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Huntington Beach, California

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Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The population was 198,711 as of the 2020 United States census, making it the fourth most populous city in Orange County, the most populous beach city in Orange County, and the seventh most populous city in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located Template:Convert southeast of Downtown Los Angeles, it is bordered by Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area on the west, the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, by Seal Beach on the northwest, by Westminster on the north, by Fountain Valley on the northeast, by Costa Mesa on the east, and by Newport Beach on the southeast.

Huntington Beach has a long Template:Convert stretch of sandy beach, mild climate, conditions considered ideal for surfing, and a strong beach culture. Swells generated predominantly from the North Pacific in winter and from a combination of Southern Hemisphere storms and cyclones in the summer focus on Huntington Beach, creating consistent surf all year long, hence the nickname "Surf City".<ref name=surfcity/>

History

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Template:More citations needed section

File:HB Pier Photo D Ramey Logan.jpg
The Huntington Beach Pier

Tongva Era

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The Tongva village of Lupukngna was located in what became Huntington Beach, with an approximate location near the Newland House Museum.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite journal</ref> Bolsa Chica was one of the areas where the Tongva would settle during the winter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The nearby village of Genga, shared with the Acjachemen, was located across the Santa Ana River in what became Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref>

American era

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The main thoroughfare of Huntington Beach, Beach Boulevard, was originally a cattle route for the main industry of the Rancho. Since its time as a parcel of the enormous Spanish land grant, Huntington Beach has undergone many incarnations. Once it was known as Shell Beach, the town of Smeltzer, and then Gospel Swamp for the revival meetings that were held in the marshland where the community college Golden West College stands. Later it became known as Fairview and then Pacific City, as it developed into a tourist destination. In order to secure access to the Pacific Electric Red Car lines<ref name="trains">Template:Cite news</ref> that used to criss-cross Los Angeles and ended in Long Beach, Pacific City ceded enormous power to railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington, and thus became a city whose name has been written into corporate sponsorship, and like much of the history of Southern California, boosterism.

20th century

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The original Huntington Beach Pier was built in 1904 and was a 1,000-foot-long timber structure.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Huntington Beach was incorporated on February 17, 1909, during the tenure of its first mayor, Ed Manning. Its first developer was Huntington Beach Company (formerly the West Coast Land and Water Company), a real-estate development firm owned by Henry Huntington. The Huntington Beach Company is still a major land-owner in the city, and owns most of the local mineral rights. The company is wholly owned by the Chevron Corporation.<ref name=billiter>Template:Cite news</ref>

At one time, an encyclopedia company gave away free parcels of land (with the purchase of a complete set for $126) in the Huntington Beach area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The lucky buyers got more than they had bargained for when oil was discovered in the area, and enormous development of the oil reserves followed. Though many of the old reserves are depleted, and the price of land for housing has pushed many of the rigs off the landscape, oil pumps still dot the city.

Huntington Beach was primarily agricultural in its early years with crops such as lima beans, asparagus, peppers, celery and sugar beets. Holly Sugar was a major employer with a large processing plant in the city that was later converted into an oil refinery.

The city's first high school, Huntington Beach High School, located on Main Street, was built in 1906. The school's team, the Oilers, is named after the city's original natural resource.

Meadowlark Airport, a small general-aviation airport, existed in Huntington Beach from the 1940s until 1989.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Huntington Beach Speedway, a racetrack designed for midget car racing, existed from 1946 until 1958.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

21st century

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In 2023, Huntington Beach became involved in a lawsuit against California governor Gavin Newsom. In March 2023, the state sued Huntington Beach for failing to comply with state housing regulations. The suit brought by the state argued that the city’s ban on the processing of Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) applications violated state housing laws. The city responded with a countersuit that argued it is not subject to state housing laws.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The state law required Huntington Beach to zone for 13,368 units to be built inside the city limits from October 2021 to 2029.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Huntington Beach's lawsuit describes overturning the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) which determines how housing needs are allocated. Huntington Beach council members have argued that local zoning should be left in control of the state.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The state had submitted and amended a complaint as of April 10, 2023, arguing that the city is in violation of the Housing Element Law. The state was seeking both penalties and injunctive relief. In addition to relief, the state was seeking the suspension of the city’s permitting authority and mandating the approval of certain projects.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The state filed a motion on June 22, 2023, to dismiss the city’s federal lawsuit. As of November 15, 2023, a federal judge has dismissed Huntington Beach’s lawsuit against the state over housing mandates.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Geography

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File:Huntington beach pier seagull 2023.jpg
Gull on Huntington Beach Pier

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert. Template:Convert of it is land and Template:Convert of it (16.10%) is water.

The entire city of Huntington Beach lies in area codes 714 and 657, except for small parts of Huntington Harbour (along with Sunset Beach, the community adjacent to Huntington Harbour), which is in the 562 area code.

Climate

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Huntington Beach has a borderline semi-arid/Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk/Csb), gradually changing for the second to the west and south due to its low precipitation. Although areas such as Huntington Central Park and northern Bolsa Chica usually fall into the first climate type, thus being the boundary of the cool summer Mediterranean climate on the west coast of North America, except for elevated portions in the southern end of the state.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The climate is generally sunny, dry and cool, although evenings can be excessively damp. In the morning and evening, strong breezes often reach Template:Convert. Ocean water temperatures average Template:Convert. In the summer, temperatures rarely exceed Template:Convert. In the winter, temperatures rarely fall below Template:Convert, even on clear nights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are about Template:Convert of rain, almost all in mid-winter. Frost occurs only rarely, on the coldest winter nights. The area is annually affected by a marine layer caused by the cool air of the Pacific Ocean meeting the warm air over the land. This results in overcast and foggy conditions in May and June.

Template:Weather box

Natural resources

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Between Downtown Huntington Beach and Huntington Harbour lies a large marshy wetland, much of which is protected within the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. A $110 million restoration of the wetlands was completed in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The reserve is popular with bird watchers and photographers.

South of Downtown, the Talbert, Brookhurst and Magnolia Marshes, which lie across the street from Huntington State Beach, had restoration completed in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The northern and southern beaches (Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington State Beach, respectively) are state parks. Only the city maintains the central beach (Huntington City Beach). Camping and RVs are permitted here, and popular campsites for the Fourth of July and the Surfing Championships must be reserved many months in advance. Bolsa Chica State Beach is actually a sand bar fronting the Bolsa Bay and Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve.

The Orange County run Sunset Marina Park next to Template:Proper name is part of Anaheim Bay.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is suitable for light craft, and includes a marina, launching ramp, basic services, a picnic area and a few restaurants. The park is in Seal Beach, but is only reachable from Huntington Harbour. The Sunset/Huntington Harbour area is patrolled by the Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol.<ref>Template:Cite web </ref>

The harbor entrance for Anaheim Bay is sometimes restricted by the United States Navy, which loads ships with munitions at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station to the north of the main channel.

Demographics

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Template:US Census population

Huntington Beach first appeared as a city in the 1910 United States census.<ref name=1910CensusCA/>

2020

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The 2020 United States census reported that Huntington Beach had a population of 198,711. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of Huntington Beach was 126,591 (63.7%) White (59.2% Non-Hispanic white), 2,291 (1.2%) African American, 1,293 (0.7%) Native American, 26,346 (13.2%) Asian, 603 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 15,689 (7.9%) from other races, and 25,898 (13.0%) from two or more races. There were 39,457 Hispanic or Latino residents of any race (19.9%).<ref name=quif/>

Huntington Beach city, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> % 2000 % 2010 Template:Partial
White alone (NH) 136,237 127,640 117,536 71.86% 67.18% 59.15%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,383 1,635 2,111 0.73% 0.86% 1.06%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 777 532 443 0.41% 0.28% 0.22%
Asian alone (NH) 17,544 20,792 25,921 9.25% 10.94% 13.04%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 432 595 532 0.23% 0.31% 0.27%
Other race alone (NH) 314 395 1,234 0.17% 0.21% 0.62%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 5,109 5,992 11,477 2.69% 3.15% 5.78%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 27,798 32,411 39,457 14.66% 17.06% 19.86%
Total 189,594 189,992 198,711 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010

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The 2010 United States census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> reported that Huntington Beach had a population of 189,992. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of Huntington Beach was 145,661 (76.7%) White, 1,813 (1.0%) African American, 992 (0.5%) Native American, 21,070 (11.1%) Asian, 635 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 11,193 (5.9%) from other races, and 8,628 (4.5%) from two or more races. There were 32,411 Hispanic or Latino residents of any race (17.1%). Non-Hispanic Whites were 67.2% of the population.<ref name=quif/>

The Census reported that 189,102 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 487 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 403 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 74,285 households, out of which 21,922 (29.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 36,729 (49.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 7,685 (10.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,804 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4,386 (5.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 504 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 18,489 households (24.9%) were made up of individuals, and 6,527 (8.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55. There were 48,218 families (64.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.07.

There were 39,128 people (20.6%) under the age of 18, 15,906 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 54,024 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 53,978 people (28.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 26,956 people (14.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

There were 78,003 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert, of which 44,914 (60.5%) were owner-occupied, and 29,371 (39.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 115,470 people (60.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 73,632 people (38.8%) lived in rental housing units.

During 2009Template:Ndash2013, Huntington Beach had a median household income of $81,389, with 8.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.<ref name=quif/>

2000

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Template:Unreferenced section At the 2000 census, the population density was Template:Convert. There were 75,662 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 79.2% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 9.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 5.8% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 14.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 73,657 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, 22.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.4% was from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $76,527, and the median income for a family was $94,597. Adult males had a median income of $50,021 versus $33,041 for adult females. The per capita income for the city was $40,183. About 5.1% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

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The Uniform Crime Report (UCR), collected annually by the FBI, compiles police statistics from local and state law enforcement agencies across the nation. The UCR records Part I and Part II crimes. Part I crimes become known to law enforcement and are considered the most serious crimes including homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Part II crimes only include arrest data.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 2023 UCR Data for Huntington Beach is listed below:

2023 UCR Data<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Aggravated Assault Homicide Rape Robbery Burglary Larceny Theft Motor Vehicle Theft Arson
Huntington Beach 265 4 55 92 469 3,108 332 39

Economy

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File:Huntington Beach, 1926.jpg
Oil wells, 1926
File:Oil Platform Emmy HB 2013 Photo D Ramey Logan.jpg
Oil Platform Emmy HB, March 2013
File:San Pedro Bay Outer Continental Shelf Operations Map, 2012 - producing platforms as of 2012 are Edith, Elly, Ellen, Eureka (federal leases) and Ester, Emmy, Eva (state leases) (cropped).png
San Pedro Bay Outer Continental Shelf Operations Map with oil platforms as of 2012- Edith, Elly, Ellen, Eureka (federal leases) and Ester, Emmy, Eva (state leases)
File:Downtown Huntington Beach.jpg
Downtown Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach sits above the Huntington Beach Oil Field, and has an off-shore oil terminus for the tankers that support the Alaska Pipeline. The terminus pipes run inland to a refinery in Santa Fe Springs. Huntington Beach also has the Gothard–Talbert terminus for the Orange County portion of the pipeline running from the Chevron El Segundo refinery.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the 2021 Orange County oil spill, more than Template:Convert of oil leaked from an offshore rig and began washing up on beaches in Southern California,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> causing ecological damage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Shopping centers include Bella Terra, and Old World Village, a German-themed center.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Huntington Beach contains a major installation of Boeing. A number of installations on the Boeing campus were originally constructed to service the Apollo Program, and the S-IVB upper stage for the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets.Template:Cn

Huntington Beach has registered "Surf City, USA", as a trademark for marketing purposes. Disputes have occurred with other municipalities who also claim the "surf city" designation.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Tourist sites include:

Golden Bear, a nightclub, was located downtown from 1929 to 1986.

Top employers

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According to Huntington Beach's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the top ten private employers in the city are:

Top employers in the city of Huntington Beach
# Employer # of employees
1 Boeing 3,112
2 Cambro Manufacturing 650
3 Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach 641
4 Safran Cabin Inc. 633
5 Boardriders Wholesale 574
6 Huntington Beach Hospital 527
7 Walmart Inc. 462
8 No Ordinary Moments 458
9 Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort 450
10 The Home Depot 436

Arts and culture

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Special events

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Special events include:

Registered historic places

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Public libraries

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There are five branches of the Huntington Beach Public Library.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Central Park branch is located in a building designed by Richard Neutra and Dion Neutra.Template:Cn

Sports

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File:Huntingtonbeach-waves.JPG
Huntington Beach

Surfing

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Huntington Beach is the site of the world surfing championships, held annually in the summer. The city is often referred to as "Surf City" and the "Surfing Capital of the World".Template:Cn In 1914, George Freeth was the first person to surf in Huntington Beach.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Duke Kahanamoku started surfing in Huntington Beach in 1925 and helped popularize the sport. The first surfboard shop, located underneath the Huntington Beach Pier, opened in 1956.<ref name=100years>Template:Cite news</ref>

Parks and recreation

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File:Huntington Dog Beach and Bolsa Chica.jpg
Huntington Dog Beach and Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

Beaches include Huntington State Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach, and The Cliffs" or "Huntington Dog Beach", a popular surfing location location<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> where dogs are permitted. Events include Surf City Surf Dog,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and So Cal Corgi Nation Beach Days.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Huntington Beach bicycle path stretches for Template:Convert alongside the beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kayaking and standup paddleboarding occurs in Huntington Harbour, where there is watercraft rentals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Golf courses include Meadowlark Golf Club, opened in 1922,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Huntington Beach Disc Golf Course, opened in 1977,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and The Huntington Club, a private country club.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Central Park

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File:Huntington Beach Central Park.jpg
Huntington Central Park

Central Park opened in 1974, and is the largest city-owned park in Orange County, with nearly Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The park is vegetated with xeric (low water use) plants, and inhabited by native wildlife. Thick forests encircling the park are supplemented with Australian trees, particularly Blue Gum Eucalyptus, a high water use plant.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, a Template:Convert facility boarding over 400 horses, and operates a riding school and riding facility in the park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The world's second oldest<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> disc golf course is available in the park, as is the Shipley Nature Center.Template:Cn

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

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File:HuntingtonBolsaChicaIX.jpg
The Bolsa Chica wetlands near the Brightwater housing development

Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve is a natural wetland of over Template:Convert featuring walking trails, and watching birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Government

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Local government

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The following table shows the current and former mayors of Huntington Beach:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mayor Name Years served
68th Mayor Pat Burns 2025–Present
67th Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark 2023–2024
66th Mayor Tony Strickland 2022-2023
65th Mayor Kim Carr 2020–2021
64th Mayor Lyn Semeta 2019–2020
63rd Mayor Erik Peterson 2018–2019
62nd Mayor Mike Posey 2017–2018
61st Mayor Barbara Delgleize 2016–2017 & 2021-2022
60th Mayor<ref>Katapodis is also cited as the 78th mayor, depending on source and how tenure is counted. Template:Cite news</ref> Jim Katapodis 2015–2016
59th Mayor Matthew M. Harper 2013–2014
58th Mayor Donald F. Hansen 2011–2012
57th Mayor Joseph J. Carchio 2010–2011
56th Mayor Keith B. Bohr 2008–2009
55th Mayor Gilbert J. Coerper 2006–2007
54th Mayor Jill S. Hardy 2004–2005 & 2014–2015
53rd Mayor Catherine T. Green 2003–2004 & 2009–2010
52nd Mayor Constance J. Boardman 2002–2003 & 2012–2013
51st Mayor Deborah A. Cook 2001–2002 & 2007–2008
50th Mayor Pamela L. Julien Houchen 2000–2001
49th Mayor David P. Garofalo 1999–2000
48th Mayor Shirley S. Dettloff 1997–1998
47th Mayor Ralph H. Bauer 1996–1997
46th Mayor David A. Sullivan 1995–1996 & 2005–2006
45th Mayor G. Victor Leipzig 1994–1995
44th Mayor Linda L. Moulton-Patterson 1993–1994
43rd Mayor Grace H. Winchell 1992–1993
42nd Mayor James W. Silva 1991–1992
41st Mayor Peter R. Green 1990–1991 & 1998–1999
40th Mayor Tom Mays 1989–1990
39th Mayor Wesley M. Bannister 1988–1989
38th Mayor John P. Erskine 1987–1988
37th Mayor John A. Kelly Jr. 1983–1984 & 1986–1987
36th Mayor Robert P. Mandic Jr. 1993–1994
35th Mayor Ruth E. Finley 1981–1982
34th Mayor Ruth S. Bailey 1980–1981 & 1984–1985
33rd Mayor Donald A. MacAllister 1979–1980 & 1983
32nd Mayor Ronald Q. Shenkman 1978
31st Mayor Ronald R. Pattinson 1977–1978 & 1978–1979
30th Mayor Harriett M. Wieder 1976–1977
29th Mayor Norma Brandel Gibbs 1975–1976
28th Mayor Jerry A. Matney 1973–1974
27th Mayor George C. McCracken 1971–1972
26th Mayor N. John V.V. Green 1969–1970
25th Mayor Alvin M. Coen 1968–1969, 1972–1973 & 1974–1975
24th Mayor Jake R. Stewart 1966–1967
23rd Mayor Donald D. Shipley 1964–1966, 1967–1968 & 1970–1971
22nd Mayor Robert M. Lambert 1962–1964
21st Mayor Ernest H. Gisler 1960–1962
20th Mayor Earl T. Irby 1958–1960
19th Mayor Victor Terry 1956–1958
18th Mayor Roy Seabridge 1952–1956
17th Mayor Vernon E. Langenbeck 1950–1952
16th Mayor Jack Greer 1948–1950
15th Mayor Ted W. Bartlett 1946–1948
14th Mayor Marcus M. McCallen 1938–1942
13th Mayor Willis H. Warner 1936–1938
12th Mayor Thomas B. Talbert 1934–1936 & 1942–1946
11th Mayor Elson G. Conrad 1931–1934
10th Mayor Samuel R. Bowen 1928–1931
9th Mayor C.G. Booster 1926–1928
8th Mayor Lawrence Ridenhauer 1924–1926
7th Mayor Richard Drew 1922–1924
6th Mayor Joseph Vavra 1919–1920
5th Mayor W.E. Tarbox 1917–1918
4th Mayor Matthew E. Helme 1916–1917
3rd Mayor E.E. French 1914–1916 & 1918–1919
2nd Mayor W.D. Seeley 1912–1914
1st Mayor Ed Manning 1909–1912 & 1920–1922

Politics

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In the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Huntington Beach is in the First District, and is represented by Republican Janet Nguyen.

In the California State Senate, Huntington Beach is in Template:Representative. In the California State Assembly, it is split between Template:Representative, and Template:Representative.

In the United States House of Representatives, Huntington Beach is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref>

At the local level, Huntington Beach elects its city council at-large, the largest city in Orange County to do so. Huntington Beach is considered highly conservative at the local level, and in 2022 passed several conservative resolutions including banning the Pride flag on city property and requiring voter ID at the polls. In 2024, conservatives gained complete control of the city council by ousting the remaining left-leaning city councilors, giving conservatives a 7-0 majority.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 21, 2024, Huntington Beach has 135,216 registered voters. Of those, 55,565 (42%) are registered Republicans, 41,606 (32%) are registered Democrats, and 34,458 (26%) have declined to state a political party/are American Independents/Libertarian/Green.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Huntington Beach has the highest number of registered Libertarians in the county, owing perhaps to its conservative nature.

Huntington Beach city vote
by party in presidential elections
Year Democratic Republican Third parties
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|44.20% 47,971 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|53.0% 57,541 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.80% 3,056
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|47.24% 55,481 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|50.47% 59,279 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.29% 2,685
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|43.28% 40,980 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|49.65% 47,007 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|7.07% 6,689
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|40.86% 37,093 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|56.37% 51,166 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.77% 2,512
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2008<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|45.15% 42,622 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|52.47% 49,528 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.38% 2,251
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|38.80% 35,206 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|59.90% 54,343 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.30% 1,182
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|38.53% 31,800 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|56.63% 46,742 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|4.84% 3,998
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1996<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|36.72% 28,044 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|51.07% 39,004 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|12.20% 9,320
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1992<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|31.16% 27,648 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|41.54% 36,867 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|27.30% 24,227
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1988<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|31.33% 24,544 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|67.51% 52,878 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.16% 906
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1984<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|24.77% 17,985 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|74.05% 53,772 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.18% 860
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1980<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|22.88% 15,967 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|66.22% 46,206 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|10.90% 7,602
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1976<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|35.77% 20,526 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|62.51% 35,870 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.72% 988
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1972<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|27.57% 15,142 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|68.25% 37,483 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|4.18% 2,298
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1968<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|31.06% 11,199 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|61.30% 22,107 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|7.64% 2,755
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1964<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|49.18% 10,168 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|50.82% 10,509

Education

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Public schools

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Huntington Beach is the home of Golden West College, which offers two-year associates of arts degrees and transfer programs to four-year universities.

Huntington Beach is in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, which includes:

The district also has an independent study school, Coast High School.

The city has four elementary school districts: Huntington Beach City School District with 9 schools and Ocean View School District with 15. A small part of the city is also served by the Fountain Valley School District and Westminster School District.

Private schools

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Media

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The public television station KOCE-TV operates from the Golden West College campus.Template:Cn

The Wave Section of the Orange County Register covers Huntington Beach.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Infrastructure

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Transportation

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File:Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley from over Costa Mesa by Don Ramey Logan.jpg
Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley from over Costa Mesa

Huntington Beach has 1,121 lane miles of public streets.<ref name="huntingtonbeachca.gov">Template:Cite web</ref>

Highways include Interstate 405, and Beach Boulevard (SR 39).

The Orange County Transportation Authority operates 14 bus routes in Huntington Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Most Huntington Beach households have at least one car. In 2016, 2.2 percent of Huntington Beach households lacked a car; the national average was 8.7 percent. Huntington Beach averaged two cars per household in 2016; the national average was 1.8.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Health Care

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Huntington Beach is served by Huntington Beach Hospital.<ref>https://hbhospital.org/</ref>

Public safety

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File:Huntington Beach Police Department.jpg
Huntington Beach Police Department
File:Huntington Beach Sundial.jpg
Warner Fire Station near Bolsa Chica State Beach and its sundial

Law enforcement is provided by the Huntington Beach Police Department.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department was founded in 1909 with 20 volunteers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The department provides fire protection, emergency medical services,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> medical transport,<ref name=iaff>Template:Cite web</ref> marine safety,<ref name=marine>Template:Cite web</ref> and lifeguards.<ref name=facilities>Template:Cite web</ref>

The local oil has such extreme mercury contamination that metallic mercury is regularly drained from oil pipelines and equipment. Oil operations increase when the price of oil rises. Some oil fields have been approved for development. The worst-polluted areas have been reclaimed as parks. At least one Superfund site, too contaminated to be a park, is here.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On October 2, 2021, an oil spill occurred after a pipe burst, sending oil into the ocean and on the beach.

Notable people

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The city is mentioned in The Beach Boys song "Surfin' Safari".

Sister cities

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See also

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References

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Further reading

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Template:Geographic location Template:Cities of Orange County, California Template:Greater Los Angeles Area Template:Huntington Beach, California Template:Southern California megaregion Template:Authority control