La Jolla · Neighborhood

La Jolla Shores

A mile of sandy beach, a grassy park at the sand, and a neighborhood with its own design rules.

I'm a La Jolla native, and to me the Shores is the part of town where the beach comes first. The sand is wide, the water is usually gentle in summer, and the park runs right up to the boardwalk. The streets behind it are mostly single-family homes, many of them low and horizontal, the way the City's own design rules for the Shores describe them. If you're thinking about buying or remodeling here, the first thing to understand is that the Shores has its own rulebook. I'm happy to walk you through it.

Call WestonGet new Shores listingsSearch on Compass
Beach~1 mile of sand
ParkKellogg Park
OffshoreMarine reserve
Height limit30 feet

The place

The beach. La Jolla Shores is a sandy beach about a mile long. The City notes its summer waves are usually the gentlest of any San Diego beach, and many beginner scuba classes are held here. It has a year-round lifeguard station.1

Kellogg Park. The large grassy park at the sand has a playground near the boardwalk, restrooms with showers, and a lot that fills quickly on summer weekends.2

A beachfront boat launch. It's the only one within city limits. Small boats launch into the surf at the foot of Avenida de la Playa.6

Offshore. The Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve and the San Diego–Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area sit just off the beach, near the La Jolla and Scripps submarine canyons.3

The houses. The City's code calls the Shores "primarily single-family residential," with homes marked by "extensive use of glass, shake or shingle overhanging roof, and a low, rambling silhouette."4

Building & remodel notes

The Shores has its own La Jolla Shores Planned District. A Shores permit is required before new construction, exterior remodels, additions, demolition, grading, or landscaping. Interior-only work is excluded.5

The La Jolla Shores Advisory Board makes a recommendation, and a City Hearing Officer decides. Smaller projects can be handled as minor.5 The design principle is "unity with variety," and roof materials are limited.4

Height: 30 feet, under two rules. The Planned District caps its single-family zone at 30 feet (SDMC §1510.0304(c)).4 The voter-approved Coastal Height Limit (Prop D, SDMC §132.0505) also caps buildings at 30 feet in the Coastal Zone west of I-5. Only a citywide vote can change it.7

Many projects also need a Coastal Development Permit, and buildings 45 years or older can trigger the City's historical review.8,10,11

General information, not legal advice. Confirm with City Development Services for your parcel.

La Jolla Shores vs Bird Rock

La Jolla ShoresBird Rock
ShorelineWide sandy beach, about 1 mile1Rocky shore; Calumet Park overlooks the "Rock Pile" surf spot12
On the waterGentle summer waves, beginner scuba, boat launch1,6Surf breaks off a rocky shore12
Main streetAvenida de la Playa, a short walk from the sand2La Jolla Blvd with five roundabouts13
Building rulesOwn Planned District + Advisory Board4,5Outside the Shores Planned District; standard City zones5,10

Dickinson & Clark Team sales in the Shores

8466 El Paseo Grande
Sold December 22, 2020 · $24,700,000 · 6,071 SF
Dickinson & Clark Team sale · Details14,15,16
8303 La Jolla Shores Drive
Sold August 2024 · $35,000,000 · 4.45-acre site
Dickinson & Clark Team sale · represented seller and buyer16,17,18,19

Public-record sales. Sources listed below.

Questions about La Jolla Shores

Do I need a special permit to remodel a house in La Jolla Shores?

Usually, yes. The La Jolla Shores Planned District requires its own permit for new buildings, exterior remodels, additions, demolition, grading, and landscaping. Interior-only work is excluded. Confirm with City Development Services for your parcel. 5

Who reviews building plans in the Shores?

The La Jolla Shores Advisory Board makes a recommendation, and a City Hearing Officer decides. Smaller projects, such as additions of 10% or less of existing floor area, can be handled as minor. 5

What is the height limit for houses in La Jolla Shores?

30 feet. The La Jolla Shores Planned District caps buildings in its single-family zone at 30 feet (SDMC §1510.0304(c)), and the voter-approved Coastal Height Limit (SDMC §132.0505) also caps buildings at 30 feet in San Diego's Coastal Zone west of Interstate 5. How height is measured can affect a design, so check your plans with City Development Services. 4,7

Is La Jolla Shores a good beach for beginners in the water?

The City of San Diego says summer waves at La Jolla Shores are usually the gentlest of any San Diego beach, and many beginner scuba classes are held there. A year-round lifeguard station is on site. 1

Can you fish or collect shells at La Jolla Shores?

The area just offshore is a protected marine reserve. The City notes that fishing and removing objects there is prohibited, and the state's Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve prohibits taking any marine resource. 1,3

How is La Jolla Shores different from Bird Rock?

The Shores centers on a wide, mile-long sandy beach and Kellogg Park and has its own Planned District building rules. Bird Rock, at the south end of La Jolla, has a rocky shoreline and a walkable stretch of La Jolla Boulevard with roundabouts. 1,4,12,13

Get new La Jolla Shores listings from Weston

One short email when something comes up in the Shores, on or off the market.

Or call (858) 997-8998 · Search on Compass

Notes & sources

  1. City of San Diego Lifeguards: La Jolla Shores
  2. City of San Diego Parks: Kellogg Park
  3. CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Matlahuayl SMR & San Diego–Scripps SMCA
  4. SDMC §1510.0301, §1510.0304(c): La Jolla Shores Planned District, Zones
  5. SDMC §1510.0201: La Jolla Shores Planned District, Permits
  6. City of San Diego Lifeguards: Beach Amenities
  7. SDMC §132.0505: Coastal Height Limit (Prop D)
  8. California Coastal Commission
  9. City of San Diego: La Jolla Community Plan
  10. City of San Diego: Zoning
  1. City of San Diego: Reviews of buildings over 45 years
  2. City of San Diego Parks: Calumet Park
  3. Project for Public Spaces: La Jolla Boulevard
  4. County sales record (SDLookup): 8466 El Paseo Grande
  5. San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan 20, 2021
  6. Dickinson & Clark Team: Sold
  7. County sales record (SDLookup): 8303 La Jolla Shores Dr
  8. lajolla.ca, Aug 27, 2024
  9. Dickinson & Clark Team: La Jolla Shores

Weston Clark · Founding Member of the Dickinson-Clark Team at Compass · (858) 997-8998 · weston@sandiego.homes

Weston Clark, DRE #02122466 · Compass, DRE #01527365

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only, compiled from sources deemed reliable but not verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. All measurements and square footage are approximate.

⌂ Equal Housing Opportunity. Place descriptions are general information, not legal, zoning, or permitting advice.