The Huntington Beach Pier: History, Fun Facts & Why It’s the Heart of Surf City

The Huntington Beach Pier: History, Fun Facts & Why It’s the Heart of Surf City

When you picture Huntington Beach, there's a good chance you picture the Huntington Beach Pier.

Stretching out over the Pacific at the end of Main Street, the pier has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in Southern California—and, to me, it represents so much of what makes living in Huntington Beach special.

I've lived in Huntington Beach my whole life, and the pier is one of those places that never really gets old. You can walk it a hundred times and still stop to watch the surfers below, take a picture of the sunset or bring an out-of-town visitor down because, well... you can't really show someone Huntington Beach without showing them the pier.

But what I love even more is how much history is behind it.

The Huntington Beach Pier has survived storms, an earthquake, a hurricane and even served a role during World War II.

So let's talk about the landmark at the heart of Surf City.

The Huntington Beach Pier Is Older Than Huntington Beach

Here's one of my favorite Huntington Beach facts:

The pier was here before Huntington Beach was officially a city.

The first wooden pier was built in the early 1900s, with City historical records dating the 1,000-foot structure to 1904.

Huntington Beach wasn't incorporated until 1909.

So in a way, the pier wasn't simply built for Huntington Beach.

It helped build Huntington Beach.

Historical documentation from the Library of Congress describes the pier as an important catalyst in Huntington Beach's development as a West Coast resort community.

The Original Pier Was Made of Wood

The first Huntington Beach Pier was a roughly 1,000-foot wooden structure extending into the Pacific Ocean.

Unfortunately, wood and the Pacific don't always make the best long-term combination.

Severe storms badly damaged the original pier, eventually leading local voters to approve a $70,000 bond to construct a stronger replacement.

And that's when the Huntington Beach Pier really started making history.

In 1914, Huntington Beach Built a Record-Breaking Concrete Pier

The replacement pier was built using reinforced concrete and dedicated in June 1914.

At approximately 1,350 feet long, it was celebrated at the time as the longest and highest concrete pleasure pier in the United States. National Register documentation describes its concrete engineering as innovative for its era.

That's pretty impressive for a city that had only officially incorporated five years earlier.

And 1914 brought another major moment in Huntington Beach history.

Surfing History Happened Right Here

During the dedication festivities for the new concrete pier, George Freeth performed surfing demonstrations for spectators.

Visit Huntington Beach identifies Freeth as the first surfer at the now-famous Huntington Beach Pier and says thousands watched his surf-riding demonstrations during the 1914 celebration.

Think about that the next time you're standing on the pier watching surfers below you.

More than a century later, we're still gathering around essentially the same spot to watch people surf.

It's pretty easy to see why Huntington Beach eventually became known around the world as Surf City USA.

The Pier Got Even Longer in the 1930s

The pier didn't stay its original length for long.

Around 1930, it was extended roughly 500 feet farther into the Pacific, and a café was added at the end.

A restaurant at the end of the Huntington Beach Pier would become a tradition that continued in different forms for generations.

But Mother Nature had other plans for that new extension.

An Earthquake—and Then a Hurricane

In 1933, the Long Beach earthquake damaged the pier and caused the newer extension to separate from the original structure.

Repairs followed.

Then, in 1939, a rare tropical storm/hurricane caused even more dramatic damage, destroying the end of the pier and its café.

The damaged portion was reconstructed, and the pier reopened in 1940.

And then World War II changed its purpose entirely.

The U.S. Navy Used the Pier During World War II

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the Huntington Beach Pier became more than a place for fishing, sightseeing and surfing.

The U.S. Navy used the pier as a submarine lookout post during World War II. Historical accounts also note that defensive equipment was installed there as part of the war effort.

It's wild to imagine when you're standing there today watching beach cruisers, fishermen and surfers.

The Ocean Nearly Won Again in the 1980s

The pier suffered major storm damage again in 1983.

It was repaired and reopened, but another series of powerful storms struck in 1988, tearing away a large portion of the end of the pier.

The damage was serious enough that the pier was declared unsafe and closed to the public in July 1988.

For Huntington Beach, losing access to the pier meant temporarily losing one of the city's defining landmarks.

And the community wasn't going to let that happen permanently.

Huntington Beach Helped Save Its Pier

One of my favorite parts of this story is what happened next.

A grassroots organization called P.I.E.R.—Persons Interested in Expediting Reconstruction—helped rally the community around rebuilding the landmark.

Fundraising included T-shirt sales, a Run for the Pier, a Battle of the Surf Bands and other community efforts. Huntington Beach's sister city of Anjo, Japan, even contributed $92,000 toward the effort.

That feels very Huntington Beach to me.

When something matters to the community, people show up.

The Huntington Beach Pier Is a Historic Landmark

While plans for reconstruction were moving forward, the Huntington Beach Municipal Pier was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 24, 1989.

Its importance wasn't simply sentimental.

The pier was recognized for both its role in Huntington Beach's development and its significance as an early reinforced-concrete marine structure.

The Pier We Know Today Opened in 1992

Reconstruction began in October 1990, and the Huntington Beach Pier officially reopened on July 18, 1992.

And Huntington Beach apparently knows how to celebrate a pier.

According to California State Lands Commission records, more than 500,000 people attended the rededication and grand reopening celebration.

The reconstructed pier was designed to better withstand the Pacific, sitting higher than its predecessor.

Today, the Huntington Beach Pier extends roughly 1,850 feet into the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the longest recreational piers on the West Coast.

My Favorite Thing to Do? Just Walk It.

For all that history, you don't need a reason to go to the Huntington Beach Pier.

That's part of what makes it special.

Grab a coffee Downtown.

Walk down Main Street.

Cross PCH.

Walk out onto the pier.

Watch the surfers.

Look back at the coastline.

See what's happening on the sand.

And if you're there at the right time, stay for sunset.

Selling Surf City Tip: Walk all the way to the end, but make sure you turn around and look back toward the city. The view of the Huntington Beach coastline from the water is one of my favorite perspectives of HB.

Watch My Huntington Beach Pier Video

I recently made a video at the Huntington Beach Pier because it's one of those places that captures exactly why I love living here.

You can watch it here:

Whether you're thinking about moving to Huntington Beach, planning a visit or you've lived here forever, the pier is one of those places that deserves a walk every once in a while.

Huntington Beach Pier: Quick Facts

Here are a few fun facts to remember the next time someone visits:

First wooden pier: early 1900s; City records commonly date the 1,000-foot version to 1904 Huntington Beach incorporated: 1909 Concrete pier dedicated: 1914 Original concrete-pier length: approximately 1,350 feet Pier extension: approximately 500 feet added around 1930 Long Beach earthquake damage: 1933 Tropical storm/hurricane destroyed the end: 1939 Reopened: 1940 Used by U.S. Navy for submarine watch: World War II Major storm damage: 1983 and 1988 Added to National Register of Historic Places: 1989 Reconstructed pier opened: July 18, 1992 More than 500,000 people attended the 1992 reopening celebration Today's length: roughly 1,850 feet Why the Huntington Beach Pier Still Matters

For me, the Huntington Beach Pier isn't just something to put on a list of things to do in Huntington Beach.

It's part of living here.

It's where generations have fished, surfed, walked, watched sunsets and gathered for some of the biggest moments in our city's history.

It's been destroyed, rebuilt, damaged and rebuilt again.

And more than a century after the first pier stretched into the Pacific, we're still walking out over the water from the same spot at the end of Main Street.

That's Surf City.

And that's exactly the kind of Huntington Beach history and lifestyle I want to share through Selling Surf City. 🌊