One of the last affordable beach towns in Southern California, Seal Beach lies at the northern end of Orange County on the Los Angeles County border. The small town of 24,000 has a picturesque and historic downtown, a calm, Mediterranean climate, and has always been a top outdoor destination for all Orange County residents. Seal Beach real estate touches both ends of the Orange County spectrum, with both large multi-million dollar waterfront estates and multiple affordable housing projects. The city has a median home price of $235,000, due in part to a large senior citizen community within the city limits called Leisure World.
Centrally located just south of Long Beach, CA, west of the City of Los Alamitos, and north of Hunting Beach, Seal Beach is a small town of approximately 13 square miles, the majority of which is made of the United States Navy's Naval Weapons Station. It is named after the seals that used to frequent the city’s beachfront. Seal Beach acts as the gateway to Orange County’s 43 miles of pristine beaches and is home to the second longest wood pier in California.
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Seal Beach history dates back to before the turn of the 20th century when the area was known as Anaheim Landing after the nearby City of Anaheim. The site of Anaheim Landing served as a boat landing and a seaside recreation area and is now registered as a California Historical Landmark.
Soon after the turn of 20th century, the town became known as Bay City. But when it came time to incorporate in 1915, the name was changed to Seal Beach because there was already another city named Bay City in Northern California.
In 1916, The Joy Zone, Orange County’s first beachside amusement park opened its doors on Seal Beach’s waterfront. The park put Seal Beach on the map and turned the small community into a popular destination. Unfortunately, that notoriety brought an often unwanted crowd with bars and brothels popping up throughout the city. Now, however, the enclave is known as the “Mayberry by the Sea” and the crime rate here is well below Orange County’s average.
The Navel Weapons Station at Seal Beach was originally constructed during World War II for loading, unloading, and storing of ammunition for the Pacific Fleet. It is the main munitions source for the Pacific Fleet.
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Downtown Seal Beach is known for its small shops and fine dining options and is a popular weekend destination for Orange County locals. Devoid of chain stores, Main Street still has the charm and old town character many Orange County cities have paved over in the name of growth and development.
A plethora of Irish bars dot Main Street, including The Irisher, O’Malley’s on Main, Clancy’s and Hennessey’s, making downtown Seal Beach a constant celebration destination. And don’t even get us started on St. Patrick’s Day when these four bars start planning months in advance for their busiest week of the year.
Aside from the mom and pops on Main Street, Seal Beach does have one large shopping center with anchor stores, such as Target, HomeGoods and Toys R Us and is conveniently located just minutes from the Long Beach Town Center and South Coast Plaza, Orange County’s premiere shopping destination.
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Seal Beach prides itself on its focus on fitness and outdoor recreation. Often hosting waterfront events, such as surfing competitions, kite flying events and other beach activities. Next to Oceanside, CA, Seal Beach is home to longest wooden pier in California, which is perfect for fishing and sightseeing. The pier has been severely damaged many times in major storms and then rebuilt.
The warm waters pouring into Seal Beach from the San Gabriel River attracts stingrays and has earned the mouth of the river the nickname Ray Bay.
L.A.’s famed Red Car public transportation train once stopped in Seal Beach on its way to the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. Now on Electric Avenue, where the train tracks once operated, is a restored Pacific Electric Railway Red Car, which serves as a museum. Seal Beach is also home a 920-acre wildlife refuge, most of which is the remnant of the saltwater marsh in the Anaheim Bay estuary.
Seal Beach is also well known for its swimming, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding opportunities. The local Chamber of Commerce hosts several events throughout the year, including a classic car show in April, a summer concert series in July and August, the Christmas Parade in December and a Kite Festival every September.
Boeing is the single largest employer in Seal Beach with a workforce that’s more than 1,000 strong. Boeing’s Seal Beach facility was originally built to manufacture the second stage of the Saturn V rocket for NASA's Apollo manned space flight missions to the Moon and for the Skylab program.
