Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Monica State Beach is a California State Park operated by the city of Santa Monica. Our list goes on with SoFi Stadium, 10 mi away. Weather is mildest over January to December, with 64–76°F highs.
A beach inside Santa Monica
You can stay in Santa Monica
Santa Monica State Beach is inside Santa Monica, which has 57 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 64–76°. When to go ↓
An airport 7 miles away
Los Angeles (LAX) has airline service, about 7 miles from Santa Monica State Beach.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
How the seasons run
The months below show the weather around Santa Monica State Beach.
Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Monica State Beach is a California State Park operated by the city of Santa Monica.
The beach is located along Pacific Coast Highway. It is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long and has parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, restrooms, as well as staffed lifeguard stations, the Muscle Beach, bike rentals, concessions, a few hotels, a bike path, and wooden pathways for beachgoers with disabilities. Visitor activities include volleyball, surfing, stand up paddleboarding, and swimming. Smoking at the beach is prohibited.
- Type
- Beach
- Wikipedia readers
- 8K a year
Towns to stay in near Santa Monica State Beach
The nearest towns with places to stay are Santa Monica (57) and Los Angeles (841).
- 1SoFi Stadium
- 2Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 3Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
- 4Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- 5La Brea Tar Pits
- 6Hollywood Sign
- 7Intuit Dome
- 8Crypto.com Arena
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Santa Monica State Beach | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica | in town | — | 57 46 hotels · 6 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 3 campgrounds | 90,082 | $1,756K | D− |
| Los Angeles | 5 mi east | 10 min | 841 554 hotels · 169 motels · 39 inns & B&Bs · 17 lodges & cabins · 36 hostels · 17 campgrounds · 9 RV parks | 3,869,089 | $921K | D |
| Inglewood | 10 mi southeast | 15 min | 49 31 hotels · 13 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 hostels · 1 RV park | 101,662 | $793K | D |
| Beverly Hills | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 33 32 hotels · 1 campground | 30,764 | $2,000K | D |
| West Hollywood | 9 mi northeast | 15 min | 31 29 hotels · 2 motels | 34,231 | $925K | D− |
| Culver City | 6 mi east | 10 min | 17 9 hotels · 7 motels · 1 inn or B&B | 39,452 | $1,143K | D− |
| Long Beach | 25 mi southeast | 40 min | 125 77 hotels · 36 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 450,469 | $807K | D |
| Marina del Rey | 4 mi southeast | 5 min | 10 9 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 9,176 | $459K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Beyond Santa Monica State Beach
Other well-known places within 14 miles.
Big draw110 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw211 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw312 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw412 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw59 mi MuseumLa Brea Tar Pits
Big draw613 mi LandmarkHollywood Sign
Big draw710 mi Stadium & arenaIntuit Dome
Big draw814 mi Stadium & arenaCrypto.com ArenaPhoto credits
SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · La Brea Tar Pits: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Hollywood Sign: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Intuit Dome: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Crypto.com Arena: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Planning a visit to Santa Monica State Beach
Is Santa Monica State Beach in Santa Monica?
Yes. It’s inside Santa Monica, CA.
When is the best time to visit Santa Monica State Beach?
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December, with highs of 64–76°.
How far is Santa Monica State Beach from Santa Ana?
About 40 miles southeast of Santa Ana, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Santa Monica State Beach?
Los Angeles (LAX), about 7 miles away.
Where should I stay near Santa Monica State Beach?
Los Angeles (5 mi, 841 places to stay), Santa Monica (in town, 57 places to stay) and Inglewood (10 mi, 49 places to stay).
Word from Santa Monica
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Santa Monica’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.