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. Half Moon Bay owes its name to the crescent shape of the bay in which it is nestled. A glance at a map or an aerial photograph shows that the bay looks remarkably like a crescent.
Half Moon Bay is honestly named after it. HMB, one of the first settlements in San Matheo County, was initially known as Spanishtown. Even so, in the mid-19th century, people began to refer to it by the name of the crescent shaped bay that surrounds beautiful beaches. Half Moon Bay began as a rural agricultural area, used primarily by the Mission of St.
Francis of Assisi (established in 177) for the grazing of cattle, horses and oxen. Golf lovers can enjoy the picturesque Half Moon Bay golf course, next to the Ritz Carlton hotel, as well as the Sharp Park golf course in Pacifica. 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. 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 Street).
At the 37th parallel to the north, Half Moon Bay's mild summer temperatures are unmatched across the board. The real growth of the area occurred after World War II with the construction of numerous subdivisions, which eventually led to the incorporation of Half Moon Bay in 1959. Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California (United States), approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco. The ships also stopped offshore in Half Moon Bay to inspect items such as furs, since rowing boats could be shipped with goods. This crescent shaped bay was founded in the 1840s with the name of San Benito, later it became known as Spanishtown and, finally, in 1874, it received the name Half Moon Bay. So take advantage of the rest stop and learn about the Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail, which borders four beaches.
The port of Pillar Point, at the northern end of Half Moon Bay, offers a protected pier for ships and provides other marine infrastructure. The conditions in the shed were so poor that the city's newspaper called for a new jail to be built and, in 1919, the Half Moon Bay jail was built, which still stands today as a historic museum. The Montara State Marine Reserve and the Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area extend offshore from Montara, just north of Half Moon Bay. Long before the arrival of European settlers, Ohlone people lived in the area and lived along the California coast, from San Francisco Bay to Big Sur. Law enforcement in the city of Half Moon Bay is provided through a contract with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
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.
