Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in

San Mateo County San Mateo County ( ), officially the County of San Mateo, is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City, California, Redwood City is th ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, approximately south of

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. Its population was 11,795 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Moon Bay is

Pillar Point Harbor Pillar Point Harbor is a boat harbor created by a riprap breakwater in San Mateo County, California, immediately north of Half Moon Bay. It is used by both pleasure craft and small commercial fishing boats. The Ohlone people inhabited the regi ...

and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea. Half Moon Bay is known for

Mavericks Maverick or Maveric may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau T-32 Ma ...

, a big-wave surf location. It is called Half Moon Bay because of its crescent shape. Originally an agricultural outpost to

Mission San Francisco de Asís The Mission San Francisco de Asís (), also known as Mission Dolores, is a historic Catholic Church, Catholic church complex in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Operated by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the complex was founded in ...

, the town was founded in the 1840s first as San Benito, and then as its Anglo fishing community grew, it was renamed Spanishtown. In 1874, it was again renamed Half Moon Bay. After rail and road connections in the early 1900s, the town grew. The foggy weather of the coast made the town a popular destination for booze-running during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

. The city's infrastructure is heavily integrated with the coast, including the

, major roads, and the fire department. The economy of Half Moon Bay is dominated by a handful of businesses, the biggest of which is the

Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay is a luxury hotel and golf resort in Half Moon Bay northern California. The hotel is a Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes Five Star hotel, and was featured on the travel channel series Great Hotels. The hotel has 261 rooms, ...

which employs 500 people and is a major source of property tax and tourism income for the city. Because of this geography, found that the city had over 123 buildings vulnerable to

sea level rise The sea level has been rising from the end of the last ice age, which was around 20,000 years ago. Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level rose by , with an increase of per year since the 1970s. This was faster than the sea level had e ...

History

Half Moon Bay began as a rural agricultural area, primarily used by

(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 Alta California (now known as California) and Baja California, ranchos were concessions and land grants made by the Spanish and Mexican governments from 1775 to 1846. The Spanish concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an indu ...

in 1839 and Candelario Miramontes was granted

Rancho Miramontes Rancho Miramontes (also called Arroyo de los Pilarcitos, Miramontes Rancho de San Benito, and Rancho San Benito) was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Mateo County, California, given in 1841 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Juan Jose Cande ...

(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 Purissima is a ghost town in southwestern San Mateo County, California, United States, near the junction of California State Route 1, State Route 1 and Verde Road. ''Purísima'' means "purest" in Spanish and is most commonly used in Spanish to re ...

, Lobitos, and San Gregorio. Levy Brothers opened a department store downtown. Spanishtown was officially renamed Half Moon Bay in 1874. The area grew very slowly, even after the

Ocean Shore Railroad The Ocean Shore Railroad was a railroad built between San Francisco and Tunitas Beach, Tunitas Glen, and Swanton, California, Swanton and Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz that operated along the Pacific coastline from 1905 until 1920. The rou ...

began serving the community in 1907. The construction of Pedro Mountain Road in 1914 provided better access to San Francisco and probably contributed to the railroad's demise by 1920. The USS ''DeLong'' ran aground at Half Moon Bay on December 1, 1921. During

"rum runners" took advantage of dense fog and hidden coves in the area to serve several roadhouses and inns, some of which operate today as restaurants (e.g.,

Moss Beach Distillery Moss Beach Distillery is a restaurant in Moss Beach, California, located on a cliff which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It is officially designated as a California Point of Historical Interest. Originally established in 1927 as a speakeasy, it ...

). Real growth in the area came after World War II with the construction of numerous subdivisions, eventually leading to Half Moon Bay's incorporation in 1959. The city preserves a historic downtown district that has buildings dating as far back as 1869.

2008 economic downturn and subsequent recovery

In 2008, financial setbacks endangered the city's viability. The economic crisis severely affected tourism, which generates the most revenue, and just when the city had finalized an $18million settlement over a property lawsuit. As the municipal budget was typically $14million or less, city fathers had issued bonds with annual payments of approximately $1 million over 25years. As a result of these obstacles, the threat of bankruptcy was very real. Dozens of meetings were held to decide where to cut the budget and finally, 75percent of municipal employees were laid off and replaced with contract workers. Employee contributions toward retirement benefits were also raised. The city council sought to regain the money paid in the settlement, believing that it should have been paid by the city's insurers. A lawsuit against the insurers was decided in 2013 and the insurer was ordered to pay the city more than $13million; the Association of Bay Area Governments partially covered the costs of the lawsuit. The city's finances improved afterward. It was able to retire the first of its two 30-year Judgment Obligation Bonds (2009A Series Bonds) 20years early. The early retirement was expected to save the city over $426,000 in annual General Fund expenses starting in 201516. As of the publication of the Fiscal Year 201516 Budget the General Fund budget was balanced and had a structural surplus of $4million.

2023 mass shootings

On January 23, 2023,

mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...

s occurred in Half Moon Bay. A

spree killer A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders in a short time, often in multiple locations. There are different opinions about what durations of time a killing spree may take place in. The United States ...

opened fire at two farms with a semi-automatic pistol, killing seven people and critically injuring an eighth person. A 66-year-old suspect was taken into custody after he arrived in his SUV at the parking lot of the sheriff's office substation.

2024 blocking of affordable housing

In 2024, Half Moon Bay politicians were criticized by California Governor

Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom ( ; born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2019 as the 40th governor of California. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served from 2011 to 201 ...

for repeatedly delaying approval of a 40-unit apartment building for senior farmworkers. Newsom threatened to take legal steps against the city if they continued stalling on the housing. Half Moon Bay Commissioner Rick Hernandez said that they were resistant to approving the senior farmworker housing because "we love the character of our small-town community" claiming that once this proposal is approved, it will trigger more requests for other constructions.

Geography

NorCal2018 Beach and Cliff at Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay S0515061

The gorgeous California Coastline at Halfmoon Bay

Half Moon Bay is approximately south of

, west of San Mateo, and north of Santa Cruz. Neighboring towns include El Granada, Princeton-by-the-Sea, Moss Beach, and Montara to the north and

, San Gregorio, and Pescadero to the south. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (0.32%) is water. The town is situated on a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

of the same name. Major local industries include agriculture (houseplants, floriculture, Christmas trees, pumpkins, artichokes),

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

, and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. Historically, Half Moon Bay had been known as San Benito and Spanishtown. A 2022 study of the effects of sea level rise, found that both major tourism attractions, and other infrastructure would be under threat from projected

Sea level rise The sea level has been rising from the end of the last ice age, which was around 20,000 years ago. Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level rose by , with an increase of per year since the 1970s. This was faster than the sea level had e ...

caused by

global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...

. The study found at least 123 buildings, including the

Ritz Carlton The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC is an American multinational corporation, multinational company that operates the Hotel#Luxury, luxury hotel chain known as The Ritz-Carlton. The company has 108 conference and resort hotels, luxury hotels an ...

(a major employer for the town),

Pigeon Point Lighthouse Pigeon Point Light Station or Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of California. It is the List of lighthouses in the United States by height, tallest lighthouse (tied with Po ...

and the Pescadero Cal Fire Station would be seriously threatened by erosion if sea level were to rise by . A popular spot at Half Moon Bay is the 'Jetty,' or as it is sometimes called, 'The Breakwater.' This is a man-made break with unusual waves shaped by reflections from the breakwater at

. Creeks in Half Moon Bay include Frenchmans, Pilarcitos and

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. Montara State Marine Reserve & Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area extend offshore from Montara, just north of Half Moon Bay. Like underwater parks, these

marine protected area A marine protected area (MPA) is a protected area of the world's seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity ...

s help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Climate

Half Moon Bay usually has mild weather throughout the year. Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, it has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen ''Csb''). Hot weather is rare; the average annual days with highs of or higher is only 0.4days. Cold weather is also rare with an annual average of 2.5days with lows of or lower. Typical of Northern California, most of the rain falls from November to April. The normal annual precipitation is . Snowfall along the coast in Half Moon Bay has never been measurable; however, snow flurries were observed on December 12, 1972, February 5, 1976, and February 23, 2023. There is often fog and overcast during the night and morning hours, usually clearing offshore during the afternoon. Persistent sea breezes help to moderate the climate along the coast; farther from the ocean, in places such as Pilarcitos Creek, days are often warmer and nights cooler than on the coast. For the

37th parallel north Following are circles of latitude between the 35th parallel north and the 40th parallel north: 36th parallel north The 36th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 36 degree (angle), degrees true north, north of the Earth, Earth's equator ...

, the mild summer temperatures of Half Moon Bay are unmatched across the board. Relatively nearby inland cities see significantly warmer temperatures at the same time. Despite the low latitude and strong maritime influence, nights remain very cool, even in the summer. January is the coolest month with an average high of and an average low of . September is the warmest month with an average high of and an average low of . The most rainfall recorded in Half Moon Bay in one month was in February 1998. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall was on January 4, 1982. There is an average of 86days with measurable rainfall.

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Half Moon Bay had a population of 11,795. The population density was . The racial makeup of Half Moon Bay was 62.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.7%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.8% Native American, 6.2% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 14.1% from other races, and 15.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 29.7% of the population. The census reported that 99.5% of the population lived in households, 58 people (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. There were 4,569 households, out of which 26.8% included children under the age of 18, 53.9% were married-couple households, 4.3% were

cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...

couple households, 27.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.4% had a male householder with no partner present. 27.6% of households were one person, and 18.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57. There were 3,040

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

(66.5% of all households). The age distribution was 18.8% under the age of 18, 6.7% aged 18 to 24, 21.3% aged 25 to 44, 29.3% aged 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 47.6years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. There were 4,833 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,569 (94.5%) were occupied. Of these, 68.7% were owner-occupied, and 31.3% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 20.8% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 67.4% spoke only English at home, 26.0% spoke

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, 3.8% spoke other

Indo-European languages The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...

, 2.3% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.4% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 91.3% were high school graduates and 53.2% had a bachelor's degree. The median household income in 2023 was $153,199, and the

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $81,034. About 2.3% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010

2010 United States Census reported that Half Moon Bay had a population of 11,324. The population density was . The racial makeup of Half Moon Bay was 8,580 (75.8%)

, 82 (0.7%)

, 71 (0.6%) Native American, 490 (4.3%) Asian, 9 (0.1%)

, 1,710 (15.1%) from other races, and 382 (3.4%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3,563 persons (31.5%). The Census reported that 11,306 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 18 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 4,149 households, out of which 1,264 (30.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,373 (57.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 293 (7.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 156 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 208 (5.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 41 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,067 households (25.7%) were made up of individuals, and 538 (13.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72. There were 2,822

(68.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.24. The population was spread out, with 2,533 people (22.4%) under the age of 18, 796 people (7.0%) aged 18 to 24, 2,587 people (22.8%) aged 25 to 44, 3,644 people (32.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,764 people (15.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. There were 4,395 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,944 (71.0%) were owner-occupied, and 1,205 (29.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 1.9%. 7,645 people (67.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,661 people (32.3%) lived in rental housing units.

Economy

GoPro GoPro, Inc. (marketed as GoPro and sometimes stylized as GoPRO) is an American technology company founded in 2002 by Nick Woodman. It manufactures action cameras and develops its own mobile apps and video editing software, video-editing software ...

was started in 2002 in Half Moon Bay, and then moved its headquarters to San Mateo, in 2012 *

Odwalla Odwalla Inc. () is an American health food company based in Dinuba, California. Founded in Santa Cruz, California in 1980 and formerly headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California from 1995 to 2020, the company's product lines included fruit juic ...

was based in Half Moon Bay, but then relocated its headquarters to

Dinuba Dinuba is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 24,563 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 21,453 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is part of the Visalia Metropolitan Area, V ...

, on May 31, 2013 *The

Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education The Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2002. Located in Half Moon Bay, California, its mission is to make learning and knowledge sharing participatory, equitable, ...

is headquartered in Half Moon Bay

Top employers

, the top employers in the city were:

Pillar Point Harbor

The Pillar Point Harbor at the northern edge of Half Moon Bay offers a protected landing for boats and provides other marine infrastructure. In the late 1980s, a new master plan was developed for the

Harbor A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be moored. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...

. A variety of fish species have been identified in the harbor area. At the harbor, fishermen sell crab and fish catches straight off their boats at discount prices directly to the public, and restaurants will filet the fish for purchasers. The Half Moon Bay Yacht Club has facilities at the harbor.

Arts and culture

Notable buildings

The city has four sites listed at the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: the Methodist Episcopal Church at Half Moon Bay, the William Adam Simmons House, the Robert Mills Dairy Barn, and the James Johnston House. The remnants of the village of

, perhaps the only ghost town in San Mateo County, are south of the city, near the junction of State Route 1 and Verde Road. There is an artist's collective, ''Colony of Coastside Artists'', downtown has several galleries, and there are art classes and workshops available locally. The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay is a major employer. The hotel was used as the wedding venue for the 2003 comedy film, ''

American Wedding ''American Wedding'' (known as ''American Pie 3: The Wedding'' or ''American Pie: The Wedding'', in some countries) is a 2003 American sex comedy film written by Adam Herz and directed by Jesse Dylan. It is the sequel to '' American Pie'' (19 ...

''.

Events

The

Half Moon Bay Airport Eddie Andreini Sr. Airfield, officially Half Moon Bay Airport , is a public airport in San Mateo County, northwest of Half Moon Bay, California, United States. The airport is on the Pacific Coast, south of San Francisco. History The Half Moo ...

hosts an annual benefit event in April, Pacific Coast Dream Machines, which features aircraft and automobiles. Half Moon Bay also hosts an annual Art and Pumpkin Festival in October.

Parks and recreation

The region around Half Moon Bay contains several state parks and beaches, including: *

Half Moon Bay State Beach Half Moon Bay State Beach is a stretch of protected beaches in the state park system of California, United States, on Half Moon Bay. From north to south it comprises Roosevelt, Dunes, Venice, and Francis Beaches. The park was established in 1 ...

* Poplar Beach * San Gregorio State Beach * Pomponio State Beach *

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean, located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks in the San Mateo County community of Moss Beach. Moss Beach is located approximately south of San Franci ...

, located north of Half Moon Bay, is a refuge for plants and animals adapted to live at the shoreline. At the north edge of the bay is the

big wave Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which surfers paddle into, or are towed into, waves that are at least 20 feet (6.2 m) high, on surf boards known as "guns" or towboards. The size of the board needed to successfully surf these w ...

surf area,

, off Pillar Point, where surfers challenge waves over tall. From 1999 to 2016, it was the location of the annual Titans of Mavericks competition.

Montara Mountain Montara Mountain, positioned between the unincorporated community of Montara, California, to the southwest and the city of Pacifica, California, to the north, forms the northern spur of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a narrow mountain range running t ...

, located North of Half Moon Bay, is a popular outdoor recreation spot and home to the old Highway1.

Government

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

, Half Moon Bay is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Half Moon Bay is in . Fire protection for the city of Half Moon Bay is provided by the Coastside Fire Protection District, which contracts for service with CalFire. Law enforcement for the City of Half Moon Bay is provided under a contract with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. According to the

California Secretary of State The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The Secretary of state (U.S. state government), secretary of state is elected for four year terms, like the state's o ...

, as of February 10, 2019, Half Moon Bay has 7,549 registered voters. Of those, 3,603 (47.7%) are registered Democrats, 1,380 (18.3%) are registered

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, and 2,142 (28.4%) have declined to state a political party.

Education

The

Cabrillo Unified School District Cabrillo Unified School District is a school district in California. It consists of Half Moon Bay High School Half Moon Bay High School is an American public high school located in Half Moon Bay, in San Mateo County, California. It is p ...

serves the city. Schools include

Half Moon Bay High School Half Moon Bay High School is an American public high school located in Half Moon Bay, in San Mateo County, California. It is part of the Cabrillo Unified School District. History Half Moon Bay High School was founded in August 1909 under th ...

, Cunha Middle School and Hatch Elementary School although many students are bused to other Cabrillo Unified Schools (Farallone View Elementary and El Granada Elementary) in the unincorporated area north of the City and King Mountain off Skyline Boulevard south of Highway92. The city is served by the

Peninsula Library System The Peninsula Library System (PLS) is a consortium of public and community college libraries in San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County, California, United States, which serves the part of the San Francisco Bay Area known as "San Francisco ...

Media

*''

Half Moon Bay Review The ''Half Moon Bay Review'' is an American online news source that has been serving the Coastside area of San Mateo County, California, from Pacifica to the Santa Cruz County line since 1898. A broadsheet newspaper A newspaper is a Perio ...

'', online newspaper *''Half Moon Bay Patch'', online newspaper

Transportation

Primary road access is via State Route 1 (the Cabrillo Highway) from the north and south, and State Route 92 from the east. The city is served by

SamTrans SamTrans (stylized as samTrans; officially the San Mateo County Transit District) is a public transport agency in and around San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It provides bus service throughout San Mateo County and into porti ...

routes294 and117 provide service to Half Moon Bay from the Hillsdale Caltrain station in San Mateo and Linda Mar in Pacifica, respectively.

In popular culture

The

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

seaplane tender A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...

USS ''Half Moon'' (AVP-26) was named for Half Moon Bay and retained the name when serving as a

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

weather reporting ship USCGC ''Half Moon'' for more than 20 years after the war. The album ''

Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Mo ...

'' was recorded by jazz pianist

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

in 1973 at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society in Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay is the primary setting of the 2010 B-movie '' Birdemic: Shock and Terror''.

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female rock bands of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a sol ...

shot her music video for

Circle in the Sand "Circle in the Sand" is a song recorded by American singer Belinda Carlisle for her second studio album, '' Heaven on Earth'' (1987). It was written by Rick Nowels, who also produced it, and Ellen Shipley. "Circle in the Sand" was the third singl ...

at Half Moon Bay.

Notable people

John Cardiel John Joseph Cardiel (born December 14, 1973) is an American former professional skateboarder and snowboarder who has been a known core member of the Anti Hero Skateboards company since it was founded in 1995. Early life Cardiel was born in San ...

, skateboarder *

Jon Miller Jon Miller (born October 11, 1951) is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. Since 1997, he has been employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball ann ...

, Hall of Fame broadcaster for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

* Charlee Minkin (born 1981), Olympic judoka * John Montefusco, former pitcher for the

and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

* Jay Moriarity, surfer and free diver, youngest person to surf Mavericks, depicted in the film ''

Chasing Mavericks ''Chasing Mavericks'' is a 2012 American biographical drama film about the life of American surfer Jay Moriarity (portrayed by Jonny Weston). It was directed by Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted, and stars Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue, Abigail ...

'' *

Al Pereira Alfred Pereira (August 8, 1906 to January 15, 1990) was an American professional wrestler, known as Al "Power House" Pereira. He held the European Heavyweight Championship twice. Early life Pereira was born in Half Moon Bay, California, the so ...

, professional wrestler, twice holder of the

European Heavyweight Championship The European Heavyweight Championship is a name used for various top titles competed for throughout the European professional wrestling circuit. The title was recognised as official by UK national TV network ITV for the purposes of their coverage ...

Dorothy Wagner Puccinelli Dorothy Wagner Puccinelli, also known as Dorothy Puccinelli Cravath (December 19, 1901 – May 24, 1974), was a New Deal-era artist and muralist. She was based in San Francisco, California. Biography Born as Dorothy Wagner on December 19, 190 ...

, muralist and artist *

Richard Rhodes Richard Lee Rhodes (born July 4, 1937) is an American historian, journalist, and author of both fiction and nonfiction, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' The Making of the Atomic Bomb'' (1986), and most recently, ''Energy: A Human History ...

, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian *

Phil Schiller Philip W. Schiller (born June 8, 1960) is an American businessman, spokesperson, and an Apple Fellow at Apple Inc. He is a prominent figure in Apple's keynotes and has been a member of the company's executive team since Steve Jobs returned to Ap ...

, senior vice president at Apple

References

External links

*
Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce & Visitors' Bureau
ourist information
Half Moon Bay Review
ewspaper serving the San Mateo County Coastside since 1898
California State Waters Map Series
ffshore of Half Moon BayUnited States Geological Survey {{authority control Cities in San Mateo County, California Cities in the San Francisco Bay Area Populated coastal places in California Incorporated cities and towns in California