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Irvine, California · Neighborhood guide

Quail Hill

Early-2000s homes at the edge of the 700-acre Quail Hill Preserve, two miles from the Spectrum

Cream stucco townhomes with tile roofs behind bare crape myrtles and slim cypresses, a wooden bench, lawn and a walkway in front, blue sky
Photo: Jeri Koegel (edited), CC BY-SA 2.0
Median askingQuail Hill$1.4M9 for sale
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Quail Hill, in short.

Quail Hill is a small Irvine Company village south of the 405 between Shady Canyon Drive and Laguna Canyon Road, dated by the company to 2003 and built out in the early 2000s. Its edge is the 700-acre Quail Hill Preserve, where the 2-mile Quail Hill Loop starts at a trailhead on Shady Canyon Drive and is open daily from dawn to dusk. Homes are early-2000s condos, townhomes, and single-family houses in 14 named neighborhoods, around a 16.9-acre city park and the Quail Hill Shopping Center, anchored by Albertsons. Alderwood Elementary sits inside the village. As of September 2026, active listings were all condos and townhomes, asking about $989,000 to $1.99 million.

Quail Hill by the numbers.

  • 7,668Population
  • 34%Homeowner-occupiedoccupied homes
  • 73%Bachelor's degree or higherage 25+
  • $4,575/moMedian asking rentCurrent MLS listings
  • $186,522Median household income
  • 33.1Median age

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2019–2023; neighborhood facts compiled by The Slava House.

Irvine's trailhead village

A small early-2000s village between the 405 and the Quail Hill Preserve.

Quail Hill sits in the corner where Laguna Canyon Road meets the 405, with Shady Canyon Drive along its west side. The Irvine Company dates the village to 2003, and the homes listed for sale in September 2026 were built between 2002 and 2005. It's one of the city's smaller villages. There are 14 named neighborhoods, and they share one shopping center and one park.

The land around it was part of the Irvine Ranch's cattle range, and the hill the village is named for is now the 700-acre Quail Hill Preserve. The Quail Hill Loop trailhead is on Shady Canyon Drive at the village's west edge, so from most streets you can walk to open space.

The other thing people buy here is the location. The Irvine Spectrum is about 2 miles east, UC Irvine about 4 miles west, and Laguna Canyon Road leaves from the village's corner at the 405 and runs through the canyon to Laguna Beach, about 8 miles away in a straight line.

A trail climbing the green open hills of the Quail Hill Loop
The Quail Hill Loop in the 700-acre preserve beside the villagePhoto: Kinney, CC BY 3.0
Live from the MLS

Quail Hill compared with all of Irvine.

Quail Hill asks 13% less than Irvine as a whole.

A square foot costs about the same in Quail Hill as across Irvine.

Listings in Quail Hill have been on the market 30 days longer than across Irvine.

What’s for sale

89% of the homes for sale in Quail Hill are condos.

  • Condo89%8 homes
  • Townhouse11%1 home

Homes for sale in Quail Hill are 16% smaller than across Irvine.

Each card sets the median in Quail Hill against all of Irvine. The arrow on a card lists every Irvine neighborhood we cover. Asking prices for homes on the market right now inside each mapped area, not sale prices. Updated October 17, 2026, 3:00 PM PT

Homes for sale in Quail Hill

9 active listings in the mapped area

See Quail Hill homes on the live mapAll Irvine homes for sale

All Irvine homes in Explore

Slava Ploshkin, Realtor

Still deciding? Ask me.

I’m a Realtor based in Long Beach, and Irvine is one of the cities I work most. Tell me what you’re after in Quail Hill and I’ll help you get there.

Call (424) 400-9003

Slava Ploshkin · DRE #02323623English and Russian · How I work in Irvine

Where to eat, shop, and explore in Quail Hill

The restaurants, cafes, shops, parks, and landmarks that give Quail Hill its everyday character, most within a short walk.

6 places

Pick one and I’ll show you where it is.

  1. Shopping5 min walk

    About 145,000 square feet of shops along Quail Hill Parkway, anchored by Albertsons, with a dozen restaurants and bakeries.

  2. Recreation5 min walk

    An easy two-mile dirt loop around the foot of Quail Hill, open daily from dawn to dusk, and the only wilderness trail in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks that allows dogs on leash.

    Longer docent-led treks into Shady Canyon start at the same trailhead; register on LetsGoOutside.org.

  3. Restaurant5 min walk

    An Italian restaurant at 6511 Quail Hill Parkway, at the west end of the shopping center.

  4. Coffee5 min walk

    A donut and bakery counter at 6781 Quail Hill Parkway, next to the Starbucks.

  5. Recreation5 min walk

    The trailhead at 34 Shady Canyon Drive, with parking, where the Quail Hill Loop and the docent-led hikes into the preserve begin.

  6. Park5 min walk

    A 16.9-acre city park at 35 Shady Canyon Drive with a community center, two lighted baseball fields, three soccer fields, and two lighted basketball courts.

Early-2000s homes around a small center

Ten single-family neighborhoods and four townhome ones, all built from 2002 to 2005.

Quail Hill has ten single-family neighborhoods (Sage, Vicara, Linden, Laurel, Olivos, Tapestry, Chantilly, Sienna, Sandalwood, and Solstice) and four townhome neighborhoods (Jasmine, Casalon, Ivy Wreath, and Ambridge), plus condo tracts. All of it went up in the same few years, so floor plans are open and the architecture matches from street to street.

As of September 25, 2026, the nine active listings were all condos and townhomes, asking about $989,000 for a two-bedroom condo to $1.99 million for a five-bedroom home. Most showed association dues of about $160 a month, and the highest was about $440.

Special taxes are part of the cost. The City of Irvine lists Assessment District No. 00-18 for Quail Hill, Shady Canyon, and Turtle Ridge, and school-district special taxes on newer homes are billed separately. Read the county tax bill for the exact parcel along with the dues.

Stone house with a tower-like entry, warm lights glowing in the doorway and windows, olive trees and garden beds under a deep blue dusk sky
Dusk at a Tuscan-style home in Shady Canyon, the gated enclave next to Quail HillPhoto: Jeri Koegel, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Ten single-family and four townhome neighborhoods, built 2002-2005
  • September 2026 asking prices: about $989,000 to $1.99 million
  • Dues mostly about $160 a month; city Assessment District 00-18 on the tax bill

A village next to the preserve

Why people call Quail Hill the trailhead village.

The Quail Hill Preserve covers about 700 acres of former ranch land on the village's west side. The Quail Hill Loop is an easy 2-mile dirt trail around the foot of the hill, open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, and it's the only wilderness trail in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks where dogs are allowed on leash.

Longer hikes run through docent-led programs that start at the same trailhead on Shady Canyon Drive, with routes into Shady Canyon and views over Laguna Canyon. Registration is free on LetsGoOutside.org. Bommer Canyon, the city open space southwest of the village, has trails open daily from dawn to dusk.

Because the preserve is protected, the streets facing it keep their open view of the hills. The same edge brings brush and wildlife close to the back fences. On the 2025 fire map Irvine adopted, streets on the preserve side such as Paperwhite, Terra Cotta and Canopy are High, while most eastern streets are outside any zone. If you want a preserve-side house, look up the parcel and get an insurance quote before you get attached.

A dirt path runs along a gently sloping hillside of dry golden grass under a wide blue sky with white clouds on the horizon.
A dirt trail across the golden summer grass of the Quail Hill preservePhoto: Tiffany Wu, CC BY 2.0
  • Quail Hill Loop: 2 easy miles, dawn to dusk, leashed dogs allowed
  • Docent-led hikes into Shady Canyon from the same trailhead
  • Protected hills keep the views; preserve-side streets are a High fire zone

Shopping and schools in Quail Hill

Errands on Quail Hill Parkway, the Spectrum a short drive east.

The Quail Hill Shopping Center has about 145,000 square feet of shops along Quail Hill Parkway, anchored by Albertsons, with around a dozen restaurants and bakeries. Oliver's Trattoria is at the west end, and Mag's Donuts, Thai Bamboo Bistro, and Natraj's Tandoori are in the same strip. Quail Hill Community Park, 16.9 acres at 35 Shady Canyon Drive, has the community center, two lighted baseball fields, three soccer fields, and two lighted basketball courts.

Schools are Irvine Unified. Alderwood Elementary, which opened in 2005, is inside the village on Knollcrest. Middle and high school depend on the attendance area and can change. IUSD's School Locator has the current answer for each address.

The 405 runs along the north edge, with the Irvine Spectrum about 2 miles east and John Wayne Airport about 5 miles northwest. Oak Creek Golf Club is just across the freeway. The homes nearest the 405 hear it. If you like a unit on the north edge, go stand outside it at rush hour before you write an offer.

A white Ferris wheel with dark gondolas framed by palm fronds against a clear blue sky.
The Ferris wheel at Irvine Spectrum Center, a short drive from Quail HillPhoto: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
  • Albertsons and about a dozen restaurants on Quail Hill Parkway
  • Alderwood Elementary inside the village; check the rest by address
  • The 405 on the north edge; the Spectrum about 2 miles east

How the Quail Hill market works

Few listings, and they look alike until you check what's out back.

Quail Hill is small and was built in one era, so there are few listings at any time and they look alike on paper. In September 2026 there were nine, all attached, from about $989,000 to $1.99 million. Single-family houses come up less often.

Inside the village, the spread comes from size, whether the home faces the preserve or the freeway, and how much the owner has updated a 20-plus-year-old interior. A townhome backing onto open hills draws more interest than one near the 405.

Add the dues and the assessment line from the tax bill to the price. Then compare it with an older village that has neither.

More Quail Hill facts

  • 2003Village datedIrvine Company; listings built 2002-2005
  • 700 acresQuail Hill PreserveOpen space at the village's west edge
  • 2 milesQuail Hill LoopEasy dirt loop, open dawn to dusk, dogs on leash
  • 16.9 acresCommunity parkCity park and community center on Shady Canyon Drive
  • 14Neighborhoods10 single-family, 4 townhome
  • 92603ZIP codeIrvine

Rentals in Quail Hill

14 active rentals in the mapped area

See Quail Hill rentals on the live map

Compare Quail Hill

Compare Quail Hill with another neighborhood
Turtle Rock vs Quail HillTurtle Rock or Quail Hill: which Irvine village is better to live in?See the comparison ›Quail Hill vs University ParkSee the comparison ›Quail Hill vs WoodbridgeSee the comparison ›Quail Hill vs Great Park NeighborhoodsSee the comparison ›

Questions & answers

Yes, if you hike, run or have a dog. Quail Hill is an early-2000s Irvine Company village next to the 700-acre Quail Hill Preserve, with a shopping center, a 16.9-acre city park, and Alderwood Elementary inside it, and the Irvine Spectrum about 2 miles east. The downsides: few detached houses, dues on top of a city assessment district, and freeway noise near the 405.

Explore near Quail Hill

1.8 mi awayTurtle RockIrvine's first hillside village, started in 1967, with two elementary schools inside and Bommer Canyon out the backRead the guide ›2.0 mi awayUniversity ParkIrvine's first village, from the mid-1960s, where the houses face shared parks instead of the streetRead the guide ›2.2 mi awayWoodbridgeThe Irvine village built around two lakes, where the first homes went by lottery in 1976Read the guide ›3.6 mi awayGreat Park NeighborhoodsIrvine's newest villages, built since 2013 on the old El Toro air base, with a special tax you'll want to understandRead the guide ›4.3 mi awayNorthwoodThe village the Irvine Company didn't build, with late-1970s tracts under century-old eucalyptus windrowsRead the guide ›4.8 mi away · Newport BeachNewport CoastThe Irvine Company's gated hillside villages, built in the 1990s and 2000s above Crystal Cove State ParkRead the guide ›

Written by Slava Ploshkin, Realtor ·

Where we check the facts

The facts in this guide (districts, zones, rules) come from the official records below. We re-check them before property tours.

Show all 10 sourcesShow fewer
Photo credits (5)