Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census estimate, the city population was 202,566; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population. Named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington, it is known for its long 8.5-mile beach, mild climate, and excellent surfing. The waves are a unique natural effect caused by edge-diffraction of ocean swells by the island of Catalina, and waves from distant hurricanes.
Huntington Beach (locally initialized "HB"), swells generated predominantly from the North Pacific in winter and from a combination of Southern Hemisphere storms and hurricanes in the summer focus on Huntington Beach, creating consistent surf all year long, hence the nickname "Surf City".