Stand at the Turnaround at the west end of Broadway, where the street meets the sand, and you are looking at the heart of Seaside. The bronze statue of Lewis and Clark marks the official end of their trail, the Pacific fills the horizon, and the Promenade runs off in both directions along the beach. Families have been coming to this exact spot for more than a century, and today many of them decide to stay. Seaside is the most active, family-oriented town on the North Oregon Coast, and it is home for the Rise Above Realty team.
Here is our local guide to Seaside: what makes it special, what daily life looks like, and what buyers and sellers should know before they make a move.
Where Seaside Is
Seaside sits on Highway 101 in Clatsop County, about 80 miles and an hour and a half from Portland by way of Highway 26 through the Coast Range. Gearhart is next door to the north, Cannon Beach is ten minutes south past Tillamook Head, and Astoria and Warrenton are about twenty minutes north. With roughly 7,000 year-round residents, it is the second-largest city on the North Coast and the retail and service hub for the south end of the county, with a hospital, a civic and convention center, a full-size grocery and outlet shopping, and the rural communities of Jewell and Hamlet in the hills to the east.
The Turnaround and the Prom
The Turnaround is Seaside's town square. Broadway ends in a circle at the beach, and everything radiates from it: the arcades and saltwater taffy shops, the carousel, restaurants, the Seaside Aquarium a few blocks north, and the beach itself, wide and flat and safe for sandcastles, kites, and long walks.
Running north and south from the Turnaround is the Promenade, or simply the Prom, a paved 1.5-mile walkway built in 1920 that follows the beach between the dunes and the oceanfront homes. It is where Seaside walks its dogs, pushes its strollers, rides its bikes, and watches the sunset. Homes on or near the Prom are some of the most sought-after property on the coast, and for good reason.
A Town That Shows Up
Seaside has a community calendar that runs all year, and the whole town takes part. Some of the highlights:
- Fourth of July. One of the largest fireworks shows on the Oregon Coast, launched right off the beach, with a parade and a full day of celebration downtown.
- Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament in early August, the largest beach volleyball tournament in the country, with hundreds of courts on the sand and thousands of players and spectators.
- Hood to Coast Relay in late August, when the world's largest relay race finishes on the beach at Seaside and the town becomes one giant finish-line party.
- Wheels and Waves Car Show in early September, with classic cars lining the Prom and the Turnaround.
- Seaside Kite Festival in mid-August, the Summer's End Music Festival in late September, and the Downtown Fall Wine Walk in November.
- Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting in late November to open the holiday season, along with the Holiday Gift Fair.
- Whale Watching Week each spring, the First Saturday Art Walk every month, and monthly community beach cleanups.
The Seaside Chamber of Commerce and Seaside Visitors Bureau keep a current calendar at seasideor.com/events, and the Seaside Civic and Convention Center hosts conferences, shows, and tournaments year-round.
Family Life in Seaside
Seaside is a real town, not just a resort. Kids grow up here, and the community invests in them. The Seaside School District opened a brand-new campus in 2020 on the hills east of town, with a new high school, middle school, and elementary school built together on high ground outside the tsunami zone. It is one of the newest school campuses on the entire Oregon Coast, and it says a lot about how this community thinks about its future.
Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District runs the pool, the youth sports leagues, and the after-school and summer programs. Providence Seaside Hospital is in town, along with the library, the Seaside Museum and Historical Society, and Broadway Park along the Necanicum River. Neighbors know each other, the school gym is full on game nights, and the same families you see at the Fourth of July parade are the ones running the beach cleanup in October. That community spirit is a big part of why people who came for a weekend end up buying a home.
The outdoors are right there: the beach and the Prom, of course, but also the Tillamook Head trail to Ecola State Park, Saddle Mountain to the east, salmon and steelhead in the Necanicum, crabbing and clamming, surfing at the Cove, and golf at Seaside Golf Course and next door in Gearhart.
What to Know About Seaside Real Estate
- Variety of neighborhoods. Seaside has oceanfront and Prom homes, classic beach cottages in the blocks between the beach and Highway 101, riverfront homes along the Necanicum, family neighborhoods on the hills east of town near the new schools, condominiums downtown, and manufactured-home communities. There is a wider range of price points here than in most coastal towns.
- Full-time and second-home markets both. Because Seaside has jobs, schools, and a hospital, it supports a steady year-round housing market alongside vacation buyers, which tends to make values more resilient than in purely seasonal towns.
- Tsunami zone and flood zones matter. Much of the flat part of town near the beach and river is in the mapped tsunami inundation zone and some areas are in FEMA flood zones. This is a normal part of buying here, but it affects insurance, financing, and building, and you want a broker who knows how to read the maps.
- Zoning and the city code. What you can build, add, or operate on a property depends on its zone. The City of Seaside's Planning Department page and its Zoning Ordinance are the current sources. The city is also updating its comprehensive plan, which will shape growth for decades.
- Short-term rentals are regulated. Seaside allows vacation rentals in certain zones with a city permit, inspections, and specific rules on occupancy and parking. These rules change from time to time, so check the City of Seaside's Short-Term Rental information page for the current requirements before you count on rental income.
- Sellers benefit from the crowds. Seaside draws visitors from Portland, Seattle, and beyond every weekend of the year, and many of them are quietly shopping for a home. A well-prepared, well-marketed listing in Seaside gets seen.
How Rise Above Realty Can Help
Seaside is our home base. We live and work here, and we know every neighborhood from the Prom to the hills. Whether you are looking for a beach cottage, a family home near the new schools, a riverfront property, or the right time to sell, we will guide you through it with care and straight answers.
Explore current Seaside listings, request a free home valuation, or contact us to talk with a broker who calls Seaside home.
