The sea temperature at Cannon Beach today is 13.4 °C (56 °F) – icy water, most people reach for a wetsuit. The usual October average is 12.8 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea has cooled from 14 °C to 13.4 °C. Rarely swimmable – the sea seldom averages 18 °C or more. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.3°C / 48.8°F | 9.6°C / 49.3°F | 10.1°C / 50.2°F |
| February | 8.2°C / 46.7°F | 8.8°C / 47.8°F | 10.1°C / 50.1°F |
| March | 8.3°C / 46.9°F | 9.0°C / 48.3°F | 10.1°C / 50.2°F |
| April | 9.2°C / 48.6°F | 10.0°C / 50.0°F | 10.8°C / 51.4°F |
| May | 11.4°C / 52.4°F | 11.8°C / 53.3°F | 12.4°C / 54.3°F |
| June | 12.2°C / 53.9°F | 13.0°C / 55.3°F | 13.8°C / 56.9°F |
| July | 12.5°C / 54.5°F | 13.5°C / 56.3°F | 14.7°C / 58.4°F |
| August | 13.7°C / 56.7°F | 14.4°C / 58.0°F | 15.0°C / 59.0°F |
| September | 13.0°C / 55.5°F | 13.7°C / 56.7°F | 14.6°C / 58.2°F |
| October | 11.9°C / 53.3°F | 12.8°C / 55.1°F | 13.5°C / 56.4°F |
| November | 10.9°C / 51.6°F | 11.7°C / 53.0°F | 12.1°C / 53.8°F |
| December | 9.5°C / 49.0°F | 10.4°C / 50.7°F | 11.2°C / 52.1°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.3°C / 45.1°F | 7.8°C / 46.0°F | 8.5°C / 47.3°F |
| February | 6.3°C / 43.3°F | 6.9°C / 44.5°F | 7.9°C / 46.1°F |
| March | 6.9°C / 44.4°F | 7.7°C / 45.9°F | 8.6°C / 47.5°F |
| April | 8.0°C / 46.4°F | 9.1°C / 48.3°F | 10.0°C / 50.1°F |
| May | 10.3°C / 50.5°F | 11.3°C / 52.4°F | 12.2°C / 54.0°F |
| June | 12.2°C / 54.0°F | 13.3°C / 55.9°F | 14.2°C / 57.6°F |
| July | 13.4°C / 56.2°F | 14.6°C / 58.3°F | 15.8°C / 60.5°F |
| August | 14.5°C / 58.1°F | 15.7°C / 60.2°F | 16.9°C / 62.3°F |
| September | 13.6°C / 56.5°F | 14.7°C / 58.5°F | 15.8°C / 60.5°F |
| October | 11.6°C / 52.9°F | 12.5°C / 54.5°F | 13.7°C / 56.6°F |
| November | 9.2°C / 48.5°F | 9.8°C / 49.6°F | 10.7°C / 51.2°F |
| December | 7.9°C / 46.1°F | 8.2°C / 46.8°F | 8.8°C / 47.8°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Cannon Beach holidays
A small town on the northern Oregon coast, Cannon Beach sits beside a wide sandy beach watched over by Haystack Rock, a basalt sea stack about 72 m tall. The town takes its name from a cannon that washed ashore from the US Navy schooner Shark, wrecked near the mouth of the Columbia River in 1846, and its streets are lined with galleries, cafés and weathered cedar houses.
Beaches
The beach at Cannon Beach runs for several kilometres in front of the town, from Ecola Creek in the north to Tolovana Park in the south. Around Haystack Rock, low tide uncovers tide pools with sea stars, anemones and crabs; the rock and its pools are protected, so visitors may look but not climb or collect. Hug Point, a few kilometres south, has a small waterfall and an old wagon road cut into the rock, reachable only when the tide is low. The Pacific off Cannon Beach is cold, with strong currents and sudden "sneaker waves", so most people walk, fly kites or build sandcastles rather than swim, and it is safest never to turn one's back on the sea.
Things to do
Tufted puffins nest on Haystack Rock in spring and summer, and volunteers often set up telescopes on the beach to show them. Ecola State Park, just north of Cannon Beach, has forest trails, the sheltered cove of Indian Beach and views towards the old Tillamook Rock Lighthouse offshore; parts of the park appeared in the film The Goonies. Grey whales pass the coast on their migrations in winter and spring. Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River, is about 40 km north.
Weather and best time to visit
The Oregon coast has mild summers and wet, windy winters. Summer is relatively dry, especially July and August, although fog can hang over the beach in the morning, and rain usually returns in autumn. From October to May rain is frequent and winter storms bring big waves, which some visitors come to watch. Summer weekends are the busiest time, when parking in Cannon Beach fills up early.
Hotels and where to stay
Hotels, inns and holiday homes line the oceanfront and Hemlock Street, the main road through Cannon Beach. Staying near Haystack Rock puts the tide pools and the town centre within walking distance, while Tolovana Park in the south is quieter.
Signature hotels: Inn at Haystack Rock (South Hemlock Street)
Airport and getting there
Portland International Airport (PDX) is about 150 km east, roughly two hours by car via US Route 26 through the Coast Range. Most visitors continue from Portland by car; US Route 101 follows the coast north to Astoria and south towards Tillamook.