San Mateo County Zip Codes

     Half Moon Bay is a small beach town with a population of only 12 thousand. It is located 28 miles south of San Francisco and 32 miles northwest of San Jose and easily accessable by the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. Nestled between the dramatic green Santa Cruz Mountains and the spectacular Pacific Ocean, this charming seaside community is the perfect place for those who love the ocean and nature to live.

     Half Moon Bay is the oldest settlement in San Mateo County, dating back to the 1840s. Costanoan Indians originally inhabited the land for hundreds of years until the 1840’s when land grants were deeded to early Spanish settlers. Mexican and Chilean laborers soon followed, and the village was dubbed “Spanishtown.” In 1874, Spanishtown officially became known as Half Moon Bay.

     The city of Half Moon Bay was incorporated in 1959 and today remains similar to its original beginnings as an agricultural town. Half Moon Bay has been diligent in preserving its history, with vibrant elements of the past still visible in the many historic buildings in Downtown Half Moon Bay along Main, Purissima and Johnston streets. Present day “explorers” of Half Moon Bay will still see original farms dating back to the 1800’s, as well as miles of deserted white sandy beaches, ancient giant redwood forests, beautiful state parks, vast fields of wild flowers set against hillsides, and hiking and biking trails along craggy ocean bluffs and mountain ridges.