City of Huntington Beach Information

The City of Huntington Beach is located on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in northwestern Orange County, 40 miles south of Los Angeles and 90 miles north of San Diego. As the fourth largest city in Orange County, with a population near 200,000 residents, Huntington Beach is known as “Surf City USA” due to its abundance of beaches, sunny, warm Mediterranean climate and casual lifestyle. Huntington Beach covers 28 square miles of land, 26 square miles of water, and is the 24th largest city in California. With more than 8 miles of uninterrupted beach along the Pacific Ocean, the City also plays host to an annual visitor population of over 11 million people, especially during the summer, special events and weekends. Founded in the late 1880s, Huntington Beach was incorporated as a Charter City in 1909. Huntington Beach has a City Council/ City Manager form of government. The City Council has seven members who are elected at large, on a non-partisan basis, to four-year overlapping terms. City Council members are limited to two consecutive 4-year terms. There are three elected department heads - the City Attorney, City Clerk and City Treasurer. The position of Mayor is filled on a rotating basis. The City of Huntington Beach is organized into 11 major departments, including Administrative Services, City Attorney, City Clerk, City Manager, City Treasurer, Community Development, Community & Library Services, Finance, Fire, Police, and Public Works. The City has approximately 1,600 full and part-time employees and a total budget of approximately $345 Million