Arch Beach Heights

What it’s like

Arch Beach Heights climbs the hillside south of the Village, uphill and inland from Moss Point and Woods Cove. USGS elevation data puts a point on La Mirada Street at about 640 feet above sea level. Listings on realatrends.com show addresses on La Mirada Street, Miramar, Tia Juana Street, Oro, Katella Street and Cortez Avenue. The homes listed there are single-family houses, with styles that run from Mediterranean to contemporary, and the page describes ocean views from the elevated streets.

The shore lies downhill. In a straight line, the Coastal Commission’s Moss Point access, with stairs at the end of Moss Street, sits about half a mile from La Mirada Street. Woods Cove and Victoria Beach each lie about 0.6 mile away. The Moss Street beach page, the Woods Cove beach page and the Victoria Beach page cover access and parking at each one. Moulton Meadows Park sits about 0.4 mile from La Mirada Street.

Getting around

Realatrends.com’s guide to Laguna Beach describes the hillside neighborhoods outside the central zone as steep, and it says most people mix walking with driving or the trolley.

Laguna Local, the city’s free on-demand shared ride, lists stops on and around the hill. They include La Mirada at Summit, La Mirada at Del Mar, Del Mar at Oro, Del Mar at Santa Ana, Del Mar at Tia Juana, Summit at Katella and Moulton Meadows Park. You book by app, online or through transit dispatch. Below the hill, the free Coastal Route trolley runs on Coast Highway between North Laguna and Heisler Park, downtown and South Laguna, every 20 to 30 minutes on the off-season schedule. That schedule covers September 8, 2026 to June 25, 2027. The getting around guide and the parking guide have the details.

Things to know before you buy or rent

The city’s list of 22 evacuation zones includes one named Arch Beach Heights, zone LAB01, and another named Balboa Nyes. Each zone has its own map. The city recommends that you print the map for your zone and learn the routes.

According to the Laguna Beach Fire Department, about 87% of the city’s land and about 65% of its buildable property sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The department’s map page looks up any address. A sale of a one-to-four-unit home in that zone that needs a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement includes a defensible-space inspection by the department, and the department offers property owners a free wildfire consultation. The state insurance commissioner says CAL FIRE hazard maps do not set insurance rates, because insurers use their own wildfire risk models. Ask your insurer about an address.

The city’s design review looks at public and private views. Grading over 20 cubic yards outside the building footprint, retaining walls over 5 feet in exposed height and any improvement taller than 15 feet go to a public hearing. Smaller work can go through a zone clearance.

The city no longer allows new short-term lodging, meaning stays of 30 days or less, in its R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts. Existing permitted units are legal nonconforming, and the use runs with the land. The short-term rentals guide covers the rules. A rental of more than 30 days falls outside the definition.

Laguna Beach Unified School District operates the public schools in town. For school names and locations, see the schools guide. Realatrends.com’s Arch Beach Heights guide lists the homes for sale now and the most recent sales.