Costa Mesa (/ˌkoʊstə ˈmeɪsə/; Spanish for "coastal tableland")[7] is a city in Orange County, California, United States.

Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city, one of the region's largest commercial clusters, with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing.

On November 1, 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano became the area's first permanent European settlement in Alta California, New Spain.

After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States, and American settlers arrived in this area and formed the town of Fairview in the 1880s near the modern intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue.

To the south, meanwhile, the community of Harper had arisen on a siding of the Santa Ana and Newport Railway, named after a local rancher.

On May 11, 1920, Harper changed its name to Costa Mesa, which means "coastal tableland" in Spanish.

Fanny Bixby Spencer and her husband sponsored the contest which selected the city's new name.

During 2009–2013, Costa Mesa had a median household income of $65,830, with 15.1% of the population living below the poverty line.

It requires public approval of projects that have a general plan amendment or zoning change and would add 40 or more dwelling units or 10,000 or more square feet of commercial space.

Some manufacturing activity also takes place in the city, mostly in the industrial, southwestern quarter, which is home to a number of electronics, pharmaceuticals and plastics firms.

Business services company Experian is the largest employer in the city,[citation needed] and has its North American headquarters in Costa Mesa.

Ceradyne, El Pollo Loco, Emulex, Hurley, RVCA, Toyota Racing Development, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Vans, and Volcom are among the businesses headquartered in Costa Mesa.

[45] Adjacent to the Fairgrounds is the Pacific Amphitheatre, which has hosted acts such as Madonna, Jessica Simpson, Steppenwolf, and Kelly Clarkson.

The Segerstrom Center for the Arts and South Coast Repertory Theater are based in the city.

[46] Costa Mesa has been home to the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders training camp since 2024.

[47] The building, called the Jack Hammett Sports Complex is a former office space, but Chargers players and coaches said it was an upgrade from what the team had in San Diego.

After the Chargers departed for El Segundo, the facility became the training camp home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

[49] Decades prior, the facility was a lima bean farm owned by a Swedish immigrant family who became prominent developers in Orange County.

Since 2008, Costa Mesa has mostly voted Democratic in presidential elections, owing to the GOP's shift towards cultural conservatism.

[citation needed] In 2008, Costa Mesa was one of four cities in Orange County to vote against Proposition 8 (along with Aliso Viejo, Irvine, and Laguna Beach), a statewide ballot measure that banned same-sex marriages.

[69] Institutions of higher learning located in Costa Mesa include Orange Coast College, and Vanguard University (affiliated with the Assemblies of God).

[70] The 9.5 acres (3.8 hectares; 38 thousand square metres) Costa Mesa Civic Center is located at 77 Fair Drive.

Also contained in the Civic Center complex are Council Chambers, the Police facility, Communications building and Fire Station No.