Predictions updated
California tides today
Eleven gauges spread over some 800 miles of Pacific shore, from San Diego Bay to the Oregon line.
Shaded: night. Green bands: solunar periods (thick = major, thin = minor). Heights in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of NOAA charts.
San Diego, CA · Tuesday, October 13
Tide falling, 2.5 ft now
Low 5:48 PM
0.3 ft · in 3 h 7 min
| Low | 4:18 AM | 2.2 ft |
| High | 10:37 AM | 6.1 ft |
| Low | 5:48 PM | 0.3 ft |
Tide coefficient 104 (average), range 5.9 ft
Sunrise 6:51 AM · sunset 6:18 PM
Waxing crescent, 10% lit · fishing day ★★☆☆
Solunar: major 1:34 AM–3:34 AM, minor 9:26 AM–10:26 AM, major 1:59 PM–3:59 PM, minor 7:27 PM–8:27 PM
San Diego tide table, next 7 days
| Day | High tides | Low tides | Coef. | Sun | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:37 AM 6.1 ft | 4:18 AM 2.2 ft · 5:48 PM 0.3 ft | 104 | 6:51 AM–6:18 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:06 AM 3.8 ft · 11:01 AM 5.8 ft | 4:35 AM 2.6 ft · 6:35 PM 0.6 ft | 93 | 6:52 AM–6:17 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 1:09 AM 3.4 ft · 11:28 AM 5.5 ft | 4:44 AM 2.9 ft · 7:33 PM 1.0 ft | 80 | 6:53 AM–6:15 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:03 PM 5.0 ft | 8:53 PM 1.2 ft | 68 | 6:54 AM–6:14 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 1:14 PM 4.6 ft | 10:26 PM 1.2 ft | 61 | 6:54 AM–6:13 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 7:17 AM 3.9 ft · 3:26 PM 4.4 ft | 9:39 AM 3.8 ft · 11:29 PM 1.0 ft | 60 | 6:55 AM–6:12 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 6:56 AM 4.2 ft · 4:59 PM 4.5 ft | 11:33 AM 3.4 ft | 21 | 6:56 AM–6:11 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ |
Station SAN DIEGO (Broadway) (NOAA 9410170). Predicted astronomical tide: wind, river flow and storms can move the real water by a foot or more. 5.6 ft is the average daily range here.
Published by Radif Partners · How the tides are computed · predictions downloaded October 13, 2026
5.2 ft at Santa Cruz and 6.9 ft at Crescent City bracket the average daily tide across the 11 California stations on this site. Most of the coast sits in a narrow band: 5.6 ft at San Diego, 5.8 ft at the Golden Gate, with the range climbing only on the far north coast. The tide is mixed everywhere, two highs and two lows of unequal size each day: a higher high and a lower low come once a day, and the other pair is weaker. That inequality is what produces California's minus tides, lows below the chart datum that bare reefs and rock benches, in winter afternoons and again in late spring and early summer mornings. Inside the bays the picture shifts. San Diego Bay and the Los Angeles harbors follow the open coast closely, while San Francisco Bay delays the tide and changes its size from one shore to the next. Pick a station in the tool above for today's curve, or open its page for seven days, extremes and a planner.
California tide stations on this site
| Station page | NOAA station | Tide type | Average range | Highest predicted | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | SAN DIEGO (Broadway) | mixed | 5.6 ft | 7.6 ft · December 24, 2026 | -2.0 ft |
| La Jolla | La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf) | mixed | 5.3 ft | 7.2 ft · August 1, 2027 | -1.9 ft |
| Newport Beach | Balboa Pier, Newport Beach | mixed | 5.3 ft | 7.0 ft · December 24, 2026 | -1.9 ft |
| Long Beach | Long Beach, Terminal Island | mixed | 5.6 ft | 7.4 ft · December 24, 2026 | -2.0 ft |
| Santa Monica | Santa Monica, Municipal Pier | mixed | 5.4 ft | 7.3 ft · August 1, 2027 | -1.9 ft |
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | mixed | 5.4 ft | 7.2 ft · December 24, 2026 | -2.0 ft |
| Monterey | MONTEREY, MONTEREY BAY | mixed | 5.3 ft | 7.0 ft · December 24, 2026 | -1.8 ft |
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay | mixed | 5.2 ft | 6.8 ft · December 24, 2026 | -1.8 ft |
| Half Moon Bay | Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay | mixed | 5.6 ft | 7.2 ft · December 24, 2026 | -1.9 ft |
| San Francisco | SAN FRANCISCO (Golden Gate) | mixed | 5.8 ft | 7.2 ft · December 24, 2026 | -1.8 ft |
| Crescent City | CRESCENT CITY | mixed | 6.9 ft | 8.8 ft · December 24, 2026 | -2.2 ft |
Higher high, lower low
A California tide chart rarely shows two matching cycles. One high stands well above the other, and one low drops much deeper, so the day has a big swing and a small one. Near the solstices the gap widens and the lower low sinks below zero. The deepest predicted low on this site's California gauges is -2.2 ft at Crescent City, on June 6, 2027. Over the year the timing of those lows moves. In December and January they come in the afternoon or evening, often near sunset. From about April to July they slide into the early morning, when daylight arrives early enough for a long walk on bare reef before breakfast. That spring and summer window is the classic tide pool season from La Jolla to the Mendocino coast. The negative low tide guide lists the deepest days.
A coast of open bays and one great estuary
Most California bays are open to the sea, and their tide differs little from the beach outside. Santa Monica Bay, the long curve of Monterey Bay and San Pedro Bay at Long Beach all follow the coast within minutes. The enclosed harbors, San Diego Bay, Mission Bay and Newport Bay, fill through narrow entrances but stay close to their reference. San Francisco Bay is different. The tide pours through the Golden Gate, then splits. Toward the south bay it grows taller as the basin narrows and shallows, while to the north, through San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait into the delta, it arrives later and smaller. A single bay can span several hours of timing and feet of range.
The north coast and its bigger swing
North of Cape Mendocino the Pacific tide keeps growing on its way toward Oregon and Washington. Crescent City averages 6.9 ft on a typical day and reaches 9.0 ft on spring tides, the largest swing in the state. That coast is also the one where heavy winter swell matters most. Large surges can run far up a beach that looked dry minutes before, so the tide table is only half of the picture. The National Weather Service's rip current advice applies on every open beach.
King tides along the shore
The year's highest predicted water in California falls in December and January, close to the winter solstice and the Earth's nearest approach to the sun, which add to the pull of the spring tides. Low seawalls, beach parking lots and the edges of bay wetlands can flood on calm days at those times. The king tides guide shows the dates for each station, and the low tide beach planner finds the daylight hours with the water below your chosen level.
Questions about these tides
When are the best minus tides in California for tide pooling?
From late spring into early summer, roughly April to July, the deepest lows of the month fall in the early morning, after sunrise. Winter also brings strong minus tides, but they come in the afternoon or evening, often close to dark. Check a station near the reef you plan to visit, because the depth and time change a little along the coast.
Why does California have two different high tides each day?
California has a mixed tide. The daily and twice-daily parts of the tide are both strong on the Pacific coast, so one high climbs much higher than the other and one low drops much lower. The gap is largest around the solstices, when the lower low can fall below the chart datum and the higher high reaches its peak.
Is the tide the same everywhere in San Francisco Bay, California?
No. The tide enters at the Golden Gate and then changes as it spreads. In the south bay the range grows larger than at the Gate, and high water comes later. Toward San Pablo Bay and the delta it arrives later still and shrinks. Use a station near your shore, because a few miles can shift the time by an hour or more.
Where is the biggest tide in California?
On the far north coast. Crescent City, near the Oregon line, has the largest average range among the California stations on this site, close to seven feet on a typical day and around nine on spring tides. From Monterey to San Diego the average day runs a little over five feet, and the south San Francisco Bay also exceeds the open coast.
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Where the figures come from
Published by Radif Partners
Publisher of tide charts, solunar fishing times and beach and boat-ramp planners for US coastal stations
Predictions updated · Editorial policy · Contact
Predictions, not measurements: the times and heights are NOAA’s astronomical tide for the station named on the page. An onshore wind, a storm surge or a river in flood can raise the water well above them, and an offshore wind can hold it down. Never use this page to navigate.
Tide predictions 2026, downloaded from the National Ocean Service on