Seaside is a vacation destination dating back to the 1870s and is Oregon’s first seashore resort community. Seaside has maintained its legacy as one of the most popular year-round family destinations on the Coast. Spanning the Necanicum River, Seaside’s Broadway Street features unique restaurants, pubs, and cafes and ends at the Lewis and Clark Turnaround, and the beachfront Promenade. Down on the beach, tourists and locals alike enjoy kayaking, hiking, razor clamming, and kite flying. Seaside hosts an annual 4th of July celebration, including a parade, carnival, and beach fireworks that bring visitors from all over the country.

 

What It's Like to Live Here

Seaside has a population of just over 7,000, which puts it in a sweet spot, big enough to have everything you need day to day, small enough that you start recognizing faces pretty quickly. There are grocery stores, a hospital, good schools with small class sizes, coffee shops, and a downtown stretch along Broadway that gives you plenty to wander through on a slow afternoon.

The commute to Portland runs about 90 minutes via Highway 26, which makes Seaside a realistic option for people who want coastal life without completely disconnecting from the city. A lot of residents make that trade, especially remote workers and retirees and find the drive worth it every time they pull into town and see the water.

The beach here is wide and flat and runs for miles. It's the kind of beach you can actually use, walking, volleyball, kite flying, bonfires, not just look at. The Promenade runs along the waterfront for about two miles and is the social backbone of the town. On any given morning, you'll find joggers, dog walkers, families, and locals who've been doing their daily loop for twenty years.

 

Things to Do and See in Seaside

The Promenade & The Turnaround — The Prom is where Seaside life happens. The two-mile oceanfront walkway ends at the Turnaround, the historic endpoint of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, marked by a bronze statue that locals mostly use as a meeting spot. It's a good place to get your bearings when you first arrive.

Seaside Aquarium — One of the oldest aquariums on the West Coast and genuinely worth a visit. It's small and unpretentious, right on the boardwalk, and the seals are the main event. You can buy fish and feed them yourself, which is either charming or chaotic depending on how many kids are involved.

Tillamook Head Trail — A serious hike that starts just south of town and climbs through old-growth forest to dramatic headland views over the Pacific. On clear days you can see all the way to Tillamook Rock Lighthouse sitting offshore. It's one of the better hikes in the region and most visitors don't bother, which means the trail stays quiet.

Broadway Street — The main commercial drag, lined with shops, restaurants, candy stores, and the kind of old-school arcade energy that feels more nostalgic than touristy. Pig 'N Pancake has been here since 1961 and still draws a line on weekend mornings.

Local Events — Seaside has a full calendar year-round. The Jazz Festival in February, the Muscle & Chrome Car Show in June, the Beach Volleyball Tournament in August, and a summer farmers market with live music weekly. The Hood to Coast relay race ends here every August, bringing thousands of runners and a real party atmosphere into town for the weekend.

Whale Watching — Late March brings the gray whale migration through the area. Several local outfitters run tours, and on good days you can spot them from shore along the Prom.

 

Seaside Real Estate Market

Seaside offers more variety in its real estate market than almost anywhere else on the North Oregon Coast. You'll find everything from modest starter homes and updated beach bungalows to oceanfront properties along the Prom and larger homes near the Necanicum River. It's also one of the more accessible markets on the coast price-wise, which draws a mix of first-time buyers, families relocating from Portland, and investors looking for vacation rental income.

The short-term rental market here is strong. Seaside draws visitors year-round, not just in summer, which gives rental properties a longer earning season than more seasonal spots down the coast.

 

 

The City of Seaside regulates short-term rentals (STRs, rentals less than 30 days) through a business license permit process under Ordinance 2024-04. STRs are generally permitted for properties west of US-101, subject to saturation limits and landscaping requirements, though not all properties will qualify. Requirements include a minimum of two off-street parking spaces, occupancy limits based on the number of bedrooms, and a designated local contact residing in Clatsop County. Not all homes in Seaside will qualify. For the most current information, visit the City of Seaside website.

 

 

 

Seaside sits on mostly flat land along the Oregon Coast between Tillamook Head to the south, and Gearhart beaches to the north.  Residents experience partly cloudy, comfortable summers and cold, wet winters. Over the course of the year, Seaside sees approximately 91 inches of rain and 128 days of sun. The temperature in the city usually ranges between 38 F and 67 F. Based on the weather conditions, the best time to visit Seaside for tourism and other outdoor activities is between early July and early September.

 

 

 

The city of Seaside is one of the coastal communities actively at work to be tsunami-prepared. It has several mitigation plans that extend city- and statewide. The City of Seaside has dedicated evacuation routes, sirens, and a Tsunami Supply Barrel Program. For more information about tsunami readiness, please click here.