Pacific Coast Highway Stops
Pacific Coast Highway stops include big city vacation destinations like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and smaller places like Monterey.
For the basic information about driving the highway,
take a look at our main driving page.
Pacific Coast Highway stops range from remote beaches and pretty little towns to the big city vacation destinations of Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. You might want to choose one of these airports as your gateway to make a fly-drive holiday along the west coast, taking in as much of Washington, Oregon, and California as time allows.
But if you want to avoid big city traffic and busy places, don't worry. There are lots of beautiful small towns where you can make overnight stays. You could spend every night of your west coast vacation watching the sun set in the Pacific Ocean, and drive quickly by the big cities without stopping.
Here are links to further information for some of the main stops along the Pacific Coast Highway, in alphabetical order with Washington first, then Oregon, and finally California. Unless otherwise indicated, the link takes you to our own page about the place.
Pacific Coast Highway Stops in Washington
Forks
Hoquiam:
City of Hoquiam Official Website
Long Beach Peninsula
Olympic National Park
Port Angeles
Port Townsend
Seattle
Sequim
Westport
Pacific Coast Highway Stops in Oregon
Astoria
Bandon
Brookings
Cannon Beach
Coos Bay/North Bend/Charleston:
Oregon's Adventure Coast
Depoe Bay
Florence
Gold Beach
Lincoln City:
Lincoln City Official Website
Newport:
Newport Official City Website
Pacific City:
Pacific City Chamber of Commerce
Port Orford:
Port Orford Visitor Center
Reedsport/Winchester Bay:
Chamber of Commerce
Seaside:
Seaside Visitors' Bureau
Tillamook
Yachats:
Yachats Chamber of Commerce
Pacific Coast Highway Stops in California
Balboa Island:
Official Balboa Island website
Big Sur
Bixby Bridge
Bodega Bay
Cambria
Carlsbad
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Coronado:
City of Coronado Official Website
Crescent City
Dana Point
Del Mar:
Official City of Del Mar Visitors Website
Encinitas
Eureka:
City of Eureka Official Website
Fort Bragg:
Official Fort Bragg City Website
Half Moon Bay:
City of Half Moon Bay Official Website
Hearst Castle
Huntington Beach
Laguna Beach
La Jolla
Long Beach:
Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Los Angeles
Malibu
Mendocino
Monterey
Morro Bay
Newport Beach
Oceanside
Pacific Grove
Pismo Beach
Point Reyes National Seashore
San Clemente
San Diego
San Francisco
San Luis Obispo
San Simeon
Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz
Santa Monica
Ventura
Other driving pages
Driving from San Francisco to San Diego has two main options, the fast way on I-5 or the scenic route along the Pacific Coast Highway.
When to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway depends on whether you want to drive in Oregon and Washington as well as California, and on the weather.
One of the best guides to West Coast RV Parks, covering campgrounds in California, Oregon, and Washington, is West Coast RV Camping from Moon Guides.
Here are links to the different ways you can go along the Pacific Coast Highway, one of the most popular drives in the world but you can also cycle it.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel takes the 17-Mile Drive from Carmel to Pacific Grove and Monterey, stopping to see the Lone Cypress and beautiful coastline views.
Historic Route 66 winds from Chicago to LA, going through Los Angeles, meeting the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, California, at the Santa Monica Pier.
Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.
The Pacific Coast Highway in California book shows in historic photos the building of the Pacific Coast Highway from its earliest beginnings in 1911.
Pacific Coast Highway driving tips for this great American road trip include finding cheap gas, watching the speed limits, and allowing plenty of travel time.
Drive times and distances on the Pacific Coast Highway or the quickest routes from Seattle to San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego.
Road maps of the Pacific Coast Highway or PCH are essential for anyone planning to drive the trip, and detailed routes are available for free.
Pacific Coast Highway travel offers advice on driving from LA to Hearst Castle, including distance, journey time, and route.
Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway is made easier with Road Trip USA by Jamie Jensen, a good handbook for the west coast drive.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in two days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in three days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in four days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in five days, including the best places to stay over, and the best things to do and see.
Here are the basic facts if you plan to drive the Pacific Coast Highway, including which is the best direction and when is the best time to go driving.
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
If visiting California and planning to drive the Pacific Coast Highway it's important to know California driving laws in case they differ from your own state.
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