Newport Beach highlight
Balboa Island
An artificial island of 0.2 square miles created through dredging beginning in 1899 by land speculator W.S. Collins, with a boardwalk and Marine Avenue commercial district.
Balboa Island was created from what was originally a mosquito-ridden mudflat surrounding Newport Bay. W.S. Collins, a land speculator who began acquiring property around the bay in 1899, envisioned transforming the area into residential communities. Through dredging that began in the early 1900s and continued for years, Collins and subsequent developers raised land that became three islands: the main Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island, and Collins Isle. By 1916, Balboa Island was formally incorporated into Newport Beach.
Today Balboa Island comprises just 0.2 square miles but is home to approximately 3,000 residents in a distinctive grid of small-lot homes with narrow streets and a public concrete boardwalk. Marine Avenue serves as the commercial spine, hosting local restaurants, bakeries, fishing tackle shops, art galleries, and boutique retailers. The island's density and pedestrian character make it one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Orange County, and it has become a destination not only for residents but for visitors who stroll the boardwalk, dine waterside, and shop the local businesses.
Island living on Balboa brings a close-knit community feel, but it also means households are often managing significant real estate investments, vacation homes, or small businesses. Whether a family relies on a single income supporting a waterfront mortgage or couples are both working to maintain their lifestyle, understanding what income replacement looks like through life insurance is part of responsible planning for this neighborhood.