Irvine is located in Orange County, California; it was formally incorporated in Orange County in 1971. It is named after the Irvine family, who had acquired the land in the early 1860s and developed the area into a ranch. In the 1960s, the underdeveloped ranch was developed into a masterfully architecture urban area in relation to the city's development plan.

There are several colleges and universities in the city, including the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Concordia University, and the Orange County Center of the University of Southern California, as well as the Alliant International University, the California State University Fullerton, and the Pepperdine University. Irvine also has one community college called Irvine Valley College.

The city celebrates the Irvine Global Village Festival annually every September in order to mark the great cultural diversity of the city. A great attraction to locals and tourists, the festival features exhibits from local merchants, as well as cultural entertainment and a varied array of international cuisine.