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. 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 the construction of the housing.
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, and he says 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 years of age, 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 average 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 owes its name to the crescent shape of the bay in which it is located. 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 embraces beautiful beaches. Before a jail was built in Half Moon Bay, lawbreakers were holed up in a wooden shed in the backyard of a judge's house, which also turned out to be the city's courthouse.
The ships also stopped offshore in Half Moon Bay to inspect items such as furs, since rowing boats with merchandise could be sent to the ships. Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco. So, the next time you stroll the streets of Half Moon Bay or enjoy the beauty of its beach, remember the mix of geography and history that has shaped its name. Today, the building that once locked up the criminals of Half Moon Bay is now the key to its colorful past.
The Montara State Marine Reserve and the Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area extend from Montara, just north of Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay, a small town on the California coast, is known for its stunning beaches, picturesque downtown, and excellent pumpkin growing conditions. However, over time, the name evolved to more directly reflect the bay's distinctive geographical shape, hence the name Half Moon Bay. And if you're not interested in chasing that little white ball, maybe you can go get a cold drink at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay.
Estanislao Zaballa, who would become one of the first urban planners to trace the streets and blocks of Half Moon Bay, married a member of the Miramontes family and built this wooden house in the Greek Renaissance style that stood in stark contrast to the surrounding adobes. So take advantage of the rest stop and learn about the Half Moon Bay coastal trail., which borders four beaches. The San Mateo Gazette visited Knapp's Half Moon Bay company in 1878 and noted that, along with the innovative plow, Knapp had invented a “machine with a droplet hammer” for cutting and grinding steel to accelerate manufacturing, as the demand for plows was significant. 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. This distinctive crescent shaped landmark was hard for seafarers to forget and, therefore, made the name Half Moon Bay stick.
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 is still standing. as a historical museum.
