Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach was an independent city until 2011 when it was annexed by and merged with Huntington Beach, aka “Surf City USA.” The city was founded in 1905 after oil was discovered in the Huntington Beach Oil Field. Located North of Huntington’s main beach and pier, Sunset Beach is slightly isolated, accessible via the Pacific Coast Highway south of Seal Beach. The small seaside community has a historical cachet with Prohibition booze smuggling, surfing pioneers, and WW2 lookouts for Japanese subs. The small town and greenbelt are completely walkable, bikeable, and skateboard-able. You will find eclectic beach cottages and unique architectural oceanfront homes in Sunset Beach with back porches that are on white sand and ice plants, with only a few dozen steps to the waves.
The majority of beachfront estates are located on the beach side of Pacific Avenue, including famous properties like the “Sand Castle,” which features wraparound 360-degree ocean view windows and finishes including marble, granite, white oak, and leaded glass windows. Home styles include contemporary California, Mediterranean, and Cape Cod. As with all beachfront communities in Southern California, lot sizes are not large, with homes maximizing all available space. The majority of Sunset Beach’s waterfront homes are three and four bedrooms, ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 square feet. Tucked between larger estate homes are more modest two- and three-bedroom bungalows.
Sunset Beach is located primarily on the Pacific side of Huntington Harbor and the Huntington Beach Bike Trail runs through the community along with the 14-acre Green Belt. Homes on the inland side of Sunset Beach are still within easy walking distance of the beach. Schools are strong in the Huntington Beach City and Union High School District with rankings of 9 and 10 according to GreatSchools.org.
One quirk of living in Sunset Beach? Residents don’t get their mail delivered at home. Instead, they pick up their letters and packages at the main post office or private mailboxes. The residents consider this a small price to pay for the convenience of living steps from the Pacific Ocean and enjoying the southland’s widest stretch of white sand beach.
Parks
- Trinidad Park
- Prince Park
- Tarbox Park
- French Park
- Seabridge Park
Schools
- Agnes L. Smith Elementary School
- Ethel Dwyer Middle School
- Huntington Beach High School
