Hermosa Beach (, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...

, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the

Greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the eas ...

area; it is one of the three

Beach Cities The Beach Cities are a collection of three independently incorporated oceanfront cities in Los Angeles County south of El Segundo and north of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, comprising the cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beac ...

. Hermosa Beach is bordered by the other two, Manhattan Beach to the north and

Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (Spanish for ) is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent beach cities along the southern portion of Santa Mo ...

to the south and east. The city's beach is popular for sunbathing,

beach volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two to four players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side o ...

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

, paddleboarding, bars,

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

and

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...

. The city itself extends only about 15 blocks from east to west and 40 blocks from north to south, with Pacific Coast Highway running down the middle. Situated on the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

, Hermosa's average temperature is in the summer and in the winter. Westerly sea breezes lessen what can be high summertime temperatures in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and elsewhere in the county and help keep the

smog Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and ''fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odour. The word was then inte ...

away 360 days of the year. A paved path, called The Strand, runs along Hermosa's beach from Torrance Beach in the south approximately twenty miles north to

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

. The

Hermosa Beach Pier The Hermosa Beach Pier is located in the Southern California community of Hermosa Beach. It extends into the Pacific Ocean. In 1904 the first pier was built. It was constructed entirely of wood even to the pilings and it extended five hundr ...

is at the end of Pier Avenue, which is one of the beach community's main shopping, dining and entertainment areas.

History

Hermosa Beach was originally part of the 1784 Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant that later became the ten-mile (16 km) ocean frontage of Rancho Sausal Redondo. In 1900, a tract of was purchased for $35 per acre from A. E. Pomroy, then owner of the greater part of Rancho Sausal Redondo. Messrs. Burbank and Baker, agents, bought this land for Sherman and Clark who organized and retained the controlling interest in the Hermosa Beach Land and Water Company. In early days, Hermosa Beach — like so many of its neighboring cities ( Inglewood, Lawndale, Torrance) — was one vast sweep of rolling hills covered with

fields Fields may refer to: Music *Fields (band), an indie rock band formed in 2006 * Fields (progressive rock band), a progressive rock band formed in 1971 * ''Fields'' (album), an LP by Swedish-based indie rock band Junip (2010) * "Fields", a song by ...

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...

, mostly

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

. During certain seasons of the year large herds of

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

were grazed over this land, and corrals and large barns for storing the grain, as well as providing shelter for

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s and farm implements, were located on the

ranch A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...

between Hermosa and Inglewood. The Spanish words ''Rancho Sausal Redondo'' mean a large circular ranch of

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Types of pasture Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...

grazing In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to free range (roam around) and consume wild vegetations in order to feed conversion ratio, convert the otherwise indigestible (by human diges ...

land, with a grove of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

on it. The first official survey was made in the year 1901 for the board walk on the Strand, Hermosa Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue; work on these projects commenced soon after. In 1904 the first pier was built. It was constructed entirely of wood even to the

piling A pile or piling is a vertical structural element of a deep foundation, driven or drilled deep into the ground at the building site. A deep foundation is a type of foundation that transfers building loads to the earth farther down from th ...

s and it extended five hundred feet out into the ocean. The pier was constructed by the Hermosa Beach Land and Water Company. In 1913 this old pier was partly washed away and later torn down and a new one built to replace it. This pier was built of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

long, and paved with

asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...

its entire length. Small tiled pavilions were erected at intervals along the sides to afford shade for

fishermen A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishermen may be professional or recr ...

and

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...

parties. A bait stand was built eventually out on the end. Soon after, about 1914, an

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

building was constructed; it has housed various enterprises and at present the public

rest room A public toilet, restroom, bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets (or urinals) and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils or pris ...

s, the Los Angeles Life Guard Service, and the local branch of the Los Angeles County Public Library occupy rooms in the building. This pier is municipally owned. The Los Angeles Pacific Railway, a trolley system, was the first trolley service in Hermosa Beach, running the entire length of Hermosa Ave. on its way from L.A. to Redondo Beach. A few years later it was merged with most other trolley companies in the region to form the new

Pacific Electric The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned Public transport, mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electr ...

Railway Company, informally called the Red Cars. The

Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Railroad classes, Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight tra ...

was the first railroad to run through Hermosa Beach. It was seven blocks from the beach. The street that led to the tracks was called Santa Fe Avenue, but was later renamed Pier Avenue. There was no Santa Fe

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

for Hermosa, but Burbank and Baker built a

railway platform A railway platform is an area in a train station alongside a railway Track (rail transport), track providing convenient access to trains. Almost all stations have some form of platform, with larger stations having multiple platforms. Grand Cen ...

on the west side of the tracks near Santa Fe Avenue, and later the railroad company donated an old

boxcar A boxcar is the North American (Association of American Railroads, AAR) and South Australian Railways term for a Railroad car#Freight cars, railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The boxcar, while not the simpl ...

to be used as a storage place for freight. In 1926, the Santa Fe built a modern

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

depot and installed

Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Denver, Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the co ...

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

service in it. The first city election for city officers was held December 24, 1906. On January 14, 1907, Hermosa Beach became the nineteenth incorporated city of Los Angeles County.

Geography

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 , all of it land.

Climate

Average air temperature - (summer / winter, ) Average water temperature - (summer / winter ) Hermosa Beach has an average of 325 days of sunshine a year. Because of its location, nestled on a vast open bay ( Santa Monica Bay), morning fog and haze is a common phenomenon in May, June and early July (caused by ocean temperature variations and currents). Locals have a particular terminology for this phenomenon: the "May Gray" and the "

June Gloom June Gloom is a mainly Southern California term for a weather pattern that results in cloud cover, cloudy, overcast skies with cool temperatures during the late spring and early summer. While the marine layer is most common in the month of June ...

". Overcast skies are common for June mornings, but usually the strong sun burns the fog off by noon. Nonetheless, it will sometimes stay cloudy and cool all day during June, even as other parts of the Los Angeles area will enjoy sunny skies and warmer temperatures. At times, the sun shines east of PCH, while the beach area is overcast. As a general rule, the temperature is from cooler than it is inland. A typical spring day (mid-April) is sunny, pleasant and about . In the summer, which stretches basically from May to late October, temperatures can reach to the mid-80s Fahrenheit (about 30 °C) at the beach. In early November, it is about . In late January, temperatures are around . It is winter, however, when the hot, dry

Santa Ana wind The Santa Ana winds, occasionally referred to as the devil winds, are strong, extremely dry katabatic winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. They originate from cool, dry high-pressure a ...

s are most common. In mid-December 2004, temperatures soared to in Santa Monica, for a few straight days, with perfectly sunny skies. The rainy season is from late October through late March. Winter storms usually approach from the northwest and pass quickly through the Southland. There is very little rain during the rest of the year, on average, there is just about 14 inches of rain per year in the city. Hermosa Beach usually enjoys a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean, keeping the air fresh and clean. Therefore,

is less a problem for Hermosa Beach than elsewhere around Los Angeles.

Demographics

Hermosa Beach first appeared as a city in the 1910 U.S. Census as part of the now defunct Redondo Township.

2020

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 19,728 residents of the city, of whom 77.9% identified as

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 ...

(73.4%

Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 0.6% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 7.3% Asian, 0.1%

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

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 ...

, and 11.6% as Two or more races. 11.4% of residents were of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race.

2010

The 2010 United States census reported that Hermosa Beach had a population of 19,506. The population density was . The racial makeup of Hermosa Beach was 16,928 (86.8%)

(80.9% Non-Hispanic White), 229 (1.2%)

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 ...

, 49 (0.3%) Native American, 1,111 (5.7%) Asian, 46 (0.2%)

, 325 (1.7%) from other races, and 818 (4.2%) from two or more races. There were 1,632 residents of

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 ancestry, of any race (8.4%). The Census reported that 19,491 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 11 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 4 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 9,550 households, out of which 1,878 (19.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,254 (34.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 460 (4.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 325 (3.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 710 (7.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 64 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,644 households (38.2%) were made up of individuals, and 606 (6.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04. There were 4,039

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 ...

(42.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.80. There were 3,093 residents (15.9%) under the age of 18, 1,242 (6.4%) aged 18 to 24, 8,516 (43.7%) aged 25 to 44, 4,898 (25.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,757 (9.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.1 males. There were 10,162 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,255 (44.6%) were owner-occupied, and 5,295 (55.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%. 10,083 people (51.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 9,408 people (48.2%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States census, Hermosa Beach had a median household income of $101,655, with 3.4% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 18,566 people, 9,476 households, and 3,553 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,840 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.58%

, 0.80%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.40% Native American, 4.40% Asian, 0.22%

, 1.68% from other races, and 2.91% from two or more races. 4.82% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 9,476 households, out of which 14.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 62.5% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.65. In the city, 12.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.1% was from 18 to 24, 55.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $81,153, and the median income for a family was $104,645. Males had a median income of $67,407 versus $50,295 for females. 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 ...

for the city was $54,244. About 1.7% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

In 2024, the most common occupations of residents were management, sales, and administrative support. The top employers were: City of Hermosa Beach (168); Von's Companies (121); Lazy Acres (107); Trader Joe's (94); Hermosa Beach School District (90). The city has of beach, and 1,570 parking meters.

Arts and culture

* Fiesta Hermosa: Arts and crafts festival which has taken place for the last 35 years every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend * Hermosa Ironman: Unofficial triathlon every July 4, consisting of running a mile in the sand, paddling a mile on a surfboard, and downing a 6-pack of beer. "First to finish without puking wins!" * AVP Hermosa Beach Open: Started in 1969 and typically in June. Attracts combinations of pros and near pros. Free event open to everyone. *ShockBoxx Art Gallery: Located at 6th & Cypress in the arts district. Showcasing domestic and international artists with avant-garde style themes. Free and open to the public. Check the website for show dates. * Hermosa Beach Film Festival: Started in 2005 and typically in August. Short films from each year are chosen to be screened at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse * International Surf Festival: Surfing, paddleboarding, pier to pier swim events. Beginning of August * Hennessey's Paddle Board Festival: U.S. Paddleboard Championships. Typically in July. * Hermosa Beach Sunset Concert free concert series from bands who perform on the beach. Starts July 31 – August 21 (4 weeks) *

Farmers' Market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...

Every Friday from 12 noon to 4 pm, rain or shine. (Valley Drive between 8th and 10th Streets) Also, every Wednesday from 1pm to 6pm in the Pier Plaza (by the pier) * Sand and Strand Run The second oldest standing run in the L.A. area. Unique is its course design, with 45% of the run on the Strand and 55% on the beach. February during low tide. * Shakespeare by the Sea: the South Bay's free Shakespeare in the Park company. Performances run June through August in a variety of venues in Los Angeles and Orange County. * The Lighthouse Cafe, a seminal West Coast jazz venue, is located in Hermosa Beach. * The Hermosa Beach Community Drum Circle occurs every third Sunday of the month from noon to 3 pm at Hermosa Pier. * The Comedy and Magic Club where comedian

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

has been performing since 1978. * Hermosa has a rich history in

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

music, with many notable bands including Black Flag, Red Kross, The Descendents, Pennywise,

OFF! Off! (stylized as OFF!) was an American hardcore punk supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in late 2009 by Circle Jerks/ Black Flag singer Keith Morris, Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats, Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane McDon ...

and

Circle Jerks Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag (band), Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetso ...

having all lived or rehearsed in town over the years.

Parks and recreation

The wide flat beach makes Hermosa Beach one of the most popular places to play beach volleyball, from professional to amateur. Hermosa Beach is home to the AVP Hermosa Beach Open tournament, and several amateur CBVA tournaments during the year. The Strand stretches north to

and south to

, and is a popular place for walkers, joggers and biking. Of the three Beach Cities, only Hermosa Beach owns its own beach. The other two cities' beaches are owned by the county of

. Running parallel to The Strand is a lovely linear trail known today as the Hermosa Valley Greenbelt. Once part of a railroad easement, this narrow strip had long been the subject of heated controversy and pressure from various commercial interests. After years of litigation and wrangling, the city was poised to permit intensive retail and condominium development in the mid-1980s when a grassroots group spearheaded by activist Rosamond Fogg forced the matter to a vote. The City Council at the time was divided over whether the matter was of much importance but after an energetic and passionate campaign, the citizens found that the greenbelt was a vital recreational resource and mandated its preservation for the use and enjoyment of residents and visitors. This ballot initiative passed by almost 87%, the highest in California history. On the same Ballot, the public approved a referendum added a utility user's tax by 2% to help pay for the purchase, to be sunset after the property was acquired. As a result, the Hermosa Valley Greenbelt has the quality of a rural country lane, home to the

monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. I ...

and many bird and animal species. At any time of day or night joggers and walkers enjoy its soft woodchip trails and graceful landscaping. The Greenbelt is also now part of the federal rails to trails network. The

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...

R/UDAT (Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team) found that Hermosa Beach, thanks in large part to the existence of the Greenbelt, was a "world class pedestrian city".

Government

Local government

According to the 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $32.4 million in revenues, $33.9 million in expenditures, $93.8 million in total assets, $12.2 million in total liabilities, and $23.0 million in cash and investments.City of Hermosa Beach CAFR
Retrieved August 18, 2009 The structure of the management and coordination of city services is: The Beach Cities Health District, provides

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

and wellness services to the residents of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and

. The voters of the three beach cities elect the 5-member

Board of Directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

to 4-year terms. One of 78 California Health Districts, it was created in 1955 as South Bay Hospital and took on its current name in 1993. Beach Cities Health District opened AdventurePlex, a Manhattan Beach fitness center for kids and their families, in 2002. Filled with

mazes A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...

, tunnels, outdoor

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

walls, complex ropes courses, and an indoor

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

, AdventurePlex challenges children physically and intellectually in health-focused recreational activities. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

Hermosa Beach Post Office is located at 565 Pier Avenue. The

Los Angeles County Fire Department The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting and emergency medical services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, California, as well as 59 cities through Contract city, contracting, including the city of ...

has a sectional lifeguard headquarters located at the Hermosa Beach Pier since the new building opened its doors since 2006, currently commanded by Capt. Tracy Lizzotte who leads the entire "Team HB" as part of "Team South" in the L.A. County Lifeguard. Currently located at 1200 The Strand housed a lifeguard garage where response vehicles have parked.

Politics

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). ...

, Hermosa Beach 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 ...

, Hermosa Beach is in . In the 2008 presidential election,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

won 61% of the vote compared to 36% for

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

Education

Public schools

Hermosa Beach has its own elementary school and middle school but high school students are served by either Manhattan Beach or

where rankings are in the 80 to 90th percentiles. Hermosa Beach residents are zoned to Hermosa Beach City School District for grades

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through 8. Before

Proposition 13 Proposition 13 (officially named the People's Initiative to Limit Property Taxation) is an amendment of the Constitution of California enacted during 1978, by means of the initiative process, to cap property taxes and limit property reassessmen ...

passed, Hermosa Beach had five elementary schools (North, South, Hermosa View, Prospect Heights, Valley Vista) and one junior high school (Pier Avenue). Residents of Hermosa Beach were in South Bay Union High School District until 1993, when it dissolved. In 2005, Hermosa Valley and Hermosa View schools were honored as

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet, cabinet-level department of the federal government of the United States, United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, havin ...

National Blue Ribbon Schools, along with 33 California schools and less than 300 schools across the nation. The award was based on academic achievement. Hermosa schools are among the top 10% of schools in the state with students scoring at or above the 90% in the highest grade tested in reading and math. For the award, the Department of Education reviewed growth in scores over a three-year period. The district has three schools: * Hermosa View Elementary (

Pre-k Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

to Grade 2) * Hermosa Vista Elementary (Grades 3 and 4) * Hermosa Valley Middle (Grades 5 through 8) At the high school level, public school students can choose between two schools: *

Mira Costa High School Mira Costa High School (MCHS, "Costa") is a four-year public high school located in Manhattan Beach, California that first opened 1950. It is the only high school in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. The school's athletic teams are k ...

of Manhattan Beach Unified School District or *

Redondo Union High School Redondo Union High School (RUHS) is a public high school in Redondo Beach, California. Redondo Union High School is a part of the Redondo Beach Unified School District. All residents of Redondo Beach are zoned to Redondo Union. In addition, re ...

of the Redondo Beach Unified School District The Hermosa Beach City School District as a whole received a score of 915 on the 2006 California

Academic Performance Index The Academic Performance Index (API) was a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. The API was one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California ...

, neighboring Manhattan Beach Unified School District scored just below at 906 making it one of California's best performing districts. Each individual school also ranks at the top of its respective category.

Private schools

Hermosa Beach also has one

private school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

: * Our Lady of Guadalupe School, is a

Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...

with classes TK thru the Eighth Grade. Although it is a religious school, there is no convent so all classes are taught by state credentialed teachers. At one point the International Bilingual School, a Japanese preparatory school for grades K-9, moved to Hermosa Beach. In 1992 the school moved to Palos Verdes Estates.Hillinger, Charles.
Students Get a Japanese Education at 2 Palos Verdes Schools
" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

''. September 29, 1994. Retrieved on March 6, 2014.

Media

In addition to the ''

'', Hermosa Beach is served by the hometown ''

Easy Reader The ''Easy Reader'' is a weekly newspaper founded in 1970 and published every Thursday, being delivered to homes in Hermosa Beach, California, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, California, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach, California, Redondo B ...

'', local daily the ''

Daily Breeze The ''Daily Breeze'' is a 57,000-circulation daily newspaper published in Hermosa Beach, California, United States. It serves the South Bay cities of Los Angeles County. Its slogan is "LAX to LA Harbor". Early history The paper was found ...

'' and local weekly the '' Beach Reporter''.

Filming location

;Film *'' Surf II'' (1984) *'' Hardbodies'' (1987) *'' Back to the Beach'' (1987) *''

Men at Work Men at Work are an Australian rock band that was formed in Melbourne, 1979. They were best known for breakthrough hits such as " Down Under", " Who Can It Be Now?", " Be Good Johnny", " Overkill", and " It's a Mistake". Its founding member and ...

'' (1990) *'' Side Out'' (1990) *''

Point Break ''Point Break'' is a 1991 American action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by W. Peter Iliff. It stars Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The film's title refers to the surfing term " point break", where a ...

'' (1991) *''

Jackie Brown ''Jackie Brown'' is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on the 1992 novel ''Rum Punch'' by Elmore Leonard. It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who smuggles money between the United Sta ...

'' (1997) *''

La La Land ''La La Land'' is a 2016 American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who meet and fall in love while pursuing ...

'' (2016) ;TV *The TV show '' Summerland'' was partly filmed here. *Scenes of the TV show '' The O.C.'' were filmed on the Hermosa Beach Strand, Pier and Plaza. *The Beach House on the TV show ''

Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...

'' is located on the north end of The Strand (1994/1995 seasons). *The city was the site of the start and the first task on '' The Amazing Race 31''. *In 2019, the fourth season of ''

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen neo-noir Mystery fiction, mystery Drama (film and television), drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas (writer), Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional city, fictional town of Ne ...

'' filmed primarily in Hermosa Beach, mainly at the Sea Sprite Hotel. ;Photography * Hermosa's coastline was the site of " Tragedy by the Sea", a Pulitzer-winning photograph taken by local photographer John L. Gaunt.

Notable people

Denise Austin Denise Austin (née Katnich; born February 13, 1957) is an American fitness instructor, author, and columnist, and a former member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Early life Austin was born in San Pedro, Los Angeles, ...

(born 1957) – fitness instructor and husband Jeff Austin live in Hermosa Beach. *

Jason Acuña Jason Shannon Acuña (born May 16, 1973), better known by his stage name Wee Man, is an American stunt performer, television personality, professional skateboarder, and actor. He is one of the stars of the reality comedy series ''Jackass (TV s ...

(born 1973) – skateboarder and '' Jackass'' TV personality, lives in Hermosa * Brent Barry (born 1971) – professional basketball player, lives in Hermosa * James M. Bell (1837–1919), U.S. Army brigadier general, retired to Hermosa Beach *

Jack Black Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...

(born 1969) – actor, grew up in Hermosa * Black Flag (founded 1976)- hardcore punk band * Kevin Burkhardt (born 1974) – Fox Sportscaster – Lives in Hermosa Beach * Bill Butler (born 1921) – cinematographer * A.J. Cook (born 1978) – actor * Ted Coombs (born 1954) – author of ''For Dummies'' computer book series * Adrianne Curry (born 1982) – first winner of ''

America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...

'', lives in Hermosa *

Carson Daly Carson Jones Daly (born June 22, 1973) is an American television host, radio personality, producer, and television personality. From 1998 to 2003, Daly was a VJ (media personality), VJ on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' (TRL), and a DJ for the Sou ...

(born 1973) – television personality * Jacqueline Frank DeLuca (born 1980) – bronze medalist, water polo, 2004 Olympics, born in Hermosa *

Descendents The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in Manhattan Beach, California, in 1977, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson (musician), Bill Stevenson as a power pop/surf music, surf punk band. I ...

(formed 1977) – punk band * Morgan Ensberg (born 1975) – baseball player * Jim Finn (born 1976) – football player * Eric Fonoimoana (born 1969) – professional AVP volleyball player * Fortunate Youth (formed 2009) –

reggae rock Reggae rock is a subgenre of reggae fusion and rock music that primarily uses the genres reggae, rock, and ska. Typical lyrics of reggae rock songs incorporate love, personal awareness, and life challenges while incorporating music and beat ...

band formed by Hermosa Beach residents * John L. Gaunt (1924–2007) – ''

LA Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the large ...

'' photographer and 1955 Pulitzer Prize winner. * Jim Grabb (born 1964) – tennis player ranked World No. 1 in doubles * LeRoy Grannis (1917–2011) – surf photographer, co-founder of ''Surfing'' magazine * Kyle Harrison (born 1983) – professional

lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...

player and 2005 Tewaaraton Trophy winner * Rachel Hunter (born 1969) – model *

Jarret Stoll Jarret Lee Stoll (born June 24, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild. Stoll is a two-time Stanle ...

(born 1982) – hockey player * Kelly Kahl (born 1966) – television executive * Mia Klein – winemaker *

Jimmy Kimmel James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967), known professionally as Jimmy Kimmel, is an American television host, comedian, writer, voice actor, and producer. He has been the host and executive producer of '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-n ...

(born 1967) – television personality * Christopher Knight (born 1957) – actor, ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...

'' * Kim Lyons (born 1973) – personal trainer on ''

The Biggest Loser ''The Biggest Loser'' is a reality television format which started with the American TV show ''The Biggest Loser (American TV series), The Biggest Loser'' in 2004. The show centers on overweight and Obesity, obese contestants attempting to lose ...

'' and ''

Dr. Phil Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), also known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author who is best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased ...

'' * Steve Lyons (born 1960) – baseball player and broadcaster * Gavin MacIntosh (born 1999) – actor, '' The Fosters'' and '' American Fable'' *

Mae Marsh Mae Marsh (born Mary Warne Marsh; November 9, 1894U.S. Census records for 1900, El Paso, Texas, Sheet No. 6 – February 13, 1968) was an American film actress whose career spanned over 50 years. Early life Mae Marsh was born Mary Warne Marsh i ...

(1894–1968) – former actress * Misty May-Treanor (born 1977) – Olympic gold medalist and AVP pro volleyball player * Tiffany Montgomery (born 1982) – contestant on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

'' * Warren Miller (1924–2018) – filmmaker on extreme sports * Rodney Mullen (born 1966) – professional skateboarder * Ozzie (1906–1975) and Harriet Nelson (1909–1994) – entertainers, actors, TV personalities * Dylan O'Brien (born 1991) – actor and musician, known for MTV's ''

Teen Wolf ''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is changed when he discover ...

'' * Meghan Ory (born 1982) – actress * Ty Page (1953–2017) – professional skateboarder * Pennywise (formed 1988) – skate punk/melodic hardcore band *

Raymond Pettibon Raymond Pettibon (born Raymond Ginn, June 16, 1957) is an American artist who lives and works in New York City. Pettibon came to prominence in the early 1980s in the southern California punk rock scene, creating posters and album art mainly for g ...

(born 1957) – artist largely associated with the LA Punk scene, notably Black Flag * Teri Polo – actress, ''

Meet the Parents ''Meet the Parents'' is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. It stars Ben Stiller as Greg Focker, a nurse who suffers a series of unfortunate events while visiting his girlfriend's paren ...

'' * John Reardon (born 1975) – actor and football player * Peter Revson (1939–1974) – race car driver * Adam Royer (born 1989) – '' The Real World: Las Vegas'' * Bill Simpson (1940–2019) – race car driver *

Michael Strahan Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...

(born 1971) – NFL player and television personality *

Daniel Tosh Daniel Dwight Tosh (born May 29, 1975) is an American comedian, writer, and producer. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in marketing, Tosh moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy. His career accelera ...

(born 1975) – television personality * Leonard Wibberley (1915–1983) – author of '' The Mouse That Roared''

Sister city

Hermosa Beach has been the sister city of Loreto, Baja California Sur, since 1967.

References

External links

*
Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce

Hermosa Beach Historical Society website

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Hermosa Beach {{authority control Cities in Los Angeles County, California Beaches of Southern California South Bay, Los Angeles Beaches of Los Angeles County, California Populated coastal places in California Populated places established in 1907 1907 establishments in California Incorporated cities and towns in California Surfing locations in California