Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach, California 

Southern California's Orange County includes the seaside city of Huntington Beach. Henry E. Huntington, an American businessman, is honored with the city's name. According to the 2020 census, there were 198,711 people living there, making it the fourth most populated city in Orange County, the most populous beach city in Orange County, and the seventh most populous city in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA MSP. Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area is on the west, the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, Seal Beach on the northwest, Westminster on the north, Fountain Valley on the northeast, Costa Mesa on the east, and Newport Beach on the southeast. It is situated 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. 

In addition to its lengthy 9.5-mile (15.3-km) sandy beach, Huntington Beach is renowned for its pleasant climate, top-notch surfing, and beach culture. Huntington Beach experiences steady surf throughout the year thanks to swells produced primarily from the North Pacific in the winter and a combination of storms and hurricanes from the Southern Hemisphere in the summer. This is how the city came to be known as "Surf City." 

Geography 

The area of the city overall, according to the United States Census Bureau, is 31.9 square miles (82.6 km2). There are 5.1 sq mi (13 km2) of water and 26.7 sq mi (69 km2) of land. 

Except for a few spots in Huntington Harbour (along with Sunset Beach, the neighborhood next to Huntington Harbour), the whole city of Huntington Beach falls inside the area codes 714 and 657. 

Climate 

Due to its low precipitation, Huntington Beach has a climate that is borderline semi-arid/Mediterranean (Köppen climatic classification: BSk/Csb), progressively shifting for the second to the west and south. Although, with the exception of mountainous regions in the southern end of the state, places like Huntington Central Park and northern Bolsa Chica often fall into the first climate type, serving as the boundary of the cold summer Mediterranean climate on the west coast of North America. Generally speaking, the weather is sunny, dry, and cool, while evenings can occasionally be overly soggy. There are frequently brisk breezes in the morning and evening that can reach 15 mph (24 km/h). The average temperature of ocean water ranges from 55 °F (13 °C) to 65 °F (18 °C). Seldom do summertime highs of 85 °F (29 °C) occur. Even on clear evenings, the wintertime low rarely drops below 40 °F (4 °C). Almost all of the rain, or 14 inches (360 mm), falls in the middle of winter. Rarely, on the harshest winter nights, does frost form. Every year, a marine layer affects the region when the chilly air from the Pacific Ocean collides with the warm air over the land. In May and June, this leads to cloudy and foggy conditions. 

Economy 

Oil Huntington Beach is located above a significant geological fault structure that holds a vital source of natural oil. 

An offshore oil terminal for tankers that service the Alaska Pipeline is located at Huntington Beach. The endpoint pipes travel inland to a Santa Fe Springs refinery. The pipeline from the Chevron El Segundo refinery's Gothard-Talbert terminus in Orange County also has its end at Huntington Beach. 

Oil drilling's effects on the environment 

Edith, Elly, Ellen, Eureka (federal leases), and Ester, Emmy, and Eva (oil platforms) are shown on the San Pedro Bay Outer Continental Shelf Activities Map as of 2012. (State leases) 

On October 3, 2021, there was a reported oil spill where, "More than 120,000 gallons of oil spilled from an offshore rig and started washing up on Southern California beaches as crews worked to stem the breach, prompting officials to issue a probable ecological disaster warning. The U.S. Coast Guard stated that the slick was roughly three miles off Newport Beach when the leak was first discovered on Saturday afternoon. An Orange County supervisor named Katrina Foley tweeted that Platform Elly, run by Beta Offshore, a Long Beach division of Houston's Amplify Energy, was the source of the oil spill. There have been reports of tidal marshes being harmed. By Sunday morning, the Talbert Marsh and adjacent wetlands that are environmentally sensitive had been affected by the leak. The magnitude of the devastation won't be known for some time, but according to officials, some dead fish and birds have been discovered. According to Ben Smith, a biologist and environmental consultant for the county, Huntington State Beach is home to several bird species, including gulls, willets, long-billed fletchers, exquisite teenagers, and reddish egrets, which are uncommon on the West Coast." 

Other 

The city is thinking of making Main Street a pedestrian-only district from PCH through the retail shopping and restaurant sections. Additional shopping malls include Pacific City, Bella Terra, an establishment constructed on the site of the former Huntington Center, and the German-themed Old-World Village. 

On PCH's inland side, near the pier and within sight of the beach, a number of hotels have been built. 

At the northwest corner of Huntington Beach, close to the city's borders with Seal Beach and Westminster, there is a small industrial area. 

There is a sizable Boeing facility in Huntington Beach, which was once McDonnell-Douglas. The manufacture of the S-IVB upper stage for the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets was one of the initial installations on the Boeing site that were built to support the Apollo Program. 

Sports 

The annual summertime world surfing championships are held at Huntington Beach. Because of this well-known occasion, its history, and its surfing-related culture, the city is frequently referred to as "Surf City." It is frequently referred to be the "Surfing Capitol of the World," not because of the size of the waves, but rather because of the consistently high standard of surf. 

Up until the league's demise in 2013, the National Professional Paintball League Super 7 Paintball Finals were held at Huntington Beach. 

Beaches and Waves 

On June 20, 1914, George Freeth demonstrated surfing for the first time in Huntington Beach. In order to promote the city of Southern California, Henry E. Huntington had Freeth perform a surfing demonstration there. In 1925, Duke Kahanamoku began surfing in Huntington Beach and contributed to its growth in popularity. In 1956, Gordie Duane built the first surfboard store, which was situated below the Huntington Beach Pier. 

Huntington Beach boasts some of the top surf breaks in the State of California and the nation outside of sponsored surf competitions. The four facing beaches of Huntington Beach are northwest, west, southwest, and south. Bolsa Chica State Beach, which is located in the northwest, is 3.3 miles (5.3 km) long. "The Cliffs" or "Dog Beach" is located in the west. Anything north of the city of Huntington Beach's pier is regarded to be in the southwest. Anything south of the pier is considered to be south, with Huntington State Beach (2.2 miles) being the main emphasis because it nearly faces true south. 

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, along with the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguards, run Bolsa Chica State Beach. The sand is really gritty, and the beach is fairly little. In the winter, Bolsa Chica typically experiences better surf with NW/W swells. The beach experiences very steep south/southwest surf during the summer. The beach's bottom causes the surf at Bolsa Chica to slow down and become more refined to soft shoulders. In the Bolsa Chica region, longboards are the finest choice for surfing. 

Dog Beach or "The Cliffs" are two further well-known surfing locations. Because dogs are permitted along the cliff area, this section of Huntington Beach has that moniker. The beach is severely constrained and frequently inundated during high tides. Throughout the winter, the surf at this spot frequently breaks bigger and better than Bolsa Chica. The majority of the South/Southwest waves glide right past in the summer and frequently break poorly. Longboarding is the preferred choice, while shortboards can also be used occasionally. Moreover, dolphins have been seen in this region. 

There are also clearly defined sandbars just north and south of the Huntington Beach Pier that move seasonally with the swells. The Northside of the Pier can provide just as good surf in the winter as the Southside of the Pier does in the summer. Everything near the pier is based on the swell and the sandbars. Your greatest option for surfing around the Pier is a shortboard. 

All of the south swells hit the coastline at South Huntington Beach, also known as Huntington State Beach. The State of California, Department of Parks & Recreation, and Huntington State Beach Lifeguards run Huntington State Beach. This beach has a lot of sand and is fairly wide. Throughout the spring, summer, and fall, sandbars move dramatically, resulting in exceptional surf conditions with a combination of South/West/Northwest swell. Large sandbars extend across and upcoast due to the Santa Ana River jetties, which are situated at the southernmost end of the beach, forcing surges to break hollowly and quickly. The summer and fall are the best times to surf at this beach. A shortboard is your best bet for surfing at this spot. 

Kite surfing is another popular activity in Huntington Beach, and spectators can watch this activity on the beach to the northwest of the pier. 

Bicycling 

The beachside bike path in Huntington Beach is 10 miles (16 km) long. Rentals of different bicycles, tandem bicycles, electric bicycles, and surreys are available from concessionaires. 

Paddleboarding and kayaking 

Huntington Harbour is a favorite place to go kayaking and SUPing. The harbour can be accessed from a number of locations along PCH north of Warner Ave. or from one of the five public "Mother's Beaches." There are numerous locations where you may rent kayaks, paddleboards, and duffy boats. 

Golf 

Huntington Beach has three golf courses available. The 5,609-yard, par-70 Meadowlark Golf Club, which has 18 holes and was established in 1922 and is located on Warner and Graham, also has a driving range. The par-54, 18-hole Huntington Beach Disc Golf Course, which was established in 1977 and is situated in Central Park West. The Huntington Club, previously Seacliff Country Club, is a private country club with a 6,935-yard, 18-hole golf course among its features. 

Politics 

Huntington Beach is located in the First District of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which is represented by Republican Andrew Do. 

Huntington Beach is located in the 36th Senate District of the California State Senate, which is represented by Republican Janet Nguyen. Republican Tri Ta represents the 70th Assembly District in the California State Assembly, and Republican Diane Dixon represents the 72nd Assembly District. 

Huntington Beach is in California's 47th congressional district and is represented by Democrat Katie Porter in the US House of Representatives. 

Huntington Beach had 123,048 registered voters as of February 18, 2020, according to the California Secretary of State. Of those, 49,490 (or 40%) are Republicans, 37,531 (or 31%) are Democrats, and 31,490 (or 29%) have not declared their political affiliation or are American Independents or Greens. 

Politics 

The TruTV program Ocean Force: Huntington Beach showcased the city. The songs "Surfin' Safari" by the Beach Boys, "Surf Route 101" by Jan and Dean, and "Surfer Joe" by The Surfaris all make reference to the city. 

In the California-themed Hollister clothing boutiques, live feeds from cameras installed near the Huntington Beach Pier are displayed on screens. The city receives payment from the store for the cameras, and the money goes toward purchasing marine safety gear. Lifeguards also employ the cams. 

Together with the Golden West College Media Arts department, the public television station KOCE-TV is run from the Golden West College campus. 

Huntington Beach is covered by the Orange County Register's Wave Section. 

Population 

California's Orange County is home to Huntington Beach. It is the 133rd largest city in the United States and the 23rd largest city in California with a projected population of 201,327 in 2023. Huntington Beach's population has grown by 1.32% from the most recent census, which showed a population of 198,711 in 2020, and is now rising at a pace of 0.44% annually. Huntington Beach, which stretches over 28 miles, has a population density of 7,456 persons per square mile. 

With a poverty rate of 9.23% and an average household income of $123,582 in Huntington Beach. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. In Huntington Beach, the median age is 43.2 years, with 41.1 years for men and 45.1 years for women. 

The most populated beach community in Orange County and the seventh-most populous city in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area bears Henry Huntington's name. known as HB or the Surf City.