Photos: Calgary by abdallahh, CC BY 2.0, cropped; Huntington Beach by Stephen Leonardi, Pexels License.
Calgary or Huntington Beach?
Our verdict in twelve categories, each scored against the same fixed benchmark cities, and the climate month by month, so you can choose for your trip.
Choose Calgary for
- nature and the outdoors
- getting around
- culture and sights
What lies behind each score is written up on Calgary’s own page.
Choose Huntington Beach for
- beaches
- families
- day trips
What lies behind each score is written up on Huntington Beach’s own page.
Scoreboard
Twelve categories on one fixed scale from 0 to 100. The shaded stretch is the gap between the two.
What lies behind each score is written up on the two cities’ own pages: Calgary and Huntington Beach.
Your match
Pick a travel style or drag the sliders, and both match scores follow your weighting.
Too close to call, 2 points apart
Wins on nature and the outdoors and getting around with your weighting.
Wins on beaches and families with your weighting.
What matters to you?
When should you go?
Pick your month. The climate figures are measured averages, not a forecast.
Calgary in July
Huntington Beach in July
Daytime high, °C
Rainfall in the month, mm
Temperature and rainfall are climate normals, averaged over the years shown. Calgary: 1991-2020 normals, Calgary Int'l CS (8.2 km from centre). Huntington Beach: 1991-2020 normals, Santa Ana / Paularino (12.3 km from centre).
Before you go
| Measure | Calgary | Huntington Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Official language | French, English | - |
| Currency | Canadian Dollar (CAD) | US Dollar (USD) |
| Sockets | AB120 V, 60 Hz | AB120 V, 60 Hz |
| Driving side | Right | Right |
| Time zone | UTC-7, UTC-6 in summer | UTC-8, UTC-7 in summer |
| Emergency number | 911 | 911 |
| Elevation | 1,045 m | 12 m |
| Main airport | Calgary International Airport (YYC)9 km from centre102 non-stop destinations | John Wayne Orange County International Airport (SNA)12 km from centre53 non-stop destinations |
| Public holidays this year | 13 days | 13 days |
By the numbers
| Measure | Calgary | Huntington Beach |
|---|---|---|
| City population | 1,306,784 | 198,711 |
| People per km² | 1,583 | 2,406 |
| Museums within 10 km | 13 | 3 |
| UNESCO World Heritage sites within 50 km | 0 | 0 |
| Swim season, months above 21 °C | - | None |
Where else could you go?
Every comparison below shares a destination with this one, so you can follow Calgary or Huntington Beach somewhere new.