Cliffwood Heights

Cliffwood Heights is a mostly flat residential neighborhood on the east side of Capitola, sitting between Park Avenue and Highway 1, a few minutes’ walk from New Brighton State Beach and about a mile from the sand at Capitola Village. Most of the homes are single level and two story houses built in the 1960s and 1970s, on wide streets with sidewalks on most blocks. If you want a Capitola neighborhood where you can garden, park in your own driveway and still get to the beach without fighting summer traffic in the Village, Cliffwood Heights deserves a close look.

From Airfield to Neighborhood: Cliffwood Heights History

Few neighborhoods in Santa Cruz County have a backstory like this one. According to A Companion to Capitola, published by the Capitola Historical Museum, a landing strip was first established here in the mid 1920s, just east of where New Brighton Middle School stands today. Works Progress Administration crews graded the field and laid runways in the 1930s, and the Santa Cruz Capitola Airport operated until October 1954, when the land was leased out for strawberry farming.

In the 1960s the fields were subdivided into the homes you see today, and a 1966 advertisement listed two to four bedroom houses priced from $19,950 to $25,500. The developers named many of the streets after European explorers, which is why you’ll find Columbus, Magellan, Balboa, Cabrillo and Cortez here. Local nurseryman Keith Shaffer was one of the project’s investors, and Elinor Street and Orchid Avenue are a nod to his family and his orchid business.

Homes and Streets in Cliffwood Heights

Housing here is mostly single family, typically two to five bedrooms and roughly 1,300 to 2,500 square feet, with a handful of larger homes and some backyard pools. Seaview Terrace was built next door around the same time and blends in so well that most locals just call the whole area Cliffwood Heights. Escalona Gulch, a small wooded ravine, runs through the neighborhood, and Cortez Park, which neighbors also call Hidden Park because it’s tucked behind the houses between Cortez Street, Sir Francis Avenue and Columbus Drive, has been the neighborhood’s little secret since it was dedicated in 1970.

Because these homes are now 50 to 60 years old, you’ll find everything from fully remodeled houses to homes that are still largely original. When I walk through a Cliffwood Heights home with a buyer or seller, I’m looking closely at the roof, the age of the plumbing and electrical panel, original single pane windows, and whether past additions and garage conversions were permitted. Those details move value here more than square footage alone.

Beaches, Schools and Getting Around

New Brighton State Beach is right across Park Avenue, with a campground and trails on the forested bluff and a long, uncrowded beach below. Capitola Village, with its restaurants, the Esplanade and the main beach, is about a mile away by foot or bike, and so is Depot Hill on the bluff above it. The Park Avenue interchange puts Highway 1 a minute from most driveways, which makes this one of the easier Capitola neighborhoods for getting to Santa Cruz, Aptos or over Highway 17 to Silicon Valley.

Cliffwood Heights is in the Soquel Union Elementary School District, and New Brighton Middle School on Washburn Avenue is within walking distance for most of the neighborhood. High school students are generally served by Soquel High School in the Santa Cruz City Schools district. Attendance boundaries can change, so always confirm the assignment for a specific address with the district.

Is Cliffwood Heights a Good Fit for Downsizers?

It’s one of the more practical Capitola neighborhoods for it. The streets are flat, a good share of the homes are single level ranch plans, and there are no hillside driveways to deal with. There aren’t condo complexes inside the neighborhood itself, but the Villas of Capitola condos on 46th Avenue are a short drive west if you want to drop the yard work entirely. Dominican Hospital on Soquel Drive in Santa Cruz is about ten minutes away via Highway 1, and the Capitola Community Center at Jade Street Park is a few minutes’ drive across town.

Many owners here bought decades ago, which brings up real decisions about timing, repairs and what the family wants. If you’re 55 or older, Proposition 19 lets you carry your property tax base to a replacement home anywhere in California, and my downsizing guide walks through the rest of the process.

The Cliffwood Heights Housing Market

Cliffwood Heights only sells a few homes in any quarter, so its numbers swing. According to Redfin, homes here sold for a median of about $1.24 million over the last three months, down 11 percent from a year earlier, on just two sales that went for roughly 5 percent over list in a median of 15 days. For context, the Capitola median was about $1.4 million for the three months ending September 2026. Updated homes on the quieter interior streets tend to draw multiple offers, while original condition homes are priced on the work they need. My guide to living in Capitola covers the rest of the city.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cliffwood Heights

Cliffwood Heights homes have often been in the same family since the 1970s, and selling one well takes preparation, accurate pricing and a plan for the next move. If you’re buying near the beach or selling a home your family has loved for years, I’d be glad to walk you through current values and what’s selling right now. Call me at 408-413-3087 or book a call with me.