What makes Capitola Village unique?

Capitola Village is California's oldest seaside resort, featuring iconic colorful Venetian-style buildings along the waterfront, a walkable downtown, and a charming small-town atmosphere while being minutes from Santa Cruz.

Is Capitola a good place to live?

Capitola offers an excellent quality of life with beach access, walkable amenities, a strong sense of community, and a central location between Santa Cruz and Aptos.

Santa Cruz County

Capitola

California's oldest seaside resort town. Colorful Venetian-style buildings, a walkable village, and a beautiful beach. Small-town warmth with coastal charm.

Living in Capitola

Capitola feels like a postcard you get to live inside. Colorful seaside homes, oceanfront restaurants, sandy beaches, and streets you can actually walk. It's compact, charming, and full of personality. While Santa Cruz feels broader and Aptos feels more spacious, Capitola feels intimate. The beach, coffee, dinner, live music in the Village, all within reach. Small, but it makes a big impression.

What We Love

01 Historic Capitola Village
02 Capitola Beach and Esplanade
03 Walkable downtown shops and dining
04 Annual Begonia Festival
05 Close to both Santa Cruz and Aptos

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At a Glance

Bay Area Commute Time: 45-60 min
Median Home Price: $1.35M
Top-Rated School: 9/10
Days on Market: 22
Population: 10,200

Education

Schools in Capitola

Ratings for every public and private school, from GreatSchools and Niche.

Public

GreatSchools

Public schools in Capitola, rated by GreatSchools
School	GreatSchools rating
Soquel High High
Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary Elementary
New Brighton Middle Middle

Private

Niche

Private schools in Capitola, graded by Niche
School	Niche grade
Tara Redwood School Private · K-6
Twin Lakes Christian School Private · K-8

School guide for Capitola

Getting to Work

Commute from Capitola to the Bay Area

Rush-hour drive times on Highway 17 to Bay Area tech hubs.

Peak drive times from Capitola to Bay Area employers
Employers	Peak drive time
Netflix, Adobe, Zoom +5 more Los Gatos to San Jose, Santa Clara	40-60 min
Apple, Amazon, LinkedIn +2 more Cupertino to Menlo Park, Sunnyvale, Mountain View	45-65 min
Salesforce San Francisco	1h 43m

View detailed commute guides

24 notable spots

Around Capitola

Beaches, trails, markets, and places to eat, all within reach. Distances measured from Capitola Beach.

Beaches

New Brighton State Beach

0.9 mi, 5-min bike ride

Privates Beach 0.6 mi
Twin Lakes State Beach 2.6 mi
Rio Del Mar Beach 3 mi

Surf Spots

Pleasure Point

1.5 mi, 8-min bike ride

The Hook 4.7 mi
Cowell's 3.9 mi
Steamer Lane 4.3 mi

Parks & Trails

Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

5.4 mi, 13-min drive

Recreation

East Cliff Drive

1.6 mi, 8-min bike ride

Pasatiempo Golf Club 4.7 mi
Orangetheory Fitness 0.8 mi
Jade Street Park & Community Center 0.4 mi

Grocery & Markets

Nob Hill Foods

0.7 mi, 3-min bike ride

Shopping & Dining

Shadowbrook Restaurant

0.3 mi, 6-min walk

Gayle's Bakery 0.5 mi
Trestles 0.2 mi
Mr Toots Coffeehouse 0.1 mi

Common Questions

What buyers ask about Capitola

What makes Capitola Village unique?: Capitola Village is California's oldest seaside resort, featuring iconic colorful Venetian-style buildings along the waterfront, a walkable downtown, and a charming small-town atmosphere while being minutes from Santa Cruz.
Is Capitola a good place to live?: Capitola offers an excellent quality of life with beach access, walkable amenities, a strong sense of community, and a central location between Santa Cruz and Aptos.

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Everything we know about Capitola, organized by what matters to you.

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