Newport Beach Celebrates Opening Of Largest Public Pier

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — The City of Newport Beach celebrated its newest — and largest — public pier on Friday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Officials from Newport Beach, the Irvine Co. and the County of Orange gathered to celebrate the opening of Balboa Marina Public Pier last week.

The pier is located south of Coast Highway and west of Bayside Drive.

The new pier can accommodate up to 12 small vessels or several larger vessels and is free for day use by the public for up to three hours.

“Here in Newport Beach, we have the largest recreational harbor west of the Mississippi,” Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill said during the ceremony. “More access is important, and this is a long time coming. We’re really excited, because we know that what this is going to do is not just increase all of the opportunities people have to be in our harbor, but also open up a new gateway to our city, to allow more folks to come here, enjoy themselves and go and shop local.”