How long from Irvine to the ocean? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: school districts, university)

[anagrig]

I have heard a lot of good things about Irvine (schools, safety) ...so maybe we'll settle there when we move from MA. The only question for me would be how long in minutes would it take to drive to the closest beach? and would I have to take the highway? I really love the ocean, and would love to live within a 5-10 min. for daily walks, bicycle rides, etc.. But it seems like the best school districts in OC (Irvine, Fullerton, Cypres) are all inland. At the end of the day, I would probably choose schools over the beach, but maybe there is such a gem that I haven't found yet?
Any advice?

[ImRandy]

15-20 minutes (depending on which beach and what part of Irvine) and you could take or avoid a freeway though you're more likely to take a freeway than not.

EDIT: Forgot to add that Irvine is nowhere near San Francisco (over 400 miles away) and you should probably post in the Los Angeles forum.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by anagrig

I have heard a lot of good things about Irvine (schools, safety) ...so maybe we'll settle there when we move from MA. The only question for me would be how long in minutes would it take to drive to the closest beach? and would I have to take the highway? I really love the ocean, and would love to live within a 5-10 min. for daily walks, bicycle rides, etc.. But it seems like the best school districts in OC (Irvine, Fullerton, Cypres) are all inland. At the end of the day, I would probably choose schools over the beach, but maybe there is such a gem that I haven't found yet?
Any advice?

If you live in the Turtle Rock section of Irvine you are an easy drive to the beach via Newport Coast Dr. or MacArthur Blvd. without getting on the freeway. University Park would be the area in Irvine with the second easiest access to the beach and less expensive than Turtle Rock.


Irvine belongs in the Orange County forum.

[robertpolyglot]

Fantastic location. I grew up about 40 miles north of it in L.A.

It is very close to the ocean. It can be anywhere from 10 or 15 minutes to 1/2 hour, depending on which beach you choose, the day of the week, the time of day, and the parking situation.

Irvine is also conveniently located near both I-405 and I-5 which take you up from Orange County into the westside of L.A. or the center of L.A., respectively.

You are also 400 miles south of San Francisco, so this belongs in "Orange County."