Seal Beach

Seal Beach sits at the northern end of the Orange County coast, between Long Beach and Huntington Beach, with the San Gabriel River at its western edge. Incorporated on October 25, 1915, it covers about 13 square miles including water, and the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach occupies much of its land.

Housing ranges from older beach blocks and a private gated colony on the sand to 1950s and 1960s single-family tracts and Leisure World Seal Beach, a gated, age-restricted community of co-op and condo units. It suits buyers who want the beach and Main Street and can work with coastal permit rules, and buyers who want a single-family tract near the 405 and 605. Comparing beach cities? See our Huntington Beach guide.

Neighborhoods and housing in Seal Beach

The city's council districts name its neighborhoods, all inside city limits: Old Town, Surfside Colony, the Hill, the Coves, Bridgeport, Heron Pointe, Leisure World, College Park East and College Park West. Rossmoor, west of the city's Rossmoor Center shopping area, is unincorporated county land. Most homes in the city are more than 40 years old, the Housing Element notes.

Old Town and Main Street

Old Town covers the neighborhoods south of Pacific Coast Highway around Main Street, the city's traditional commercial core near the pier. The Main Street Specific Plan, first adopted in 1996, governs uses, design and parking; the General Plan describes the surrounding blocks as a mix of housing types and notes that parking demand can exceed supply on beach days.

Surfside Colony

At the southeast end, past the Anaheim Bay jetties and bordering Sunset Beach, Surfside Colony is a private, gated community subdivided in the early 1900s, where many beach cottages have given way to custom three-story homes. Under a 1966 boundary agreement, the colony owns a strip of beach up to 80 feet wide in front of its oceanfront homes; the beach beyond is public, with access at Anderson Street.

The Hill, Bridgeport and Hellman Ranch

North of Pacific Coast Highway and west of Seal Beach Boulevard, the Hill (Marina Hill in the General Plan) was subdivided in the 1950s into 5,000-square-foot single-family lots. Bridgeport is a small neighborhood west of the Hill, north of Marina Drive near First Street. The Hellman Ranch Specific Plan added a gated single-family community along Seal Beach Boulevard, beside wetlands and Gum Grove Nature Park.

Leisure World Seal Beach

Between I-405 and Westminster Boulevard, west of Seal Beach Boulevard, Leisure World Seal Beach opened in 1962 as a gated, age-restricted community; the Golden Rain Foundation manages its shared facilities and stock transfers. Its official rules:

• Buyers must be 55 or older, with some exceptions, and meet financial requirements that vary by Mutual.
• Mutuals 1-12 and 14-16 are stock cooperatives: you buy a share with the right to occupy a unit, cash only, with no mortgage. Mutual 17 is a condominium association, where mortgages are allowed.
• Units are all electric, buyers pay a one-time Trust Property Use Fee, and a buyer orientation is required at least 10 business days before close.

College Park East and College Park West

North of the 405, College Park East was built as a large tract in 1966, bounded by Lampson Avenue and the Garden Grove city line; it is mostly single-family homes with some attached units. College Park West, a smaller single-family neighborhood along the San Gabriel River, is reached by road only through Long Beach via College Park Drive.

Getting around

• I-405 crosses the north side of the city near its junctions with I-605 and SR-22; OCTA's 405 Express Lanes, which require FasTrak, end at I-605.
• Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) runs from Long Beach past Old Town and the Hill to Surfside.
• Seal Beach Boulevard is the main north-south route, linking the coast, Leisure World and the 405.
• Long Beach Airport is nearby, and John Wayne Airport and LAX are within reach. The city has no rail station; OCTA runs local buses.

Schools

Los Alamitos Unified School District serves Seal Beach, including Surfside. Census Bureau maps place a small area at the city's southeast edge in Ocean View School District and Huntington Beach Union High School District.

Los Alamitos Unified's attendance boundaries page explains how to find the assigned schools for an address. For test results and other data, use the California School Dashboard.

Parks, beaches and things to do

• About 1.5 miles of beach run from 1st Street through Surfside, and the city calls its pier the second-longest wooden pier in California. Eisenhower Park sits at the pier.
• The Electric Avenue Greenbelt follows the old Pacific Electric right-of-way through Old Town.
• Gum Grove Nature Park has a nature walk, Arbor Park lets dogs run, and the city runs the Seal Beach Tennis and Pickleball Center.
• The Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1972 within the Naval Weapons Station, offers free tours on the last Saturday of each month with registration.

Local rules and costs to know

Coastal zone and Coastal Commission permits

The coastal zone covers the city south of Westminster Boulevard, including Old Town, Surfside, the Hill, Bridgeport and Hellman Ranch. Seal Beach has no certified Local Coastal Program; earlier attempts were never certified, and the city submitted a revised draft Land Use Plan to the Coastal Commission in May 2023. Until an LCP is certified, coastal development permits come from the Commission.

Flood and coastal hazards

City Building Division staff can tell you a property's flood zone, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows current maps. The city's 2019 draft sea level rise assessment found the beachfront and Surfside already exposed to erosion, wave runup and flooding in extreme events, with Surfside's beach dependent on Army Corps of Engineers sand replenishment. It also flagged low-lying inland areas, including parts of the Electric Avenue corridor and Leisure World. Our homeowners insurance guide explains how flood coverage fits into a purchase.

Fire hazard zones

Seal Beach does not appear on the State Fire Marshal's March 24, 2025 list of Orange County cities with recommended local Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals (29 or fewer consecutive nights) are allowed only in the coastal zone, with an annual city permit and proof of HOA approval where an association applies. The city's FAQ says it is not accepting new applications and keeps a waiting list, and permits do not transfer.

Utilities, ADUs and taxes

Southern California Edison supplies electricity, SoCalGas supplies gas, and the city supplies water, with Republic Services trash billed on the water bill. The city's pre-approved ADU plan catalog lists no plans yet; our guide to pre-approved ADU plans covers the cities that have them. For taxes, read our Orange County property tax guide and try our property tax calculator.

Buying in Seal Beach

• Confirm whether the address is south of Westminster Boulevard; in the coastal zone, plan for a Coastal Commission permit before any rebuild or addition.
• Check the flood zone and get an insurance quote before removing contingencies; FEMA requires flood insurance for high-risk properties with government-backed mortgages.
• For Leisure World, confirm the Mutual's eligibility rules before writing an offer, and plan cash for a cooperative unit.
• Moving from another California home? If you are 55 or older, our Prop 19 guide explains how a property tax base can transfer.

Selling in Seal Beach

• Tell buyers that a short-term rental permit becomes invalid when the property sells.
• In Leisure World, the Notice of Intent to Withdraw and pre-listing inspection must be completed before a lockbox or sign goes up, and open houses are not permitted.
• Gather permits, coastal development permits, any elevation certificate and flood insurance history.
• Disclose flood and coastal factors fully; our seller disclosure guide explains what is required.

How Remark Homes can help

We are a veteran-owned brokerage in Tustin with agents based in neighboring Huntington Beach and Huntington Harbour, and we help Seal Beach buyers and sellers with coastal rules, flood maps and Leisure World requirements. Reach us on our contact page, or see how we work with buyers and sellers.

Frequently asked questions

Is Seal Beach in Orange County?

Yes. It is the coastal city at the northern end of Orange County, next to Long Beach.

What school district is Seal Beach in?

Los Alamitos Unified, including Surfside. Census maps place a small southeast area in Ocean View and Huntington Beach Union High districts, so check by address.

Is Rossmoor part of Seal Beach?

No. Rossmoor is unincorporated county land, though the Rossmoor Center shopping area on Seal Beach Boulevard is in the city.

Are short-term rentals allowed in Seal Beach?

Only in the coastal zone, south of Westminster Boulevard, with a city permit, and the city keeps a waiting list for new permits.

Sources

• City of Seal Beach: About Seal Beach
• City of Seal Beach: General Plan Land Use Element
• City of Seal Beach: Local Coastal Plan Project
• California Coastal Commission: Seal Beach short-term rental program staff report 5-23-0482
• City of Seal Beach: Short-Term Rentals FAQ
• City of Seal Beach: Draft Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment
• Golden Rain Foundation: Leisure World Seal Beach Realtor Information
• Los Alamitos Unified School District: District Attendance Boundaries