Long before its streets hosted vibrant art and pumpkin festivals, downtown Half Moon Bay was a rural community of ranchers, the result of land granted by the Mexican government to Candelario Miramontes, a military officer in the San Francisco Presidio. Half Moon Bay is a peninsula city in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The coast of Half Moon Bay is a rural coastal community about 30 miles (45 km) south of San Francisco. The coast of Half Moon Bay is a rural coastal community about 30 miles south of San Francisco and just an hour's drive from virtually anywhere in the Bay Area.
The shoreline of Half Moon Bay is the oldest community in San Mateo County. The coast, home to beaches and agricultural, fishing and floral industries, is home to a rural population. Amid Half Moon Bay's efforts to recover and reshape its economy after the pandemic, an initiative has become a focal point for fostering entrepreneurship, employment growth and community resilience. The album Half Moon Bay was recorded by jazz pianist Bill Evans in 1973 at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society from Half Moon Bay.
Half Moon Bay began as a rural agricultural area, used primarily by the Mission of San Francisco de Asís (established in 177) for grazing cattle, horses and oxen. The real growth of the area occurred after the Second World War, with the construction of numerous subdivisions, which eventually led to the establishment of Half Moon Bay in 1959. The Visit Half Moon Bay website is a cooperative effort of the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Office, the Half Moon Bay Hotel Business Improvement District, and the Half Moon Bay Downtown Association. The 1992 film Raising Cain, which takes place and was filmed on the San Francisco Peninsula, mentions a fictional Half Moon swamp. The park, located above a stream and under a parking lot, has long hosted the Half Moon Bay Shakespeare Company's annual festival.
We provide services in the areas of Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, San Gregorio, Pescadero, Loma Mar and La Honda. Looking to the future, Half Moon Bay's leaders are focused on initiatives that strengthen the connection between their residents and businesses while preparing for future economic challenges. Law enforcement in the city of Half Moon Bay is done through a contract with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. The Chamber of Commerce manages the visitor center and spearheads marketing campaigns such as “Shop Local” and “Visit Half Moon Bay””.
Half Moon Bay has a thriving arts community, but visitors will discover that it has the quality of a rich metropolitan city. Giedt also points to an important new project that will shed light on the habits of visitors to Half Moon Bay. In 2024, Half Moon Bay politicians were criticized by California Governor Gavin Newsom for repeatedly delaying approval of a 40-unit apartment building for high-ranking farm workers. The coastline encompasses the cities of Half Moon Bay, Miramar, Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, San Gregorio, La Honda and Pescadero.
