Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach is world-famous as "Surf City", from the 1960s Jan and Dean surf rock song of the same name, and much of surfing culture started and continues to evolve there, from surfing styles to surfing apparel companies that started there. Huntington Beach is also mentioned by name in the Beach Boys song "Surfin' Safari", where "at Huntington and Malibu they're shooting the pier".
The year-round temperature averages 67 degrees F, and good weather can be had every month, though the months of January to March can be rainy.

By air

As with most of Orange County, Huntington Beach is serviced by John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana, located 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) 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) is the largest airport in the area with connections from more destinations in the U.S. and internationally, located 37mi/59km away.

By car

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. You can wash off and change clothes right next to the parking at the water showers and washrooms. Washrooms are adequate but small. They also get wet and sandy during the day.
If you're on a budget, you can usually find some parking in nearby neighborhoods. But watch for street signs that may indicate parking is only allowed at certain times or days. This may require a little more walking if you're headed to the beach, but it's not too much.

By train

Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink's Orange County Line serve Santa Ana, Tustin, Buena Park, and Irvine.

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.

• Bolsa Chica WetlandsHuntington Beach boasts the largest unspoiled coastal wetlands in California where many migratory birds stop and nest.

• Huntington Beach Pierthe second most popular sight here, after the beach itself.

• Main Streetis a shopping and gathering place for residents and tourists alike, with sidewalk cafes, surf shops and live music all vying for attention.

• Huntington Beachhas 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.

• Running/Walking/biking/rollerbladingThere is a wide boardwalk right by the pier. It is part of the Huntington Beach Bike Path. The Bike Path runs for about eight 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 first thing in the morning - often as soon as the sun comes up.

• SurfingYou 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 US. There are many good surfers so they may get annoyed if you stand in the waves too long. Keep moving; this is your best bet. If you get tired get out (of their way) by heading to the hot sandy beach to rest up for more.

• RelaxingTake a walk up the Main street. There are a number of restaurants and a Starbucks.

• PartyingThere are so many bars on Main St. that you can meet with friends at any of them and have a great time drinking, dining, or dancing. During the winter, you can organize a "pub crawl" and have your group stop for a drink at every bar.

• Nickel Nickel

  address: 7454 Edinger Ave
  On weekend nights, the Huntington Beach video game arcade where everything costs only nickels to play is packed with teenagers.

Peak season is from late May to early September. The beaches on any given summer day may have as many as 500,000 visitors when it is particularly hot inland.

• Bella TerraThe newest mall in town, this upscale transformation of what once was the Huntington Mall has turned a small, unpopular shadow of a mall into a vibrant city center. Located just off the 405 at the Edinger exit it is a treasure trove of restaurants, shops and areas to socialize. The Cinemark movie theater opens up to a courtyard that regularly plays host to musical performances, dance shows, and other fun activities. Second only to downtown in the number of restaurants there is no shortage of choices for food. From sushi at Kabuki to burgers at Johnny Rockets, to the eponymous dessert at The Cheesecake Factory Bella Terra is the locals' favorite for a fun night out.

• Huntington Surf and Sport

  address: 300 Pacific Coast Highway
  Surf accessories and apparel.

• Fred's Mexican Cafe

  address: 300 Pacific Coast Hwy
  Ph (714)374-TACO. Great Mexican food & the best Margaritas north of Tijuana. There is no better view of the Huntington Beach pier than Fred's patio. Good prices and a favorite of the locals!

• Chronic Tacos

  phone: +1 714 960-0339
  address: 328 11th St
  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.

• Islands

  phone: +1 714 897-4619
  address: 7861 Edinger Ave
  A Californian chain, this is a great place for family, serving hamburgers, salads, and hotdogs.

• Matsu Japanese Restaurant

  phone: +1 714 848-4404
  address: 18035 Beach Blvd
  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.

• Ruby's

  phone: +1 714 969-7829
  Huntington Beach Pier. A great place for family with 50s diner feeling and great hamburgers, hotdogs and milkshakes. It's located at the end of the pier, so it offers lovely views of the Pacific, the Huntington Beach coastline, and (on less smoggy days) Catalina Island.

• Sugar Shack Cafe

  phone: +1 714 536-0355
  address: 213 1/2 Main St
  213. A favorite cafe for locals, famous in Huntington Beach for great breakfasts and amazingly low prices.

• Duke's

  phone: +1 714 374-6446
  address: 317 Pacific Coast Highway

• Mangia Mangia

  phone: +1 714 841-8887
  address: 16079 Goldenwest St
  Basic strip mall restaurant with excellent authentic Italian food

• Hangout Too Southern Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 657 204-9306
  address: 16446 Bolsa Chica St, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
  Casual Restaurant near Bella Terra & Huntington Harbour Serving New American Food. Craft Beers, Burgers, Seafood, BBQ. Outside patio that's dog friendly with free parking.

• Slater's 50/50 Burgers by Design

  phone: +1 714 594-5730
  address: 8082 Adams Ave
  Burgers, beer and lots of bacon. Select from menu or design your own burgers, but you have to like bacon to eat here. Good selection of beers too.

• Aloha Grill

  phone: +1 714 374-4427
  address: 221 Main St
  This upstairs bar and grill has a luau vibe and friendly staff. This may be the only place you can go where you would be gay not to ask for a rainbow (Rainbow is the name of their world-famous tropical drink).

• Longboard Restaurant & Pub

  phone: +1 714 960-1896
  address: 217 Main St
  Good, cold beer and a delicious menu. Their appetizers are tough to beat.

• Hurricanes Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 714 374-0500
  address: 200 Main St # 201
  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 so be aware.

• Killarney's Irish Pub

  phone: +1 714 536-7887
  address: 209 Main St
  Whether you want a Guinness on tap or delicious Irish cuisine, Killarney's is well-suited to fit your needs.

• Jan's Health Bar

  phone: +1 714 536-4856
  address: 501 Main St
  Fresh and healthy soups, sandwiches, salads, smoothies and fruit drinks.

• Huntington Beach Brewing Company

  phone: +1 714 960-5343
  address: 201 Main St
  Ste E, Great Micro Brews, Food and Girls.

• Mama's on 39

  phone: +1 714 374-1166
  address: 21022 Beach Blvd
  Family Style dining in a casual atmosphere. "Great vibe...great food...great place."

• Pete's Sunset Grille

  phone: +1 714 845-4775
  address: 21500 Pacific Coast Highway
  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!

• House of Brews

  phone: +1 714 377-3893
  address: 16903 Algonquin St
  Great place for beers and a game of pool with friends.

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

  phone: +1 714 536-7500
  address: 800 Pacific Coast Highway

• Best Western Regency Inn

  phone: +1 714 962-4244
  address: 19360 Beach Blvd

• Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa

  address: 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

  phone: +1 714 841-1812
  address: 16301 Beach Blvd.
  Great Hotel Suites for Economical Prices and breakfast in the morning!!

• The Waterfront Beach Resort

  phone: +1 714 845-8000
  address: 1100 Pacific Coast Hwy
  Recently remodeled rooms 7 suites. Pet friendly, Shades Restaurant & Bar, Tennis court, Fitness center, volleyball court, laundry facility, and more.

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.

• Travel north on Beach Boulevard and you will reach Buena Park, the home of Knott's Berry Farm.
• North on Beach Boulevard and then east on Katella Avenue or Ball Road will take you to Disneyland.
• Take the Pacific Coast Highway to San Juan Capistrano, Long Beach, Santa Monica, and numerous other seaside communities.
• Take a train to downtown Los Angeles or San Diego.