California Tide Charts
Worldwide Tides

King tides at Capitola

The highest predicted waters at Capitola, through 2030. Every high tide reaching 7.0 ft above MLLW.

What counts as a king tide

There is no official definition. NOAA does not publish one, and the California King Tides Project simply means the highest predicted tides of the year. This page lists every predicted high water of 7.0 ft or more above MLLW, which on this stretch of coast picks out the handful of days each winter when the water comes up unusually far.

They happen when the moon is closest to Earth and new or full at the same time, with the Earth near its own closest approach to the sun. That alignment stacks the solar and lunar pulls together, and it lands in November, December and January far more often than not.

These are predictions of astronomical tide only. A winter storm arriving on a king tide is what causes flooding, because surge and wind can add a foot or more on top of the figures here.

What a king tide means at Capitola

The California King Tides Project runs on these dates and this coast is one of the places it watches. The highest tides of the year come over the Capitola esplanade, into the Santa Cruz harbour car parks and over the low sections of West Cliff.

A king tide with a winter swell behind it is what takes out sections of the cliff path. The figures here are astronomical only.

King tides still to come

22–26 December 2026

Date High water Height
22 DecTue7:44 am6.6 ft
22 DecTue10:20 pm3.7 ft
23 DecWed8:32 am6.8 ft
23 DecWed11:08 pm3.8 ft
24 DecThu9:21 am6.8 ft
24 DecThu11:55 pm3.9 ft
25 DecFri10:12 am6.6 ft
26 DecSat12:42 am4.0 ft
26 DecSat11:05 am6.2 ft

19–23 January 2027

Date High water Height
19 JanTue6:36 am6.2 ft
19 JanTue9:24 pm3.5 ft
20 JanWed7:31 am6.5 ft
20 JanWed10:03 pm3.8 ft
21 JanThu8:24 am6.6 ft
21 JanThu10:40 pm4.0 ft
22 JanFri9:16 am6.6 ft
22 JanFri11:18 pm4.2 ft
23 JanSat10:08 am6.3 ft
23 JanSat11:56 pm4.4 ft

1–5 July 2027

Date High water Height
1 JulThu10:14 am3.3 ft
1 JulThu8:22 pm6.3 ft
2 JulFri11:02 am3.5 ft
2 JulFri9:10 pm6.5 ft
3 JulSat11:46 am3.7 ft
3 JulSat10:00 pm6.6 ft
4 JulSun12:28 pm3.8 ft
4 JulSun10:51 pm6.6 ft
5 JulMon1:11 pm4.0 ft
5 JulMon11:43 pm6.2 ft

30 July – 3 August 2027

Date High water Height
30 JulFri10:01 am3.5 ft
30 JulFri8:06 pm6.4 ft
31 JulSat10:38 am3.7 ft
31 JulSat9:00 pm6.6 ft
1 AugSun11:13 am4.0 ft
1 AugSun9:53 pm6.6 ft
2 AugMon11:49 am4.2 ft
2 AugMon10:45 pm6.4 ft
3 AugTue12:26 pm4.5 ft
3 AugTue11:38 pm6.0 ft

9–13 January 2028

Date High water Height
9 JanSun7:04 am6.1 ft
9 JanSun9:46 pm3.5 ft
10 JanMon7:52 am6.3 ft
10 JanMon10:22 pm3.7 ft
11 JanTue8:40 am6.5 ft
11 JanTue10:59 pm3.9 ft
12 JanWed9:28 am6.5 ft
12 JanWed11:36 pm4.1 ft
13 JanThu10:18 am6.2 ft

14–18 November 2028

Date High water Height
14 NovTue7:40 am6.2 ft
14 NovTue9:09 pm4.0 ft
15 NovWed8:18 am6.4 ft
15 NovWed10:08 pm4.0 ft
16 NovThu8:58 am6.5 ft
16 NovThu11:06 pm4.0 ft
17 NovFri9:40 am6.5 ft
18 NovSat12:03 am4.0 ft
18 NovSat10:24 am6.2 ft

12–16 December 2028

Date High water Height
12 DecTue6:29 am6.1 ft
12 DecTue8:25 pm3.5 ft
13 DecWed7:12 am6.4 ft
13 DecWed9:27 pm3.7 ft
14 DecThu7:56 am6.5 ft
14 DecThu10:21 pm3.8 ft
15 DecFri8:40 am6.5 ft
15 DecFri11:09 pm3.9 ft
16 DecSat9:24 am6.3 ft
16 DecSat11:54 pm3.9 ft

22–26 June 2029

Date High water Height
22 JunFri8:48 am3.2 ft
22 JunFri7:42 pm6.2 ft
23 JunSat9:54 am3.4 ft
23 JunSat8:30 pm6.4 ft
24 JunSun10:54 am3.6 ft
24 JunSun9:18 pm6.4 ft
25 JunMon11:42 am3.7 ft
25 JunMon10:06 pm6.4 ft
26 JunTue12:24 pm3.9 ft
26 JunTue10:54 pm6.1 ft

5–9 November 2029

Date High water Height
5 NovMon8:36 am6.4 ft
5 NovMon10:12 pm4.2 ft
6 NovTue9:18 am6.6 ft
6 NovTue11:06 pm4.2 ft
7 NovWed10:00 am6.6 ft
8 NovThu12:12 am4.1 ft
8 NovThu10:48 am6.4 ft
9 NovFri1:12 am4.0 ft
9 NovFri11:36 am6.0 ft

3–7 December 2029

Date High water Height
3 DecMon7:24 am6.4 ft
3 DecMon9:18 pm3.8 ft
4 DecTue8:06 am6.7 ft
4 DecTue10:18 pm3.9 ft
5 DecWed8:54 am6.8 ft
5 DecWed11:12 pm4.0 ft
6 DecThu9:42 am6.7 ft
7 DecFri12:00 am4.1 ft
7 DecFri10:30 am6.4 ft

11–15 July 2030

Date High water Height
11 JulThu8:56 am3.3 ft
11 JulThu7:37 pm6.3 ft
12 JulFri9:54 am3.5 ft
12 JulFri8:30 pm6.5 ft
13 JulSat10:42 am3.8 ft
13 JulSat9:22 pm6.6 ft
14 JulSun11:25 am4.0 ft
14 JulSun10:12 pm6.5 ft
15 JulMon12:07 pm4.2 ft
15 JulMon11:02 pm6.2 ft

23–27 November 2030

Date High water Height
23 NovSat7:46 am6.2 ft
23 NovSat9:28 pm3.9 ft
24 NovSun8:27 am6.5 ft
24 NovSun10:23 pm4.0 ft
25 NovMon9:10 am6.7 ft
25 NovMon11:17 pm4.1 ft
26 NovTue9:57 am6.6 ft
27 NovWed12:12 am4.1 ft
27 NovWed10:46 am6.4 ft

22–26 December 2030

Date High water Height
22 DecSun7:19 am6.4 ft
22 DecSun9:28 pm3.7 ft
23 DecMon8:07 am6.7 ft
23 DecMon10:17 pm3.9 ft
24 DecTue8:56 am6.8 ft
24 DecTue11:04 pm4.1 ft
25 DecWed9:46 am6.6 ft
25 DecWed11:51 pm4.2 ft
26 DecThu10:37 am6.3 ft

King tides already past

31 December – 2 January 2026

Date High water Height
31 DecWed9:19 pm3.5 ft
1 JanThu7:29 am6.6 ft
1 JanThu10:10 pm3.7 ft
2 JanFri8:20 am6.7 ft
2 JanFri10:56 pm3.9 ft

31 December – 4 January 2026

Date High water Height
31 DecWed9:19 pm3.5 ft
1 JanThu7:29 am6.6 ft
1 JanThu10:10 pm3.7 ft
2 JanFri8:20 am6.7 ft
2 JanFri10:56 pm3.9 ft
3 JanSat9:11 am6.7 ft
3 JanSat11:39 pm4.0 ft
4 JanSun10:01 am6.4 ft

11–15 July 2026

Date High water Height
11 JulSat9:54 am3.3 ft
11 JulSat8:02 pm6.5 ft
12 JulSun10:45 am3.6 ft
12 JulSun8:55 pm6.7 ft
13 JulMon11:30 am3.7 ft
13 JulMon9:48 pm6.7 ft
14 JulTue12:12 pm3.9 ft
14 JulTue10:39 pm6.6 ft
15 JulWed12:53 pm4.1 ft
15 JulWed11:31 pm6.3 ft