# What is the best beach city in the United States?

> Cold water on one coast, bathwater on the other, and a whole country arguing about which sand is worth the drive.

*By YPB Team · Published August 10, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-beach-city-in-the-united-states*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Los Angeles**
   Seventy-five miles of coastline, from Venice Beach to Malibu's surf breaks.
2. **Miami**
   South Beach's art-deco strip and warm Atlantic water all year.
3. **Honolulu**
   Waikiki's calm surf and Diamond Head rising behind the sand.
4. **San Diego**
   La Jolla coves, Coronado's wide sand and the most forgiving weather on the coast.
5. **Santa Barbara**
   Palm-lined city beaches under the Santa Ynez Mountains.
6. **Charleston**
   Historic streets a short drive from Folly Beach and Sullivan's Island.
7. **Virginia Beach**
   A three-mile boardwalk and the longest pleasure beach on the East Coast.
8. **Myrtle Beach**
   Sixty miles of Grand Strand sand built for family holidays.
9. **Key West**
   The end of the Overseas Highway, where the Gulf meets the Atlantic.
10. **Malibu**
   Twenty-one miles of Pacific Coast Highway and the surf at Zuma.
11. **Santa Cruz**
   A wooden boardwalk, cold water and the birthplace of mainland surf culture.
12. **Newport Beach**
   Balboa Peninsula, the Wedge and Orange County's harbour town.
13. **Clearwater**
   Powder-white Gulf sand and the calmest swimming water in Florida.

Tags: usa, travel, cities, beaches