Irvine Terrace is located in Newport Beach, just south of the Newport Center and facing the Newport Beach Country Club. It is bounded on both sides by Bayside Drive and the Pacific Coast Highway, the main thoroughfare serving coastal Orange County. It is one of the closest communities to the coast, with the beach just a few hundred meters away and a mere walk from most of the properties.

There are around 375 homes in Irvine Terrace, divided into Phases I and II. Both were developed by Harbor Realty in the mid-1950s and have grown into affluent communities, with homes starting at over $1.5 million. Irvine Terrace beach homes are known for their spacious lots (a typical home has around 8,000 square feet), but most are built single-story to keep the ocean views unobstructed. Many homes have views all the way to Santa Catalina Island, a good 26 miles off the coast.