To the northwest, just across the border with Los Angeles County, lies the city of Long Beach and the adjacent San Pedro Bay.

A majority of the city's acreage is devoted to the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach military base.

[11] The Tongva village of Motuucheyngna was located in what is now Seal Beach in the area of the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

It was part of the greater area of Puvungna, which was a major ceremonial and regional trading center for the Tongva and Acjachemen.

[12][13] In 2003, a burial site of the village was disturbed in a 196-acre (79 ha) Seal Beach residential development, Hellman Ranch, that was met with opposition from the Tongva.

[15] For a few years Anaheim Landing came close to rivaling San Pedro for its volume of shipping, but the arrival of the railroad in Anaheim in 1875 made it easier to ship product via the rails than by hauling a wagon overland across 12 miles (19 km) of soft soil to the Landing.

The beaches and surrounding rolling Anaheim Landing had by this time become popular as a getaway from hot summer days.

[16] In 1913, Stanton optioned the land to real estate promoter Guy M. Rush, who invested in building a renovated pier with pavilions on either side.

[16] It achieved some brief popularity, but the US entry into World War I and the resulting restrictions on rubber and metal dramatically impacted the amusement area.

But circa 1941, with significant pressure being put on the gamblers by State Attorney General Earl Warren, most of the Seal Beach gambling and ships ended.

With closure of the Concord Naval Weapons Station in Northern California, it has become the primary source of munitions for a majority of the United States Pacific Fleet.

[18] The arrival of the Navy catalyzed a growth in population which eventually succeeded in shutting down Robertson's gambling operations.

Newspaper advertisements showing surfers were part of Guy M. Rush's "Seal Beach" campaign of 1913.

But its popularity really took off after the war with the arrival of legendary surfer Blackie August, who taught many of the local kids how to surf.

August's son, Robert, was one of the pair of surfers featured in the classic surf film, Endless Summer.

During 2009–2013, Seal Beach had a median household income of $51,242, with 9.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Its facility was originally built to manufacture the second stage of the Saturn V rocket for NASA's Apollo crewed space flight missions to the Moon and for the Skylab program.

The Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce sponsors many events, including: a Classic Car Show in April, a Summer Concert series once every week in July and August, the Christmas Parade in December along with Santa and the Reindeer.

The label was founded by Matt Embree, lead vocalist and guitarist in the Seal Beach-based progressive rock/post-hardcore band RX Bandits.

Going north into Long Beach a rider could then take the Red Cars through much of Los Angeles County.

Seal Beach is also home to the Bay Theatre, which was a popular venue for independent film and revival screenings.

Three endangered species, the Ridgway's light-footed rail, the California least tern, and the Belding's Savannah sparrow, can be found nesting in the refuge.

With the loss and degradation of coastal wetlands in California, the remaining habitat, including the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach and Upper Newport Bay in Newport Beach, has become much more important for migrating and wintering shorebirds, waterfowl, and seabirds.

Although the refuge is a great place for birdwatching, because it is part of the weapons station, access is limited and usually restricted to once-a-month tours.

The pier has periodically suffered severe damage due to storms and other mishaps, requiring extensive reconstruction.

Another plaque honors the individuals, businesses, and groups who helped rebuild the pier after a storm on March 2, 1983, tore away several sections.

Surfing locations in Seal Beach include the Seal Beach pier and the river-"Stingray Bay" (or Ray Bay—the surfer's nickname for the mouth of the San Gabriel River—the stingrays are attracted by the heated water from several upstream powerplants).

Classic longboard builders in the area include Harbour Surfboards, established in 1959, in Seal Beach.