Poplar Beach

Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 as of the 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Moon Bay is Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea. Half Moon Bay is known for Mavericks, a big-wave surf location. It is called Half Moon Bay because of its crescent shape. Originally an agricultural outpost to Mission San Francisco de Asís, the town was founded in the 1840s first as San Benito, and then as its Anglo fishing community grew, it was renamed Spanishtown. In 1874, it was again renamed Half Moon Bay. After rail and road connections in the early 1900s, the town grew. The foggy weather of the coast made the town a popular destination for booze-running during Prohibition. The city's infrastructure is heavily integrated with the coast, including the Pillar Point Harbor, major roads, and the fire department. The economy of Half Moon Bay is dominated by a handful of businesses, the biggest of which is the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay which employs 500 people and is a major source of property tax and tourism income for the city. Because of this geography, a 2022 study found that the city had over 123 buildings vulnerable to sea level rise.

The Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is an annual festival held in the coastside community of Half Moon Bay, California for one weekend during pumpkin harvest season. It is one of the oldest and largest local festivals in California. Proceeds go to local civic causes and to the beautification of the downtown area of Half Moon Bay. There is no admission charge for the event.

Half Moon Bay State Beach is a 4-mile (6 km) stretch of protected beaches in the state park system of California, United States, on Half Moon Bay. From north to south it comprises Roosevelt, Dunes, Venice, and Francis Beaches. The 181-acre (73 ha) park was established in 1956.

The Community United Methodist Church is a historic United Methodist Church in Half Moon Bay, California. Originally the Methodist Episcopal Church at Half Moon Bay, it was built in 1872 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.The building is 30 by 50 feet (9.1 m × 15.2 m) in plan and has with 20 feet (6.1 m) tall side walls.It was damaged by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which shook it off its foundation.

James Johnston House was built between 1853 and 1855, and is a historical building in Half Moon Bay, California. Sometimes referred to as the "White House of Half Moon Bay". It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 9, 1973. The building currently serves as a museum and community event space.

Pilarcitos Creek (Spanish for: Little Pillars or Pillaries Creek) is a 13.5-mile-long (21.7 km) coastal stream in San Mateo County, California, United States, that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and descends through Pilarcitos Canyon to discharge into the Pacific Ocean Half Moon Bay State Beach. The Pilarcitos Creek watershed is a significant area of ecological, cultural and economic diversity. It is a source of clean drinking water for residents of the central coast and San Francisco Bay Area and supports several natural-resource based economies – including agriculture and recreational tourism. The watershed is also experiencing increased competition for water between agricultural, domestic, recreational, commercial and environmental uses.

The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay is a luxury hotel and golf resort in Half Moon Bay northern California. The hotel is a Forbes Five Star hotel, and was featured on the travel channel series Great Hotels. The hotel has 261 rooms, that in 2019, started at US$920 a night. The hotel began construction in 1998, and finished in 2001.The hotel is the biggest employer for the town of Half Moon Bay, California, with approximately 550 jobs. The hotel was purchased by Anbang Insurance Group in 2015, and after its bankruptcy has had repeated offers from other buyers, but as of September 2021 there were no buyers.The hotel sits on a point in the bay, that allows for views along a long section of the coast. Parts of the hotel services are themed around the Scottish Highlands. One of the two golf courses was designed by Arnold Palmer. The hotel services also include a 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) spa and three tennis courts.

Half Moon Bay High School is an American public high school located in Half Moon Bay, in San Mateo County, California. It is part of the Cabrillo Unified School District.

Rancho Miramontes (also called Arroyo de los Pilarcitos, Miramontes Rancho de San Benito, and Rancho San Benito) was a 4,424-acre (17.90 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day San Mateo County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Juan Jose Candelario Miramontes. Arroyo de los Pilarcitos means "creek of little pillars." The grant extended along the Pacific coast from Pilarcitos Creek and present day Half Moon Bay south past Miramontes Point to Canada Verdes.

Frenchmans Creek is a 4.4-mile-long (7.1 km) stream in San Mateo County, California. Locks Creek is its largest tributary.

Cañada Verde Creek is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) stream in San Mateo County, California.

Arroyo León (Spanish for "Lion Creek") is a 6.5-mile-long (10.5 km) stream in San Mateo County, California which is a tributary of Pilarcitos Creek.