Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California, with a 2020 population of about 111,900. It sits within the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city, one of the region's largest commercial clusters, giving it an economic and cultural profile far larger than a typical mid-sized suburb. Its name means "mesa coast" in Spanish, reflecting its position on the coastal mesa above Newport Beach. The city incorporated in 1953, when it was a semi-rural farming community of about 16,800 people. Over the following decades, it urbanized rapidly around retail, commerce, and light manufacturing, anchored by the growth of South Coast Plaza and the airport. That transformation turned Costa Mesa into a retail and employment destination for the entire region. Costa Mesa is perhaps best known today for its arts and shopping. The Segerstrom Center for the Arts is home to resident companies including the Pacific Symphony, Pacific Chorale, and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, and its campus features public sculpture by major artists. South Coast Plaza remains one of the region's premier retail destinations, and its public art tour extends the city's cultural identity outdoors. The city's neighborhoods span a wide urban-suburban spectrum. Eastside, centered on 17th Street, is a walkable dining and shopping district with a mix of older cottages and newer homes. Westside, once industrial, has become an eclectic creative district. Mesa Verde is a midcentury single-family neighborhood prized for its schools and parks, and South Coast Metro is the dense commercial core. Students attend the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, and recreation ranges from Fairview Park and the Upper Newport Bay trails to nearby beaches. Costa Mesa suits households seeking an urban-suburban mix with strong arts, retail, and employment access — from renters drawn to the Westside and South Coast Metro to families seeking the schools and midcentury homes of Mesa Verde.