technology company SmartAsset.

The City also stands out for its high-earning households, giving Irvine the third-highest share in the nation

The Irvine City Council has approved a five-year agreement with Innovation Baseball Partners (IBP) to bring a professional baseball team to the Great Park Championship Baseball Stadium beginning next summer.

Community organizations and local teams, including the OC Riptide summer collegiate baseball team, will continue to have access to the stadium.

On August 11th, hundreds of cyclists, walkers, and four-legged companions crossed the I-5 Freeway as the new Jeffrey Open Space Trail (JOST) Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge officially opened.

Made possible in part by $14.5 million in state funding, the bridge represents another step toward Irvine’s vision of an interconnected trail system that could eventually stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Santa Ana Mountains and Cleveland National Forest.

On November 3rd, Irvine voters will head to the polls to elect the City’s Mayor.

In the coming weeks, Irvine Community News & Views will provide more detailed information regarding the leading candidates running for Mayor and City Council.

Mayor Larry Agran’s vision to make Irvine the greenest city in America builds on decades of leadership. His early efforts helped establish Irvine’s renowned park system — now ranked No. 1 in California and No. 2 in the entire nation — and launched a goal to plant 500,000 trees citywide.

To help reach that goal, the City has launched two new programs giving residents opportunities to grow Irvine’s urban forest.

Irvine Mayor Larry Agran joined more than 150 UCI Health team members and community leaders to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the new UCI Health – Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital.

The new 52-bed, 70,000-square-foot freestanding rehabilitation hospital will provide specialized care for patients recovering from stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, severe burns, polytrauma, amputations and other complex conditions.

Improvements are currently underway at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.

The Woollett Aquatics Center and nearby facilities will remain open throughout construction, which is expected to be completed in spring 2028.

What would you do if a major disaster struck and help wasn’t immediately available?

In a City that spans 66 square miles, emergency services may be delayed or overwhelmed in a catastrophic disaster — for example, a major earthquake — leaving residents to care for themselves and their neighbors. CERT training helps bridge that gap by teaching participants how to be more self-reliant and prepared to safely navigate the days and weeks following a large-scale event.