HCHO is a hazardous air pollutant linked to respiratory problems and increased cancer risk when people are exposed over long periods. Routine monitoring of HCHO is infrequent and sparse, making it difficult to understand how concentrations change throughout the day and across a region. Satellites can observe HCHO across wide areas, but these observations are not directly comparable to concentrations at the surface. This makes it challenging to use satellite data to assess health risks or inform air quality regulations. Here, we use ground-based remote sensing observations along with in-situ measurements, model simulations, and meteorological data to assess how near-surface and column HCHO vary throughout the day as a function of meteorological processes. We take interest in the impact of sea breeze circulations, where the wind flows from the sea toward the land during the day due to uneven heating between the surface and the water, and reverses at night. These circulations are common in coastal environments and affect the dispersal of air pollutants. Our results contribute to understanding the surface to column connection and can be applied to interpreting satellite retrievals in support of air quality policy.