What It's Like to Live Cannon Beach

Living in Cannon Beach is genuinely unlike anywhere else on the Oregon Coast. The town has no chain restaurants, not one. Every business along Hemlock Street is locally owned, from the wine shop to the hardware store, which doubles as a pub and has become something of a community institution. Neighbors know each other. The same faces show up at the farmers market on Tuesday mornings, at the Coaster Theatre on weekend evenings, and at the beach at low tide when the tide pools appear.

It's walkable in a way that most Oregon Coast towns aren't. You can leave your car parked for days without needing it. The beach is a few minutes on foot from anywhere in town, and so is dinner, coffee, or a gallery opening. Summer brings more visitors than some residents would prefer, but even then, the town manages to feel like itself, unhurried, art-forward, genuinely beautiful.

The cost of living is high by Oregon standards. That's part of the trade-off. What you're getting in return is a place that's been fiercely protective of its character for decades and shows no signs of letting go of it.

 

 

• Haystack Rock — The 235-foot sea stack rising from the surf is Cannon Beach's defining landmark and a marine sanctuary. At low tide the tide pools at its base fill with sea stars, anemones, and hermit crabs. Staff from the Haystack Rock Awareness Program are on the beach during summer to answer questions. Tufted puffins nest on the rock seasonally and are worth the binoculars.
• Ecola State Park — Just north of town, this is one of the crown jewels of the Oregon Coast. Trails wind through old-growth Sitka spruce to dramatic headland viewpoints, and on clear days the views stretch for miles in both directions. Indian Beach inside the park is a popular surf spot and one of the more scenic beaches in the state.
• Hemlock Street — The main street through downtown is worth a slow afternoon. There are galleries, bookshops, clothing boutiques, and places to eat that hold their own against anything in Portland. Bruce's Candy Kitchen has been pulling saltwater taffy here since 1963.
• The Arts Scene — Cannon Beach has a genuinely active arts community for a town its size. The annual Sandcastle Contest in June draws competitors and spectators from across the Pacific Northwest. The Stormy Weather Arts Festival in November turns the slower shoulder season into a celebration. The Coaster Theatre Playhouse runs live performances year-round.
• Whale Watching — Gray whales migrate along the coast in winter and spring. Ecola State Park's headland viewpoints are some of the best land-based whale watching spots on the Oregon Coast.

 

Cannon Beach is one of the most sought-after markets on the North Oregon Coast, and inventory reflects that. Homes here are limited and move when they come up. The range spans updated beach cottages to architecturally significant custom homes, with the north end of town near Ecola State Park and the southern Tolovana Park neighborhood both drawing consistent interest from buyers looking for something more private.

Second-home and vacation rental buyers are drawn here for obvious reasons; the demand from visitors is steady year-round, not just in summer. But Cannon Beach also has a strong full-time residential community, and many of its homeowners have no intention of leaving.

 

 

 

Cannon Beach has some of the most restrictive short-term rental regulations on the Oregon Coast, reflecting the community's long-standing commitment to preserving its residential character. The city has regulated STRs since the 1980s and currently offers two types of permits. A small number of legacy "Unlimited" permits exist from decades past, allowing year-round rentals. The city stopped issuing new ones long ago, and these expire when the current holder sells or doesn't renew. The primary permit now available is the 14-Day Permit, which allows property owners in RVL, RL, R1, R2, R3, MP, or RAM zones to rent their home for up to 14 nights per calendar year, provided they don't already hold an STR permit. Short-term rentals are not permitted in accessory dwelling units. The city actively enforces compliance and tracks all rental nights via required reporting. It's also worth noting that as of early 2026, the City is actively studying a potential cap on the total number of STRs permitted, so regulations may tighten further. For the most current information, visit the City of Cannon Beach's website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cannon Beach is a tsunami ready city with a community warning system, dedicated evacuation routes, assembly locations and an emergency cache container program that is open to the public. Click here for more information.