Back-to-school season in Orange County means fresh starts, new adventures, and exciting places to explore using OC Bus. Distributed through schools, our two bus pass programs make it possible for those 6 to 18 (Youth Ride Free Pass) and community college students (Community College Pass) to travel to class, meet friends, and enjoy after-school activities without relying on cars or paying expensive parking fees. With nearly 60 routes and more than 5,400 stops, OC Bus is a great way to get around Orange County.
Discover how these passes can help you or someone in your family.
Insider Tip: Libraries are a popular destination on OC Bus for books, homework help, study spaces and more. Get your one-of-a-kind OC Bus-branded library card, available when you register with OC Public Libraries online or in person. Available in September.
Youth Ride Free
This pass delivers free rides to those 6 to 18 and peace of mind to their parents, who rely on OC Bus to transport their kids safely and reliably to school, activities and other destinations. This year Youth Ride Free participants will use new contactless smart cards, called Wave, to ride free throughout Orange County.
Community College Pass
For students attending any of Orange County’s 9 community colleges, this bus pass offsets the high costs of education, vehicle ownership and parking. The Community College Pass offers convenient travel with student registration on the OC Bus service to school, work or fun on safe, clean and reliable buses.
Ongoing Enhancements Strengthen OC Bus Service and Reliability
As part of the regular OC Bus Service Improvements that began August 10, we’ve increased frequency on several high-demand routes and made schedule adjustments aimed at improving on-time performance system-wide.
Insider Tip: Take advantage of the extended summer schedule on OC Bus Route 1, which will remain in place through November 2025. OC Bus Route 1 offers a beautiful ride on Pacific Coast Highway from Long Beach to San Clemente, serving destinations such as Cal State Long Beach, the Huntington Beach Pier, Fashion Island, Dana Point Harbor, schools, civic centers, and more.
Ride Metrolink to the Oranage International Street Fair
A summer tradition, the popular Orange International Street Fair from August 29 to 31 spans several streets near Plaza Park in the City of Orange historic downtown district and attracts fans from all over southern California. Parking can be difficult.
Fortunately, there’s Metrolink. No parking required! The Orange Metrolink Station is an easy walk about two short blocks from the fair.
On the weekend, take advantage of Metrolink’s Weekend Day Pass with unlimited rides for only $10. Kids 17 and under ride free.
For an opportunity to save even more money, enter for a chance to win two round trip Metrolink tickets or a $100 gift card – no purchase necessary.
Aloha from Your OC Bus Driver
From June through September, many of our drivers wear their aloha spirit on their sleeves. These colorful shirts are cooler than traditional uniforms and provide a welcome pop of cheer. While we can’t transport you to Hawaii, we can provide a safe, clean and cool ride to destinations throughout Orange County. Make sure to say “Aloha!” to your driver!
Labor Day Schedule
This year, Memorial Day will be observed on Monday, Sept. 1. Please note the following schedule changes:
