INCORPORATED:  On June 29, 1927

 

POPULATION:  The City of Laguna Beach, based on 2007 figures, has a
population size of 25,131. Land is 8.8 square miles. 

 

LOCATION: Laguna Beach is in the heart of Orange County (the "OC") adjacent to the Pacific Ocean with 7.1 miles of oceanfront vistas.  Located 50 miles south of Los
Angeles and 70 miles north of San Diego, Laguna Beach is accessible through Laguna Canyon and the South Coast Wilderness Parks area or via Pacific Coast Highway.

 

ON A MAP:  The latitude of Laguna Beach is 33.542N. The longitude is -117.782W.

Laguna Beach is on the Pacific Ocean and the name is derived from a Spanish word
for "lake."

 

FESTIVALS:  Laguna Beach, a hidden gem in Orange County, has been known as an artist colony for more than 100 years.  Some of the annual arts festivals include:

 

LAGUNA DANCE FESTIVAL - April 12-15 & September 8-9, 2012
PLEIN-AIR INVITATIONAL -October 14-21, 2012

ART-A-FAIR - June 29—September 2, 2012

SAWDUST ART FESTIVAL - June 29—September 2, 2012

FESTIVAL OF ARTS - July 1—August 31, 2012
PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS July 7—August 31, 2012
           

ARTISTS AND GALLERIES:  In 1918, artist Edgar Payne opened an art gallery that later became the Laguna Art Museum, one of the first art museums in the state. Today, there are more than 70 art galleries and 400 working artists and studios in Laguna Beach.

 

BEACHES: Laguna Beach is home to more than 20 beaches, coves and parks.

MAIN BEACH
CRESENT BAY
OAK STREET BEACH
SHAW'S & DIVER'S COVE
SLEEPY HOLLOW
WOODS COVE
VICTORIA BEACH
ALISO CREEK COUNTY BEACH
THOUSAND STEPS BEACH

HOTELS: Hotel Laguna was the first hotel built in Laguna Beach and the first substantial business building.  The structure as it now stands was rebuilt in
1928. Today, there are more than 25 hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts located within Laguna Beach.

THREE AREAS:  The city of Laguna Beach has three distinct areas:  North Laguna
Beach, South Laguna Beach and the heart of the city, the village of downtown Laguna.

 

CONNECTIONS TO HOLLYWOOD: While many people around the world have recently learned about Laguna Beach from MTV's popular cable show, the resort has been home to many famous Hollywood stars over the years.  Past and present residents include: 

Edgar Payne, artist
Charlie Chaplin, comic actor
Bette Davis, actress
Judy Garland, singer and actress
Mary Pickford, actress
Mickey Rooney, actor
Rudolph Valentino, actorDiane Keaton, actress
Victor Mature, actor

Heather Locklear, actress

Richie Sambora, musician

Bette Midler, actress

Wyland, artist

           

WHAT YOU MIGHT KNOW:  While Laguna Beach is home to a diverse population, the city has become known around the world from the MTV hit cable television show:  'Laguna Beach, The Real Orange County.'  The show
averaged more than 3.1 million viewers in its second season.                       

           

WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW:

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is free to the public, open daily and is located on Laguna Canyon Road.  This rescue center, run by dedicated volunteers, rehabilitates marine mammals that are stranded due to injury or illness and releases healthy animals back to their natural habitat. 

 

Laguna Beach is a bird sanctuary and a marine life refuge. Part of Laguna's marine refuge system is a fully protected marine reserve—nothing can be fished for or removed from this area.

 

Laguna College of Art + Design, located in Laguna Beach, offers Bachelor in Fine Arts degrees in Drawing and Painting, Illustration, Animation, Game Art and Graphic Design and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

 

Laguna Beach is known throughout Southern California for its tidepools and the variety of marine life they support.

 

Calla Allison is a Marine Protection Officer and part of the Department of Marine Safety for the City of Laguna Beach. She is the only marine protection officer in the State of California.

 

Many bungalows and cottages from the late 1800s to the early 1900s are still in existence and part of a self-guided tour.

 

Laguna Beach features a large percentage of one-of-a-kind specialty shops.

 

First Thursdays Art Walk attracts more than 3,000 people the first Thursday of every month and features the art galleries of Laguna Beach with trolley service throughout Laguna Beach from 6 to 9 p.m.

 

Laguna Beach ranks No. 1 in the United States in economic impact of the arts on a per capita basis which includes total spending by both organizations and audiences.

 

Laguna Beach was named one of the Top 10 Beaches in the United States by MSN.com and Newsweek.

 

Laguna Beach was also named one of the best beaches as a "Beach Buddy" in the Country for its water quality.

 

The average temperature in Laguna Beach fluctuates about 10 degrees between the summer and the winter.

 

Laguna Beach has been consistently voted the No. 1 destination to get married in Orange County, California.

 

Skimboarding was invented in Laguna Beach.  Skimboarding dates back to the late 1920s when Laguna Beach lifeguards used to skimboard on pieces of wood.

 

Laguna Beach also has excellent scuba diving locations.

 
Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the second smallest Catholic Church in the world, St. Francis By-The-Sea is in fact a cathedral, the seat of the diocese.  It was built in 1933 with rubble salvaged from the Long Beach earthquake, and has a capacity of 42 seats. St. Francis By-The-Sea is located at 430 Park Avenue. (Smallest as of '06, 2nd smallest as of '07)

About the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau

The Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau is celebrating 25 years of commitment to Laguna Beach and the tourism industry, with its offices located at 361 Forest Avenue, Suite 200 and the Official Visitors Center at 381 Forest Ave. in the HÔM Sotheby's International Realty office. The Visitors Center is open daily, Monday - Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Laguna Beach is Southern California's premier coastal destination located midway
between Los Angeles and San Diego and along the southern coast of Orange
County. Known as home to hundreds of local artists, and set amid 20,000 acres
of wilderness, Laguna Beach is primarily served by Orange County Airport
located just 20 minutes away. For more information, please visit www.lagunabeachinfo.com.