Huntington Beach, California

HB is a whole vibe. The people are laid back, the waves are impeccable, and everything moves with that signature SoCal ease. The city is most known for its surf culture, hosting a ton of competitions and tourists every year. What you might not know is why it’s been named (and trademarked!) as Surf City. The legendary waves are due to a combination of factors. The first is that the ocean currents in HB build up along either side of the pear in the shape of a fan, making waves higher as they approach the shore. The second is that the city lies in the center of a “bay” between Dana Point and Long Beach, which takes the majority of waves from South Pacific storms. If you’re looking for a great spot to surf, check out the Cliffs, Dog Beach, Bolsa Chica, and the Southside of the Pier!

Huntington Beach is, unfortunately, a tourist town. It’s not just the great surfing that brings people here from all over the world, but also the amazing nightlife. Weekends downtown can find you back to front with people you do not know in a bar that reeks of spilled vodka Red Bulls. The good news is that if you’re a local, you can get insider info on the best places to go on the weekends and the surf spots that won’t be crawling with people every weekend morning!

Huntington Beach is, first and foremost, a beach town. There is a huge surf culture here, and that life is alive and well. Locals are so protective of their beachfront that construction is prohibited without a vote by current homeowners. There are a ton of beach events year-round, including the US Open of Surfing, the Pacific Air Show, and a famous Fourth of July parade every year. Besides being protective of the beach, residents are also always fighting for the state parks, protected wetlands, and marshes within city limits. This can cause tension at times when you find out that Huntington Beach is also known for its offshore drilling. A spill in October 2021 caused irreparable damage to wetlands and instilled once again how happy residents will be when that underwater well finally runs dry, which, according to local sources, is sooner than you’d think.

If you want to know everything happening in Huntington Beach, check out the calendar of events.

We highly recommend visiting Huntington Beach and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

The economy of Huntington Beach has historically relied heavily on oil. HB sits above a large natural fault structure that contains plenty of it. Residents are thankful, though, that oil production will cease eventually, and tourism will replace oil as the main source of revenue for the city, along with technology. The city is home to over 650 industrial businesses, including Boeing (the city’s top employer), Quicksilver, and Cambro Manufacturing. Besides manufacturing, tourism leads the economy, and there are several businesses, including shopping and restaurants, that thrive due to the city’s history of being a vacation destination.