About the Half Moon Bay Coastside

The Half Moon Bay area in Northern California is a rural seaside community nestled between the dramatic green Santa Cruz Mountains and the powerful Pacific Ocean approximately 30 miles south of San Francisco and 45 miles north of Santa Cruz.

The 280 square miles of the region encompasses a number of small coastal cities. Conveniently located to major metropolitan areas and connected to major transportation arteries, the Half Moon Bay area makes the perfect place to live, work and visit.

The Half Moon Bay area coast boasts 30,000 residents and the Chamber proudly serves nearly 625 members. The Chamber strives to improve the public’s awareness of the diversity of businesses available on the coast through publications, this website and various media outreach. With the numerous campaigns, locals are now realizing the importance of investing their dollar on this side of the hill.

The Half Moon Bay Coastside community boasts numerous activities and things to do and has a colorful history that can still be explored today. Coastside communities are strung together along Highway 1, which stretches north and south between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Highways 92 and 84 are the only east-west access to the Peninsula.

Half Moon Bay is the only incorporated city on the coast served by a City Council. The remaining communities include Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton-by-the-Sea, El Granada, Miramar, San Gregorio, Pescadero, Loma Mar and La Honda which are all un-incorporated areas of San Mateo County governed by the county Board of Supervisors.

Weather on the Half Moon Bay area coast is quite temperate year round, with seasonal fog in the summer. Cool breezes off the ocean are common. The average yearly rainfall is 27.96 inches and the temperatures vary between 40 and 75 degrees.

The largest industries are tourism, agriculture specializing in floriculture, and commercial fishing. You can check out the San Mateo County Annual Agricultural Report for detailed information on the gross value of the county’s agriculture product, which is nearly $140,000,000.

Residential development and tourism development caters to the executive lifestyle. The median priced home is in the $850,000 range, with most new and golf course homes in the $900,000 to $1,500,000 range. Check out the real estate page for referrals to knowledgeable local realtors and more information on real estate in the Half Moon Bay area.

Local schools are governed by the Cabrillo Unified School District on the north coast and the La Honda/Pescadero School District on the south coast. Visit the education page for a list of local schools and resources for obtaining ratings and test scores for individual schools.

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