Seal Beach, California | |
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.jpg) HistoricMission Revival Seal Beach City Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Seal Beach withinOrange County, California. | |
  Seal Beach Location in California Show map of California Seal Beach Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°45′33″N118°4′57″W / 33.75917°N 118.08250°W /33.75917; -118.08250 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Orange |
| Incorporated | October 27, 1915[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council/city manager[2] |
| • Mayor | Lisa Landau[3] |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Nathan Steele[4] |
| • City Council | Joe Kalmick[5] Ben Wong Patty Senecal |
| • City Manager | Patrick Gallegos[6] |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.80 sq mi (30.56 km2) |
| • Land | 11.27 sq mi (29.19 km2) |
| • Water | 0.53 sq mi (1.38 km2) 4.51% |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 25,242 |
| • Density | 2,240/sq mi (864.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 90740 |
| Area code | 562 |
| FIPS code | 06-70686 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1661416,2411851 |
| Website | www |
| Official name | Anaheim Landing[10] |
| Reference no. | 219 |
Seal Beach is a coastal city inOrange County, California, United States. It was originally known as Bay City before it was incorporated into Orange County under its current name on October 24, 1911.[11] As of the2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the2010 census.
Seal Beach is located in the westernmost corner of Orange County. To the northwest, just across the border withLos Angeles County, lies the city ofLong Beach and the adjacentSan Pedro Bay. To the southeast areHuntington Harbour, a neighborhood ofHuntington Beach, andSunset Beach, also part of Huntington Beach. To the east lie the city ofWestminster and the neighborhood ofWest Garden Grove, part of the city ofGarden Grove. To the north lie the unincorporated community ofRossmoor and the city ofLos Alamitos. A majority of the city's acreage is devoted to theNaval Weapons Station Seal Beach military base.[12]
TheTongva village ofMotuucheyngna was located in what is now Seal Beach in the area of theLos Cerritos Wetlands. It was part of the greater area ofPuvungna, which was a major ceremonial and regional trading center for the Tongva andAcjachemen. Villagers usedte'aats to travel out to villages on Pimu (Santa Catalina Island) and other islands off the coast, now referred to as theChannel Islands.[13][14] In 2003, a burial site of the village was disturbed in a 196-acre (79 ha) Seal Beach residential development, Hellman Ranch, that was met with opposition from the Tongva.[15]
Beginning in the mid-1860s, the eastern area of what is now Old Town Seal Beach became known asAnaheim Landing. A warehouse and wharf had been built on a small bay where Anaheim Creek emptied into the Pacific Ocean. It was established by farmers and merchants in the newly settled town ofAnaheim who wanted a closer, more convenient port to ship the wine they were growing and also to receive items they needed to help build homes and buildings in their new town.[16]
For a few years Anaheim Landing came close to rivaling San Pedro for its volume of shipping, but the arrival of the railroad in Anaheim in 1875 made it easier to ship product via the rails than by hauling a wagon overland across 12 miles (19 km) of soft soil to the Landing. The beaches and surrounding rolling Anaheim Landing had by this time become popular as a getaway from hot summer days. Los Angeles newspapers talk of a permanent summer population of as many as 400 and even more on special days.[16]
The landing was also home to a number of fishing boats that plied the local fishing areas. This activity was written about by Nobel-prize winning author Henryk Sienkiewicz in a short essay, "The Cranes."[16] The site of Anaheim Landing is now registered as aCalifornia Historical Landmark.[10]
In 1903 Los Angeles realtor Philip A. Stanton, very familiar with the area from his time selling land in Anaheim, and Huntington Beach and also from representing the local real estate interests of banker (and Pacific Electric Railroad co-owner)Isaias W. Hellman, put together a syndicate to lay out the town of Bayside on the land between Anaheim Landing andAnaheim Bay and the eastern edge ofAlamitos Bay.[17]
The new town would be situated along the still not-announcedBalboa Line of the Pacific Electric, which would run from Long Beach to Newport Beach. As there was already a town called Bayside in Northern California (by Eureka), Stanton's group instead called their new town Bay City. Due to many factors—including competition from other beach resort areas (Long Beach, Redondo Beach and Venice/Ocean Park/Santa Monica), some national financial crises, and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, which sent most investment dollars to the more lucrative rebuilding of San Francisco—Bay City failed miserably as a real estate investment.[17]
In 1913, Stanton optioned the land to real estate promoter Guy M. Rush, who invested in building a renovated pier with pavilions on either side. Rush also re-branded the town as Seal Beach and marketed it via postcards and advertisements around the country. This too failed and by early 1915, Rush had let his options lapse. In 1915 Stanton tried again, arranging to obtain some amusements from the closing San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Exposition and rebuild them as part of new amusement area which would be called The Joy Zone.[17]
As part of this plan, the Bayside Land Company led a campaign to incorporate the town (October 27, 1915) and then had the new city council approve legal drinking in the town. This made it different fromthe Pike at Long Beach, which was a "dry city." The Joy Zone, a beach-side amusement park built in 1916, was the first in Orange County.[17] It achieved some brief popularity, but the US entry intoWorld War I and the resulting restrictions on rubber and metal dramatically impacted the amusement area.
After the war,Prohibition impacted the town's value as an amusement resort. After 1920, the town's location on two bays, with many inlets to offload bootleg liquor, its small police department, and its location on the county line, allowed it to become a popular place for rumrunners, then gamblers. From 1928 to 1939, the town had as many as six gambling establishments on Main Street. In addition, most of Southern California's famous gambling ships (Johanna Smith, Rose Isle, Johanna Smith II, SS Caliente, SS Tango, Showboat, Mt. Baker) operated off the Seal Beach, just over the line from Long Beach.[18]
With gambling being a misdemeanor, the trials were held in the town's municipal court and a Seal Beach jury never returned a guilty verdict, to the dismay of Orange County and Long Beach officials. Butcirca 1941, with significant pressure being put on the gamblers by State Attorney GeneralEarl Warren, most of the Seal Beach gambling and ships ended. Their absence was soon filled by a former Los Angeles police detective named William L. Robertson.[18]
In early 1944. duringWorld War II, the Navy purchased most of the land around Anaheim Landing to construct theUnited States Navy'sNaval Weapons Station Seal Beach for loading, unloading, and storing of ammunition for thePacific Fleet, and especially those US Navy warships home-ported inLong Beach andSan Diego. With closure of theConcord Naval Weapons Station in Northern California, it has become the primary source of munitions for a majority of theUnited States Pacific Fleet.[19] The arrival of the Navy catalyzed a growth in population which eventually succeeded in shutting down Robertson's gambling operations.
Surfing has always had a presence in Seal Beach. Newspaper advertisements showing surfers were part of Guy M. Rush's "Seal Beach" campaign of 1913. The town hosted the mainland's first surfing competition—it was at a private gathering of the annual Minnesota Picnic. But its popularity really took off after the war with the arrival of legendary surfer Blackie August, who taught many of the local kids how to surf. August's son, Robert, was one of the pair of surfers featured in the classic surf film,Endless Summer. Local legends Jack Haley and Mike Haley were the winners of the first two national surfing championships.
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In 1962, Seal Beach openedLeisure World,[20] one of the first age segregated communities in the U.S. that caters to people over 55.
In 2002, a construction crew discovered the remnants of a large Tongva village and burial site while working on a project to construct a new gated community.[21][22] The Heron Pointe project was picketed by members of the Tongva tribe who successfully mitigated development in the area. The tribal community, alongside the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, has continued to work to preserve the coastal environment.
The deadliest mass killing in Orange County history occurred in Seal Beach. On October 12, 2011, amass shooting took place at the local Salon Meritage hairsalon. Eight people inside the salon and one person in the parking lot were shot, and only one victim survived.[23] The suspect in the shooting, 41-year-old Scott Evans Dekraai, was arrested without incident[24][25] and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.[26] Prior to the shooting, there had been only one murder in Seal Beach during the previous four years.[27]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.8 square miles (31 km2). 11.3 square miles (29 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it (4.51%) is water.[7]
Seal Beach has asemi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSh) withMediterranean characteristics.
| Climate data for Seal Beach, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 91 (33) | 91 (33) | 97 (36) | 104 (40) | 101 (38) | 107 (42) | 109 (43) | 104 (40) | 110 (43) | 107 (42) | 97 (36) | 89 (32) | 110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 67 (19) | 68 (20) | 68 (20) | 72 (22) | 73 (23) | 77 (25) | 81 (27) | 83 (28) | 81 (27) | 78 (26) | 72 (22) | 68 (20) | 74 (23) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 46 (8) | 48 (9) | 50 (10) | 53 (12) | 57 (14) | 61 (16) | 64 (18) | 65 (18) | 63 (17) | 58 (14) | 51 (11) | 46 (8) | 55 (13) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 20 (−7) | 34 (1) | 37 (3) | 39 (4) | 48 (9) | 50 (10) | 58 (14) | 54 (12) | 52 (11) | 45 (7) | 37 (3) | 29 (−2) | 20 (−7) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.98 (76) | 3.04 (77) | 2.50 (64) | 0.65 (17) | 0.24 (6.1) | 0.08 (2.0) | 0.02 (0.51) | 0.11 (2.8) | 0.24 (6.1) | 0.39 (9.9) | 1.15 (29) | 1.75 (44) | 13.14 (334) |
| Source:[28][29][30] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 669 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,156 | 72.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,553 | 34.3% | |
| 1950 | 3,553 | 128.8% | |
| 1960 | 6,994 | 96.8% | |
| 1970 | 24,441 | 249.5% | |
| 1980 | 25,975 | 6.3% | |
| 1990 | 25,098 | −3.4% | |
| 2000 | 24,157 | −3.7% | |
| 2010 | 24,168 | 0.0% | |
| 2020 | 25,242 | 4.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 24,421 | [31] | −3.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[32] 1860–1870[33][34] 1880-1890[35] 1900[36] 1910[37] 1920[38] 1930[39] 1940[40] 1950[41] 1960[42] 1970[43] 1980[44] 1990[45]2000[46] 2010[47] 2020[48] | |||
Seal Beach first appeared as a city in the1910 U.S. census which was coterminous with the newly formed Seal Beach Township.[37]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[49] | Pop 2010[50] | Pop 2020[48] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 20,372 | 18,580 | 16,814 | 84.33% | 76.88% | 66.61% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 329 | 255 | 370 | 1.36% | 1.06% | 1.47% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 54 | 38 | 53 | 0.22% | 0.16% | 0.21% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,363 | 2,273 | 3,624 | 5.64% | 9.40% | 14.36% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 37 | 52 | 46 | 0.15% | 0.22% | 0.18% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 21 | 62 | 91 | 0.09% | 0.26% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 427 | 577 | 1,091 | 1.77% | 2.39% | 4.32% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,554 | 2,331 | 3,153 | 6.43% | 9.64% | 12.49% |
| Total | 24,157 | 24,168 | 25,242 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census reported that Seal Beach had a population of 25,242. The population density was 2,240.1 inhabitants per square mile (864.9/km2). The racial makeup was 70.1%White, 1.6%African American, 0.4%Native American, 14.5%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 3.0% fromother races, and 10.1% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.5% of the population.[51]
The census reported that 99.0% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.7% were institutionalized.[51]
There were 13,369 households, out of which 13.8% included children under the age of 18, 39.5% were married-couple households, 3.8% werecohabiting couple households, 38.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 18.0% had a male householder with no partner present. 46.5% of households were one person, and 33.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.87.[51] There were 6,497families (48.6% of all households).[52]
The age distribution was 12.2% under the age of 18, 4.4% aged 18 to 24, 15.7% aged 25 to 44, 24.5% aged 45 to 64, and 43.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 60.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.1 males.[51]
There were 14,645 housing units at an average density of 1,299.7 units per square mile (501.8 units/km2), of which 13,369 (91.3%) were occupied. Of these, 73.9% were owner-occupied, and 26.1% were occupied by renters.[51]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $83,045, and theper capita income was $67,571. About 4.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line.[53]
The2010 United States census[54] reported that Seal Beach had a population of 24,168. The population density was 1,853.3 inhabitants per square mile (715.6/km2). The racial makeup of Seal Beach was 20,154 (83.4%)White (76.9% Non-Hispanic White),[55] 279 (1.2%)African American, 65 (0.3%)Native American, 2,309 (9.6%)Asian, 58 (0.2%)Pacific Islander, 453 (1.9%) fromother races, and 850 (3.5%) from two or more races. There were 2,331Hispanic orLatino residents, of any race (9.6%).
The Census reported that 23,943 people (99.1% of the population) lived in households, 22 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 203 (0.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 13,017 households, out of which 1,866 (14.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,891 (37.6%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 788 (6.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 283 (2.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 383 (2.9%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 66 (0.5%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. Of the households, 6,312 (48.5%) were made up of individuals, and 4,340 (33.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84. There were 5,962families (45.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.65.
In Seal Beach there were 3,151 people (13.0%) under the age of 18, 1,176 people (4.9%) aged 18 to 24, 4,076 people (16.9%) aged 25 to 44, 6,513 people (26.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 9,252 people (38.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.3 males.
There were 14,558 housing units at an average density of 1,116.4 per square mile (431.0/km2), of which 9,713 (74.6%) were owner-occupied, and 3,304 (25.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%. 17,689 people (73.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,254 people (25.9%) lived in rental housing units.
During 2009–2013, Seal Beach had a median household income of $51,242, with 9.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[55]
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The major employer in Seal Beach isBoeing, employing roughly 1,000 people. Its facility was originally built to manufacture thesecond stage of theSaturn V rocket forNASA'sApollo crewed space flight missions to theMoon and for theSkylab program. Boeing Homeland Security & Services (airport security, etc.) is based in Seal Beach and Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems (satellite systems and classified programs) is headquartered in Seal Beach.
According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[56] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boeing | 1,000 |
| 2 | MagTek | 250 |
| 3 | Siemens Medical Solutions | 200 |
| 4 | Target | 200 |
| 5 | First Team Real Estate | 150 |
| 6 | Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach | 150 |
| 7 | Bixby Ranch Company | 135 |
| 8 | Kohl's | 121 |
| 9 | Spaghettini Grill and Lounge | 105 |
| 10 | Albertsons | 100 |
| 11 | Custom Building Products | 96 |
| 12 | Autism Partnership | 95 |
| 13 | P2F Holdings | 85 |
| 14 | Health Net | 75 |
| 15 | Original Parts Group | 75 |
| 16 | BakerCorp | 71 |
TheLions Club Pancake Breakfast in April and its Fish Fry (started in 1943) in July are two of the biggest events in Seal Beach. There has been a Rough Water Swim the same weekend as the Fish Fry since the 1960s. The Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce sponsors many events, including: a Classic Car Show in April, a Summer Concert series once every week in July and August, theChristmasParade in December along with Santa and the Reindeer. Also in the fall is theKite Festival in September. The Taste for Los Al, which since 2001 has been benefitting activities at Los Alamitos High School (home high school for Seal Beach students), takes place every October and has one of the largest silent auctions in the nation, often having over 100 tables.
The record label Mash Down Babylon Records is based in Seal Beach, operated out of a garage known as The Elizabethan. The label was founded byMatt Embree, lead vocalist and guitarist in the Seal Beach-based progressive rock/post-hardcore bandRX Bandits.
On Electric Avenue where the railroad tracks used to run, there is theRed Car Museum which features a restoredPacific Electric Railway Red Car.[17][57] TheBalboa Line once passed through Seal Beach going south to theBalboa Peninsula inNewport Beach. Going north into Long Beach a rider could then take the Red Cars through much of Los Angeles County.[58]Anderson Street Water Tower is a restored 1892 water tower that is being rented for overnight stays.
Seal Beach is also home to theBay Theatre, which was a popular venue for independent film and revival screenings. It was closed in 2012 but was purchased in 2017 by Paul Dunlap who is currently restoring it.
TheSeal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is located on part of the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Much of therefuge's 911 acres (3.69 km2) is the remnant of thesaltwater marsh in the Anaheim Bayestuary (the rest of the marsh became the bayside community of Huntington Harbour, which is part of Huntington Beach). Three endangered species, theRidgway's light-footed rail, theCalifornia least tern, and the Belding'sSavannah sparrow, can be found nesting in the refuge. With the loss and degradation of coastal wetlands in California, the remaining habitat, including theBolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach and Upper Newport Bay inNewport Beach, has become much more important for migrating and wintering shorebirds, waterfowl, and seabirds. Although the refuge is a great place for birdwatching, because it is part of the weapons station, access is limited and usually restricted to once-a-month tours.
The second longest wooden pier in California (the longest is inOceanside)[17][59] is located in Seal Beach and is used for fishing and sightseeing. The pier has required repairs following storms in 1935 and 1983.[60]
The city is administered under a council-manager form of government, and is governed by a five-member city council serving four-year alternating terms. The mayor and mayor pro tempore are chosen by and from the council.[61]
Seal Beach's municipal jail offers a program in which offenders who would normally go to county jails could stay at Seal Beach's jail for a fee.[62]
In theCalifornia State Senate, Seal Beach is inthe 36th senatorial district, represented byRepublican Tony Strickland. in theCalifornia State Assembly, Seal Beach is split betweenthe 70th Assembly district, represented byRepublican Tri Ta, andthe 72nd Assembly district, represented byRepublican Diane Dixon.[63]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Seal Beach is inCalifornia's 47th congressional district, represented byDemocrat Dave Min.[64]
In theOrange County Board of Supervisors, Seal Beach is in the first district represented byJanet Nguyen since 2024.
| Aggravated Assault | Homicide | Rape | Robbery | Burglary | Larceny Theft | Motor Vehicle Theft | Arson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seal Beach | 75 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 107 | 504 | 47 | 2 |
Seal Beach is almost entirely in theLos Alamitos Unified School District, and a small portion outside of that district is on the reservation ofSeal Beach Naval Weapons Station.[66]
McGaugh Elementary School is located in Seal Beach.[67]
Orange County Transportation Authority operates bus transportation throughout Seal Beach.[68][69]
Water in Seal Beach is supplied by the City of Seal Beach Utilities Division, which sources its water from the Municipal Water District of Orange County viaMetropolitan Water District of Southern California, importing water from Northern California and the Colorado River. Additionally, groundwater is pumped from 2 local wells tapped into an underground aquifer.[70]
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