City of Pismo Beach Overview

From the vantage point of Highway 101, few coastal cities look more inviting than Pismo Beach, with its ocean vistas, picturesque sea rocks and inviting signs for the city’s many resorts, hotels and motels. Even though the Pismo clams that once drew tourists here have steeply declined in number, it’s still a tourist oasis with 7 of the top 10 employers in the hospitality industry. The city is nestled between Avila Beach and Oceano, but unlike those census-designated places, Pismo Beach is a full-on city. Incorporated in 1946, Pismo is a general-law city—in other words, with a government structure and powers defined by California general law. The population was 8,072 in the 2020 census.

Pismo Beach has a council/manager form of governance. The city manager coordinates and directs city departments, provides information to the City Council identifying community issues and needs, and prepares reports and analysis to assist in making policy decisions. The city attorney advises and represents the city, council and advisory bodies in all legal matters. And the city clerk administers democratic processes such as elections, access to city records, and local legislative activity, ensuring transparency to the public. The clerk acts as a compliance officer for local, federal and state statutes, including the Brown Act and the Public Records Act.

Residents can sign up for emails or text messages to get information on an array of subjects, including meeting agendas, on the Notify Me page.