Tustin, CA Properties | Metro Realty Advisors

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Tustin sits in central Orange County, bordered by Santa Ana to the west and Irvine to the south and east, roughly 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city takes its name from Columbus Tustin, a carriage maker who founded the settlement in the 1870s amid the region's early agricultural boom. For much of its first century Tustin remained a small farming town, its identity anchored by a tree-lined Old Town that still forms the historic core. In the 1940s the federal government built Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, whose enormous wooden blimp hangars became some of the largest structures in the country and dominated the local skyline for decades. After the base closed in the 1990s, the city began converting that land into Tustin Legacy, one of Orange County's most significant mixed-use redevelopment projects. Today Tustin is a predominantly residential city of about 80,000 people. Its built character spans several distinct eras of Southern California growth: early bungalows and Craftsman-style homes in Old Town, ranch-style tracts built in the postwar decades, and larger master-planned communities such as Tustin Ranch developed from the 1980s onward. The District, a large open-air retail and entertainment center, serves as a regional shopping destination, while Old Town retains independent restaurants, a farmers market, and community events that keep its historic character alive. The city appeals to families and commuters who want a central Orange County location with strong schools and convenient freeway access. Tustin Unified School District operates the public schools, and the city sits close to major employment centers in Irvine, Santa Ana, and the broader county, as well as John Wayne Airport and the Orange County coast. Tustin's blend of historic character, newer housing, and large park investments through Tustin Legacy gives it a distinct identity among Orange County's mid-sized cities — neither fully an old town nor entirely a planned suburb, but a place where both coexist comfortably.

Population 80,276

County Orange

Active Listings 231

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Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Tustin in?

Tustin is in Orange County, California, in the heart of the county about 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It borders Santa Ana to the west and Irvine to the south and east, placing it close to major Orange County employment centers and the coast.

What school district serves Tustin?

Tustin is served by the Tustin Unified School District, which operates elementary, middle, and high schools across the city and parts of surrounding communities. The district also offers magnet and thematic programs, including STEM pathways and an International Baccalaureate middle-years program.

What is Tustin Legacy?

Tustin Legacy is a large mixed-use redevelopment on the site of the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. It is adding new housing, offices, and commercial space, along with more than 170 acres of planned parks, trails, and open space once fully built out.

What is Old Town Tustin?

Old Town Tustin is the city's historic core, known for homes dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s, tree-lined streets, and a walkable main-street district of independent shops and restaurants that anchors the city's sense of history.

How do people commute from Tustin?

Tustin sits at the junction of Interstate 5 and State Route 55, with the State Route 261 toll road nearby. A Metrolink commuter rail station serves the Tustin Legacy area, and John Wayne Airport is a short drive away in adjacent Santa Ana.

City Guide

About Tustin

Real Estate & Housing

Tustin's housing stock reflects its long, layered history. Old Town Tustin contains many of the city's oldest homes — bungalows and early 20th-century residences on tree-shaded streets, some restored and some renovated. The Broadmoor area and other postwar neighborhoods offer mid-century modern and ranch-style houses on modest lots. On the city's east side, Tustin Ranch is a large master-planned community with newer single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments arranged around parks and schools. Tustin Legacy continues to add contemporary attached and detached housing near its new parks and commercial core. This range means buyers can choose between historic small-lot living, established suburban tracts, and recently built communities within a single city.

Neighborhoods

Old Town Tustin is the city's historic heart, known for its walkable streets, preserved early homes, and a main-street district of shops and eateries. Tustin Ranch, built mostly from the 1980s onward, is a family-oriented master-planned area with its own schools, parks, and golf course. Tustin Legacy occupies the former Marine Corps Air Station land and is emerging as a mixed-use district of new housing, offices, and open space. Additional established neighborhoods — including Tustin Meadows and the communities around the city's central corridor — offer mid-century and late-20th-century homes that keep a broad range of housing types available across town.

Lifestyle in Tustin

Daily life in Tustin centers on Old Town's walkable main street and The District, an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment center. Old Town hosts community events and a farmers market that draw residents from across the city. The local dining scene ranges from casual cafés to sit-down restaurants, with additional options clustered near the freeways. Tustin's location puts residents minutes from the attractions, employment, and coastline of central Orange County while retaining a calmer, more suburban pace than adjacent urban Santa Ana. The city's growing park system and family-oriented events give it a distinctly community-centered feel.

Schools & Education

Public education in Tustin is provided by the Tustin Unified School District, which operates elementary, middle, and high schools across the city and portions of neighboring communities. The district offers magnet and thematic programs at several campuses, including science, technology, engineering, arts, and math pathways and an International Baccalaureate middle-years program. Tustin has long been a center of education in Orange County, and the district's schools span the city's varied neighborhoods, from older in-town areas to Tustin Ranch and Tustin Legacy. Several private schools also serve families in the surrounding area.

Getting Around

Tustin sits at the junction of two major freeways: Interstate 5, which runs north toward Anaheim and Los Angeles and south toward Irvine and San Diego, and State Route 55, which links the city to the coast and to inland Orange County. State Route 261 and the eastern toll-road network provide additional routes into Irvine. A Metrolink commuter rail station in the Tustin Legacy area offers passenger rail service along the Orange County corridor, and the city lies a short drive from John Wayne Airport in adjacent Santa Ana. This central road and rail position makes Tustin convenient for commuters throughout the county.

Parks & Recreation

Tustin has invested heavily in parks and open space, particularly through Tustin Legacy, which is planned to provide more than 170 acres of parks, trails, and recreational areas at full build-out. Tustin Legacy Park is designed as a linear park with pedestrian bridges, walkways, and open expanses connecting the Metrolink station to nearby commercial development. The city also maintains neighborhood and sports parks, and residents are a short drive from regional recreation in the Irvine area and the Orange County coast. These facilities support a range of outdoor and family-oriented activities year-round.

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