THE PIER
WITH A STORY.
Built in 1906. Stretching out over the Pacific. Home to fishermen, beach walks, ocean views, Ruby's Diner and more than a century of Newport Beach history. Welcome to Balboa Pier.
MORE THAN
A PIER.
Balboa Pier was built in 1906 alongside the development of Balboa and has spent more than a century extending Newport Beach out over the Pacific. Today, the wooden pier remains a gathering place for fishermen, walkers, families, beachgoers and anyone looking for a front-row seat to the ocean.
920 FEET OF
NEWPORT.
The pier itself is the attraction. Walk it slowly, watch the surfers below, see what the fishermen are catching and look back toward one of Orange County's most recognizable stretches of coastline.
A CENTURY
OF BALBOA
Balboa Pier dates back to 1906, when it was constructed alongside the Balboa Pavilion during the early development of the area. More than a century later, it remains part of the identity of the Balboa Peninsula.
THE WOODEN
PIER
The wooden pier extends roughly 920 feet over the Pacific, giving visitors a completely different perspective of the beach, coastline and ocean than you get from the sand.
LOOK
BACK.
Everyone looks toward the ocean, but turn around. From farther out on the pier, the Balboa Peninsula stretches across your view with the beach, boardwalk and coastal neighborhoods behind it.
GONE
FISHING.
Long before beach selfies and sunset photos, fishing was part of pier life—and it still is. Walk Balboa Pier and you're likely to see rods lined along the rail and locals waiting to see what's moving underneath.
The pier gives anglers access to deeper water without needing a boat, making fishing one of the classic ways to experience Balboa Pier. Even if you're not casting a line, stop for a minute and see what's being caught.
CAST.
WAIT. REPEAT.
Fishing gives Balboa Pier some of its character. Early mornings, rods against the railing and the possibility that something is biting below.
CAST FROM
THE PIER
One of the big advantages of a fishing pier: you can get your line well beyond the shoreline without stepping onto a boat.
BEAT THE
CROWD
Early morning has its own personality here. Cooler air, fewer beach crowds and anglers already working the rail before most of Newport has ordered coffee.
WATCH
THE LOCALS
You don't need a rod to enjoy it. Watching fishermen work their lines and seeing what comes over the railing is part of the experience of walking the pier.
BURGERS.
SHAKES.
PACIFIC.
Walk all the way to the end of Balboa Pier and you'll find one of its most recognizable features: Ruby's Diner.
The retro diner is known for its red booths, classic diner atmosphere, burgers, fries, breakfast and shakes—but the location is what makes this Ruby's different.
You're dining at the end of a wooden pier surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. That's a pretty hard view for another diner to compete with.
DINNER WITH
AN OCEAN VIEW.
The walk to Ruby's is half the fun. By the time you reach the restaurant, the beach is behind you and the Pacific is basically your dining room.
BURGERS +
FRIES
Ruby's brings classic American diner food to the end of the pier—burgers, fries, breakfast and familiar comfort food with a very Newport Beach backdrop.
GET THE
SHAKE.
You walked 920 feet out over the Pacific. You've earned it. A shake at the end of Balboa Pier feels appropriately old-school Southern California.
THAT
VIEW.
Red booths are great. But the real feature is outside: open ocean surrounding the end of the pier and coastline views back toward Newport.
WALK TO
THE END.
Don't stop halfway. The farther you walk, the quieter the shoreline gets behind you. By the end, you're standing over the Pacific with Newport Beach stretched across the horizon.
PIER
AMENITIES.
Balboa Pier works because you don't need much planning. Beach access, food, restrooms, the boardwalk and Balboa Village are all right around the pier.
PUBLIC
RESTROOMS
Public restroom facilities are available at the base of Balboa Pier, making longer beach days a little easier.
BEACH
ACCESS
The wide sandy beach surrounds the base of the pier, so it's easy to combine a pier walk with an actual beach day.
THE
BOARDWALK
The beachfront path runs right past the pier. Walk it, bike it or use it to explore more of the Balboa Peninsula without getting back in the car.
RUBY'S
DINER
The retro diner at the end of the pier serves breakfast, burgers, fries, shakes and casual meals with ocean views.
PARKING
Parking is available around the Balboa Pier and village area, but sunny weekends and summer days can get busy. Earlier is easier.
BALBOA
VILLAGE
Walk inland from the pier and you're quickly in Balboa Village, with restaurants, shops, the Fun Zone and Newport Harbor nearby.
WHAT YOU'LL
SEE OUT THERE.
Part of the fun is that the view keeps changing. Ocean, coastline, surfers, fishermen and whatever happens to be moving through the water that day.
SURFERS
Look down toward the lineup and you'll often see surfers working the waves around the pier while beachgoers watch from the sand.
OPEN
PACIFIC
Keep watching the water. Boats, birds and occasional marine life make the ocean view a little different every time.
THE
COASTLINE
Turn your back to the Pacific for a minute. The view toward shore gives you a great look at the beach, peninsula and Newport coastline.
YOU'RE NOT
DONE YET.
The pier is only one piece of Balboa. Walk a few minutes and the Pacific gives way to an entirely different waterfront on the harbor side.
BALBOA
FUN ZONE
Cross toward Newport Harbor and you'll find the classic Fun Zone with rides, games, waterfront activity and old-school Balboa atmosphere.
BALBOA
FERRY
The short ferry ride across Newport Harbor connects the Balboa Peninsula with Balboa Island and is an experience in its own right.
BALBOA
ISLAND
Take the ferry across and continue on foot through Balboa Island for shops, restaurants, waterfront walks and a completely different side of Newport.
THE QUICK
SQUEEZE.
The useful stuff. No travel-guide essay required.
BALBOA
PENINSULA
Balboa Pier sits at the end of Main Street in the Balboa Village area of Newport Beach.
5 AM —
MIDNIGHT
The City of Newport Beach currently lists Balboa Pier as open from 5 a.m. until midnight.
ABOUT
920 FEET
Enough pier for the shoreline to feel surprisingly far away once you reach the end.
1906
More than a century of Newport Beach history stretching over the Pacific.
RUBY'S
DINER
Classic diner food, breakfast and shakes at the end of the pier.
BRING
A ROD
Fishing remains one of the classic activities visitors associate with the pier.
AT THE
BASE
Public restroom facilities are located at the base of the pier.
COME
EARLY
Especially on warm weekends. Less parking stress. More pier.
DON'T LEAVE
BEFORE SUNSET.
Walk back onto the pier when the light starts changing. The beach quiets down, the coastline glows and suddenly walking 920 feet back out there feels like a very good idea.
BUILT IN 1906.
STILL A VIBE.
Walk it. Fish it. Grab a shake. Watch the surfers. Stay for sunset. Some Orange County classics don't need reinventing.