While staying in Oceanside, California visitors can enjoy over 3.5 miles of white sandy beaches making Oceanside the ideal place for sunning, surfing, and sandcastle building. Visitors and residents can also enjoy Oceanside Harbor, with shops, eateries, and a lighthouse. Along with the nearby Harbor Beach, Oceanside Harbor combines to offer the seafarer and motor visitor an enchanting experience of color and atmosphere. Oceanside's Harbor is a mecca for sport fishing, whale watching, boating and other water-oriented activities. Oceanside is also home to Mission San Luis Rey, California's largest Spanish mission.

Oceanside is located in San Diego County north of San Diego between San Clemente and Carlsbad along Interstate 5 near the Pacific Ocean and San Clemente Island.

Oceanside is part of the San Diego, California metro area.