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Huntington Beach, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Huntington Beach" redirects here. For the state park in South Carolina, see Huntington Beach State Park.

Huntington Beach, California

Charter city[2]

City of Huntington Beach[1]

Aerial view of Huntington Beach, Brookhurst Street &Pacific Coast Highway in April 2008.

Flag Seal

Nickname(s): Surf City[3]

Location of Huntington Beach within Orange County, California.

Huntington Beach, CaliforniaLocation in the United States

Coordinates:

33°41′34″N 118°0′1″WCoordinates: 33°41′34″N 118°0′1″W

Country

United States of America

State

California

County

Orange

Incorporated February 17, 1909[4]

Government

• Type City Council/City Manager[2]

• City council[8] Jill Hardy, Mayor

Barbara Delgleize

Jim Katapodis

Billy O'Connell

Erik Peterson

Mike Posey

Dave Sullivan

• City attorney Michael E. Gates[5]

• City treasurer Alisa Cutchen[6]

• City clerk Joan L. Flynn[7]

Area[9]

• Total 31.882 sq mi (82.576 km2)

• Land 26.748 sq mi (69.278 km2)

• Water 5.134 sq mi (13.298 km2) 16.10%

Elevation[10] 39 ft (12 m)

Population (April 1, 2010)[11]

• Total 189,992

• Estimate (2014)[12] 200,809

• Rank 4th in Orange County

22nd in California

• Density 6,000/sq mi (2,300/km2)

Time zone Pacific (UTC−8)

• Summer (DST) PDT (UTC−7)

ZIP codes[13] 92605, 92615, 92646–92649

Area codes 562, 657/714

FIPS code 06-36000

GNIS feature IDs 1652724, 2410811

Website huntingtonbeachca.gov

Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 189,992 during the 2010 census, making it the most populous beach city in Orange County and the seventh most populous city in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA.[citation needed] Its estimated 2014 population was 200,809.[12] It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, by Seal Beach on the northwest, by Costa Mesa on the east, by Newport Beach on the southeast, by Westminster on the north, and by Fountain Valley on the northeast.

Huntington Beach (AKA "H.B.") is known for its long 9.5-mile (15.3 km) stretch of sandy beach, mild climate, excellentsurfing, and beach culture. The ocean waves are enhanced by a natural effect caused by the edge-diffraction of open ocean swells around the island of Catalina. Swells generated predominantly from the North Pacific in winter and from a combination of Southern Hemisphere storms and hurricanes in the summer focus on Huntington Beach creating consistent surf all year long, thus the nickname "Surf City".[3]

Contents [hide]

1History

2Geography

2.1Climate

2.2Natural resources

3Demographics

3.12010

3.22000

4Economy

4.1Surf City USA trademarks

4.2Tourism

4.3Top employers

5Arts and culture

5.1Special events

6Sports

6.1Surf and beaches

7Parks and recreation

8Government

8.1Local government

8.2Politics

9Education

10Media

11Notable natives and residents

11.1Actors

11.2Athletes

11.3Musicians

11.4Other

12Safety

13Sister cities

14See also

15References

16Bibliography

17External links

History[edit]

The Huntington Beach Pier

The area was originally occupied by the Tongva people. European settlement can be traced to a Spanish soldier, Manuel Nieto, who in 1784 received a Spanish land grant of 300,000 acres (1,200 km2), Rancho Los Nietos, as a reward for his military service and to encourage settlement in Alta California. Nieto's western area was reduced in 1790 because of a dispute with the Mission San Gabriel, but he retained thousands of acres stretching from the hills north of Whittier, Fullertonand Brea, south to the Pacific Ocean, and from today's Los Angeles River on the west, to the Santa Ana River on the east.

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. One time 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 can currently be found. Later it became known as Fairview and then Pacific City, as it developed into a tourist destination. In order to secure access to the Red Car lines 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.

Huntington Beach was incorporated on February 17, 1909 during the tenure of its first mayor, Ed Manning. Its original 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 still owns most of the local mineral rights. The company is now wholly owned by the Chevron Corporation.[14]

An interesting hiccup in the settlement of the district occurred when an encyclopedia company gave away free parcels of land, with the purchase of a whole set for $126, in the Huntington Beach area that it had acquired cheaply.[15] 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 can still be found to dot the city.

Huntington Beach was primarily agricultural in its early years with crops such as celery and sugar beets. Holly Sugar was a major employer with a large processing plant in the city that was later converted to 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.

Geography[edit]

Huntington Beach at sunset

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.9 square miles (82.6 km2). 26.7 sq mi (69 km2) of it is land and 5.1 sq mi (13 km2) of it (16.10%) is water.

The entire city of Huntington Beach lies in area codes 657 and 714, 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[edit]

Huntington Beach has a borderline semi-arid/Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification BSh/Csb). The climate is generally sunny, dry and cool, although evenings can be excessively damp. In the morning and evening, there are often strong breezes that can reach 15 mph (24 km/h). Ocean water temperatures average 55 °F (13 °C) to 65 °F (18 °C). In the summer, temperatures rarely exceed 85 °F (29 °C). In the winter, temperatures rarely fall below 40 °F (4 °C), even on clear nights.[16] There are about 14 inches (360 mm) 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.

[hide]Climate data for Huntington Beach, California

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear

Record high °F (°C) 87

(31) 89

(32) 91

(33) 98

(37) 90

(32) 102

(39) 106

(41) 94

(34) 107

(42) 96

(36) 94

(34) 94

(34) 107

(42)

Average high °F (°C) 64

(18) 64

(18) 66

(19) 66

(19) 68

(20) 71

(22) 73

(23) 73

(23) 71

(22) 68

(20) 64

(18) 67.7

(20)

Average low °F (°C) 48

(9) 50

(10) 51

(11) 54

(12) 57

(14) 60

(16) 63

(17) 64

(18) 63

(17) 59

(15) 52

(11) 48

(9) 55.8

(13.3)

Record low °F (°C) 29

(−2) 28

(−2) 33

(1) 38

(3) 40

(4) 48

(9) 49

(9) 52

(11) 49

(9) 32

(0) 34

(1) 32

(0) 28

(−2)

Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.60

(66) 2.54

(64.5) 2.25

(57.2) .70

(17.8) .18

(4.6) .08

(2) .02

(0.5) .09

(2.3) .30

(7.6) .28

(7.1) 1.02

(25.9) 1.59

(40.4) 11.65

(295.9)

Source: Weather Channel[17]

Natural resources[edit]

Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge

Construction of any kind on the beach is prohibited without a vote of the people, allowing Huntington Beach to retain its natural connection to the ocean rather than having the view obstructed by residential and commercial developments.

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.[18] 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.[19]

The northern and southern beaches (Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington State Beach, respectively) are state parks. Only the central beach (Huntington City Beach) is maintained by the city. 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.

Huntington Harbour from the air

The Orange County run Sunset Marina Park next to Huntington Harbour is part of Anaheim Bay.[20] 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.[21]

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[edit]

Historical population

CensusPop.%±

1930 3,690 —

1940 3,738 1.3%

1950 5,237 40.1%

1960 11,492 119.4%

1970 115,960 909.0%

1980 170,505 47.0%

1990 181,519 6.5%

2000 189,594 4.4%

2010 189,992 0.2%

Est. 2014 200,809 [22] 5.7%

U.S. Decennial Census[23]

2010[edit]

The 2010 United States Census[24] reported that Huntington Beach had a population of 189,992. The population density was 5,959.1 people per square mile (2,300.8/km²). 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.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32,411 persons (17.1%). Non-Hispanic Whites were 67.2% of the population in 2010,[11] compared to 90.8% in 1970.[25]

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.

The population was spread out with 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 2,446.5 per square mile (944.6/km²), 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 2009–2013, Huntington Beach had a median household income of $81,389, with 8.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[11]

2000[edit]

At the 2000 census The population density was 7,183.6 inhabitants per square mile (2,773.9/km²). There were 75,662 housing units at an average density of 2,866.8 per square mile (1,107.0/km²). 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 the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% 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.

Economy[edit]

Oil wells, 1926

Oil Platform Emmy HB March, 2013

Huntington Beach sits above a large natural fault structure containing oil. Although the oil is mostly depleted, extraction continues at a slow rate, and still provides significant local income. There are only two off-shore extraction facilities left, however, and the day is not far off when oil production in the city will cease and tourism will replace it as the primary revenue source for resident industry.

The city is discussing closing off Main Street to cars from PCH through the retail shopping and restaurant areas, making it a pedestrian zone only. Other shopping centers include Bella Terra, built on the former Huntington Center site, and Old World Village, a German-themed center.[26]

Huntington Beach 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.

Several hotels have been constructed on the inland side of Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) within view of the beach, just southeast of the pier.

Huntington Beach contains a major installation of Boeing, formerly McDonnell-Douglas. A number of installations on the Boeing campus were originally constructed to service the Apollo Program, most notably the production of the S-IVB upper stage for the Saturn IB andSaturn V rockets, and some nearby telephone poles are still marked "Apollo Dedicated Mission Control Line."

Huntington Beach is also home to the headquarters of Cambro Manufacturing, an international foodservice equipment company, with two manufacturing facilities in the city.

Huntington Beach contains a small industrial district in its northwest corner, near the borders with Westminster and Seal Beach.

Surf City USA trademarks[edit]

Main article: Surf City, USA

While Huntington Beach retains its 15-year trademark of Surf City Huntington Beach, the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau filed four applications to register the "Surf City USA" trademark in November 2004. The idea was to market the city by creating an authentic brand based on Southern California's beach culture and active outdoor lifestyle while at the same time creating a family of product licensees who operate like a franchise family producing a revenue stream that could also be dedicated to promoting the brand and city. A ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released on May 12, 2006 awarded three trademark registrations to the Bureau; nine additional trademark registrations have been granted since this time and ten other Surf City USA trademarks are now under consideration.[27] One of the first products the Bureau developed to promote its brand was the Surf City USA Beach Cruiser by Felt Bicycles in 2006. The product has sold out every year in markets worldwide and created demand for a second rental bicycle model that will be marketed to resort locations across the globe starting in 2009.[28] The Bureau now has dozens of other licensed products on the market from Surf City USA soft drinks to clothing to glassware. As of April 2008, the Bureau had more than 20 licensing partners with over 50 different products being prepared to enter the market over the next 18 months.[29] Four of the Bureau's registrations of the trademark are now on the principal register and the remaining ten trademark applications are expected to follow. The Bureau is actively considering registration of the Surf City USA trademark in several different countries and anticipates a growing market for its branded products overseas in coming years.

An ongoing dispute between Huntington Beach and Santa Cruz, California over the trademark garnered positive national publicity in 2007 when a law firm representing Huntington Beach sent a cease-and-desist letter to a Santa Cruz T-shirt vendor.[30] A settlement was reached in January, 2008, which allows the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau to retain the trademark.[31]

Tourism[edit]

Downtown Huntington Beach

The downtown district includes an active art center, a colorful shopping district, and the International Surfing Museum. This district was also the home of the Golden Bear from 1929 to 1986. Originally a fine dining restaurant opened by Harry Bakre in 1929, the Golden Bear became a nightclub in 1963 and hosted famous-name entertainment until it was demolished in 1986. The list of artists who performed there includes BB King, Janis Joplin, Steve Martin, Charles Bukowski, The Ramones and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The Huntington Beach Pierstretches from Main Street into the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the pier is a Ruby's Diner. The Surf Theatre, which was located one block north of the pier, gained fame in the 1960s and 1970s for showing independent surf films such as The Endless Summer and Five Summer Stories. The Surf Theatre was owned and operated by Hugh Larry Thomas from 1961 until it was demolished in 1989. A newer version of The Surf Theatre is now closed, but the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum has preserved its memory with ongoing screenings of surfing movies once shown at a Huntington Beach theater and the original metal SURF sign. Another surfing-related attraction in Huntington Beach is the Surfing Walk of Fame.[32]

Top employers[edit]

According to Huntington Beach's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[33] the top employers in the city are:

#Employer# of employees

1 Boeing 4,609

2 Quiksilver 1,230

3 Cambro Manufacturing 951

4 Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach 641

5 C & D Aerospace 555

6 Huntington Beach Hospital 503

7 Rainbow Disposal 408

8 Huntington Beach Healthcare 381

9 Waterfront Hilton Beach Resort 343

10 Cleveland Golf/Srixon 280

BJ's Restaurant & Brewery is also based in Huntington Beach.

Arts and culture[edit]

Special events[edit]

Many of the events at Huntington Beach are focused around the beach during the summer. The U.S. Open of Surfing is featured on the south side of the pier. Huntington Beach was a stop on the AVP beach volleyball tour. A biathlon (swim/run) hosted by the Bolsa Chica & Huntington State Beach Lifeguards takes place in July, early at dawn. The race begins at the Santa Ana River Jetties and ends at Warner Avenue, Bolsa Chica State Beach. Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard day camps are held which teaches pre-adolescents and adolescents ocean swimming, running, and first-aid medical knowledge.

In addition to the beach-focused events, the Fourth of July parade has been held since 1904.[34] The SoCal Independent Film Festival takes place every September.

During the winter the annual Cruise of Lights Boat Tour is held in the Huntington Harbour neighborhood. This is a parade of colorful lighted boats as well as boat tours to view the decorated homes. In February of each year since 1996, the Surf City USA marathon is held with over 20,000 runners.[35] The annual Kite Festival is held just north of the pier in late February.

Huntington Beach hosts car shows such as the Beachcruiser Meet and a Concours d'Elegance. The Beachcruiser Meet is held in March, attracting over 250 classic cars displayed along Main Street and the Pier parking lot.[36] A Concours d'Elegance is held at Central Park in June and benefits the public library. An informal "Donut Derelicts" car show occurs every Saturday morning at the intersection of Adams and Magnolia Street.

Surf City Nights is held every Tuesday night during the entire year. The Tuesday Surf City Nights is a community-spirited event that features a farmer's market, unique entertainment, food, kiddie rides and a carnival atmosphere. Surf City Nights and the Downtown Huntington Beach Art Walk are presented by the Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District (HBDBID) and the City of Huntington Beach. The Tuesday night Surf City Nights event takes place in the first three blocks of Main Street from Pacific Coast Highway to Orange Avenue.

Sports[edit]

Surfers abound near Huntington City Pier

A wooden fence along the Bolsa Chica bike path

Huntington Beach during the day.

Bolsa Chica surf

Huntington Beach is the site of the world surfing championships, held in the summer every year. The city is often referred to as "Surf City" because of this high profile event, its history and culture of surfing. It is often called the "Surfing Capital of the World", not for the height of the waves, but rather for the consistent quality of surf. Gordon Duane established the city's first surf shop, Gordie's Surfboards, in 1955.

Huntington Beach's Ocean View Little League won the 2011 Little League World Series championship, beating Japan 2-1.

Surf and beaches[edit]

George Freeth was the first person to surf in Huntington Beach with a demonstration on June 20, 1914. Freeth had been demonstrating surfing in southern California as a promotion for the city by Henry E. Huntington. Duke Kahanamoku started surfing in Huntington Beach in 1925 and helped popularize the sport. The first surfboard shop, which was located underneath the Huntington Beach Pier, opened in 1956 by Gordie Duane.[37]

Apart from sponsored surf events, Huntington Beach has some of the best surf breaks in the State of California and that of the United States. Huntington Beach has four different facing beaches: Northwest, West, Southwest, and South. Northwest consists of Bolsa Chica State Beach with a length of 3.3 miles (5.3 km), the West consist of "The Cliffs" or "Dog Beach", Southwest is considered everything north of the pier which is operated by the City of Huntington Beach. South consists in everything south of the pier which primarily focuses onHuntington State Beach (2.2 Miles), which almost faces true South.

Bolsa Chica State Beach is operated by the State of California, Dept. Parks & Recreation, and the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguards. The beach is very narrow and the sand is very coarse. Bolsa Chica tends to have better surf with NW/W swells during the winter season. During the summer months the beach picks up south/southwest swells at a very steep angle. Due to the bottom of the beach, surf at Bolsa Chica tends to be slowed down and refined to soft shoulders. Longboards are the best option for surfing in the Bolsa Chica area.

"The Cliffs" or "Dog Beach" is also another popular surf spot. This segment of Huntington Beach obtains these names because dogs are allowed around the cliff area. Beach is very restricted and often is submerged with high tides. Surf at this location tends to be even bigger than Bolsa Chica during the winter and often better. During the summer most of the South/Southwest swells slide right by and often break poorly. The best option is to take out a longboard, but shortboards will do at times. Dolphins have also been sighted in this area.[38]

Just north and south of the Huntington Beach Pier are some well defined sandbars that shift throughout the year with the different swells. Southside of the Pier is often a popular destination during the summer for good surf, but the Northside can be just as well during the winter. Around the Pier it all depends on the swell and the sandbars. Shortboard is your best option for surfing around the Pier.

South Huntington Beach, also known as Huntington State Beach, is where all the south swells impact the coastline. Huntington State Beach is operated by the State of California, Department of Parks & Recreation, and Huntington State Beach Lifeguards.[39] This beach is very wide with plenty of sand. Sandbars dramatically shift during the spring, summer and fall seasons, thus creating excellent surf conditions with a combination South/West/Northwest swell. Due to the Santa Ana River jetties located at the southernmost end of the beach, large sandbars extend across and upcoast, forcing swells to break extremely fast and hollow. Best seasons for surfing at this beach is the summer and fall. The best option for surfing in this area is a shortboard.

Huntington Beach is also a popular destination for kite surfing, and this sport can be viewed on the beach northwest of the pier.

Huntington Beach is the host city of the National Professional Paintball League Super 7 Paintball Championships. The NPPL holds its first event of the year traditionally between the dates of March 23 through March 26.

Huntington Beach also hosts the annual Surf City USA Marathon and Half-Marathon, which is usually held on the first Sunday of February.

Parks and recreation[edit]

Huntington Beach has a very large Central Park, located between Gothard and Edwards Streets to the east and west, and Slater and Ellis Avenues to the north and south. 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.[citation needed]

Huntington Central Park

The Huntington Beach Public Library is located in Central Park in a notable building designed by Richard Neutra and Dion Neutra. It houses almost a half-million volumes, as well as a theater, gift shop and fountains. The library was founded as a Carnegie library in 1914, and has been continuously supported by the city and local activists, with new buildings and active branches at Banning, Oak View, Main Street, and Graham. The library has significant local historical materials and has a special genealogical reference collection. It is independent of the state and county library systems.

The park is also home of Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, a top class boarding facility that also offers horse rentals to the public, with guided trail rides through the park. There is also a "mud park" available for kids. The world's second oldest disc golf course is available in the park, as are two small dining areas, a sports complex for adult use, and the Shipley Nature Center.

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands, which are diminishing rapidly due to development, contains numerous trails and scenic routes. The wetlands themselves have recently been connected with the ocean again, in effort to maintain its previous, unaltered conditions.

Government[edit]

Local government[edit]

The following table shows the current and past mayors of Huntington Beach:[40]

MayorNameYears Served

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 1997–1992

41st Mayor Peter R. Green 1990–1991 & 1998–1999

40th Mayor Thomas A. 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

According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $295.6 million in revenues, $287.7 million in expenditures, $1,046.6 million in total assets, $202.8 million in total liabilities, and $87.1 million in cash and investments.[41]

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:[41]

City departmentDirector

City Attorney Michael E. Gates[5]

City Clerk Joan Flynn[7]

City Treasurer Alisa Cutchen

City Manager Fred Wilson

Deputy City Manager Ken Domer

Community Relations Officer Julie A. Toledo

Director of Community Services Janeen Laudenback

Director of Finance Lori Ann Farrell

Fire Chief Patrick McIntosh

Director of Human Resources Michele Warren

Director of Information Services Jack Marshall

Director of Library Services Stephanie Beverage

Director of Planning & Building Scott Hess

Police Chief Robert Handy

Director of Public Works Travis Hopkins

Deputy Director of Economic Development Kellee Fritzal

Politics[edit]

In the California State Senate, Huntington Beach is in the 37th Senate District, represented by Republican John Moorlach. In the California State Assembly, it is split between the 72nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Travis Allen, and the 74th Assembly District, represented by Republican Matthew Harper.[42]

In the United States House of Representatives, Huntington Beach is in California's 48th congressional district, represented by Republican Dana Rohrabacher.[43]

As of June 1, 2010, the city has 127,660 registered voters. 45.8% are registered Republicans, 28.5% are registered Democrats, 20.7% are decline to state, and the balance are registered with third parties.[44]

Education[edit]

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 Edison High School, Huntington Beach High School, Marina High School, and Ocean View High School in the city of Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley High School in the city of Fountain Valley, and Westminster High School in the city of Westminster.

The district also has an alternative school, Valley Vista High School, and an independent study school, Coast High School.

Huntington Beach High School, which is the district's flagship school, celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2006.

The city has two 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 served by the Fountain Valley School District.

Huntington Beach is also home to The Pegasus School, a nationally recognized blue ribbon school.

Brethren Christian Junior/Senior High School is a private independent school with about 400 students living within 25 miles (40 km) of the school.

Huntington Christian School is a private K-8 school in the city

Grace Lutheran school is a private K-8 school in the city.

Lycée International de Los Angeles previously had its Orange County campus in Huntington Beach.[45]

Media[edit]

The city was featured in the TruTV series Ocean Force: Huntington Beach. Also, the city is mentioned in the Beach Boys song Surfin' Safari, in Jan and Dean's Surf Route 101 and in Surfer Joe by The Surfaris.

Live cameras are set up at the Huntington Beach Pier and shown on screens at the California-themed Hollister apparel stores. The store pays the city for the cameras, with the money used to fund marine safety equipment. The cameras are also used by lifeguards.[46]

The public television station KOCE-TV operates from the Golden West College campus, in conjunction with the Golden West College Media Arts program.

Two weekly newspapers cover Huntington Beach: The Huntington Beach Independent and The Wave Section of The Orange County Register.[47]

Notable natives and residents[edit]

Actors[edit]

Willie Aames attended Edison High School.[48]

Eva Angelina, adult film actress.[citation needed]

Nicole Eggert spent her elementary school years living in Huntington Beach and attended Sowers Middle School.[citation needed]

Lauren German, actress of NBC TV series Chicago Fire.

Amy Grabow grew up in Huntington Beach and attended the Academy for the Performing Arts.[49]

Jenna Jameson, famed pornographic actress, resides in Huntington Harbour with Tito Ortiz.[50]

Jack Kelly, most noted for the role of Bart Maverick on the Maverick TV series; during the 1980s and early 1990s, he served as city councilman and mayor in Huntington Beach.[51]

Jason Lee, actor, title character in TV series My Name is Earl, grew up in Huntington Beach and attended Ocean View High School.[52]

Cara Lott, adult actress.

Athletes[edit]

Scott Lipsky

Huntington Beach is the home to pro skateboarders Christian Hosoi, Geoff Rowley,[53] Arto Saari,[54] Tosh Townend,[55] Mark Appleyard,[56] Brian Sumner,[57] Ed Templeton,[58] and Nyjah Huston.[59]

Former NHL hockey player John Blue is from Huntington Beach,[60] as is professional soccer player Sacha Kljestan.

It is home of mixed martial artists: Tito "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz,[61] Kimo Leopoldo, Tank Abbott and James Irvin.[62]

Collin Balester, baseball player, attended Huntington Beach High School[63]

Hank Conger, baseball player, attended Huntington Beach High School.

Ric Drasin, artist, actor, stuntman, writer, personal trainer, bodybuilder, and professional wrestler[citation needed]

Bill Green, former U.S. record holder in hammer throw, fifth place in 1984 Summer Olympics, lived in the Seacliff area of Huntington Beach 1999–2006.

Jessie Godderz, professional bodybuilder with the World Natural Body Building Federation, contestant on Big Brother 10 and Big Brother 11[64]

Julio Cesar Gonzalez, boxer, 1996 Olympic Games athlete for Mexico, WBO light-heavyweight champion 2003, attended Edison High, was killed in 2012 by a drunk driver in Baja, Mexico.

Tony Gonzalez, formerly of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, attended Huntington Beach High School.[65]

Ian Kennedy, San Diego Padres pitcher, was born in Huntington Beach.[66]

Jeff Kent, retired baseball player and recipient of baseball's 2000 National League MVP award, was raised in Huntington Beach and attended Edison High School.[67]

Jürgen Klinsmann, soccer player, coach of the German national soccer team and current coach of the United States men's national soccer team. He did move with his family in 2008 to Munich, Germany to become the coach of FC Bayern Munich.[68] Klinsmann currently resides in Newport Beach.[69]

Iris Kyle, 10-time overall Ms. Olympia professional bodybuilder.

Scott Lipsky, professional tennis player, lives in Huntington Beach.

David Martin, professional tennis player, lives in Huntington Beach.

Paul McBeth, three time disc golf world champion.

Peter Mel, surfer[70]

Henry Owens, baseball player.

Cherokee Parks, basketball player, was born in Huntington Beach and attended Marina High School.[citation needed]

Tom Shields, swimmer, 2009 graduate of Edison High School, gold medalist in 400 medley relay for U.S. at 2015 World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia

Brett Simpson, surfer.

Surfer Peter "PT" Townend resided in Huntington Beach.[71]

Joan Weston, star of Roller Derby[72]

Bob Wolcott, former Seattle Mariners pitcher, was born in Huntington Beach.[73]

Musicians[edit]

The rock/metal band Avenged Sevenfold grew up and currently reside here. Lead guitarist Synyster Gates has said he enjoys nothing more than cruising Huntington Beach on his chopper.[74] Former drummer The Rev was buried here following his death.

Dexter Holland from The Offspring lived in Huntington Beach.[75]

The ska punk rock band Reel Big Fish formed here in 1992.[76]

Dean Torrence, from the 1960s pop group Jan and Dean, who co-wrote "Surf City" (#1 in 1963), said that Huntington Beach embodies the song's spirit of freedom and California fun.[77]

Christian Jacobs, the MC Bat Commander of The Aquabats, resides in Huntington Beach.[78]

Matt Costa, folk pop singer, was born in Huntington Beach.[79]

(Hed) P.E., a punk rock/hip hop group, was formed in Huntington Beach.

The Vandals, a punk rock band formed in Huntington Beach[80]

Alien Ant Farm lead singer Dryden Mitchell resides in Huntington Beach.

David Silveria, formerly from the rock band Korn resides in Huntington Beach.[81]

Doug Webb, saxophonist[82]

Scott Weiland, of the Stone Temple Pilots and formerly of Velvet Revolver, attended Edison High School.[83]

Joe and Luke McGarry of the indie band Pop Noir were born in Manchester, England, but grew up and still reside in Huntington Beach.[84]

The reggae band, The Dirty Heads was formed in Huntington Beach.[85][86]

hellogoodbye was formed in Huntington Beach in 2001.[87]

The Suburban Legends are natives of Huntington Beach.[88]

The alternative/pop band Emblem3 moved to Huntington Beach to pursue their musical career.[citation needed]

Other[edit]

Pete Conrad, astronaut[89]

Violet Cowden, aviator and member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.[90]

Kenneth True Norris Jr., industrialist and philanthropist[citation needed]

Safety[edit]

Huntington Beach Police Department MD520N helicopter

Fire protection in Huntington Beach is provided by the Huntington Beach Fire Department. Law enforcement is provided by the Huntington Beach Police Department. Huntington Beach Marine Safety Officers and its seasonal lifeguards are recognized as some of the best in the world with a top notch safety record[citation needed]. It has an active Community Emergency Response Team training program, that trains citizens as Disaster Service Workers certified by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a part of a free program run by the fire department's Office of Emergency Services.

Emergency services are also provided at State Beach locations. Peace Officers and lifeguards can be found at Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beach. Such services consist of: aquatic rescues, boat rescues, first aid and law enforcement. All services are provided by the State of California, Dept. Parks & RecreationConfusing; beginning of this sentence implies that the city is responsible for state beach law enforcement & lifeguard duties. This is not the case, except on a mutual-aid request basis.[clarification needed] .

In 1926, the Santa Ana River dam failed, and flash-flooded its entire delta. The southern oceanic terminus of this delta is now a settled area of Huntington Beach. The distant dam is still functional, but silting up, which is expected to reduce its storage volume, and therefore its effectiveness at flood-prevention. The flood and dam-endangered areas are protected by a levee, but lenders require expensive flood insurance in the delta. There have been serious discussions to eliminate the need for flood insurance and this requirement has already been waived in some areas and may one day no longer be considered a credible threat.

Since it is a seaside city, Huntington Beach has had tsunami warnings, storm surge (its pier has been rebuilt three times), sewage spills, tornadoes and waterspouts. The cold offshore current prevents hurricanes. The Pier that was rebuilt in the 1990s was engineered to withstand severe storms or earthquakes.

Large fractions of the settled delta are in earthquake liquefaction zones above known active faults. Most of the local faults are named after city streets.

Many residents (and even city hall) live within sight and sound of active oil extraction and drilling operations. These occasionally spew oil, causing expensive clean-ups. Large parts of the developed land have been contaminated by heavy metals from the water separated from oil.

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 at the junction of Magnolia and Hamilton streets, near Edison High School.[91]

Sister cities[edit]

Huntington Beach has the following sister city relationships, according to the Huntington Beach Sister City Association:[92]

Anjo, Aichi, Japan

Manly, Australia (unofficial)[93]