Tucked along the California coast, Half Moon Bay welcomes visitors from all over the state and the world. With abundant open spaces, lush, rolling hills, farmland and state parks, the coastline of Half Moon Bay is one of the most beautiful and tranquil places in the world. 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 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 the county of San Mateo.
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. Newsom threatened to take legal action against the city if they continued to delay housing construction. Half Moon Bay commissioner Rick Hernandez said they were reluctant to approve housing for older farmworkers because “we love the character of our small-town community, which states that, once this proposal is approved, it will generate more requests for other construction.” In the city, the population was dispersed: 22.2% under 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% from 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.8 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.1 males. Law enforcement in the city of Half Moon Bay is done through a contract with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. The city has the Peninsula Library System. The city is served by Half Moon Bay Airport.
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco. With an immense landscape and the charm of a small town, the coastline of Half Moon Bay offers visitors a wide range of experiences. Enjoy a cold craft beer at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company or a delicious lobster roll at Sam's Chowder House. The Visit Half Moon Bay website is a joint effort of the Half Moon Bay Coast Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, the Half Moon Bay Hotel Business Improvement District, and the Half Moon Bay Downtown Association.
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 property tax and tourism revenues for the city. Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival, Pacific Coast Dream Machinesol, 4th of July parade, Make it Main Street, Nights of Lights and Music at alive. Half Moon Bay is approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco, 10 miles (16 km) west of San Mateo and 45 miles (72 km) north of Santa Cruz. Half Moon Bay has the right conditions to host some of the biggest waves in the world, so surfers flock to the best beaches in this ideal location.
The album Half Moon Bay was recorded by jazz pianist Bill Evans in 1973 at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society in Half Moon Bay. The United States Navy's seaplane USS Half Moon (AVP-2) during World War II was named in honor of Half Moon Bay and retained that name when it served as the USCGC Half Moon weather vessel of the United States Coast Guard for more than 20 years after the war. 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 1992 film Raising Cain, which takes place and was filmed on the San Francisco Peninsula, mentions a fictional Half Moon swamp.
Agriculture, home to many local farms, remains an important part of Half Moon Bay's economy to this day, and the city is known as the pumpkin capital of the world.
