Welcome to Oceanside, CA

Oceanside is a city on the South Coast of California, located in San Diego County. The city had a population of 167,086 at the 2010 census. The city is a popular tourist destination, owing to its historic landmarks, beaches, and architecture.

Oceanside’s origins date to 1798, when the Spanish founded the village of San Luis Rey with the establishment of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia by Fermín de Lasuén. During the Spanish period, Mission San Luis Rey grew to be the largest of all the Californian missions, but following the Mexican secularization act of 1833 the mission and its community declined. Following the U.S. conquest of California, the former mission lands were developed into an oceanfront resort and the community’s name gradually changed to Oceanside. Oceanside is home to a harbor which contains a lighthouse, several shops and restaurants, the Oceanside Sign, and hundreds of boats.

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Online Nautical Chart for Oceanside, CA

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Coastal News Updates See All

A researcher in a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter first spotted the entangled humpback anchored to the bottom about 20 miles off the Oregon Coast. The whale’s white pectoral flipper extends underwater to the lower left, while white baleen outlines its open lower jaw at bottom right. The entanglement left the whale’s mouth stretched permanently open, making it unable to feed. Photo collected in partnership with Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute and Cascadia Research Collective.

Fishing Vessel Joins Trained Team to Free Injured Humpback Whale 20 Miles off Oregon Coast

8/16/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. An Oregon team joined by experts from Washington and a local fisherman freed a severely entangled humpback whale about 20 miles off the Oregon Coast on July 26. While the team removed all of the gear from the whale, the entanglement left the young whale’s jaw permanently… SEE MORE

NOAA's GOES West satellite captured this image of three tropical cyclones — Hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve and Typhoon Dolphin — swirling simultaneously in the Pacific Ocean. The image was taken on Tuesday, July 27, at 3:30 PM PDT/ 22:30 UTC. None of the three tropical cyclones made landfall in the United States. Fausto contributed to high surf conditions in Hawaii, and Genevieve also brought high surf to southern California. Typhoon Dolphin continued its track west toward Asia. (Image credit: NOAA Satellites)

Pacific Hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve actually had origins near Africa

8/13/2026

By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. It may be surprising, but two of the hurricanes that swirled in the Pacific last week began their journeys thousands of miles away off the western coast of Africa. Both Hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve developed from tropical waves, which are areas of disturbed weather that rolled off… SEE MORE

Pacific capelin with unknown maturity. Scientists make microscopic observations to determine if capelin spawn only once or if they are capable of spawning over multiple years. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Scientists Discover Repeat Spawning in Pacific Capelin

8/12/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. For certain fish species, like Pacific salmon, reproduction is a once-in-a-lifetime event, known as semelparity. Many other fish are iteroparous—meaning they can spawn repeatedly throughout their lives. New research by NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center reveals the first evidence that Pacific capelin can be repeat spawners. Over the past decade,… SEE MORE

Photo Credits

Oceanside, CA. Westjones, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons