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Purisima

Ghost town · San Mateo County, California

Halfmoon Bay quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1940, 1:62,500)
Halfmoon Bay quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1940, 1:62,500) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Purisima is a ghost town in San Mateo County, California. It is one of 4 former communities in San Mateo County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 53rd among the 58 California counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Purisima as a historical populated place on the Half Moon Bay topographic quadrangle: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 37.4041° N, 122.4136° W.

Key facts

USGS quadrangleHalf Moon Bay
Elevation215 ft
Nearest living townHalf Moon Bay, CA
Distance to it4.6 miles
GNIS feature ID1723287
Coordinates37.40411, -122.41359

Open the location on a map

What's there now

Purisima is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Half Moon Bay, CA (population 11,454), about 4.6 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 215 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Purisima?

Purisima is in San Mateo County, California, at 37.4041, -122.4136.

How many ghost towns are in San Mateo County?

San Mateo County, California has 4 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.