California : Safety by City
- Alameda
- Alhambra
- Anaheim
- Bakersfield
- Barstow
- Berkeley
- Burbank
- Chino Hills
- Chula Vista
- Compton
- Concord
- Costa Mesa
- Daly City
- El Cajon
- El Monte
- Escondido
- Eureka
- Fairfield
- Fontana
- Fremont
- Fresno
- Fullerton
- Garden Grove
- Hawthorne
- Hayward
- Hemet
- Huntington Beach
- Indio
- Inglewood
- Irvine
- Lake Forest
- Lancaster
- Livermore
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Merced
- Milpitas
- Mission Viejo
- Modesto
- Moreno Valley
- Mountain View
- Newport Beach
- Norwalk
- Oakland
- Oceanside
- Oxnard
- Palm Springs
- Palmdale
- Pasadena
- Pomona
- Rancho Cucamonga
- Redding
- Redlands
- Redondo Beach
- Redwood City
- Rialto
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- Salinas
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- San Leandro
- San Luis Obispo
- San Mateo
- Santa Ana
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Clarita
- Santa Cruz
- Santa Monica
- Santa Rosa
- Simi Valley
- South Gate
- Stockton
- Sunnyvale
- Temecula
- Thousand Oaks
- Torrance
- Union City
- Vallejo
- Ventura
- Victorville
- West Covina
- Yreka
Redondo Beach, California, brings the best of beach life close to city life with a wide variety of activities and a unique pier you won’t find in many beachfront communities.
You can eat your way through the world on the Redondo Beach Boardwalk, with a special tip of the hat to a variety of Korean food.
Just glancing at a few pictures, I can smell the churritos in the air and the fresh seafood sizzling on a grill.
The city’s layout provides a distinct north and south section, with the southern section being beachfront, and the northern section being inland and closer to freeways.
Redondo Beach has just enough fun for singles to enjoy a trip here but isn’t wild enough to scare off family vacationers either.
You can bike along The Strand, which stretches to Santa Monica.
Maybe join a game, a beach volleyball or build a sandcastle beachside.
There are also a lot of rental activities on the water.
Art fans will love to stroll through the galleries and displays throughout the community.
Warnings & Dangers in Redondo Beach
OVERALL RISK: LOW
There's a low risk in Redondo Beach. The city has low crime rates and high amounts of safe fun. Its central location makes it a great place to safely rest your head at night to the sound of the ocean while still being able to explore the city dwellers among you.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
Beach Cities Transit (BCT) is the bus system to get around several nearby beach communities and Los Angeles International Airport. Cabs and rideshares are also available and riding a bike is a popular way to get around too. All rides come with low risk.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
Just five pickpockets or purse snatching were reported in 2020, with only $10 total being stolen. That shows people in this community are smart about not leaving their valuables lying around. You should follow suit and the numbers can keep staying that low.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
Not to create gloom over such a beautiful beach city, but tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, severe storms, and El Nino weather patterns are the big concerns here at Redondo Beach. While most days are going to be sunny and warm, these disasters can cause major damage, so that gives it a medium risk. The emergency management division of the city is well-prepared for the worst-case scenarios and has guides you can learn from as well.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
There's a low risk of being mugged here. The robbery rate is just below the national average. Car break-ins are more common than muggings.
TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
There's a medium risk just because Redondo Beach is part of a massive metropolitan area with a lot of tourist attractions, that unfortunately, also attract terrorists. Homeland security realizes this risk and has all kinds of safety steps in place to keep the community safe.
SCAMS RISK: LOW
There's a low risk of being scammed as none of the recent reports involve any scams against tourists. There was a woman accused of paying for Girl Scout cookies with fake $100 bills. That was very upsetting to me, but it shows how conniving some people can be, so don't ever trust anyone who hasn't earned the trust and if something seems too good to be true, walk away.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Women should be safe here, as long as they practice basic personal safety. Yes, it's a beach town, but it's also not the quaint areas like some of the Orange County beaches. There are a lot of people getting physically fit in this community, so just be careful who you share personal information with or how distracted you become when wearing earbuds or looking at your mobile device.
TAP WATER RISK: LOW
The 2020 Water Quality Report from Calwater shows the utility was in compliance with all tap water tested. The bigger concern is water conservation in this area due to an ongoing statewide drought. You should check for any water restrictions before you visit Redondo Beach.
Safest Places to Visit in Redondo Beach
The Redondo Beach Pier has gone through several iterations over the years, but is now what’s called an “endless pier.”
The design is more of a triangle than a straight pier going out over the way, so there’s no real beginning or end to the pier and it’s dotted with stores, restaurants, and tour guides.
The boardwalk nearby also has some dining options from several different countries and more shopping.
Eat your heart out here because you’ve got plenty of ways to burn those calories.
The Strand is a popular walking, jogging, and biking trail that goes through Hermosa and Manhatten beaches before turning around in Santa Monica.
At the Redondo Bay Marina, you can charter a boat, book a fishing excursion, rent a paddleboard, or just marvel at the boats in port.
I always get boat envy when I walk around marinas, then I think of the costs of the boat and maintenance, and realize I’m much better off with just charters until I become a billionaire.
While others get distracted by the beach, they might miss some of the finer points of visiting Redondo Beach.
Stop by Heritage Court for a stroll through a rose garden and a look at life back in the early 1900s.
Places to Avoid in Redondo Beach
The north side of Redondo Beach is mostly residential, and unless you are renting a home, you won’t find a hotel in this area.
Most hotels are located up and down the Pacific Coast Highway.
That’s not to say you should avoid the north section, it’s just not going to be full of a lot of activities.
The one bonus is, on this side of town, you’re closer to freeway access.
Crime maps show that most criminal activity happens along the beachfront to the far north and south.
That’s not surprising because it’s where the largest number of tourists can be found.
With a violent crime rate half the national average, there’s still not an area with impending doom, even if the statistics are higher in a particular area.
You want to avoid doing any ocean activity you aren’t trained to do.
Surfing looks easy if you’ve never done it before, but there are particular safety issues you’ll learn about during a surf lesson or two.
Do not jump or drop into the water beneath the pier and don’t swim there from the beach.
It’s off-limits to surfers.
Plus, people will be fishing off the pier and nothing ruins a vacation like a fish hook in the hand.
Safety Tips for Traveling to Redondo Beach
- You can fish off the Redondo Beach Pier without a fishing license, a rare break from the California law that requires saltwater licenses. If you want to fish on a charter, you’ll need a license which can easily be obtained from the California Department of Wildlife.
- Before you head out to boat, fish, or surf, check the tide schedule for the day. I lived in a beachfront community for years and you’d be surprised how important those tides are for so many different activities. You don’t want to learn the hard way as I did by being stuck on rocks in an inflatable kayak because I made the mistake of going out and the tide was going down.
- You can bike all you want on The Strand, but no bikes are allowed on the pier. Make sure to lock the bike before you walk onto the pier, as bikes are one of the most commonly stolen items here.
- Don’t start a fire on the beach, as it is illegal. You’ll risk a citation and getting banned from the beach.
- You can do free yoga every Wednesday at the Share Hotel Redondo Beach. It’s from 10 am – 11 am and a great way to get in a flow without paying for a pricey class at a yoga studio.
- The Police Department posts weekly detailed crime reports, which are a lot more descriptive than the numbers I can dig into from the official 2020 report to the FBI. This will also tell you about crime trends closer to the time you plan to visit.
- Sign up for emergency notifications through Alert South Bay. You can opt to get a text, phone call, or email when any emergencies arise from weather to crimes to civil issues.
- If you need to use an ATM in Redondo Beach, try to do it with a buddy and avoid doing it at night. Make the transaction as fast as you can and don’t count money in public. Ideally, you go into the bank to get cash to keep away from suspicious eyes trying to shoulder surf your PIN.
- Download the Access Redondo App and you’ll be able to make reports or complaints to the city. This is great for graffiti sightings. You can report it quickly without having to stay on the phone with the police.
- Don’t be surprised if there’s a little shaking of the ground while you visit. Small earthquakes are common throughout Southern California. Most times the shaking is so hardly noticeable that before you can ask “Is that an earthquake?”, it’s over. While people who live in SoCal are used to this, it can be scary for a tourist experiencing it for the first time.
So... How Safe Is Redondo Beach Really?
As far as Southern California cities go, it’s very safe.
As far as California beach towns go, it might be a little more dangerous, but not by much.
Redondo Beach is a community with a very lived-in look. It’s not pristine and prestigious.
It’s a city that isn’t afraid to show its wrinkles and celebrates its wear and tear, knowing all the fun that was lived along its hallowed boardwalks.
Your chances of being a victim of a theft is one in 78 and the victim of a robbery is one in 1325.
As I wrote this article I went through the weekly crime reports and ended up down a huge rabbit hole, but it’s always amazing to me how many people leave cars unlocked.
I don’t know what the weakness is in people who forget or don’t lock cars, but it’s not a hard endeavor to click a button.
If you’re going to be surfing or paddleboarding, make sure you find a place to lock up your personal belongings and don’t leave them in the car.
Hiding it under the seat is no good — thieves are smart enough to look there and they also know when a blanket is stretched out over the footspace that means there’s something to be taken.
How Does Redondo Beach Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Redondo Beach | 88 |
| Las Vegas | 62 |
| San Francisco | 61 |
| Philadelphia | 60 |
| Houston | 59 |
| Atlanta | 58 |
| St. Louis | 58 |
| Brussels (Belgium) | 60 |
| Shanghai (China) | 66 |
| Belize City (Belize) | 37 |
| La Paz (Bolivia) | 52 |
| Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 45 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
Useful Information
Visas
Once you've gotten your Visa approved at the airport or port of entry, you won't go through an additional process in Redondo Beach. You will need an ID to rent boats, get a fishing license, or drink alcohol.
Currency
You'll use the U.S. Dollar here. We talked earlier about safely using ATMs, but honestly, you don't need cash here as everything can be paid for by credit card or with mobile payments on a smartphone or smartwatch.
Weather
There's not a big difference between winter and summer here as far as temperatures go. The coldest day will have 67°(F) as a high and 47°(F) as a low and the warmest day will see a high of 79°(F) and a low of 63°(F).
Airports
The biggest and closest option is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), just seven miles north. Long Beach International Airport is 17 miles southwest. John Wayne Airport in Orange County and Burbank Hollywood Airport are also options, but both are about 90 minutes away.
Travel Insurance
There are so many variables with the Los Angeles weather and disasters like wildfires that it's just good common sense to book travel insurance for a trip to Redondo Beach, California.
Redondo Beach Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 19 |
| Low °C | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| High °F | 66 | 66 | 68 | 70 | 72 | 75 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 75 | 72 | 66 |
| Low °F | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 55 | 59 | 63 | 63 | 61 | 57 | 52 | 46 |
A wonderful vacation in a beautiful spot!
One of the safest places we’ve been to in the past few years. We didn’t see any, and I do mean any pickpockets which is a rarity for someone coming from New York! It was somewhat of a shock (a positive one of course). I realize that this doesn’t mean there aren’t any pickpockets in the region but I didn’t see or hear about any such incidents. Actually, I didn’t see or hear about any incidents at all. No muggings, stolen cars, pickpockets or anything of the kind. It was just a well deserved break from work and other stresses, in peace and quiet, without having to worry about something bad happening.
It was one of the best, most relaxing vacations we’ve had in the last decade or so and that’s says a lot since we’re taking 1-2 vacations yearly. If you’re sick of the busyness of big cities like NY then come here to unwind and recharge your batteries. It’s so refreshing.
Torrance State Beach was one of our faves while here. We love scuba diving and my husband loves fishing and this place has these activities in spades. We had a great time and the lifeguards here were very helpful and friendly.
If you’re an art lover then go to the Gallery JS. Here you’ll find great photographs, sculptures, metal or wooden art. If you see something you love and want to buy it you can here.
If you have always wanted to learn how to sail then go to South Bay Sailing and they will teach you how. Then you can take a rented boat which is easy to sail. The whole experience was very fun and exhilarating for us since we’ve never done anything like this but always wanted and planned to.
Overall a wonderful vacation in a beautiful spot!
We were homeowners in Redondo Beach. In 1987, the City started REDEVELOPMENT and threw the homeowners and business owners out of their houses and businesses — into the streets to die. This was done by court orders, 90503. The property owners were accused of Code Violations, as the City changed the codes to Condominiums. The property owners were thrown on the streets to walk on the streets, eat out of trash cans and DIE on the streets. People from Foreign Countries took over the gas stations and bought the condos to move there and live and bring in their family and business associates. This was mass GENOCIDE, by COURT ORDERS. Now it is a tourist destination. Now you know the history of the evils of REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA. Our family owned the 2 houses up from the Redondo Beach Pier.