Rio del Mar, California
Rio del Mar is a community of 9,201 people in Santa Cruz County, California.
Why visit Rio del Mar
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 29 places to eat and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Hihn Building, Valencia Hall, Aptos Seascape Golf Course and Aptos Village Park.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 75°F; December lows average 39°F.
Weather in Rio del Mar
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rio del Mar
Rio del Mar (Spanish: Río del Mar, meaning "River of the Sea") is an unincorporated village in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. Rio del Mar is one of several small villages that form the unincorporated community of Aptos. Its population was 9,128 as of the 2020 United States census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Rio del Mar as a census-designated place (CDP).
From the Wikipedia article Rio del Mar, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks7
Hihn Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Commercial building in Capitola, California
Valencia Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Community center in Santa Cruz County, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes29
Taqueria Los Pericos
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.9 mi
36 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos
Mo-Sa 09:00-23:00; Su 09:00-22:00
Venus Pie Trap
Restaurant · Pizza, Coffee Shop, Dessert · 1.4 mi
113 Esplanade, Aptos
Mo-Su 07:00-17:00
Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen
Restaurant · Burger, American, Seafood · 1.4 mi
131 Esplanade, Aptos
Mo-Fr 16:00-21:00; Sa-Su 12:00-21:00
17 more on the map.
Where to stay4
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Churches and places of worship4
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries31
Healthcare2
Map of Rio del Mar
100 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 (6 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, 6 miles away.
- Aptos 2 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Seacliff 2 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- La Selva Beach 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Capitola 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Soquel 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Pleasure Point 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Day Valley 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Freedom 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Live Oak 6 mi west, about 9 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
- Rio del Mar, California (1) (cropped), Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hihn Building - Santa Cruz County, California, Mrwrite, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Valencia Hall, Mrwrite, CC BY-SA 3.0
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