Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in southern California.
As of the 2000 census, the city population was 189,594. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west,
by Seal Beach on the north, by Costa Mesa on the south, by Westminster on the northeast,
and by Fountain Valley on the east.
It is known for its long (8.5 miles) beach, mild climate, and excellent surfing. The waves are a
unique natural effect caused by edge-diffraction of ocean swells by the island of Catalina,
and waves from distant hurricanes. Because of the curve of the coastline at Huntington Beach,
the local beach actually faces southwest. In summer, the southwest-facing beach often has v
ery strong surf from hurricanes off the Mexican coast.
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.
The city has the largest public pier on the west coast.
The city also has the oldest Independence Day parade in the Western United States. This is televised locally on the public access cable channel.
The downtown district includes an active art center, a colorful shopping district, youth hostel, and the International Surfing Museum. This district was also once the home of the famous restaurant and music club "The Golden Bear." In the late '60s and '70s it hosted many famous bands and acts.
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.
Because of its land-use policies, Huntington Beach has the largest ratio of park area to person of any city in the United States. [citation needed] Almost all schools have playing fields arranged for public access as parks, with park-like amenities near major streets, and schools near the centers of blocks. Since Huntington Beach contains a major power generating station, the high-voltage rights-of-way are numerous, and have also been zoned as parks with walkways.
Construction of any kind on the beach is prohibited without a vote of the people, allowing Huntington Beach to retain its natural tie to the ocean rather than having the view obscured by residential and commercial improvements.
The city often ranks among the top 10 safest cities for its size in terms of crime, and in the top 30 of all safest U.S. cities in 2006 per the Morgan Quitno Press (based on FBI figures).
