Avila Beach is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, located on San Luis Obispo Bay about 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and about 200 miles south of San Francisco. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Avila Beach as a census-designated place. The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The population was 1,627 at the 2010 census.