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.

If you want to get an idea of what to expect from the Oregon coast, take a look at the great images on the
Photograph Oregon website.

Also have a read of this blog of
Things to Do on the Oregon Coast
from our friends at Just Go Travel Studios.

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

San Clemente

San Diego

San Francisco

San Luis Obispo

San Simeon

Santa Barbara

Santa Cruz

Santa Monica

Ventura

Other driving pages

  • When to Drive 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.

  • West Coast RV Parks

    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.

  • Ways to Go

    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.

  • San Francisco to San Diego

    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.

  • The 17-Mile Drive between Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey

    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.

  • Route 66 Meets the Pacific Coast Highway

    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.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips: Lonely Planet Guidebook Review

    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 Road Trip Guide

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.

  • Pacific Coast Highway in California

    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

    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.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Drive Times and Distances

    Drive times and distances on the Pacific Coast Highway or the quickest routes from Seattle to San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego.

  • Maps of the Pacific Coast Highway: Free Driving Maps of the PCH

    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.

  • LA to Hearst Castle

    Pacific Coast Highway travel offers advice on driving from LA to Hearst Castle, including distance, journey time, and route.

  • Epic Drives of the World

    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

    Driving the Pacific Coast Highway is made easier with Road Trip USA by Jamie Jensen, a good handbook for the west coast drive.

  • Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Two Days

    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.

  • Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Three Days

    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.

  • Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Four Days

    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.

  • Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Five Days

    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.

  • Drive the Pacific Coast Highway

    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.

  • Coastal California Guidebook

    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.

  • California Driving Laws

    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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