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Malibu ( ; ; ) is a beach city in the
Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...
region of
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 ...
, about west of
downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...
. It is known for its
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, its strip of beaches stretching along 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 ...
coast, and for its longtime status as the home of numerous affluent
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
celebrities and executives. Although a high proportion of its residents are entertainment industry figures with multi-million dollar mansions, Malibu also features several middle- and upper-middle-class neighborhoods. The Pacific Coast Highway ( State Route 1) traverses the city, following along the South Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 10,654. The 2025 Palisades Fire devastated Malibu, with almost all of the beachfront homes near its center destroyed. Nicknamed "The 'Bu" by surfers and locals, Malibu is noted for its beaches. The many parks within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area lie along the ridges above the city. The city is bounded by the Santa Monica Mountains to the north,
Topanga Topanga (Tongva: ''Topaa'nga'') is an unincorporated community in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow southern ...
to the east, Solromar to the west, and the ocean to the south. The Malibu ZIP Code includes residents of the unincorporated canyon areas as it was assigned before the city incorporated.


History

The area is within the Ventureño Chumash territory, which extended from the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish language in California, Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an importa ...
to
San Luis Obispo ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
to Malibu, as well as several islands off the southern coast of California. The Chumash called the settlement '' Humaliwo'' or "the surf sounds loudly". The city's name derives from this, as the "Hu" syllable is not stressed. Humaliwo was an important regional center in prehistoric times. The village, which is identified as CA-LAN-264, was occupied from approximately 2500 BCE. It was the second-largest Chumash coastal settlement by the
Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...
, after Muwu ( Point Mugu). This pre-colonial village was next to Malibu Lagoon and is now part of the State Park. Humaliwo was considered an important political center, but there were additional minor settlements in the area. One village, Ta'lopop, was a few miles up Malibu Canyon from Malibu Lagoon. Research shows that Humaliwo had ties to other pre-colonial villages, including Hipuk (in Westlake Village), Lalimanux (by Conejo Grade) and Huwam (in Bell Canyon). Conquistador
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (; 1497 – January 3, 1543) was a Portuguese maritime explorer best known for investigations of the west coast of North America, undertaken on behalf of the Spanish Empire. He was the first European to explore presen ...
is believed to have moored at Malibu Lagoon, at the mouth of Malibu Creek, to obtain fresh water in 1542. The Spanish presence returned with the California mission system, and the area was part of Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit—a
land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
—in 1802. Baptismal records list 118 individuals from Humaliwo. That ranch passed intact to Frederick Hastings Rindge in 1891. He and his wife, Rhoda May Knight Rindge, staunchly protected their land. After his death, May guarded their property zealously by hiring guards to evict all trespassers and fighting a lengthy court battle to prevent the building of a
Southern Pacific railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
line through the ranch. Interstate Commerce Commission regulations would not support a railroad condemning property in order to build tracks that paralleled an existing line, so Frederick Rindge built his own railroad through his property first. He died, and May followed through with the plans, building the Hueneme, Malibu and Port Los Angeles Railway. The line started at Carbon Canyon, just inside the ranch's property eastern boundary, and ran 15 miles westward, past Pt. Dume. Few roads even entered the area before 1929, when the state won another court case and built what is now known as the Pacific Coast Highway. By then May Rindge was forced to divide her property and begin selling and leasing lots. The Rindge house, known as the Adamson House (a
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 ...
site and
California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
), is now part of Malibu Creek State Park, between Malibu Lagoon State Beach and Surfrider Beach, beside the Malibu Pier that was used to provide transportation to/from the ranch, including construction materials for the Rindge railroad, and to tie up the family's yacht. In 1926, in an effort to avoid selling land to stave off insolvency, May Rindge created a small ceramic tile factory. At its height, Malibu Potteries employed over 100 workers, and produced decorative tiles that furnish many Los Angeles-area public buildings and
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...
residences. The factory, half a mile east of the pier, was ravaged by a fire in 1931. It partially reopened in 1932, but could not recover from the effects of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
and a steep downturn in Southern California construction projects. A distinct hybrid of
Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...
and
Arts and crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...
designs, Malibu tile is considered highly collectible. Fine examples of the tiles may be seen at the Adamson House and Serra Retreat, a 50-room mansion that was started in the 1920s as the main Rindge home on a hill overlooking the lagoon. The unfinished building was sold to the
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
Order in 1942 and is operated as a retreat facility, Serra Retreat. It burned in the 1970 fire and was rebuilt using many of the original tiles. Most of the Big Rock Drive area was bought in 1936 by
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...
, who considered building an estate on the property. In 1944, he sold the lower half of his holdings there to Art Jones, one of Malibu's prominent early realtors, starting with the initial leases of Rindge land in Malibu Colony. He also owned or partly owned the Malibu Inn, Malibu Trading Post, and the Big Rock Beach Cafe (now Moonshadows restaurant). Philiip McAnany owned in the upper Big Rock area, which he purchased in 1919, and had two cabins there, one of which burned in a brush fire that swept through the area in 1959, and the other in the 1993 Malibu fire. McAnany Way is named after him. On January 7, 2025, the city was struck by a massive wildfire. With a lack of water, equipment and workers, the
Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) provides firefighting services and technical rescue services, hazardous materials services, and emergency medical services to the residents of the city of Los Angeles, California, United ...
was forced to start evacuating more than 30,000 citizens from the metropolitan area. Many homes were destroyed in Malibu, including most of the beach homes in the central part of the city. A few homes of well-known celebrities, including
Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, and socialite. Hilton was born in New York City and raised there partially; shuttling between Los Angeles and New York City; she is a great-grandda ...
's, were also affected by the fire.


Malibu Colony

Malibu Colony was one of the first areas with private homes after May Rindge opened Malibu to development in 1926. Frederick Rindge paid $10 an acre in 1890. One of Malibu's most famous districts, it is south of Malibu Road and the Pacific Coast Highway, west of Malibu Lagoon State Beach, east of Malibu Bluffs Park (formerly a state park), and across from the Malibu Civic Center. May Rindge allowed Hollywood movie stars to build vacation homes in the Colony as a defensive public relations wedge against the Southern Pacific from taking her property under eminent domain for a coastal train route. The action forced the Southern Pacific to route its northbound line inland then return to the coast in Ventura. But her long legal battle to protect the Malibu coast was costly, and she died penniless. Long a popular private enclave for wealthy celebrities, the Malibu Colony is a
gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...
with multi-million-dollar homes on small lots. It has views of the Pacific, with coastline views stretching from
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 ...
and Rancho Palos Verdes on the south (known locally as the ''Queen's Necklace'') to the bluffs of Point Dume on the north.


High technology in Malibu

The first working model of a
laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
was demonstrated by
Theodore Maiman Theodore Harold Maiman (July 11, 1927 – May 5, 2007) was an American engineer and physicist who is widely credited with the invention of the laser.Johnson, John Jr. (May 11, 2008). "Theodore H. Maiman, at age 32; scientist created the first L ...
in 1960 in Malibu at the Hughes Research Laboratory (now known as HRL Laboratories LLC). In the 1990s HRL Laboratories developed the FastScat computer code. TRW built a laboratory in Solstice Canyon without any structural steel to test magnetic detectors for satellites and medical devices.


Incorporation

In 1991 most of the Malibu land grant was incorporated as a city to allow local control of the area (as cities under California law, they are not subject to the same level of county government oversight). Prior to achieving municipal status, the local residents had fought several county-proposed developments, including an offshore freeway, a
nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant (NPP), also known as a nuclear power station (NPS), nuclear generating station (NGS) or atomic power station (APS) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power st ...
, and several plans to replace septic tanks with sewer lines to protect the ocean from seepage that pollutes the marine environment. The incorporation drive gained impetus in 1986, when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved plans for a regional sewer that would have been large enough to serve 400,000 people in the western Santa Monica Mountains. Residents were incensed that they would be assessed taxes and fees to pay for the sewer project, and feared that the Pacific Coast Highway would need to be widened into a freeway to accommodate growth that they did not want. The supervisors fought the incorporation drive and prevented the residents from voting, a decision that was overturned in the courts. The city councils in the 1990s were unable to write a Local Coastal Plan (LCP) that preserved enough public access to satisfy the
California Coastal Commission The California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a state agency within the California Natural Resources Agency with quasi-judicial control of land and public access along the state's of coastline. Its mission as defined in the California Coastal Ac ...
, as required by the California Coastal Act. The state Legislature eventually passed a Malibu-specific law that allowed the Coastal Commission to write an LCP for Malibu, thus limiting the city's ability to control many aspects of land use. Because of the failure to adequately address sewage disposal problems in the heart of the city, the local water board ordered Malibu in November 2009 to build a sewage plant for the Civic Center area. The city council has objected to that solution. On February 2, 2007, Civic Center Stormwater Treatment Facility opened. On June 29, 2016, City of Malibu ''Civic Center Wastewater Treatment Facility'', Phase 1, broke ground.


Geography

Malibu's eastern end borders the community of Topanga, which separates it from the city of Los Angeles. 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 an area of , over 99% of it is land. Malibu's dry brush
chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...
and steep clay slopes make it prone to fires, floods, and mudslides. Beaches on the Malibu coast include Big Rock Beach, Broad Beach, County Line Beach, Dan Blocker Beach, La Costa Beach, Las Flores Beach, Malibu Beach, Point Dume Beach, Surfrider Beach, Topanga Beach, and Zuma Beach. State parks and beaches on the Malibu coast include Leo Carrillo State Beach and Park, Malibu Creek State Park, Point Mugu State Park, and Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach, along with individual beaches such as El Matador Beach, El Pescador Beach, La Piedra Beach, Carbon Beach, Surfrider Beach, Westward Beach, and Escondido Beach. Paradise Cove, Pirates Cove, Trancas, and Encinal Bluffs are along the coast in Malibu. Point Dume forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay, and Point Dume Headlands Park affords a vista stretching to the
Palos Verdes Peninsula The Palos Verdes Peninsula () is a peninsular subregion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, located within southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is often called simply "Palos Verdes", and is made up of a group of cities in the Palos ...
and Santa Catalina Island. Like all California beaches, Malibu beaches are public below the mean high tide line. Many large public beaches are easily accessible, but such access is sometimes limited for some of the smaller and more remote beaches. The Malibu Coast lies on the fringe of an extensive chaparral and woodland wilderness area, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Various environmental elements collectively create a recipe for natural disasters: the mountainous and geologically unstable terrain; seasonal rainstorms that result in dense vegetation growth; seasonal dry Santa Ana winds; and a naturally dry topography and climate.


Wildfires

The Malibu coast has seen dozens of wildfires: * October 26, 1929 – Malibu Colony, 13 homes burned. * 1930 – "Potrero," Decker Canyon Road Corridor, , accidental blaze caused by walnut pickers in Thousand Oaks area. * October 23, 1935 – "Malibu" or "Latigo/Sherwood," Kanan/Decker Corridor, . * November 23, 1938 – "Topanga," Topanga Canyon, . * October 20, 1943 – "Las Flores," Malibu Canyon, . * November 6, 1943 – "Woodland Hills (Las Virgenes)," Kanan/Decker Corridor, . * December 26, 1956 – "Newton," Kanan/Decker Corridor, , 100 homes, one death, Frank Dickover. * December 2, 1958 – "Liberty," Malibu Canyon, , eight firefighters injured, 74 homes destroyed (17 in Corral Canyon). * November 6, 1961 – "Topanga," Topanga Canyon, . * September 25, 1970 – "Wright," Malibu Canyon, , 10 deaths, 403 homes destroyed. * October 30, 1973 – "Topanga," Topanga Canyon, . * October 23, 1978 – "Kanan," Kanan/Decker Corridor, , 2 deaths, 230 homes. * October 9, 1982 – "Dayton," Malibu Canyon Corridor, , 15 homes in Paradise Cove destroyed. * October 14, 1985 – "Piuma," Las Flores area, Topanga Canyon, . * October 14, 1985 – "Decker," Kanan/Decker Corridor, . Both arson-caused; six homes destroyed; $1 million damage. * November 2, 1993 – "Old Topanga/North Malibu." One of the largest fires in Malibu history, which burned 16,516 acres from November 2 to 11. The 1993 firestorm was composed of two separate fires, one ravaging most of central Malibu/Old Topanga, and another, larger fire affecting areas north of Encinal Canyon. Three people died and 739 homes destroyed in the central Malibu/Old Topanga blaze. were torched in the north Malibu fire, with no deaths and few homes destroyed in the less densely-populated region. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials announced suspicions that the fire was started by arson. The fire and widespread damage to properties and infrastructure resulted in the City of Malibu adopting the strictest fire codes in the country. * October 21, 1996 – "Calabasas," Malibu Canyon Corridor, Brush fire ignited by arcing power line, . * January 6, 2003 – "Trancas", Trancas Canyon, . * January 8, 2007 – At about 5:00 pm a fire started in the vicinity of Bluffs Park, south of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The fire hit near the Colony area, burning down four houses on Malibu Road, including the oceanfront home of '' Step By Step'' star Suzanne Somers. 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 ...
announced that a discarded cigarette stub started the blaze. * October 21, 2007 – At about 5:00 am a fire started off of Malibu Canyon Road. As of 1:00 pm there were 500+ personnel on scene. burned with no containment. 200+ homes were evacuated. Five homes were confirmed to have been destroyed, with at least nine others damaged. Two commercial structures were completely destroyed. Castle Kashan and the Malibu Presbyterian Church were both destroyed. * November 24, 2007 – The "Corral Fire" destroyed 53 homes, damaged 35, and burned over , forcing as many as 14,000 people to evacuate. Damages from the fire were expected to reach more than $100 million. The blaze originated at the top of Corral Canyon, where a group of young people who were in closed parkland after dusk had started a bonfire despite the presence of high Santa Ana winds. The individuals responsible for starting the fire were later identified, and are the subject of ongoing civil and criminal litigation. * November 8, 2018 – The Woolsey Fire, a wildfire that burned from November 8–21 that burned and destroyed 1,500 structures and left 341 buildings damaged. The fire also resulted in 3 firefighter injuries and 3 civilian fatalities. In 2020, authorities blamed faulty
Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (SCE), the largest subsidiary of Edison International, is the primary electric utility company for much of Southern California. It provides 15 million people with electricity across a service territory of approximate ...
equipment for the blaze. * December 9, 2024 – The "Franklin Fire" began shortly before 11:00 pm on December 9 near Malibu Canyon Road. The fire spread quickly under strong Santa Ana winds, burning a total of over the next few days. The fire prompted mandatory evacuations for much of Malibu and destroyed a total of 19 structures. * January 7, 2025 – The January 2025 Southern California wildfires caused deaths, evacuations, and heavy damage to homes and property, including in Malibu. The Palisades Fire began around 10:30 a.m. on January 7 and initially burnt nearly 3,000 acres between Santa Monica and Malibu. The uncontrollable blaze, which continued to consume buildings, has wound up burning more than 11,000 acres between the two beach towns.


Mudslides

One of the most problematic side effects of the fires that periodically rage through Malibu is the destruction of vegetation, which normally provides some degree of topographical stability to the loosely packed shale and sandstone hills during periods of heavy precipitation. Rainstorms following large wildfires can thus cause mudslides, in which water-saturated earth and rock moves quickly down mountainsides, or entire slices of mountainside abruptly detach and fall downward. After the 1993 wildfire stripped the surrounding mountains of their earth-hugging
chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...
, torrential rainstorms in early 1994 caused a massive mudslide near Las Flores Canyon that closed down the Pacific Coast Highway for months. Thousands of tons of mud, rocks, and water rained down on the highway. The destruction to property and infrastructure was exacerbated by the road's narrowness at that point, with beachside houses abutting the highway with little or no frontage land as a buffer to the mudslide. Another large mudslide occurred on Malibu Canyon Road, between the
Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...
campus and HRL Laboratories LLC, closing down Malibu Canyon for two months. Yet another behemoth slide occurred on Kanan Dume Road, about up the canyon from the Pacific Coast Highway. This closure lasted many months, with Kanan finally fixed by the California Department of Transportation (Cal-Trans) over a year after the road collapsed. Mudslides can occur at any time in Malibu, whether a recent fire or rainstorm has occurred or not. Pacific Coast Highway, Kanan Dume Road, and Malibu Canyon Road (as well as many other local roads) have all been prone to many subsequent mudslide-related closures. During any period of prolonged or intense rain, Caltrans snowplows patrol most canyon roads in the area, clearing mud, rocks, and other debris from the roads. Such efforts keep most roads passable, but it is nevertheless typical for one or more of the major roads leading into and out of Malibu to be temporarily closed during the rainy season.


Storms

Malibu is periodically subject to intense coastal storms. Occasionally, these unearth remnants of the Rindge railroad that was built through Malibu in the early 20th century. On January 25, 2008, during an unusually large storm for Southern California, a tornado came ashore and struck a naval base's hangar, ripping off the roof. It was the first tornado to strike Malibu's shoreline in recorded history.


Earthquakes

Malibu is within of the
San Andreas Fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental Fault (geology)#Strike-slip faults, right-lateral strike-slip transform fault that extends roughly through the U.S. state of California. It forms part of the tectonics, tectonic boundary between the Paci ...
, a fault over long that can produce an earthquake over magnitude 8. Several faults are in the region, making the area prone to earthquakes. The 1994
Northridge earthquake The 1994 Northridge earthquake affected Greater Los Angeles, California, on January 17, 1994, at 04:30:55 PST. The epicenter of the moment 6.7 () blind thrust earthquake was beneath the San Fernando Valley. Lasting approximately 8 seconds a ...
and the 1971 Sylmar earthquake (magnitudes 6.7 and 6.6, respectively) shook the area. Smaller earthquakes happen more often.


Climate

This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to 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 ...
system, Malibu has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. The city's climate is influenced by the Pacific Ocean, resulting in far more moderate temperatures than locations further inland experience. Snow in Malibu is extremely rare, but flurries with higher accumulations in the nearby mountains occurred on January 17, 2007. More recently, snow fell in the city on January 25, 2021. The record high temperature of was observed on September 27, 2010, while the record low temperature of was observed on January 14, 2007.


Demographics

The area that was to become Malibu city first appeared as a
census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
under the name Point Dume in the
1980 U.S. Census The 1980 United States census, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4% over the 203,184,772 persons Enumeration, enumerated dur ...
as part of the Calabasas census county division; and after incorporation appeared under its current name in the 2000 U.S. Census.


2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Malibu had a population of 10,654, a 15.7% decrease from the 2010 census.


2010

The 2010 United States census reported that Malibu had a population of 12,645. The population density was . The racial makeup of Malibu was 11,565 (91.5%)
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 ...
(87.4% Non-Hispanic White), 148 (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 ...
, 20 (0.2%) Native American, 328 (2.6%) Asian, 15 (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 ...
, 182 (1.4%) from other races, and 387 (3.1%) from two or more races. There were 769 people 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 origin, of any race (6.1%). The Census reported that 12,504 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 126 (1.0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 15 (0.1%) were institutionalized. There were 5,267 households, out of which 1,379 (26.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,571 (48.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 403 (7.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 222 (4.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 269 (5.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 49 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,498 households (28.4%) were made up of individuals, and 501 (9.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37. There were 3,196
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 ...
(60.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.87. There were 2,366 people (18.7%) under the age of 18, 1,060 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 2,291 people (18.1%) aged 25 to 44, 4,606 people (36.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,322 people (18.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. There were 6,864 housing units at an average density of , of which 3,716 (70.6%) were owner-occupied, and 1,551 (29.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 11.9%. 9,141 people (72.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,363 people (26.6%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Malibu had a median household income of $133,869, with 10.6% 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 12,575 people, 5,137 households, and 3,164 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,126 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.91%
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 ...
, 8.49% Asian, 0.90%
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 ...
, 0.21% Native American, 0.10%
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 ...
, 1.67% from other races, and 2.72% 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 1.48% of the population. There were 5,137 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, 19.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The
median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...
for a household in the city was $102,031, and the median income for a family was $123,293. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $46,919 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 $74,336. About 3.2% of families and 7.6% 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 6.8% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over. German and English were the most common ancestries.
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
were the most common foreign places of birth.


Economy

The Malibu Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1949 to provide support to local Malibu business, and has over 500 members. HRL Laboratories, the research arm of the former
Hughes Aircraft Company The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of the Hughes Tool Company. The company produced the Hughes H-4 Hercules air ...
, was established in 1960 in Malibu. Among its research accomplishments was the first working
laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
. Despite the aerospace industry's downsizing in the 1990s, HRL is the largest employer in Malibu. Jakks Pacific is based in Malibu. Established in 1937 in south-central Los Angeles, Pepperdine University moved to its Malibu campus in 1972. But when Malibu incorporated as a city, the boundaries were drawn to exclude Pepperdine, at the college's insistence. The Surfrider Foundation was formed in 1984 by a group of surfers gathered to protect of coastal waters from Marina Del Rey through Malibu to Ventura County, and represent the surfing community. Heal the Bay, a nonprofit organization for environmental advocacy, was formed in 1985 to protect Santa Monica Bay, which extends from Malibu's Point Dume along the entire coastline of Malibu past
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 ...
to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Following the opening of Passages Malibu in 2001, the city has become home to numerous residential drug-abuse treatment centers. As of 2013, there are 35 state-licensed drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in Malibu, in addition to a multiplying number of unlicensed sober-living homes. There are several shopping centers in the Malibu Civic Center area including the Malibu Country Mart. The Malibu Civic Center is known for being frequented by paparazzi and tourists looking to catch a glimpse of local celebrities.


Arts and culture

Getty Villa The Getty Villa is an educational center and an art museum located at the easterly end of the Malibu coast in the Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. One of two campuses of th ...
, an art museum that is part of the J. Paul Getty Museum, is just outside the city limits in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. It is owned and operated by the
J. Paul Getty Trust The J. Paul Getty Trust is the world's wealthiest art institution, with an estimated endowment of US$7.7 billion in 2020. Based in Los Angeles, California, it operates the J. Paul Getty Museum, which has two locations—the Getty Center in the ...
, which also oversees the Getty Center in West Los Angeles. The Museum at the Getty Villa houses Getty's collections of antiquities, sculptures, art pieces and cultural artifacts of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Adamson House, the historic house and gardens of the 19th-century original owners of Malibu, the Rindge Family, is a state museum. The Malibu Art Association, a nonprofit organization to foster the arts in Malibu, produces shows, demonstrations and workshops for its members, and offers art for public display throughout the community. The Malibu Garden Club holds an annual garden tour of private, residential gardens.
Malibu High School Malibu High School (MHS) is a Public school (government funded), public high school in Malibu, California. The school is one of three high schools in the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District and serves students in the city of Malibu and ...
offers musicals every spring and instrumental and vocal musical concerts every winter and spring. Smothers Theatre of
Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...
's Theatrical Drama Department offers concerts, plays, musicals, opera, and dance.


Annual events

The Malibu Arts Festival is held annually on the last weekend in July by the Malibu Chamber of Commerce. The Malibu International Film Festival is held every year showcasing new films and filmmakers from around the world. The Malibu Chili Cookoff, held every
Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
weekend, is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Malibu. Proceeds benefit children and youth organizations. The Malibu Nautica Triathlon is held every September. In 2007, it raised $718,000 to benefit
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care Pediatrics, children's hospital in the East Hollywood, Los Angeles, East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, on Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Vermont Avenue ...
. The Polar Plunge (Los Angeles) is held each year in February at Zuma Beach to help raise funds for the
Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Ol ...
in Southern California.


Parks and recreation

California State Parkland in the hills behind Malibu provides extensive horseback-riding, hiking, running, and mountain-biking options, affording many different views of the
Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...
, the curve of the Santa Monica Bay, Santa Catalina Island, and the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
. There are many points of access to the Backbone Trail System throughout the local canyons, as well as a variety of smaller, local trailheads. Pacific Coast Highway is popular with road cycling enthusiasts for its vistas. The route also has a reputation for being quite dangerous for cyclists, which inspired the creation of the Dolphin Run, an annual community event commemorating local victims of reckless driving. The Dolphin Run was held each Autumn from 1990 to 2004. In late June 2008, the Malibu Pier reopened after $10 million in renovations.


Malibu Bluffs Community Park and Malibu Bluffs Recreation Area

The former Malibu Bluffs State Park ownership changed hands in 2006 after the California Department of Parks and Recreation transferred the park's control to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, They established the Malibu Bluffs Recreation Area, an Open Space Preserve of on the bluffs between the Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Road, directly opposite Pepperdine University and Malibu Canyon Road. The bluffs rise above Amarillo Beach and Puerco Beach across Malibu Road. Five public stairways (which adjoin private property) lead down to the shoreline from the base of the bluffs. The trails begin from the spacious lawns in Malibu Bluffs Community Park The Malibu Bluffs Recreation Area surrounds the Malibu Bluffs Community Park, whose parcel the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy sold to the city. It consists of the Michael Landon Community Center, baseball diamonds, and soccer fields. Home of the Malibu Little League (MLL), Malibu AYSO, are youth soccer organizations that share practice fields. For over 20 years, the State Parks planned to return the land to its native wetlands and vegetation. A rider to a California state law was written specifically in the 1950s to allow baseball, with its attendant field accoutrements, to continue being played in the state park. Other city parks include Las Flores Creek Park, Malibu Bluffs Park, and Trancas Canyon Park.


Malibu Legacy Park Project

Malibu Legacy Park is a restoration project undertaken by the city with broad community support. A vacant, plot of land owned by Jerry Perenchio was sold to the City of Malibu in 2005 with strict deed restrictions prohibiting any further commercial use. It had agricultural land with geraniums, other flowers and vegetables planted by the Takahashi family since 1924. The state-of-the-art water treatment plant takes stormwater runoff that accumulates in the park to mitigate the stormwater pollution in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, and Surfrider Beach. The Malibu Legacy Park Project responds to critical issues, including bacteria reduction by stormwater treatment; nutrient reduction in wastewater management; restoration and development of riparian habitats; and the development of an open space area for passive recreation and environmental education. In addition, the project will be linked by a "linear park" to neighboring Surfrider Beach, Malibu Pier, Malibu Lagoon, and Malibu Bluffs Park. Ball sports are prohibited in the park along with running/jogging and other sports. The park includes many educational features, an outdoor classroom, and other informative features which explain the different habitats.


Surfrider Beach

On October 9, 2010, Surfrider Beach was dedicated as the first World Surfing Reserve. Across the street from the civic center of Malibu, Surfrider Beach is adjacent to the Malibu Colony and Malibu Pier. This surfing beach was featured in 1960s surf movies like '' Beach Party''. The Surfrider point break stems from the Malibu Colony into Santa Monica Bay and carries the nickname "Third Point". Surfing at this spot is popular during the winter.


Government


Municipal government

Malibu is a general law city governed with a five-member City Council including the mayor and mayor pro tem. The City Council hires a city manager to carry out policies and serve as executive officer. Every even-numbered year either two or three members are elected by the people to serve a four-year term. Usually, the City Council meets in April and chooses one of its members as mayor and one as mayor-pro-tem. In 2006, this pattern was deviated from when the council decided to have a cycle of three mayors and mayors pro-tem in the coming two years. Malibu does not have a police force. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement services to Malibu.


County, state, and federal representation

In the state legislature, Malibu is in , but prior to redistricting was in . It is 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 ...
, Malibu is in California's 32nd congressional district, which is represented by Brad Sherman.


Education


Schools

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District serves Malibu with two elementary schools: John L. Webster Elementary School (grades K-5, in central Malibu) and Malibu Elementary School (grades K-5, in northwestern Malibu's Pt. Dume district).
Malibu High School Malibu High School (MHS) is a Public school (government funded), public high school in Malibu, California. The school is one of three high schools in the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District and serves students in the city of Malibu and ...
(MHS) provides secondary public education for both middle school (grades 6–8) and high school (grades 9–12). MHS is in northwestern Malibu. Private schools include Calmont, Our Lady of Malibu (Catholic), Colin McEwen High School, New Roads, and St. Aidan's School.
Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...
, a private college affiliated with the
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ * Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...
, is in central Malibu, north of the Malibu Colony at the intersection of the Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road. Malibu is also served by
Santa Monica College Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. The coll ...
, a
community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
in the nearby city of
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 ...
to the south.


Library

Malibu Public Library, a branch of the County of Los Angeles Public Library, is in the Malibu Civic Center Complex. The branch has an adult reading area, a children's reading area, a 125-person meeting room, and free parking. The library opened in 1970. Before that, residents were served by a bookmobile.


Media

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...
's TV-32 is fed on Educational-access television cable TV channel 32, and was previously on channel 26. Broadcast radio stations licensed for Malibu include FM booster station KPFK-FM1 for 90.7
KPFK KPFK (90.7 FM) is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, which serves Southern California. It was the second of five stations in the non-commercial, listener-sponsored Pacifica Radio network. KPFK 90.7 FM be ...
Los Angeles. 92.7 KYRA, Thousand Oaks, had a booster KYRA-FM1 with a city of license of "Malibu Vista". Malibu has three local newspapers: '' The Malibu Times'', founded in 1946, the ''Malibu Surfside News'', and Pepperdine University's student newspaper, the ''Graphic''. There are also three magazines in Malibu: ''Malibu Arts Journal'', ''Malibu Magazine'', and ''Malibu Times Magazine'' and "Malibu Biz".


Infrastructure

Fire protection is served by 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 ...
. The
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...
(LASD) operates the Malibu/Lost Hills Station in Calabasas, serving Malibu under contract with the city. The
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Health Services Los Angeles County, officially the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and is the United States' second largest municip ...
SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Malibu. The department operates the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center in
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 ...
, serving Malibu. Water is provided by LA Waterworks District 29. 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 ...
operates the Malibu Post Office at 23838 Pacific Coast Highway, the Colony Annex at 23648 Pacific Coast Highway, adjacent to the Malibu Post Office, and the La Costa Malibu Post Office at 21229 Pacific Coast Highway.


Transportation

The Pacific Coast Highway ( State Route 1) is the central route through the length of the city. PCH handles approximately 40,500 vehicles per day during peak hours in the summer. The LA Metro bus line 134 runs along PCH from Trancas market to Santa Monica.


In popular culture

Malibu has been used as a location or setting for many films, television programs, fashion shoots and music videos. Surfrider Beach was home to '' Gidget'', and surfing movies of the 1960s. Jill Munroe and her sister Kris Munroe's ''
Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC. It originally aired from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was produ ...
'' beach house was in Malibu. The residence can also be seen in the first scene after the opening theme song of '' Beach Blanket Bingo''. Important scenes in the ''
Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...
'' series were filmed at Point Dume. The hero's trailer in ''
The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...
'' was parked by the Paradise Cove Pier. '' Love American Style'' and ''
The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, Pegg ...
'' are among many TV series and commercials filmed in Paradise Cove. A 1978 film starring Suzanne Somers was titled ''Zuma Beach''. In the 1990s and 2000s, it was the setting for ''MTV Beach House'', '' Malibu's Most Wanted'', and
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
's '' Zoey 101''. Point Dume is the location of Tony Stark's mansion in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
, first appearing in ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
''. Malibu is the setting for the TV series ''
Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
''. The TV series '' So Little Time'' (2001) portrayed two Malibu teens (
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986), also known as the Olsen twins, are American fashion designers and former actresses. Mary-Kate Olsen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Ashley made their acting debut as infants playing Mi ...
) who attend the fictional West Malibu High. Fictional teen star Hannah Montana / Miley Stewart (portrayed by
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
) and her father Robby Ray Stewart (portrayed by
Billy Ray Cyrus William Ray Cyrus ( ; born August 25, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Having released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, he is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs cha ...
) live in Malibu on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
Original Series ''
Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll, and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cy ...
''. In the Fox TV series '' The O.C.'', both the Cohen house and the Cooper home were actually in Malibu. '' Malibu Shores'', a teen drama that aired on NBC, was set in Malibu. Some scenes from '' The Even Stevens Movie'' were filmed on Westward Beach in Point Dume. The small hit TV show '' Summerland'' was also filmed and set in Malibu. The TV series “Good Trouble,” a spinoff of “The Fosters,” and the latest season of the anthology series “American Horror Story,” titled “Delicate,” also featuring scenes shot in Malibu. In 2006, Bravo television aired ''
Million Dollar Listing ''Million Dollar Listing'' is an American reality television series franchise on the Bravo network. Each show chronicles the professional and personal lives of real estate agents based in a major American city as they sell high-end properties, g ...
'', a real-estate related show based on million-dollar listings in Malibu, as well as Hollywood, including real-life Malibu agents such as Chris Cortazzo, Scotty Brown, Madison Hildebrand, and Lydia Simon. The MTV reality show '' Buzzin''' starring Shwayze and Cisco Adler is mostly filmed in Malibu, at locations including Westward Beach, Malibu Courthouse, Pacific Coast Highway, Point Dume Trailer Park, Malibu Inn, and the outside of PC Greens. There are also many music videos filmed on Malibu's beaches. In 1998, the alternative rock band
Hole A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid Body (physics), body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in m ...
shot the video for the song " Malibu" at the Matador Beach.
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
's video for her 2009 single H.A.T.E.U. was filmed there. American singer
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, producer, TV personality and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees and later starred in the reality ser ...
's video for his 2006 single " I Can't Hate You Anymore" from the What's Left Of Me album, was filmed at the place on June 27, 2006, before Lachey's divorce from the American singer-actress
Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' ...
became final three days later after its release.
Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...
's " Love You Like a Love Song" video was partly filmed in Malibu. Music videos for "
Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: * one who survives Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...
" by
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
, " If It's Lovin' That You Want" by
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
, "Sunshine" by Lil Flip, "
Natural Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are part ...
" by S Club 7, " Feel It Boy" by
Beenie Man Moses Anthony Davis OD (born 22 August 1973), professionally known as Beenie Man, is a Jamaican dancehall deejay. His awards include DJ of the Year Award eight years in a row. His twelfth studio album '' Art and Life'' received a Grammy Award ...
featuring
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
, " You're Still the One" by
Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( ; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time and the best-sel ...
, and many others were filmed on Westward Beach.
Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...
, who lived in the Colony, is photographed in front of her home for her 1976
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
award-winning album '' Hasten Down the Wind''.
Girls Aloud Girls Aloud are a British-Irish pop music, pop girl group that was created through the ITV (TV network), ITV talent show ''Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The line up consisted of members Cheryl (singer), Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, N ...
filmed their video " Call the Shots" on the beach at Malibu. In 1999,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
shot the video for the song " Sometimes" directed by
Nigel Dick Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is an English music video director and filmmaker. Originally from Catterick, North Yorkshire, he is based in Los Angeles, California. He has directed music videos for artists such as Britney Spears, Toto, Ba ...
on the pier at Paradise Cove. Also in late 1998, Madonna shot her video for " The Power of Good-Bye" near Silver Top mansion. The music videos for " Lost" by American band
Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, d ...
and " Somebody to You", from British band The Vamps featuring
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...
were both filmed on Malibu Beach.
One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, were an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group consisted of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik (until his departure in 2015), Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. The group sold o ...
's video " What Makes You Beautiful" on July 11, 2011, and
Watermelon Sugar "Watermelon Sugar" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles from his second studio album ''Fine Line (Harry Styles album), Fine Line'' (2019), included as the album's second track. Styles wrote the song with Mitch Rowland and the so ...
filmed on January 30, 2020, by
Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture. Styles's musical ca ...
.


Notable people


Sister cities

*
Lijiang Lijiang ( zh, s= ), formerly romanized as Likiang, is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Yunnan Province, China. It has an area of and had a population of 1,253,878 at the 2020 census whom 288,787 lived in the built-up area (metro) ...
,
Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
, China


See also

*
Chevrolet Malibu The Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size car that was manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet from 1964 to 1983 and from 1997 to 2025. The Malibu began as a trim-level of the Chevrolet Chevelle, becoming its own model line in 1978. Originally a rear-w ...
, named after the coastal community * Hueneme, Malibu and Port Los Angeles Railway (The railroad that the Rindges built through Malibu) * Malibu Locals Only * MV ''Malibu'', a yacht commissioned by May Rindge in 1926 * '' Rindge Co. v. County of Los Angeles'' *
Streisand effect The Streisand effect is an unintended consequences, unintended consequence of attempts to hide, remove, or Censorship, censor information, where the effort instead increases public awareness of the information. The term was coined in 2005 by ...


References


Further reading

* Rindge, Frederick Hastings. ''Happy Days in Southern California'', 222 pgs., Cambridge, MA and Los Angeles, CA, 1898. Reprinted by Nabu Press, 2010. . A description of his Malibu ranch.


External links

*
Malibu Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control 1991 establishments in California Beaches of Southern California Cities in Los Angeles County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California Beaches of Los Angeles County, California Populated coastal places in California Populated places established in 1991 Populated places in the Santa Monica Mountains Seaside resorts in California Skimboarding locations in California