Flanked by the Pacific Ocean and South San Diego Bay, our town is nestled between miles of uncrowded beaches, big surf and unparalleled open space and wetlands teeming with wildlife. Because this town is one of the last untouched beach towns in Southern California, we are known as Classic Southern California®. There is much to see and do in Imperial Beach from swimming or surfing at the beach, to a walking tour of public art, to a nature walk and bird watching experience at the world-renowned Tijuana Estuary or to simply relax and enjoy our beautiful sunsets.
Imperial Beach, rich with natural resources, is looking toward ecotourism as a way to attract a steady stream of visitors interested in wildlife, migratory birds, coastal dunes, and a world- renowned estuary. The National Wildlife Refuges, a key stopover for migratory birds along the Pacific Coast, is the last haven for more endangered species than anywhere of similar size in the continental United States. The San Diego/South Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the Otay Valley Regional Park, and the Tijuana River Regional Park are currently planning walking and bike trails, interpretive signage, and overlooks to take advantage of the region’s unique wildlife assets. The Tijuana River, as it enters the Pacific Ocean, is an intertidal coastal estuary. The estuary - what is now the 2,531 acres of tidal wetlands known as the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve - is the largest salt-water marsh in Southern California with a visitor’s center that conducts daily walking tours.
Surfing is synonymous with the Imperial Beach lifestyle. Today’s surfers hit the waves either north or south of the landmark Pier located along Seacoast Drive. Just prior to World War II, a small number of pioneering California surfers began surfing south of Imperial Beach, off the mouth of the Tijuana River. They established the spot so solidly amongst Southern California surfers that after the war the Slough became the testing ground for most mainlanders going on to bigger surf in the Hawaiian Islands. Unquestionably, the Slough was home to the then-known biggest waves off the continental United States. The first person known to surf or bodysurf the Tijuana Slough was Allen “Dempsey” Holder. Surfing History can be found along the ten benches resembling surfboards popular through the decades are spread throughout the Pier Plaza, turning Pier Plaza into a true surfing museum without walls. Plaques placed next to each surfboard bench explain the historic role played by Imperial Beach in the development of big-wave surfing from the 1940s onward. Surfing remains a tradition among locals in Imperial Beach.
The City of Imperial Beach is a military town. Many families who moved here after World War II, when Ream Field and the Imperial Beach Radio Station offered lots of military and civilian employment liked it so much, that they stayed. In 1952 Ream Field became home for the first helicopter anti-submarine units to deploy from aboard an aircraft carrier. In 1968, at its pinnacle, Ream Field was NAS Imperial Beach with 3,400 military personnel and home to all West Coast Navy helicopter squadrons. It was the “Helicopter Capitol of the World”. They rescued downed pilots, many under combat conditions in Vietnam; and pioneered techniques to recover astronauts from the Mercury, Skylab, and Apollo space missions.
Learn more about this city.
City of Imperial Beach, CA official site
City of Imperial Beach, CA Chamber of Commerce
City of Imperial Beach, CA newspaper
County of Imperial Beach, CA official site
State of California official site