Huntington Beach, CA Road Trips

The year-round temperature averages 67 °F (19 °C), and good weather can be had every month, though the months of January to March can be rainy. Once known as Pacific City, it started as the southern terminus of the Golden West railroad line. Huntington Beach is also mentioned by name in the Beach Boys song "Surfin' Safari", where "at Huntington and Malibu they're shooting the pier". Huntington Beach was founded in the early 20th century, named for and developed by Henry E. Huntington, whose Pacific Electric railroad came to the town in 1904. Prior to 1960, Huntington Beach was mostly agricultural, with crops such as lima beans, asparagus, peppers, celery and sugar beets. The city experienced massive growth in the 1960s, coinciding with both the growth of surf culture as well as "white flight" from Central LA to the suburbs. Huntington Beach is one of the more conservative/MAGA cities in Southern California. Huntington Beach tourism website

1 Bolsa Chica Wetlands. Huntington Beach boasts the largest unspoiled coastal wetlands in California where many migratory birds stop and nest. 2 Huntington Beach Pier. The second most popular sight here, after the beach itself. The US Open of Surfing is held around here. Many of the upscale restaurants and bars are located near here. 3 Main Street. A shopping and gathering place for residents and tourists alike, with sidewalk cafes, surf shops and live music all vying for attention.

Beaches of Huntington Beach. It has some of the largest stretches of open-sand beaches in all of California, as well the Huntington Beach Pier (one of the longest concrete piers in the world), site of world-class surfing and volleyball events yearly. 1 Huntington State Beach. Located south of Beach Boulevard. 2 Huntington City Beach (between Beach Boulevard and Seapoint Drive). One of the most famous places to surf. Contains the pier. 3 Huntington Dog Beach (in the northern part of Huntington City Beach). 4 Bolsa Chica State Beach (on PCH north of Seapoint, opposite the Bolsa Chica Wetlands). Popular spot for family barbecues. 5 Sunset Beach. It was an unincorporated community until annexed by Huntington Beach in 2011. The northernmost beach in Huntington Beach, north of the Warner loop and west of Huntington Harbour. Funkier and less pretentious than other parts of Huntington Beach, home to several dive bars. Running, walking, biking, and rollerblading. There is a wide boardwalk right by the pier. It is part of the Huntington Beach Bike Path. The Bike Path runs for about 8 miles along the beach. Heading south along the boardwalk is likely your best scenic scenario. Walking, riding a bike, running are all very safe. Many very good runners go out first thing in the morning, often as soon as the sun comes up. Surfing. You can try your hand at surfing. There is a surf rental shop right at the boardwalk. Start with a boogie board for the day circa $15. There are many good surfers so they may get annoyed if you stand in the waves too long.

1 Fred's Mexican Cafe, 300 Pacific Coast Hwy, ☏ +1 714 374-TACO (8226). Great Mexican food & Margaritas. There is no better view of the Huntington Beach pier than Fred's patio. Good prices and a favorite of the locals. 2 Chronic Tacos, 328 11th St, ☏ +1 714 960-0339, fax: +1 714 960-0094. Located a few blocks from downtown, this place offers a full menu of extremely tasty tacos, burritos, and other Mexican cuisine served from behind a counter. Prices for a giant burrito are around $5.50 (includes guacamole, cheese, meat, and a choice of other fillings). Two pool tables are also available for $0.75 per game. 3 Matsu, 18035 Beach Blvd, ☏ +1 714 848-4404. Japanese restaurant with nice atmosphere and a red-lit sushi bar. The prices are good for quality sushi. Try the lunch time menu offered during the weekdays which includes bento-box meals that are enormous for about $10, and the sushi and sashimi lunch specials are half the price of the dinner versions. (updated Dec 2015) 4 Sugar Shack Cafe, 213½ Main St, ☏ +1 714 536-0355. A favorite cafe for locals, famous in Huntington Beach for great breakfasts and amazingly low prices. 5 Duke's, 317 Pacific Coast Highway (at the base of the pier), ☏ +1 714 374-6446. 6 Mangia Mangia, 16079 Goldenwest St (Head towards Westminster), ☏ +1 714 841-8887. Basic strip mall restaurant with excellent authentic Italian food. 7 Aloha Grill, 221 Main St, ☏ +1 714 374-4427. M-Th noon-midnight, F noon-2AM, Sa 11AM-2AM, Su 10AM-1AM. This upstairs bar and grill has a luau vibe and friendly staff.

1 Longboard Restaurant & Pub, 217 Main St, ☏ +1 714 960-1896. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F 11:30AM-1AM, Sa 9:30-1AM, Su 9:30AM-10PM. Good, cold beer and a delicious menu. Their appetizers are tough to beat. 2 Hurricanes Bar & Grill, 200 Main St # 201, ☏ +1 714 374-0500. M-W 11PM-midnight, Th-Su 11AM-1:30AM. Delicious drink options include blended drinks such as their Rum Runners, and the food menu has Caribbean cuisine. It's a cool place to be with great "scenery" for the guys, but the service isn't always nice to people in large groups. Happy hour 4-7PM everyday. 3 Killarney's Irish Pub, 209 Main St, ☏ +1 714 536-7887. M-F 9AM-2AM, Sa Su 8AM-2AM. Whether you want a Guinness on tap or delicious Irish cuisine, Killarney's is well-suited to fit your needs. (updated Apr 2025) 4 Huntington Beach Beer Company, 201 Main St, ☏ +1 714 960-5343. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-2AM. Great microbrews, bar food, and outdoor seating. (updated Apr 2025) 5 Pete's Sunset Grille, 21500 Pacific Coast Highway, ☏ +1 714 845-4775. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F Sa 11:30AM-11PM. Located inside the Hyatt, Vacationers and locals take advantage of nightly happy hour, 4 - 7PM in the Pete's Bar. Complimentary valet parking available for up to three hours, with a minimum purchase of $25 and proper validation. Enjoy a sunset cocktail! (updated Apr 2025) 6 Harbour Rackhouse, 16903 Algonquin St (direction Seal Beach off Warner Avenue), ☏ +1 714 377-3893. 11AM-2AM. Great place for beers and a game of pool with friends. (updated Apr 2025) 7 Turcs Cocktails, 16321 Pacific Coast Hwy, ☏ +1 562 592-2311.

There are accommodations from beach campgrounds to five-star resorts along the Pacific. The beach campgrounds are open year round and usually full. Huntington Beach Inn, 800 Pacific Coast Highway, ☏ +1 714 536-7500, fax: +1 714 536-6846. Best Western Surf City, 19360 Beach Blvd, ☏ +1 714 962-4244, fax: +1 714 963-4724. In spite of what it sounds like, it's not exactly on the coast. Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, 21500 Pacific Coast Highway. A luxurious Spanish-inspired hotel with views of the Pacific. Includes a heated pool, direct access to the beach, surf pros, tennis, biking and Camp Hyatt. Comfort Suites Hungtington Beach, 16301 Beach Blvd., ☏ +1 714 841-1812. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 3PM. Free breakfast in the morning. $90-130. 1 The Waterfront Beach Resort, 1100 Pacific Coast Hwy, ☏ +1 714 845-8000. 7 suites. Pet friendly, Shades Restaurant & Bar, Tennis court, Fitness center, volleyball court, and laundry facility.

As with most of Orange County, Huntington Beach is served by John Wayne Airport (SNA IATA) in Santa Ana, which is 11 mi/17.5km to the northeast. SNA is served by many major carriers for flights from all regions of the U.S. and from the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento in northern California. Long Beach Airport (LGB IATA) is also within close distance (17mi/27km to the west) but is dominated by JetBlue Airways, which serves 14 destinations from Long Beach: Oakland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Chicago (O'Hare), Boston, New York (JFK), Washington (Dulles), Fort Lauderdale, Austin, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle. American (Phoenix), Delta (Salt Lake City) and Southwest (Denver & Oakland) also serve Long Beach too. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA) is the largest airport in the area with connections from more destinations in the U.S. and internationally. It is 37 mi (60 km) away. Huntington Beach is located at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway, just under 14 miles directly south of Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park. Interstate 405, which links John Wayne, Long Beach, and Los Angeles International Airports, intersects Beach Boulevard about 6 miles north of Huntington Beach. Parking: The best place to park is the city parking located right at the beach. The entrance is just north of Highway 1 (the PCH) and the main street. You will conveniently be able to unload watercoolers, surf boards and the kids all safely without having to cross streets. It saves on lifting and lugging as well.

OCTA Route 1* North and South runs along the Pacific Coast Highway, servicing all of Orange County's beaches. Routes 33 and 35 South directly run into Huntington State Beach. Routes 21** South, 70* West and 72 West end at Sunset Beach. Routes 25 South, 29 South, 172 West and 173** South all serve Huntington's downtown and its beach. *For route 1 North make sure that the banner reads Cal State Long Beach and not Newport Transportation Center. For route 70 make sure it reads Sunset Beach and not Goldenwest Transportation Center. **No service on weekends.

Crime is very low for such a large city, and violent crime is very rare. However, the city has long had a reputation for skinheads, and white supremacist activities. Like some other parts of Orange County, Huntington Beach sometimes sees confrontations between reactionaries and people of color. If you are drinking, you should be far more concerned with local police than civilians. If you are drinking, call a cab because DUIs are illegal.