Sunset Beach is an unincorporated community in north Orange County, California. Located south of Seal Beach and Surfside, many houses reside on sand beaches, with hotels, restaurants and shops situated along Pacific Coast Highway, the primary road passing through this one mile stretch of land. 

What's special about Sunset Beach is its small town charm.  This community has its own association that sponsors annual activities such as a Mother's Day Weekend Art Festival, Christmas parking lot "No Parade", Chili Cookoff and a Mile Long Garage Sale.

Locals know Sunset Beach for its quaint post office, the center of social life, where events are posted and residents get their mail and for the greenbelt which once served as the right of way for the Pacific Electric Red Car. The electric car brought tourists to town from Los Angeles in the days of rum runners and casino gambling boats off shore.  

With views of the Long Beach skyline, Sunset Beach offers soft sand, beach volleyball nets, ample restrooms and is favored for windsurfing pictured above. There are no beach concessions, (there's Jack in the Box, however), there's no cement beach path (it ends flatly at Warner Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway where Sunset begins) and on the other end at the north side of town is the water tower house and the beginning of gated Surfside. 

Across the street from Sunset Beach is the bay, ideal for launching kayaks.

A television soap opera show called Sunset Beach brought interest to this folksy town. As for any similarities to the Sunset Beach they know and love, residents chuckle and say there are none. 

Make a turn down one of the numbered streets 5th through 24th or turn west at the stoplight on Broadway. One block later you'll dead end at the sand, in the land of Sunset Beach. Free parking is available though limited on summer weekends.

Getting there: Sunset Beach is located on Pacific Coast Highway. From San Diego Freeway, take Seal Beach Blvd. exit. Travel South - East for several miles. Take a left at Pacific Coast Highway and drive approximately 2 miles.