Live cameras in Eureka, United States

Eureka is the largest city on California's far north coast and the seat of Humboldt County, about 270 miles north of San Francisco. Around 26,500 people lived in the city at the 2020 census, and the wider area has close to twice that. Founded in 1850 on the shore of Humboldt Bay, Eureka grew rich on redwood timber and fishing. That past still shows in its Victorian houses, above all the ornate Carson Mansion built in the 1880s, and in Old Town, the preserved nineteenth century business district by the waterfront. Ancient redwood forests are a short drive away in almost every direction.

Most cameras on this page are Caltrans highway cameras. They are official, public domain, and show still snapshots that refresh every few minutes. Because our Eureka area reaches about 30 km, the views here cover a stretch of US 101, the main road up and down the coast, along with the routes that branch off it, such as SR 255 toward the Samoa Peninsula and SR 299 heading inland from Arcata. On the far north coast these cameras are useful for more than traffic: they show rain, fog and road conditions on routes with few alternatives.

Offshore, the page also shows a NOAA National Data Buoy Center BuoyCAM. The Eel River buoy sits about 17 nautical miles west-southwest of Eureka. Its camera takes a set of six photos around the horizon, joined into one 360-degree strip, generally about once an hour and only in daylight. Expect open ocean, swell and sky, and often a lot of gray.

Eureka is on Pacific Time, UTC minus 8 in winter and minus 7 in daylight time. The climate is fully maritime and cool all year. Most rain falls from November through March, while the drier months from May to September often bring low clouds and fog, especially in the morning. Spring is usually the sunniest season, a good time to look at both the road and buoy cameras.

Arcata, home to Cal Poly Humboldt, is just across the bay, and the redwood parks to the north are worth a trip on a clear day.

Sources: Eureka, California - Wikipedia · NDBC Station 46022 - Eel River · NDBC BuoyCAMs · Caltrans CCTV documentation.