Orange County
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach Hotels
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Huntington City Beach begins at Main Street & Pacific Coast Highway
(PCH), extending north and south for several miles. The beach is
open from sunrise to 10 PM and provides trained, on-duty lifeguards during
the daylight hours. Surfing is permitted as is swimming with water and
wave conditions posted for safety. If you are unfamiliar with the ocean
currents, a condition known as rip tides can cause even trained swimmers
to be swept down shore or sometimes into pier pilings. Warnings
are posted when rip tides occur.
Parking meters on PCH accept only quarters
and charge 25¢ per 10 minutes or $1.50 per hour. If you
plan to stay more than 5 hours, you'll save money by parking in the lot.
Otherwise, meters are less expensive if you can find them.
Arriving early (usually before 10 to 11 AM on weekends) with a
willingness to walk, residential neighborhoods a few blocks from Main Street
and the pier have free parking spaces in front of the houses.
Cross the street at the designated crosswalks on Pacific Coast
Highway and look for the icon of a person walking to know it's OK to cross.
A red hand on the traffic light signal means crossing is not permitted.
Tickets are usually issued when violators are caught disobeying traffic
signals and signs. There are few or no crosswalks on Pacific Coast Highway
except at stoplights and while the traffic speed near the pier is 35 miles
per hour, that changes to 50 mph and then 55 mph once you've left
the downtown region.
While it is legal to ride bicycles on PCH, an alternative path is offered
a few feet away on the beach. Whether riding a bike or opening your car
door on PCH, look in front and behind your vehicle to avoid unfortunate
accidents which occur from time to time when motorists open a car door
as bicyclists are passing.
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