The coast of Half Moon Bay is a vast and secluded westernmost region of San Mateo County, in Northern California. Half Moon Bay is located on the Pacific coast, between forested hills and some of the most beautiful coastline California has to offer. It is approximately 45 miles south of San Francisco and is located in the westernmost part of San Mateo County. Half Moon Bay is a Pacific Ocean bay off the coast of San Mateo County, California.
The bay is roughly semicircular, hence the name half moon, with access to the sea from the south. The coastal cities located there are Princeton-by-the-Sea, Miramar, El Granada and the city of Half Moon Bay. However, don't let the small-town descriptor fool you. Half Moon Bay has the best of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in one place.
With a vast and diverse landscape that encompasses miles of wide sandy beaches, lush cliff-top meadows and forested hills, there's a lot to explore. Our enviable coastal environment, with a dynamic active port and a thriving surf and water sports culture, will inspire you to hop on a fishing boat, kayak or paddleboard and explore our diverse marine ecosystem. Half Moon Bay, par excellence in Northern California, is a long stretch of beautiful and wild coastline. Developed as a beach resort in the early 20th century, this small coastal community between San Francisco and Santa Cruz now attracts avid surfers, golfers and city residents looking for a relaxing weekend getaway On weekdays at the beach.
Located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, our hotel near Silicon Valley is the ideal starting point to enjoy the best of the region. The first inhabitants of this fertile coastal terrace believed that they came from the earth. In their first 14,000 years here, they developed a way of life centered on caring for the land. The people who are now known collectively as Ohlone were organized into at least 50 politically autonomous tribal groups that spoke several dialects.
Extensive clans formed villages, each of which included social organizations. Near Half Moon Bay is the impressive redwood forest, shaded by a magnificent and mystical canopy of ancient California redwood trees. 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-level farmworkers. Half Moon Bay's historic main street features more than one hundred locally owned small businesses, including exclusive boutiques, delicious restaurants, impressive art galleries, and plenty of free parking within walking distance of Everything.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that ships landed on the beaches of Half Moon Bay with illegal alcohol from Canada. The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, is located atop the southernmost part of Half Moon Bay, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Today's Half Moon Bay presents tourism as an important part of its economy, with its picturesque coastline and numerous attractions. When you stroll down Half Moon Bay's historic main street, you follow in the footsteps of a diverse cast of characters, from gold diggers and 19th century Mexican soldiers to Spanish explorers and Ohlone tribes.
On the northeast corner of Johnston and Miramontes Streets is one of Half Moon Bay's architectural gems, the 1872 United Methodist Community Church (777 Miramontes St.) With an immense landscape and the charm of a small town, the coastline of Half Moon Bay offers visitors a wide range of experiences. Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California (United States), approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of San Francisco. Half Moon Bay began as a rural agricultural area, used primarily by the Mission of San Francisco de Asís (established in 1977) for grazing cattle, horses and oxen. The Montara State Marine Reserve and the Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area extend offshore from Montara, just north of Half Moon Bay. Finally arriving at Half Moon Bay in 1908, it brought trains full of hikers and potential land buyers to the coast.
Half Moon Bay's economy is dominated by a handful of companies, the largest of which is the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, which employs 500 people and is a major source of income from property taxes and tourism for the city.
