Santa Monica Beach, California - Santa Monica, CA - LA County Beach Maintains Local Identity Over the Years

Santa Monica Beach, California is located on the Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles County. It is in the southern part of the state. The beach is officially called Santa Monica State Beach and it is divided into a North Beach and South Beach section. From Malibu to Venice, it is 3.5 miles long. It receives an average of 300 days of sunshine every year. The beach is maintained by the city and on weekends and on Friday through Sunday and holidays a valet trash removal service is offered.

Lifeguards staff the beach during daylight hours throughout the year while the lifeguard station remains on call for 24 hours a day.

Swimming, surfing, volleyball and fishing are permitted here throughout the 12 months of the year.

Some 50,000 people enjoy this beach daily and more than 5 million visit it each year.

To the east are the Palisades Bluffs. There are 245 acres of sand as well as pathways for cyclists and foot traffic. Several parks are located here with playgrounds as well.

There are boardwalks that allow for wheelchair access as well as accessible restrooms at the beach.

Santa Monica Beach, California was one of the few beaches in the country that allowed for mixed race use as early as the 1920s.

Historically the local residents have defended the integrity of this beach. In 1973 the pier (found in the South Beach section) was rescued from demolition by citizen protest which led to the establishment of a historic site Commission and eventually a city Landmark Commission was created. Today Amusement rides and beach food concessions line the pier at this beach. The carousel found on the pier dates from 1922 and is itself a Historic Landmark in the more than 120 year history of this public beach. There is an interactive aquarium located here on the pier.

In 1990 residents voted on an initiative to limit development in the beach area thus legally preventing anyone from altering the local character of the beach and its immediate surroundings. In recent years efforts have been underway by the city to improve water quality in the Santa Monica Bay which directly affects beachgoers and ocean use in a positive fashion.

Santa Monica Beach, California had been a famed resort town in the early 1900s. In the mid 80s a rejuvenation of the beach and the town began.

Free parking is difficult to find in the beach area. However there is public transportation that arrives near the beach. Several hotels are located at or near the beach. It is only 8 miles from LAX International Airport and 16 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

In 2008 the American Planning Association (APA) added this beach to its list of Great Public Spaces in America.