Orange County
San Clemente Homes for Sale
San Clemente is the southernmost city in Orange County, founded in the 1920s as the "Spanish Village by the Sea" — a design code that still shapes it, with white walls, red tile roofs and arches from the pier up through Downtown. Avenida Del Mar is the main street, dropping from El Camino Real to the pier, and the Beach Trail runs along the sand from North Beach to Calafia past the Metrolink platforms.
The city climbs from the water in terraces, so Downtown and the Pier Bowl hold the older Spanish-revival homes and cottages while Rancho San Clemente, Forster Ranch, Talega and Sea Summit are the later hillside and ridge communities inland and north. Surfing is part of the civic identity here — T-Street, Lasuen and Trestles at San Onofre are minutes apart. The 5 runs the length of the city and Metrolink stops twice.
At a glance
- Vibe
- Spanish-revival beach town with a surf culture that runs deep
- Housing
- 1920s–40s Spanish-revival homes and cottages Downtown and in the Pier Bowl, hillside tracts in Rancho San Clemente and Forster Ranch, newer planned homes in Talega and Sea Summit, condominiums near the beach
- Location
- Southern end of Orange County, on the coast below Dana Point
- Getting around
- The 5 runs the length of the city; Metrolink stops at North Beach and the Pier, and the Beach Trail connects them on foot
Lifestyle
The Beach Trail from North Beach to Calafia, dawn sessions at T-Street and Trestles, Avenida Del Mar for dinner and the Sunday market, and the pier at sunset.
Housing
Two eras, clearly split: original Spanish-revival homes and cottages on the terraces near the water, and hillside or planned communities — Rancho San Clemente, Forster Ranch, Talega, Sea Summit — inland and to the north, with beach-adjacent condominiums in between.
Why we love it
A beach town with an architectural code it actually keeps.
The southern anchor of the coastal cities we cover.
Questions we get about San Clemente
- What are the schools like in San Clemente?
San Clemente is served by the Capistrano Unified School District.
- What types of homes are available in San Clemente?
Spanish-revival homes and cottages Downtown and in the Pier Bowl, hillside tract homes in Rancho San Clemente and Forster Ranch, newer planned homes in Talega and Sea Summit, and condominiums near the beach.
- Which neighborhoods are close to San Clemente?
Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach.
- Who on the team can help me in San Clemente?
The Chavez Team covers the south Orange County coast alongside north county and Los Angeles. Call or text (714) 328-4776 and we will pair you with the member of the team handling the coast.