Half Moon Bay, California
Half Moon Bay is a city of 11,391 people in San Mateo County, California.
Why visit Half Moon Bay
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 42 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Miramar Beach, Poplar Beach, James Johnston House and Half Moon Bay Jail.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 66°F; December lows average 43°F.
Weather in Half Moon Bay
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 as of the 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Moon Bay is Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea. Half Moon Bay is known for Mavericks, a big-wave surf location.
From the Wikipedia article Half Moon Bay, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Miramar Beach
Beach · 2.1 mi
Sandy beach in San Mateo County, California, USA
Museums and landmarks5
James Johnston House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historical building, former farm, and museum in Half Moon Bay, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes42
Cameron’s Inn, Pub & Restaurant
Restaurant · British · 1.5 mi
1410 Cabrillo Highway South, Half Moon Bay
Mo 15:00-21:00; Tu-Th,Su 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Mavericks Creperie Cafe
Restaurant · Crepe, Brunch · 0.4 mi
146 San Mateo Road, Half Moon Bay
Mo 08:30-15:00, Tu off, We-Sa 08:30-15:00
REBYL Coffee & Food
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.4 mi
225 Cabrillo Highway South, Half Moon Bay
Mo-Su 09:00-15:00
The Barn
Cafe · Burger · 2.0 mi
3068 Cabrillo Highway North, Half Moon Bay
We, Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Su 08:00-20:00
Cafe Capistrano
Restaurant · Mexican, Mayan · 0.6 mi
523 Church Street, Half Moon Bay
Mo,Tu,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 11:00-19:30
30 more on the map.
History
Half Moon Bay began as a rural agricultural area, primarily used by Mission San Francisco de Asís (established in 1776) for grazing cattle, horses, and oxen. After the Mission's secularization, Tiburcio Vásquez received the Rancho Corral de Tierra Mexican land grant in 1839 and Candelario Miramontes was granted Rancho Miramontes (later known as Rancho San Benito) in 1841.
The community began to develop in the 1840s as San Mateo County's first real town. Originally, 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 Mateo; coaches also served Purissima, Lobitos, and San Gregorio. Levy Brothers opened a department store downtown. Spanishtown was officially renamed Half Moon Bay in 1874.
From the History section of Half Moon Bay, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay13
Churches and places of worship2
Community United Methodist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Coastside Lutheran Church
Church · Evangelical Lutheran · 0.5 mi
900 Cabrillo Highway North, Half Moon Bay
Shopping18
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare2
Map of Half Moon Bay
125 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 43°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 43°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 44°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 45°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 62°F | 48°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 64°F | 50°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 65°F | 53°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 66°F | 54°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 51°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 48°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 63°F | 45°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 43°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Half Moon Bay (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
San Mateo County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-08-22: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2020-08-20: Czu Lightning Fire Complex (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Half Moon Bay Airport (HAF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- El Granada 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Moss Beach 5 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Montara 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Highlands 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Baywood Park 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Hillsborough 8 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Belmont 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Burlingame 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Millbrae 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- San Mateo 10 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 2009 aerial view of Pillar Point Harbor and Bluff, Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 4 2024-04-23, Fastily, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay - House on Kelly Avenue - panoramio, K Danko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach bluff, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Barack Obama @ Half Moon Bay State Beach - panoramio, nenek kebayan, CC BY 3.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach from bluff, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Half Moon Bay bluff panorama, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 1 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 3 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 10 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 2 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 8 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 4 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 9 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Water conservation signs in restroom and shower areas of Half Moon Bay State Park (21502674320), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 6 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay - Beach - panoramio, K Danko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 5 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Half Moon Bay State Beach 7 2019-06-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View of the Santa Cruz Mountains from Half Moon Bay - panoramio, K Danko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Poplar Beach, Half Moon Bay, Ineshima, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Running at the Beach, Half Moon Bay (1994400921), Sharon Mollerus, CC BY 2.0
- Half Moon Bay (1995336880), Sharon Mollerus, CC BY 2.0
- Flying Fish Bar and Grill Half Moon Bay 1 2018-05-15, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Flying Fish Bar and Grill Half Moon Bay 2 2018-05-15, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James Johnston House, Higgins-Purisima Rd., Half Moon Bay, CA 10-30-2011 12-13-34 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Methodist Episcopal Church at Half Moon Bay, 777 Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay, CA 10-30-2011 11-50-33 AM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Half Moon Bay horse path, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pumpkin Patch - California, Oct. 2011, Nathan Forget, CC BY 2.0
- Black Llama, Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Black Llama Side, Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Farm Fresh, Bryan Robinson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Coccinella septempunctata 339408381, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Jesse Vincent -, Jesse Vincent, CC BY 2.0
- Tree - panoramio (71), K Danko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pigeon Point Lighthouse (3878008723), Anita Ritenour from Santa Maria, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Philippe Kahn Jeopardy, Arthbkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- California-201707-Mavic-006 (36100763111), CucombreLibre from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Pinked out surfer, Sam Soneja, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Christmas Tree and packages by window, Wonderlane, CC BY 2.0
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