Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in
San Mateo County, CaliforniaSan Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, USA. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the
Pillar Point HarborPillar Point Harbor is a boat harbor created by a riprap jetty in San Mateo County, California immediately north of Half Moon Bay. The site was originally inhabited by the Ohlone people in prehistoric times, and a number of recorded shipwrecks occurred in the immediate area. The harbor facilities...
and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea.
Geography
Half Moon Bay is located at 37.458840°N 122.436848°W, approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) south of
San FranciscoSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, 10 miles (16 km) west of
San MateoSan Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, and 45 miles (72 km) north of
Santa CruzSanta Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. Neighboring towns include
MontaraMontara is a census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 2,909 at the 2010 census. Nearby communities include Moss Beach and Princeton-by-the-Sea.-Geography and environment:...
,
Moss BeachMoss Beach is a coastal census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, with a year 2010 census population of 3,103. Located in Moss Beach are the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a marine sanctuary; the Half Moon Bay Airport, the historic Moss Beach Distillery and the Seal Cove Inn, a...
, and
El GranadaEl Granada is a census-designated place in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 5,467 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
to the north and
PurissimaPurissima is a ghost town in southwestern San Mateo County, California, United States, near the junction of State Route 1 and Verde Road. Purisima means "purest" in Spanish, and is most commonly used in Spanish to refer to La Purísima Concepción of the Virgin Mary .-History:Located on...
,
San Gregorio-History:Named after Pope Gregory I , San Gregorio was a booming town in the 1850s, when wealthy San Franciscans would travel to the San Gregorio House by stagecoach to enjoy fishing, hunting, sea bathing, and boat races. The building still stands, but is no longer a functioning hotel. However, the...
, and
PescaderoPescadero is a census-designated place in San Mateo County, California two miles east of State Route 1 and Pescadero State Beach. The center of town, on Pescadero Creek Road, is located at latitude 37.255 and longitude 122.38028. The town is south of Half Moon Bay. The ZIP Code is 94060 and...
to the south. Primary access is via State Route 1 (the Cabrillo Highway) from the north and south and State Route 92 from the east.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²), of which, 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²) of it is land and 0.02 square mile (0.0517997622 km²) of it (0.32%) is water.
It is situated on a
bayA bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
of the same name. Major local industries include agriculture (houseplants, floriculture, Christmas trees, pumpkins, artichokes),
fishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Historically, Half Moon Bay had been known as San Benito and Spanishtown.
A popular spot at Half Moon Bay is the 'Jetty,' or as it is sometimes called, 'The Breakwater.' This is a man-made break with unusual waves shaped by reflections from the breakwater at
Pillar Point HarborPillar Point Harbor is a boat harbor created by a riprap jetty in San Mateo County, California immediately north of Half Moon Bay. The site was originally inhabited by the Ohlone people in prehistoric times, and a number of recorded shipwrecks occurred in the immediate area. The harbor facilities...
. Streams in Half Moon Bay include Frenchmans Creek,
Pilarcitos CreekPilarcitos Creek is a coastal stream in San Mateo County, California, USA, that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and descends through Pilarcitos Canyon to discharge into the Pacific Ocean at Pilarcitos Creek Beach, a unit of Half Moon Bay State Beach.-History:The Portolà...
and
Naples CreekNaples Creek is a stream in San Mateo County, California, USA that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and discharges to the Pacific Ocean. The specific point of discharge is onto Naples Beach, a unit of the Half Moon Bay State Beach...
.
Climate
Half Moon Bay usually has mild weather throughout the year. Hot weather is rare; the average annual days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher is only 0.2 days. Cold weather is also rare with an annual average of 2.5 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. Typical of central California, most of the rain falls from November to April. The normal annual rainfall is 27.96 inches (710.2 mm). Snowfall along the coast in Half Moon Bay has never been measurable; however, snow flurries were observed on December 12, 1972, and February 5, 1976. There is often fog and overcast during the night and morning hours, usually clearing to offshore during the afternoon. Persistent sea breezes help to moderate the climate along the coast; farther from the ocean, in places such as
Pilarcitos CreekPilarcitos Creek is a coastal stream in San Mateo County, California, USA, that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and descends through Pilarcitos Canyon to discharge into the Pacific Ocean at Pilarcitos Creek Beach, a unit of Half Moon Bay State Beach.-History:The Portolà...
, days are often warmer and nights cooler than on the coast.
January is the coolest month with an average high of 58.0 °F (14.4 °C) and an average low of 43.4 °F (6.3 °C). September is the warmest month with an average high of 66.5°F (19.2°C) and an average low of 52.0 °F (11.1 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded in Half Moon Bay is 96°F (36 °C), which occurred on May 16, 2008. On December 3, 1983, calm conditions, low humidity, and clear skies produced a low of 18 °F (-7.8 °C).
The most rainfall recorded in Half Moon Bay in one month was 15.70 inches (398.8 mm) in February 1998. The heaviest 24 hour rainfall was 5.33 inches (135 mm) on January 4, 1982. There is an average of 94.6 days with measurable rainfall.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Half Moon Bay had a population of 11,324. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,757.1 people per square mile (678.4/km²). The racial makeup of Half Moon Bay was 8,580 (75.8%) White, 82 (0.7%) African American, 71 (0.6%) Native American, 490 (4.3%) Asian, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,710 (15.1%) from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 382 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,563 persons (31.5%).
The Census reported that 11,306 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 18 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 4,149 households, out of which 1,264 (30.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,373 (57.2%) were
opposite-sex married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 293 (7.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 156 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 208 (5.0%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnershipsPOSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 41 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,067 households (25.7%) were made up of individuals and 538 (13.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72. There were 2,822
familiesA family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(68.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.24.
The population was spread out with 2,533 people (22.4%) under the age of 18, 796 people (7.0%) aged 18 to 24, 2,587 people (22.8%) aged 25 to 44, 3,644 people (32.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,764 people (15.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.2 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
There were 4,395 housing units at an average density of 682.0 per square mile (263.3/km²), of which 2,944 (71.0%) were owner-occupied, and 1,205 (29.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 1.9%. 7,645 people (67.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,661 people (32.3%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,842 people, 4,004 households, and 2,774 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,829.8 people per square mile (706.7/km²). There were 4,114 housing units at an average density of 635.7 per square mile (245.5/km²).
There were 4,004 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 112.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $78,473, and the median income for a family was $92,204. Males had a median income of $60,913 versus $41,265 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $37,963. 6.1% of the population and 3.4% of families were below the poverty line. 7.0% of those are under the age of 18 and 6.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Politics
In the
state legislatureThe California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Half Moon Bay is located in the 8th
SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Leland YeeLeland Yee is a California State Senator in District 8 which represents the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County. Prior to becoming state senator, Yee was a California State Assemblyman, Supervisor of San Francisco's Sunset District, and was a member and President of the San...
, and in the 19th
AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat
Jerry HillJerry Hill is a Democratic state assemblyman representing California's 19th assembly district since December 2008. The district includes the cities of San Mateo, Burlingame, Brisbane, Daly City, Foster City, Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and Belmont.- Personal...
. Federally, Half Moon Bay is located in
California's 14th congressional districtCalifornia's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It is located between San Francisco and San Jose. The district includes portions of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties and most notably contains part of Silicon Valley. Major cities in...
, which has a
Cook PVIThe Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +18 and is represented by Democrat
Anna EshooAnna Georges Eshoo is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, which includes part of Silicon Valley, includes the cities of Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Palo Alto...
.
History
Half Moon Bay began as a rural agriculture area, primarily used for grazing of cattle, horses, and oxen used by
Mission San Francisco de AsisMission San Francisco de Asís, or Mission Dolores, is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and the sixth religious settlement established as part of the California chain of missions...
(established in June 1776). Following the secularization of the Mission, Tiburcio Vásquez received the
Rancho Corral de TierraRancho Corral de Tierra was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California given in 1839 by Governor Pro-Tem Manuel Jimeno to José Tiburcio Vásquez. The name means “earthen corral” in Spanish. Jimeno granted Vasquez the smaller southern part of Rancho Corral de Tierra and...
Mexican land grantThe Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
in 1839 and Candelario Miramontes was granted
Rancho MiramontesRancho Miramontes was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Juan Jose Candelario Miramontes...
(later known as Rancho San Benito) in 1841.
The community began to develop in the 1840s as the first real town in San Mateo County. Known originally as San Benito, the town was renamed Spanishtown and attracted a thriving fishing industry in addition to its continued importance to coastal agriculture. Spanishtown became a racially diverse community, settled by Canadians, Chinese, English, Germans, Irish, Mexicans, Italians, Scots, Portuguese, and Pacific Islanders. Regular stagecoach service was established with
San MateoSan Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
; coaches also served the communities of Purissima,
LobitosLobitos, California is a populated place in San Mateo County, just east of State Route 1 and south of Half Moon Bay and the ghost town of Purissima. Its location is latitude 372259N, longitude 1222357W; decimal degrees: latitude 37.38306, longitude -122.39917...
, and
San Gregorio-History:Named after Pope Gregory I , San Gregorio was a booming town in the 1850s, when wealthy San Franciscans would travel to the San Gregorio House by stagecoach to enjoy fishing, hunting, sea bathing, and boat races. The building still stands, but is no longer a functioning hotel. However, the...
. Levy Brothers opened a department store in downtown Half Moon Bay. Spanishtown was officially renamed Half Moon Bay in 1874.
The area grew very slowly, even after the
Ocean Shore RailroadThe Ocean Shore Railroad was intended to be built from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California, via a route along the Pacific coastline.-History:...
began serving the community in 1907. The construction of
Pedro Mountain RoadPedro Mountain Road describes a series of historical road crossings of Pedro Mountain, a promontory ridge located between Montara Mountain and the coastal cliffs of Devil's Slide in San Mateo County, California. This Pedro Mountain headland blocks the easy passage of coastal travelers between the...
in 1914 provided better access to San Francisco and probably contributed to the demise of the railroad by 1920. During
ProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
"rum runners" took advantage of dense fog and hidden coves in the area to serve a number of roadhouses and inns, some of which operate today as restaurants. Real growth in the area came after World War II with the construction of numerous subdivisions, eventually leading to the incorporation of Half Moon Bay in 1959. The city preserves a historic downtown district which includes historic buildings dating as far back as 1869.
Due to the financial setbacks from a large legal settlement and a poor economy, Half Moon Bay is currently considering major cuts to city services and possibly disincorporating. Under a disincorporation plan, Half Moon Bay would revert to an
unincorporated areaIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
within San Mateo County. Tax revenues would flow to the county, which would remain responsible for police and road maintenance. Current Half Moon Bay residents would remain responsible for the bond payments resulting from the legal settlement, which would be added as a lien on their properties.
Half Moon Bay is featured in various shots of the music video for "
Not As We"Not as We" is a song from Alanis Morissette's seventh studio album, Flavors of Entanglement. "Not as We" was remixed and released as the second single from Flavors of Entanglement in North America, while "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man" was released as the second single in Europe.The single was...
" by
Alanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
| # |
Employer |
# of Employees |
| 1 |
Ritz-CarltonThe Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
|
550 |
| 2 |
Nurserymen's Exchange |
400 |
| 3 |
Bay City Flower |
340 |
| 4 |
Cabrillo Unified School District Cabrillo Unified School District is a school district in California. It consists of Half Moon Bay High School, Pilarcitos High School/alternative education, Cunha Intermediate School, Farallone View Elementary School, Alvin S. Hatch Elementary School, Kings Mountain Elementary School, and El...
|
206 |
| 5 |
Half Moon Bay Golf Links |
201 |
| 6 |
Sam's Chowder House |
140 |
| 7 |
Ledyard Company |
120 |
| 8 |
SafewaySafeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
|
120 |
| 9 |
Coastal Repertory Theatre |
100 |
| 10 |
Ox Mountain Sanitary Landfill (Allied Waste IndustriesAllied Waste Industries was a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. A vertically integrated company that owned and operated solid waste collection businesses, recycling facilities, and landfills, it was a leader in the solid waste industry in the United States...
) |
100 |
Pillar Point Harbor
The
Pillar Point HarborPillar Point Harbor is a boat harbor created by a riprap jetty in San Mateo County, California immediately north of Half Moon Bay. The site was originally inhabited by the Ohlone people in prehistoric times, and a number of recorded shipwrecks occurred in the immediate area. The harbor facilities...
at the northern edge of Half Moon Bay offers a protected landing for boats and provides other marine infrastructure. In the late 1980s a new master plan was developed for the
HarborA harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
. A variety of fish species have been identified in the harbor area. The most abundant fish include
flatfishThe flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...
, particularly the
speckled sanddabThe Speckled sanddab is a species of flounder in the genus Citharichthys. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Alaska in the north to Baja California, Mexico in the south....
(Citharichthys stigmaeus) and the commercially important English
soleSole is a group of flatfish belonging to several families. Generally speaking, they are members of the family Soleidae, but, outside Europe, the name sole is also applied to various other similar flatfish, especially other members of the sole suborder Soleoidei as well as members of the flounder...
(Parophrys vetulus), several
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of
rockfishRockfish may refer to one of the following fishes:* One of several species in the Sebastes genus of the Sebastidae family, including the Shortraker rockfish, Rougheye rockfish, Blue rockfish, Yellow tail rockfish and many others....
(Sebastes sp.) with boccacio (S. paucispinis) most abundant, many members of the surfperch family, the most abundant being
shinerShiner is a common name used for any of several kinds of small, usually silvery fish, in particular a number of cyprinids, but also e.g. the Shiner Perch .Cyprinid shiners are:* Eastern shiners, genus Notropis...
(Cymanogaster aggregata) and dwarf surfperches (Micrometrus minimus), and the commercially important
Pacific herringThe Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, is a species of the herring family associated with the Pacific Ocean environment of North America and northeast Asia. This species is a silvery fish with unspined fins and a deeply forked caudal fin...
(Clupea harengus). Smaller
populationA population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
s of many other species, including significant commercial or sport species such as various surfperch, flatfish including halibut (Paralichthys californicus),
lingcodThe lingcod, Ophiodon elongatus, is a fish of the greenling family Hexagrammidae. It is the only extant member of the genus Ophiodon...
(Ophiodon elongatus), and
cabezonCabezón is the Spanish word for "stubborn" or "big-headed". Cabezon or cabezón may refer to:In Chile, cabezon means intelligent.-Fish species:* Cabezone , a species of fish in the Cottidae family...
(Scoraenichthys marmotarus) also are found in the harbor during the summer. Abundant winter species include
starry flounderThe starry flounder is a common flatfish found around the margins of the North Pacific.The distinctive features of the starry flounder include the combination of black and white-to-orange bar on the dorsal and anal fins, as well as the skin covered with scales modified into tiny star-shaped plates...
(Platichthys stellatus) and topsmelt (Atherinops affinis). At Pillar Point Harbor, fishermen sell crab and fish catches straight off their boats at discount prices directly to the public, and restaurants will fillet the fish for purchasers.
Local attractions
Half Moon Bay hosts its
Art and Pumpkin FestivalThe Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is an annual festival held in the coastside community of Half Moon Bay, California for one weekend during pumpkin harvest season. It is one of the oldest and largest local festivals in California...
on Main Street downtown in October.
Cameron's Pub restaurant, located in Half Moon Bay off State Route 1, owns the "World's Only Double Decker Video Game Bus." For the adults, Cameron's also owns the "World's Only Double Decker Smoking Bus".
The remnants of the village of
PurissimaPurissima is a ghost town in southwestern San Mateo County, California, United States, near the junction of State Route 1 and Verde Road. Purisima means "purest" in Spanish, and is most commonly used in Spanish to refer to La Purísima Concepción of the Virgin Mary .-History:Located on...
, perhaps the only ghost town in San Mateo County, are four miles (6 km) south of the city, near the junction of State Route 1 and Verde Road.
The Best Western Half Moon Bay Lodge is located adjacent to the Half Moon Bay Golf Links.
The
Ritz-CarltonThe Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
hotel chain operates a hotel located along the city's southern coast and is surrounded by Half Moon Bay Golf Links.
At the north edge of Half Moon bay is the famous
big waveBig wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which experienced surfers paddle into or are towed onto waves which are at least 20 feet high, on surf boards known as "guns" or "rhino chasers". Sizes of the board needed to successfully surf these waves vary by the size of the wave as well as...
surf area,
MavericksMaverick's or Mavericks is a surfing location in Northern California, U.S.A.. It is located approximately 2 miles from shore in Pillar Point Harbor just north of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-By-The-Sea. After a strong winter storm in the northern Pacific Ocean, waves can routinely...
, off Pillar Point, where pro surfers challenge waves over 50 feet (15 m) and two professional surfers, Mark Foo and Sion Milosky, have died.
Montara MountainMontara Mountain, positioned between the unincorporated community of Montara, California to the southwest and the city of Pacifica, California to the north, forms the northern spur of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a narrow mountain range running the length of the San Francisco Peninsula that separates...
, located North of Half Moon Bay, is a popular outdoor recreation spot, and home to the old Highway 1. Visitors to the Harbor have the chance to purchase freshly caught sea food straight off the boat.
Fitzgerald Marine ReserveFitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean, located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks in the San Mateo County community of Moss Beach. Moss Beach is located approximately south of San Francisco and north of Santa Cruz. The reserve is a holding...
, located just North of Half Moon Bay past the small airport, is a natural refuge for plants and animals adapted to live at the edge of the ocean.
Half Moon Bay, and the areas immediately around host several state parks and beaches, including:
- Half Moon Bay State Beach
Half Moon Bay State Beach is a stretch of protected beaches in Half Moon Bay, California. It includes:* Francis Beach,* Venice Beach,* Dunes Beach, and* Roosevelt Beach ....
- Venice State Beach
Venice State Beach is a beach located within Half Moon Bay in the western San Francisco Bay Area, San Mateo County, California.Venice State Beach is n the Pacific Ocean, off of State Route 1 on Venice Avenue, located roughly a half mile north of Half Moon Bay State Beach-Francis State Beach.Managed...
- Poplar State Beach
Poplar State Beach is a beach located within Half Moon Bay on Poplar Avenue off of State Route 1, USA. Operated by California State Department of Parks and Recreation under the San Mateo Coast Sector Office.- Characteristics :...
- San Gregorio State Beach
San Gregorio State Beach is a beach near San Gregorio, California, USA, south of Half Moon Bay. Part of the California State Park System, the beach lies just west of the intersection of State Route 1 and State Route 84...
- Pomponio State Beach
Pomponio State Beach is a beach located south of Half Moon Bay and east of Pescadero off State Route 1, California, USA.This area provides access to miles of gently sloping, sandy beaches at the base of high sandstone bluffs...
- Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean, located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks in the San Mateo County community of Moss Beach. Moss Beach is located approximately south of San Francisco and north of Santa Cruz. The reserve is a holding...
Local news sources
The Half Moon Bay area is served by the
Half Moon Bay ReviewThe Half Moon Bay Review has been serving the San Mateo County Coastside since 1898. It is published each Wednesday morning and circulated by carrier, mail, counter, and rack sales to homes and businesses on the Coastside....
, the city's only newspaper, which has been in existence since 1898. Three online news sources also serve the city and the surrounding area: Coastsider, Montara Fog, and the local edition of Patch.
Namesakes
The
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
seaplane tenderA seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
USS Half Moon (AVP-26)USS Half Moon was a seaplane tender that served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946.-Construction and early deployment:Half Moon was laid down as a small seaplane tender on 10 March 1942 by Lake Washington Shipyards, Houghton, Washington, and was launched as such on 12 July 1942,...
was named for Half Moon Bay, and retained the name when serving as a
United States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
weather reporting ship USCGC
Half Moon for more than 20 years after the war.
Transportation
The town is served by
Half Moon Bay AirportHalf Moon Bay Airport is a county-owned public use airport in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is located five nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Half Moon Bay, California. The airport is on the Pacific Coast, south of San Francisco.-History:The Half Moon...
.
SamTransSamTrans is a public transport agency in and around San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It provides bus service throughout San Mateo County and into portions of San Francisco and Palo Alto...
bus #294 provides service to Half Moon bay from the Hillsdale
CaltrainCaltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
station in San Mateo.
Education
The
Cabrillo Unified School DistrictCabrillo Unified School District is a school district in California. It consists of Half Moon Bay High School, Pilarcitos High School/alternative education, Cunha Intermediate School, Farallone View Elementary School, Alvin S. Hatch Elementary School, Kings Mountain Elementary School, and El...
serves the city. Schools in Half Moon Bay include
Half Moon Bay High SchoolHalf Moon Bay High School is an American public high school located in Half Moon Bay, in San Mateo County, California. It is part of the Cabrillo Unified School District.-History:...
, Cunha Middle School and Hatch Elementary School although many students are bused to other Cabrillo Unified Schools (Farallone View Elementary and El Granada Elementary) in the unincorporated area north of the City.
The city is served by the
Peninsula Library SystemThe Peninsula Library System is the public library organization serving San Mateo County, California, United States, which forms the bulk of the region within the San Francisco Bay Area known as "The Peninsula"...
.
Gallery
External links