City of the Arts^®

If you’re into the unexpected, you’re in the right place. Welcome to Costa Mesa.

Southern California’s
best kept secret.

Centrally located and culture-forward, Costa Mesa is where Orange County keeps its cool. We’re minutes from beaches, near big-name parks and shopping, but with a whole creative beat of our own. From performing arts to perfect tacos, it’s the kind of place that keeps showing you more the longer you stay.

Two women ride bikes on a sunny day along a Costa Mesa path. Both are smiling; the woman in front wears a cap, sunglasses, and a blue shirt, while the woman behind has a yellow shirt and rides a pink bike with a basket. Greenery is visible in the background.

Weekend plans? Found them.

Two women sit at a table in Costa Mesa, enjoying tacos and drinks, smiling and laughing. Various food trays and beverages are spread before them. The background features a decorative wall with green leaves and large white hibiscus flowers.

Take an Eatcation^®

A variety of elegantly plated gourmet dishes on a table in Costa Mesa, including fish with sauce, a colorful salad, desserts, and butter with bread, all arranged artfully on different plates.

Award Winning Restaurants

A bowl of ramen topped with two soft-boiled eggs, roasted pork, corn, green onions, and mushrooms sits on a wooden table in Costa Mesa beside tacos, rice, and a wooden spoon with a gray napkin underneath.

Best Ramen

Three friends stand at a bar in Costa Mesa, smiling and holding drinks. One person leans on another, and they all appear relaxed and happy in the warmly lit indoor setting.

Best Breweries

A barista with glasses and tied-back hair works behind a coffee machine, surrounded by mugs and steam, in a warmly lit Costa Mesa café adorned with string lights and a cozy atmosphere.

Best Coffee

Best Sushi

A tall glass filled with a blue and white swirled milkshake, topped with whipped cream, crushed cookies, a round cookie, and two churros, served on a marble surface at Silver Trumpet Restaurant Costa Mesa.

Best Desserts

A vegan omelet topped with avocado slices, filled with vegetables and plant-based meat, served with diced, roasted potatoes on a white plate labeled Breakfast Republic #Vegan in Costa Mesa. An English muffin is on a separate plate nearby.

Best Brunch

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A woman in a bright yellow, tiered dress and black heels walks outdoors under a modern, curved canopy in Costa Mesa, carrying DIOR shopping bags and a black handbag on a sunny day.

South Coast Plaza

A colorful, eclectic Costa Mesa store interior features red-patterned stairs with a HOME sign at the top, wooden shelves, plants, baskets, and shoppers browsing and chatting. Industrial lighting and decor create a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

The CAMP

The LAB

Outdoor shopping mall in Costa Mesa with palm trees, colorful flower planters, and shop signs like Karl Strauss. Sunlight casts shadows on the wide walkway, and there are shops and restaurants in the background.

Metro Pointe

A woman wearing a denim shirt and jeans is browsing clothes on a rack in a bright, modern Costa Mesa boutique with colorful items displayed on shelves and tables.

17th Street

A bright, modern outdoor shopping area in Costa Mesa with plants, palm-like trees, and tables with umbrellas. Glass storefronts line the walkway as sunlight filters through a curved glass roof, casting soft shadows on the ground.

SOCO & The OC Mix

Triangle Square

Two women outdoors in Costa Mesa, smiling and walking. One has long blonde hair, sunglasses, and a blue dress. The other has long dark hair, a red hat, layered necklaces, and a black top. The image is framed in an orange circle.

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A brightly lit performing arts center in Costa Mesa at dusk features Segerstrom Hall’s grand archway, a modern glass building, tall banners, and a fountain with water jets in the plaza. A cityscape with an office tower is visible in the background.

Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

A woman in a long, floral skirt stands near the modern, angular exterior of a white building with large windows and tiled walls in Costa Mesa. A staircase with a metal railing leads up on the left side.

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art

The Ram

A large orchestra is seated in front of a choir standing on risers in Costa Mesa. The choir members, wearing black attire and holding sheet music, perform in a grand concert hall with red seats and golden accents.

Pacific Symphony

A modern theater building labeled REPERTORY is brightly lit at dusk, with people entering. The Segerstrom Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa stands nearby, with a tall sign, glass high-rise, trees, and a well-kept lawn completing the scene.

South Coast Repertory

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A golf course in Costa Mesa features a green with a flagstick marking the hole, trees in the background, and long shadows stretching across the grass under a clear sky—hinting at early morning or late afternoon.

Costa Mesa Country Club

A long pier extends over calm ocean water at sunset, with vibrant orange, pink, and purple clouds filling the sky above a coastal town—capturing the beauty of beaches near Costa Mesa.

Huntington Beach

Aerial view of a large grassy hill with winding dirt trails, surrounded by green and brown vegetation. Residential houses border the edge in the background, just a short drive from popular beaches near Costa Mesa.

Fairview park

Newport Beach

TeWinkle Park

Two women sit back-to-back on a paved surface outdoors in Costa Mesa. One, in a red jacket, smiles at the camera, while the other, in denim and a black hat, checks her phone. Both have bags and are relaxed. A green border circles the image.

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Five women sit at pottery wheels in a bright Costa Mesa studio, each shaping clay with their hands. Shelves with supplies and plants fill the background, while buckets and tools are scattered on the tables between them.

Costa Mesa Ceramics

Three people in a workshop, wearing aprons, smile and examine a strip of leather. Tools and supplies hang on a pegboard in the background—a fun option if you're searching for creative things to do in Costa Mesa.

Saltwater Leather

A person lies on a treatment bed with eyes closed while another uses blue glass facial globes to massage their face—a relaxing spa treatment, perfect for those seeking rejuvenating things to do in Costa Mesa.

Facial Lounge

A group of people on a boat near Costa Mesa take photos of an orca surfacing in the ocean on a sunny day, with distant hills visible in the background.

Newport Landing Whale Watching

A woman uses a sewing machine at a worktable while a man with a beard and glasses stands beside her, observing. They are in a workshop with sewing equipment and supplies visible in the background.

CANVASWORKER

A smiling woman wearing a white top and blue jeans rides a mechanical bull indoors in Costa Mesa, raising one arm as a group of people watch and cheer. The image is framed by a yellow circular border.

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Explore All

Your detour to unforgettable.

Sea You There: A Beach-Close Itinerary

A beach‑close Costa Mesa itinerary featuring art, gardens, whale watching, and coastal fun, plus easy travel via John Wayne Airport and nearby hotels.

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A lively outdoor fairground scene with crowds of people walking, colorful booths, amusement rides including a Ferris wheel, banners, and festive decorations under a bright blue sky.

OC Fair

Each summer, the OC Fair takes over Costa Mesa with larger-than-life fun. Think big flavors (deep-fried everything, anyone?), big sounds (hello, live concerts), and big energy across 150 acres of rides, games, exhibits, and live entertainment.

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No Forks Given: The Best Summer Eats in Costa Mesa

Explore Costa Mesa’s top summer bites, from new burger joints to modern taquerias and fresh‑made paletas. Stay overnight and make it an Eatcation^®.

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Trending and New

Let the good finds roll.

Close-up of a person holding a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and onions in Costa Mesa. The words Feast mode are overlaid on the image, and a yellow button reads Explore Eat & Drink.

Explore Eat & Drink

The soul of SoCal.

Costa Mesa doesn’t just sit in the center of SoCal, it adds heart to it. You’ll feel it in the art, the music, the energy of a city that moves to its own rhythm. Come for the location, stay for the feeling you can’t quite pin down (but know you like).

About Costa Mesa