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City guide

Huntington Beach, California

Huntington Beach is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E.

Type CityPopulation 198,711

Why go

  • City in California, United States.
  • 1 curated must-see attraction on record, including Huntington State Beach.
  • Served by San Clemente Island Naval Auxiliary Landing Field.

History

Huntington Beach is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as of the 2020 United States census, making it the fourth most populous 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 Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles, it is bordered by Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area on the west, the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, by Seal Beach on the northwest, by Westminster on the north, by Fountain Valley on the northeast, by Costa Mesa on the east, and by Newport Beach on the southeast.

Must-see attractions

Airports

John Wayne Airport Orange County (SNA) 7.4 mi to the centre
Santa Ana, CA, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 13 airlines (Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines…) · direct flights to 21 destinations incl. Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Los Angeles (34 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 13 airlines, 21 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Long Beach Airport (LGB) 13 mi to the centre
4100 Donald Douglas Dr, Long Beach, CA 90808 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 5 airlines (JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines…) · direct flights to 12 destinations incl. Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Austin… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Riverside (44 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 5 airlines, 12 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Fullerton Municipal Airport (FUL) 13 mi to the centre
4011 W Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, CA 92833 — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Compton Woodley Airport (CPM) 20 mi to the centre
Compton, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Zamperini Field (TOA) 21 mi to the centre
Torrance, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Balboa Island Ferry
Ferry terminal · 7.6 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Catalina Flyer
Ferry terminal · 7.7 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Alamitos Bay Landing Berth 3
Ferry terminal · 8.3 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Davy Crocket's Explorer Canoes
Ferry terminal · 10 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island
Ferry terminal · 10 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Jungle Cruise
Ferry terminal · 10 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Balboa Island Ferry
Ferry route
Outdoor
Aqualink
Ferry route · Long Beach Transit
Outdoor
Newport Beach - Avalon
Ferry route · Catalina Flyer
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is San Clemente Island Naval Auxiliary Landing Field. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By water: 6 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Balboa Island Ferry, 7.6 mi); routes include Balboa Island Ferry, Aqualink, Newport Beach - Avalon.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Huntington Beach, California. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data
Bus · Orange County, California · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Bus · San Diego, California · Schedules & GTFS data

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Charter, shared flights · Light to large-cabin via partner fleet · Vista Global's on-demand charter and by-the-seat shared flights, app-based.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135/145, 30 seats · Scheduled "hop-on" jet service from private terminals in the western US and Texas — no TSA lines.
Fractional, jet card · Cessna Citation, Embraer Phenom, Bombardier Challenger & Global · The largest private-jet operator in the world; fractional shares and the NetJets card, US and Europe.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Jet card, charter · Partner fleet · Jet cards and on-demand charter from Boston.