Huntington Beach, California

Huntington Beach has some truly glorious beaches. There’s Huntington State Beach and Huntington City Beach, both in the city limits. Bolsa Chica State Beach and Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve border the city and are well worth exploring. Huntington is known as “Surf City” for its long-established surfing culture. The waves around Huntington Beach are consistently good for surfing year-round. Surf schools teach locals and visitors how to surf. The International Surfing Museum is located in the vibrant downtown. It has a great collection of historic surf boards and is dedicated to Duke Kahanamoku, who popularized modern surfing. Each summer the US Open for Surfing is held near the Huntington Beach Pier.

The city holds events throughout the year for the community and visitors. The Huntington Film Festival is held in February. A Fourth of July parade is a long-standing tradition. In the summer, kids take junior lifeguard classes, and there are city-run day camps.

Pacific Coast Highway connects Huntington Beach to other coastal communities, while the 405 freeway connects the city to other Orange County communities, as well as to Los Angeles and San Diego.