Community News

City of Irvine Parks Rank No. 2 in the Nation for Second Consecutive Year

 

by: City of Irvine
Published: May 25, 2026

 

IRVINE...For the second consecutive year, the City of Irvine’s park system has been ranked No. 2 in the nation in the annual ParkScore Index released by the Trust for Public Land. Irvine also remained the top-ranked park system in California, underscoring the City’s longstanding commitment to parks, recreation, and open space.

This marks the 11th year Irvine has ranked among the top 10 park systems nationwide. The index evaluates the 100 most populated U.S. cities based on park access, acreage, investment, equity, and amenities.

According to the report, 94% of Irvine residents live within a half-mile of a park. Irvine also earned a perfect score for investment, spending $697 per capita annually on publicly accessible parks and recreation.

The City continues to invest in its park system through projects including the Great Park, new pickleball courts at Mike Ward Community Park — Woodbridge, the Jeffrey Open Space Trail extension, and Irvine’s first municipal fieldhouse, expected to open in early 2027.

View the full ParkScore Index at tpl.org/parkscore and learn more about Irvine parks at cityofirvine.gov/parks.