La Selva Beach, California
La Selva Beach is a community of 2,302 people in Santa Cruz County, California.
Why visit La Selva Beach
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 3 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Castro Adobe, Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge and La Selva Open Space.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 75°F; December lows average 39°F.
Weather in La Selva Beach
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About La Selva Beach
La Selva Beach (La Selva, Spanish for "The Forest") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. La Selva Beach sits at an elevation of 151 feet (46 m). The 2020 United States census reported La Selva Beach's population was 2,531.
From the Wikipedia article La Selva Beach, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks3
Castro Adobe
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house near Watsonville, California, USA
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Restaurants and cafes1
History
In 1925 it was founded as Rob Roy by real estate developer David Batchelor. The now-defunct (since 2000) Rob Roy Video Store was the only business in the area to make note of this heritage. In 1935 the name was changed to La Selva Beach by the new developer, Edward Burghard. Most of the existing houses were built in the early 1960s. In the 1970s the residents convinced state government to remove "Beach" from the direction signs. Officially the name is still La Selva Beach.
From the History section of La Selva Beach, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries37
Ceiba College Preparatory Academy
School · 4.9 mi
260 West Riverside Dr., Watsonville
Map of La Selva Beach
59 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61°F | 40°F | 4.6 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 42°F | 4.0 in |
| Mar | 64°F | 43°F | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 45°F | 1.2 in |
| May | 69°F | 48°F | 0.9 in |
| Jun | 72°F | 50°F | 0.2 in |
| Jul | 72°F | 53°F | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 73°F | 53°F | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 52°F | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 48°F | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 67°F | 43°F | 2.1 in |
| Dec | 61°F | 39°F | 4.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Watsonville Muni Ap (3 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
Santa Cruz County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Freedom 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Rio del Mar 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Watsonville 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Amesti 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Interlaken 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Aptos 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Seacliff 5 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Pajaro 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Capitola 7 mi northwest, about 11 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
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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
- Juan-Castro-Adobe, Mrwrite, Public domain
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