ZIP Code 92646

Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Southern California, located 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, making it the fourth most populous city in Orange County. It is known for its long 9.5-mile (15.3 km) stretch of sandy beach, mild climate, excellent surfing, and beach culture. Swells generated predominantly from the North Pacific in winter and from a combination of Southern Hemisphere storms and hurricanes in the summer focus on Huntington Beach, creating consistent surf all year long, hence the nickname "Surf City" According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.9 square miles (82.6 km²). It is 26.7 sq mi (1.69 km²) of land and 5.10 sq mi of it is water. The entire city of Huntington Beach is in area code 714 and 657, except for Huntington Harbour (along with small parts of Huntington Harbour), which is in the area code 562 and 662. Huntington Beach has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: B/Csb), gradually changing to the second to the first Bolsa Chica climate due to its low precipitation. Although the first to the west and south are Central Park and Huntington Park, the northern parts of the city usually fall into Bols a Chica Chica.

History

Huntington Beach is the primary city name, but also Huntingtn Bch are acceptable city names or spellings, Huntington on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The Tongva village of Lupukngna was located in what is now Huntington Beach. The main thoroughfare of Huntington Beach, Beach Boulevard, was originally a cattle route for the main industry of the Rancho. Huntington Beach was primarily agricultural in its early years with crops such as lima beans, asparagus, peppers, celery and sugar beets. Holly Sugar was a major employer with a large processing plant in the city that was later converted into an oil refinery. The city's first high school, Huntington Beach High School, located on Main Street, was built in 1906. The school's team, the Oilers, is named after the city's original natural resource. The original Huntington Beach Pier, built in 1904, was a 1,000-foot-long timber structure. The company is now wholly owned by the Chevron Corporation. Meadowlark Airport, a small general-aviation airport, existed in Huntington Beach from the 1940s until 1989. The first city hall was built on the site of the former West Coast Land and Water Company, which was owned by Henry Huntington. The current city hall is located on the former site of West Coast land and Water Co., which is now owned by The Huntington Beach Company, a real-estate development firm owned by Huntington. It is located in the central part of the city on the banks of the Santa Ana River, near the San Onofre Channel. It was known as Shell Beach, the town of Smeltzer, and then Gospel Swamp for the revival meetings that were held.

Geography

Huntington Beach has a borderline semi-arid/Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk/Csb) In the summer, temperatures rarely exceed 85 °F (29 °C) There are about 14 inches (360 mm) of rain, almost all in mid-winter. Between Downtown Huntington Beach and Huntington Harbour lies a large marshy wetland, much of which is protected within the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. A $110 million restoration of the wetlands was completed in 2006. Construction of any kind on the beach is prohibited without a vote by current homeowners. The harbor entrance for Anaheim Bay is sometimes restricted by the United States Navy, which loads ships with munitions at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station to the north of the main channel. The city has a total area of 31.9 square miles (82.6 km²). 26.7 sq mi (69 km²) of it is land and 5.1sq mi (13 km²] of it (16.10%) is water. The entire city of Huntington Beach lies in area codes 714 and 657, except for small parts of Huntington Harbour (along with Sunset Beach, the community adjacent to Huntington Harbour), which is in the 562 area code. In the morning and evening, there are often strong breezes that can reach 15 mph (24 km/h). Ocean water temperatures average 55 °F [13 °C] to 65 °C (18 °C).

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Huntington Beach had a population of 189,992. The racial makeup of Huntington Beach was 145,661 (76.7%) White, 1,813 (1.0%) African American, 992 (0.5%) Native American, 21,070 (11.1%) Asian, 635 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 11,193 (5.9%) from other races, and 8,628 (4.5) from two or more races. Non-Hispanic Whites were 61.3% of the population. The city had a median household income of $81,389 in 2009-2013, with 8.9% of residents living below the federal poverty line. The 2020 U.S. census reported that the population was 198,711. There were 78,003 housing units at an average density of 2,446.5 per square mile (944.6/km²), of which 44,914 were owner-occupied, and 29,371 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%. 115,470 people (60.8%) lived in owner- occupied housing units and 73,632 people (38.8) lived in rental housing units. The median age in the city was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.6 males. The average household size was 2.55.

Economy

Huntington Beach sits above a large natural fault structure containing a critical supply of natural oil. The city is discussing closing off Main Street to cars from PCH through the retail shopping and restaurant areas, making it a pedestrian-only zone. Huntington State Beach is home to a number of species of birds, including gulls, willet, long-billed fletcher, elegant teens and reddish egret, which are rare on the West Coast. The Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau filed four applications to register the "Surf City USA" trademark in November 2004. Four of the Bureau's registrations of the trademark are now on the principal register and the remaining ten trademark applications are expected to follow. The Bureau is actively considering registration of the Surf City USA trademark in several different countries and anticipates a growing market for its branded products overseas in coming years. The downtown district includes an active art center, a colorful shopping district, and the International Surfing Museum. This district was also the home of the Golden Bear, a fine dining restaurant opened by Harry Bakre in 1929. The Golden Bear became a famous-name entertainment venue until it was demolished in 1986. The Boeing campus was originally constructed to service the Apollo Program, most notably the production of the S-IVB upper stage for the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets. As of April 2008, the Bureau had more than 20 licensing partners with over 50 different products being prepared to enter the market over the next 18 months. A settlement reached in 2007 allows the Huntington Beach Visitors Bureau to retain its Surf City trademark.

Arts and culture

The U.S. Open of Surfing is featured on the south side of the pier. Huntington Beach is a stop on the AVP beach volleyball tour. A biathlon (swim/run) hosted by the Bolsa Chica & Huntington State Beach Lifeguards takes place in July. The Fourth of July parade has been held since 1904. The Huntington Beach Film Festival takes place every February. The Surf City USA marathon is held with over 20,000 runners in February of each year. The Pacific Airshow (originally known as the Breitling Huntington Beach Airshow), featuring the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, is held each October. During the winter, the annual Cruise of Lights Boat Tour is held in the Huntington Harbour neighborhood. This is a parade of colorful lighted boats as well as boat tours to view the decorated homes. The Tuesday Surf City Nights is a community-spirited event that features a farmer's market, unique entertainment, food, kiddie rides and a carnival atmosphere. It is presented by the Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District (HBDBID) and the City of Huntington Beach. It takes place on the first three blocks of Main Street from Pacific Coast Highway to Orange Avenue. A Cars and Coffee car meet is held every Sunday morning at Pacific City. The Beachcruiser Meet attracts over 250 classic cars displayed along Main Street and the Pier parking lot in March. A Concours d'Elegance is held at Central Park in June and benefits the public library.

Sports

Huntington Beach is the site of the world surfing championships, held annually in the summer. The city is often referred to as "Surf City" because of this high-profile event, its history and culture of surfing. Huntington Beach has four different facing beaches: Northwest, West, Southwest, and South. It is often called the "Surfing Capital of the World", not for the height of the waves, but rather for the consistent quality of surf. The first surfboard shop, which was located underneath the Huntington Beach Pier, opened in 1956 by Gordie Duane. There are three golf courses in Huntington Beach, as well as a driving range as well. The beach is also a popular destination for kite surfing, and this sport can be viewed on the beach northwest of the pier. Bicycling stretches for 16 miles (16.3 km) along the beach alongside the beach. Kayaking and standup paddleboarding is a popular activity in Huntington Harbour. You can enter the public harbour from one of the five public "Mother's Beaches" that allows access to the harbour and kayaks and paddleboards. The Huntington Beach Golf Club opened in 1922, located on Warner and Graham avenues. It features a par-70, 5-yard 18-yard golf course and a 5-609-yard driving range. The golf course is open to the public and has three driving range courses. There is also an 18-hole golf course, which opened in 1977.

Parks and recreation

Huntington Central Park is the largest city owned park in Orange County with nearly 350 acres (140 ha) The Huntington Beach Public Library is located in Central Park in a notable building designed by Richard Neutra and Dion Neutra. The Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve is a natural wetland which is over 1,200 acres (4.9 km²) and contains numerous walking trails and scenic routes. Huntington Dog Beach is the only area where dogs are allowed on the beach in Huntington Beach. Some popular events that take place at Dog Beach are Surf City Surf Dog and So Cal Corgi Nation Beach Days. It is free to the public. To keep visitors safe, aggressive dogs are not allowed and dogs must be kept under control at all times. The park is also home to the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, a 25 acres (10 ha) facility boarding over 400 horses and operates a full time riding school at all levels. There is also an Adventure Playground, or mud pit, available for kids. It opened in 1974 at the bottom of an abandoned sand quarry and moved several years later to its location near the library. When constructed, it was one of the only authentic adventure playgrounds in California. Although renovated during 2020 to 2022, the playground is closed because of drought conditions. The world's second oldest disc golf course is available in the park, as are two small dining areas, a sports complex for adult use, and the Shipley Nature Center.

Government

The Huntington Beach Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Huntington Beach, California. In addition to fire services, the HBFD also provides medical transport via a fleet of five ambulances. The department transports over 10,000 patients annually. The Marine Safety Division is responsible for patrolling the 3.5 miles (5 km) of shoreline along Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach. The division has a wide array of equipment available for their use including 10 Toyota Tacoma patrol trucks, search and rescue SCUBA gear, 3 29-foot Crystaliner twin-engine rescue vessels, 3 Yamaha Waverunners, rigid-hulled inflatable boats and all-terrain vehicles. According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 18, 2020, Huntington Beach has 123,048 registered voters. Of those, 49,490 are registered Republicans, 37,531 (40%) are registered Democrats, and 31,490 (29%) have declined to state a political party/are American Independents/Green. Huntington Beach is in the Orange County Board of Supervisors, in the First District, represented by Andrew Do. In the California State Assembly, it is split between the 72nd Assembly District and the 74th Assembly District. The city is in California's 48th congressional district, represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Republican Michelle Steel. The current and former mayors of the city have been: Roxanne Jones, John Tinsley, and Andrew Do, among others.

Education

Huntington Beach is the home of Golden West College, which offers two-year associates of arts degrees and transfer programs to four-year universities. The city is in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, which includes: Edison High School, Marina High School and Ocean View High School. There are five public libraries located in the city: Central Library, Main Street Branch, Banning Branch, Helen Murphy Branch and Oak View Branch. The Pegasus School, a nationally recognized blue ribbon school, was a private independent school that closed in 2020 after 73 years in operation. Lycée International de Los Angeles previously had its Orange County campus in Huntington Beach. It closed its campus in 2010 after more than 70 years of operation. It was followed by Westminster School District in 2011. It is also served by the Fountain Valley School District and Westminster School districts in the east of the city. It has four elementary school districts: Huntington Beach City School District with 9 schools, Ocean View School DistrictWith 15 schools and Fountain Valley with 9. It also has a private K8 school, Grace Lutheran School, which is a K-8 school with about 400 students living within 25 miles (40 km) of the school. There is also an independent study school, Coast High School; it closed in 2010. It had a private junior/senior high school,thren Christian Junior/Senior High, which was a K8 and J/S school that had about 400 residents. There was also a private private high school calledthren Christian High School that closed its doors in 2020.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Huntington Beach, Orange County, California = 4.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 66. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Huntington Beach = 5.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 198,711 individuals with a median age of 39.4 age the population grows by 3.19% in Huntington Beach, Orange County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 7,000 residents per square mile of area (2,700/km²). There are average 2.58 people per household in the 75,627 households with an average household income of $81,680 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.90% of the available work force and has dropped -5.07% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 21.96%. The number of physicians in Huntington Beach per 100,000 population = 253.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Huntington Beach = 12.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 31. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 281. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 45 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 54, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Huntington Beach, Orange County, California which are owned by the occupant = 58.45%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 35 years with median home cost = $544,300 and home appreciation of -7.30%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.36 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,753 per student. There are 24.3 students for each teacher in the school, 11434 students for each Librarian and 4002 students for each Counselor. 9.70% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 23.77% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 12.14% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).