Typical water · NOAA monthly averages
Best beaches to visit in July
Well-loved U.S. beaches where the water usually averages 70°F or warmer in July. For what the water is doing today, see this week’s live picks.
Number 1Siesta Beach
Sarasota, Florida · ★ 4.8
87°Faverage water in JulyHurricane season
Source: NOAA, Venice, FL, 14.7 mi
Number 2Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Beach
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Florida · ★ 4.8
85°Faverage water in JulyHurricane season
Number 3Wildwood Crest Beach New Jersey
Wildwood Crest, New Jersey · ★ 4.8
74°Faverage water in JulyHurricane season
Source: NOAA, Cape May, NJ, 6.5 mi
Number 4West Dennis Beach
West Dennis, Massachusetts · ★ 4.6
73°Faverage water in JulyHurricane season
Source: NOAA, NANTUCKET SOUND, 11.7 mi
Number 5
Hurricane season: on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts it runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10, per NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Distant storms can bring rough surf and rip currents on sunny days, so check the forecast before you go.
How we pick
We start from U.S. beaches rated 4.3★ or higher across 200+ Google reviews, plus a short hand-picked list of typically calm Hawaii beaches that have no ratings in our data (280 have a NOAA station close enough to use). A beach makes a month’s list when its nearest station in the NOAA Coastal Water Temperature Guide averages 70°F or warmer that month — below that, sudden entry risks cold shock. Picks are ranked by a review-weighted rating, with at most two per state and one per station. Averages describe a typical year, not this one, and a station can sit a few miles offshore.