The Tustin guide

Old Town charm.
Foothill quiet.

Tustin gives you a walkable historic center, plenty of modern convenience, and neighborhoods that become quieter and more spacious as you move into North Tustin.

Find your part of Tustin
Tree lined residential street in North Tustin
North TustinEstablished · Green · Room to breathe
Why Tustin

A small town feeling with a lot more around it.

“Old Town Tustin is probably my second favorite historic downtown after Old Towne Orange.”

It’s easy to spend time here without overplanning it. You can walk between restaurants, bars, old buildings, and local history in Old Town, then be at the Market Place or the District a few minutes later. Head north and the city starts to feel quieter, greener, and more spread out, with hills, larger properties, and neighborhoods where sidewalks and streetlights sometimes disappear.

Mike Betts · Orange County local
Find your Tustin

The parts of Tustin worth knowing.

Tustin isn’t one uniform suburb. Here’s a quick look at the areas that shape daily life and give this part of Orange County its range.

01 · Historic & walkable

Old Town Tustin

Centered around Main Street and El Camino Real, Old Town has buildings dating to the 1880s, a local museum, historic walking tours, and one of Orange County’s most enjoyable collections of restaurants and bars within an easy walk.

The food ranges from Italian and Mexican to Japanese, American favorites, and newer fusion spots. You don’t need a complicated plan. Pick a place to start and wander from there.

Future guides: Old Town food · Historic walking tour
02 · Modern & convenient

Tustin Ranch & the Market Place

Tustin Ranch brings planned neighborhoods, parks, trails, newer homes, and everyday convenience close together.

The Market Place adds a huge range of shopping and dining, including one of Tustin’s two Costco locations. It’s busy and practical, but established residential streets are never far away.

Future guide: Tustin Ranch
03 · History becoming something new

Tustin Legacy & the District

The former Marine Corps Air Station opened in 1942 and shaped this part of Tustin for more than 50 years. Its surviving South Hangar is one of the largest wooden structures ever built and a reminder of the base’s Navy blimp and Marine aviation history.

Today, the surrounding Tustin Legacy area includes newer homes, parks, shopping, dining, and the District. It’s one of the clearest examples of old and new Tustin sharing the same landscape.

The surviving hangar is also featured in the Orange County history collection.

Future guides: The full hangar story · Tustin Legacy
Quiet tree lined neighborhood in North Tustin
04 · Larger lots & foothill streets

North Tustin

North Tustin is an unincorporated community rather than part of the City of Tustin, but the two are closely connected in everyday life.

Here you’ll find mature trees, larger lots, hillside homes, and quiet streets that may not have sidewalks or streetlights. Cowan Heights and Lemon Heights push farther into the foothills, where views, winding roads, and custom homes create a much different feel from central Tustin.

Foothill High School is a highly regarded local school with rigorous programs, strong athletics, WASC accreditation through 2031, and a long connection to the community.

Future guides: Cowan Heights · Lemon Heights · North Tustin
If you have one day

Start with history. Leave room for whatever sounds good.

Tustin works well when you mix one walkable stop with something newer, quieter, or farther into the foothills.

  1. Morning

    Walk Old Town, follow a few stops from the historic tour, visit the museum when it’s open, and settle into a relaxed breakfast or early lunch.

  2. Afternoon

    Explore the Market Place or the District, visit a park around Tustin Legacy, or take a drive through Tustin Ranch and North Tustin.

  3. Evening

    Return to Old Town for dinner and drinks, then take a slow walk past the historic buildings once the day cools down.

Living here

The feel changes quickly as you move north.

Central Tustin and Tustin Ranch offer established neighborhoods, townhomes, newer development, parks, and easy access to shopping. Tustin Legacy adds newer homes and an evolving mixed use district on former base land.

North Tustin is a different search. Lots tend to be larger, many homes are custom or heavily individualized, and hillside streets can feel removed from the city even when daily errands remain close.

  • Historic, established, planned, and custom housing
  • Strong central Orange County access
  • Walkable life concentrated around Old Town
  • Larger lots and foothill living to the north
Live from CRMLS

Homes currently available in Tustin and North Tustin.

A live look at active single-family homes, townhomes, and condos across both communities, updated automatically as the market changes.