Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located on the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
coast in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. As of the
2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Salinas.
Monterey County comprises the Salinas, California,
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
. It borders on the southern part of
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and its major city at the south of the bay, San Jose. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by ...
, after which it is named. (The northern half of the bay is in
Santa Cruz County.) Monterey County is a member of the regional governmental agency: the
Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) is a regional governmental organization which consists of representation of a large number of public agencies within Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and San Benito County, California. AM ...
.
Scenic features along the coastline - including
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...
,
Big Sur,
State Route 1, and the
17 Mile Drive on the
Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, and the resort and community of Pebble Beach.
History Monterey
Monterey was founded i ...
- have made the county famous around the world. Back when California was under Spanish and Mexican rule, the city of
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
was its capital. Today, the economy of the county is mostly based on tourism in its coastal regions, and on agriculture in the region of the
Salinas River valley. Most of the county's inhabitants live near the northern coast or in
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley.
The Salinas River, which geologically ...
; the southern coast and inland mountainous regions are sparsely populated.
History
Monterey County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county were given to
San Benito County
San Benito County (; ''San Benito'', Spanish for " St. Benedict"), officially the County of San Benito, is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,209. The co ...
in 1874. The area was originally populated by
Ohlone,
Salinan
The Salinan are a Native American tribe whose ancestral territory is in the southern Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range in the Central Coast of California. Today, the Salinan governments are now working toward federal tribal recognition f ...
and the
Esselen tribes.
The county derives its name from
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and its major city at the south of the bay, San Jose. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by ...
. The bay was named by
Sebastián Vizcaíno
Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548–1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Baja California peninsula, the California coast and Asia.
Early career
Vizcaíno was born in 154 ...
in 1602 in honor of the
''Conde de Monterrey'' (or ''
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
of Monterrey''), then the
Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
of
New Spain. Monterrey is a variation of
Monterrei
Monterrei ( es, Monterrey, label= Castilian) is a municipality located in the Province of Ourense in the Galicia region of north-west Spain.
Monterrey is well known for its Castle, built in the 10th century. The Mexican city of Monterrey was ...
, a municipality in the
Galicia region of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
where the ''Conde de Monterrey'' and his father (the Fourth Count of Monterrei) were from.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (13%) is water.
The county is roughly 1.5 times larger than the state of
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
, and roughly similar in population and the size to
Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California, officially the County of Santa Barbara, is located in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa Maria.
Santa Barba ...
.
Adjacent counties
Santa Cruz County to the north,
San Benito County
San Benito County (; ''San Benito'', Spanish for " St. Benedict"), officially the County of San Benito, is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,209. The co ...
,
Fresno County
Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most populous city in Cali ...
, and Kings County to the east as well as
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...
to the south.
National protected areas
*
Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest is a United States national forest in southern and central California. Administered by the United States Forest Service, Los Padres includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Mo ...
(part)
*
Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is an American national park protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about east of Soledad and southeast of San Jose. The park's namesakes are the eroded leftovers of t ...
(part)
*
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge is located approximately 11 miles north of Monterey, California, and 3 miles south of Castroville, California, at the point where the Salinas River empties into Monterey Bay. The refuge encompasses several ...
*
Ventana Wilderness
The Ventana Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest is a federally designated wilderness area located in the Santa Lucia Range along the Central Coast of California. This wilderness was established in 1969 when the Ventana Wilderness Act redesig ...
(part)
In October
2019, the
Bureau of Land Management ended a five-year moratorium on leasing federal land in California to fossil fuel companies, opening 725,000 acres (1100 sq. miles; 29,000 ha) to drilling in
San Benito, Monterey, and Fresno counties.
Marine protected areas
*
Soquel Canyon State Marine Conservation Area
*
Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve Elkhorn or Elk Horn may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Elkhorn Ridge, a ridge of the Convoy Range in Victoria Land
Canada
* Elkhorn, Manitoba, an unincorporated community
* Elkhorn Mountain, a mountain in British Columbia
United States Cities a ...
*
Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area Elkhorn or Elk Horn may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Elkhorn Ridge, a ridge of the Convoy Range in Victoria Land
Canada
* Elkhorn, Manitoba, an unincorporated community
* Elkhorn Mountain, a mountain in British Columbia
United States Cities a ...
*
Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve
Moro Cojo Estuary State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a marine protected area established to protect the wildlife and habitats in Moro Cojo Slough. Moro Cojo Slough is located inland from Monterey Bay on the central coast of California, directly south ...
*
Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area
*
Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area
Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs tog ...
*
Lovers Point State Marine Reserve
Lovers Point State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass . ...
*
Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area
*
Asilomar State Marine Reserve
Asilomar State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas (MPAs) located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, California, Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four ...
Flora and fauna
Monterey County has habitat to support the following
endangered species:
*
Hickman's potentilla
''Potentilla hickmanii'' (called Hickman's potentilla or Hickman's cinquefoil) is an endangered perennial herb of the rose family. This rare plant species is found in a narrowly restricted range in two locations in coastal northern California, ...
*
Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander
*
Santa Cruz Tarweed
''Holocarpha macradenia'', commonly known as the Santa Cruz tarplant, is an endangered plant endemic to Northern California.
*
Southern Steelhead Trout
*
Yadon's piperia
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
Income, education and poverty 2013
Generally, the western/southern parts of the Monterey Peninsula,
Carmel Valley, Creekbridge (Salinas), and eastern parts of Prundale were the county's most affluent and educated (see dark blue on map). These areas had a median household income significantly above that of the California or the U.S. overall (typically above $95,000 vs. $60,000 for California and $52,000 for the U.S.)
and comprised roughly 8%-10% of neighborhoods (as defined by Census Block Groups).
Educational attainment was at least on part with, or above, state and national levels,
in these areas while the percentage of people living in poverty was typically a third or less than national and statewide average (with the exception of South Salinas).
Social deprivation (poverty and low levels of educational attainment) was concentrated in the central and eastern parts of Salinas, and central areas of Monterey, Seaside, Marina, Soledad and King City. In central and eastern Salinas up to 46% of individuals lived below the poverty line and those without a secondary educations formed a plurality or majority of residents.
Overall, the Salinas metropolitan area, defined as coterminous with Monterey County, was among the least educated urban areas in the nation.
Most affluent neighborhoods
Roughly 8% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a median household income above $100,000 per year, about 60% above the national median. This coincided with the top 20 census block groups in the county listed below.
Most affluent neighborhoods (Median Household Income above $100k/yr.)
''* Asterisk denotes a hypothetical rank among Monterey County's 226 Census Block Groups (e.g. if the U.S. overall was a Census Block Group in Monterey County, it would be the 141st most affluent of 226).''
Least affluent neighborhoods
About 4.5% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a median household income below $30,000 per year, about 60% below the national median. This coincided with the 10 poorest of the 20 lowest income neighborhoods listed in the table below.
Least affluent neighborhoods (Median Household Income of $34.1k or less)
''* Asterisk denotes a hypothetical rank among Monterey County's 226 Census Block Groups (e.g. if the U.S. overall was a Census Block Group in Monterey County, it would be the 86th poorest of 226).''
2011
Places by population, race, and income
2010
The
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
reported that Monterey County had a population of 415,057. The racial makeup of Monterey County was 230,717 (55.6%)
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 12,785 (3.1%)
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 5,464 (1.3%)
Native American, 25,258 (6.1%)
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
(2.8% Filipino, 0.7% Korean, 0.6% Chinese, 0.6% Japanese, 0.4% Vietnamese, 0.4% Indian), 2,071 (0.5%)
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 117,405 (28.3%) from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 21,357 (5.1%) from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 230,003 persons (55.4%); 50.2% of Monterey County is Mexican, 0.8% Salvadoran, and 0.5% Puerto Rican.
2000
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 401,762 people, 121,236 households, and 87,896 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 121 people per square mile (47/km
2). There were 131,708 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile (15/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 55.9%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 3.8%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.1%
Native American, 6.0%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.5%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 27.8% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 5.0% from two or more races. 46.79% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race. 6.3% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and 5.4%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
ancestry according to
Census 2000
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
. 52.9% spoke
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, 39.6%
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
and 1.6%
Tagalog as their first language.
There were 121,236 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were
married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.65.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 female residents there were 107.3 male residents. For every 100 female residents age 18 and over, there were 107.7 male residents.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,305, and the median income for a family was $51,169. Men had a median income of $38,444 versus $30,036 for the women. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $20,165. About 9.7% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
At the local level, Monterey County is governed by the
Monterey County Board of Supervisors. Like all
governing bodies in California, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors is empowered with both
legislative
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
and
executive
Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to:
Role or title
* Executive, a senior management role in an organization
** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators
** Executive dir ...
authority over the entirety of Monterey County and is the primary governing body for all unincorporated areas within the County boundaries. The Board has five elected members, each of whom represents one of five districts. Taken together, the five districts comprise the entirety of the county.
Current board members:
*
Luis Alejo
Luis Angel Alejo (born March 27, 1974) is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly representing the California's 30th State Assembly district, 30th Assembly District, encompassing the Pajaro Valley, Pajaro and Salinas Val ...
- 1st District
* John Phillips - 2nd District
* Chris Lopez - 3rd District
* Wendy Root Askew - 4th District (current board chair)
* Mary Adams - 5th District
The Board conducts its meetings in the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
,
Salinas, and is a member of the regional governmental agency, the
Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) is a regional governmental organization which consists of representation of a large number of public agencies within Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and San Benito County, California. AM ...
.
Supervisorial Districts
Supervisorial district boundaries are divided roughly equally according to
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
, using
data
In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete Value_(semiotics), values that convey information, describing quantity, qualitative property, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of sy ...
from the most recent
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
.
In addition, any
redistricting changes should approximately comply with both
California law
The law of California consists of several levels, including constitutional, statutory, and regulatory law, as well as case law. The California Codes form the general statutory law, and most state agency regulations are available in the Calif ...
as well as the federal
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement ...
.
Boundaries are adjusted
decennially based on data reported by the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
for the most recent
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
.
The next supervisorial election will be held on March 8, 2022.
District 1
The 1st District is
geographically the smallest supervisorial district in Monterey County and is entirely within the
city limits of the city of
Salinas.
Luis Alejo represents the 1st District on the Board of Supervisors. His current term expires in December 2020.
District 2
As the northernmost supervisorial district in Monterey County, the 2nd District includes the communities of
Boronda,
Castroville,
Las Lomas,
Moss Landing
Moss Landing, formerly Moss, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located north-northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of . It is on the shore of Monterey Bay, at the ...
,
Pajaro,
Prunedale,
Royal Oaks, the northern
neighborhoods of the city of
Salinas, and those portions of the community of
Aromas that are located within Monterey County.
John Phillips is currently the Supervisor for the 2nd District. His current term expires in December 2022.
District 3
The 3rd District covers the majority of the
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley.
The Salinas River, which geologically ...
and southern Monterey County, extending to its
border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
with
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...
. The district includes the
unincorporated communities
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
of
Spreckels,
Chualar, and
Jolon; the eastern portion of the city of
Salinas; the cities of
Gonzales,
Greenfield,
Soledad, and
King City; the
military installations
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...
at
Fort Hunter Liggett
Fort Hunter Liggett is a United States Army fort in Jolon, California, in southern Monterey County, California. The fort, named in 1941 after General Hunter Liggett, is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuve ...
and
Camp Roberts; and portions of the
Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest is a United States national forest in southern and central California. Administered by the United States Forest Service, Los Padres includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Mo ...
.
The 3rd District is represented by Chris Lopez. His current term expires in December 2022.
District 4
The 4th District includes the southwest portion of the city of
Salinas, the cities of
Del Rey Oaks,
Marina,
Seaside,
Sand City, and the former military installation at
Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
.
Wendy Root Askewcurrently holds the seat for 4th District Supervisor. Her current term expires in December 2024.
District 5
The 5th District is geographically the largest of the five supervisorial districts, and covers most of the
Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, and the resort and community of Pebble Beach.
History Monterey
Monterey was founded i ...
and southern
coast
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
line of Monterey County down to the southern county border with
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...
. The 5th District includes the cities of
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...
,
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
, and
Pacific Grove; the unincorporated communities of
Carmel Valley,
Big Sur,
Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf course ...
,
San Benancio,
Corral de Tierra, and
Jamesburg; military installations at the
Presidio of Monterey
The Presidio of Monterey (POM), located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently, it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLI-FLC). ...
, the
Defense Language Institute
The Defense Language Institute (DLI) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) educational and research institution consisting of two separate entities which provide linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other f ...
, and the
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California.
It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 70 fields of study to the U.S. Armed Forces, DOD ci ...
; and the
Ventana Wilderness
The Ventana Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest is a federally designated wilderness area located in the Santa Lucia Range along the Central Coast of California. This wilderness was established in 1969 when the Ventana Wilderness Act redesig ...
area of the
Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest is a United States national forest in southern and central California. Administered by the United States Forest Service, Los Padres includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Mo ...
.
Mary L. Adams is currently the 5th District Supervisor.
Her current term expires in December 2020.
State and federal Representatives
In the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, Monterey County is part of .
In the
California State Assembly, Monterey County is split between , and .
In the
California State Senate, Monterey County is split between , and .
Policing
The Monterey County Sheriff provides court protection, jail management, and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. Incorporated municipalities within the county that have their own municipal police departments are: Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas, King City, Marina, Seaside, Sand City, and
Gonzales.
Politics
Voter registration
Cities by population and voter registration
Overview
For most of the 20th century, Monterey County was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
stronghold in presidential elections. From 1900 until 1992, the only Democrats to carry the county were
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
,
Franklin Roosevelt, and
Lyndon Johnson. Since 1992, the county has become a
Democratic stronghold in
Presidential and
congressional elections, with
George H. W. Bush in
1988 being the last Republican to win Monterey County.
According to the California Secretary of State, as of April 2008, Monterey County has 147,066 registered voters. Of those voters, 72,550 (49.3%) are registered Democratic, 42,744 (29.1%) are registered Republican, 5,488 (3.7%) are registered with other political parties, and 26,284 (17.9%) declined to state a political party. Except for Sand City, all of the other cities, towns, and the unincorporated area of Monterey County have more individuals registered with the Democratic Party than the Republican Party. In Sand City, the Republicans have the advantage by 1 voter.
In August 2018, it adopted a flag designed by a Nob Hill resident.
Crime
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
Cities by population and crime rates
Media
Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area (DMA). Radio stations Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz area of dominant influence (ADI) or continuous measurement market (CMM). Local newspapers include the ''
Monterey County Herald
''The Monterey County Herald'', sometimes referred to as the ''Monterey Herald'', is a daily newspaper published in Monterey, California that serves Monterey County.
In December, 2013, the Herald's parent company Media News Group merged to become ...
'', Monterey County Weekly,
Salinas Californian and the Carmel Pine Cone.
Home prices
As of December 2005, Monterey County ranked among America's ten most expensive counties, with
Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California, officially the County of Santa Barbara, is located in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa Maria.
Santa Barba ...
topping the list with a median home price of $753,790. In Monterey County, the median home price was $699,900. In the northern, more densely populated part in the county, the
median home price was even higher, at $712,500, making it the fourth most expensive housing market in California. The disparity between the
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...
of roughly $48,305 and the median home price of $700k has been cause for recent concern over excluding potential home buyers from the market. The end of the
United States housing bubble
The 2000s United States housing bubble was a real-estate bubble affecting over half of the U.S. states. It was the impetus for the subprime mortgage crisis. Housing prices peaked in early 2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and reac ...
has caused prices to drop substantially, with median home prices having fallen to $280,000 as at September 2008.
Transportation
Major highways
*
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...
*
State Route 1
*
State Route 68
*
State Route 146
*
State Route 156
*
State Route 183
*
State Route 198
Public transportation
Monterey County is served by
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
trains and
Greyhound Lines buses.
Monterey-Salinas Transit provides transit service throughout most of Monterey County, with buses to Big Sur and King City as well as in Monterey, Salinas and Carmel. MST also runs service to
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...
in
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together f ...
Airports
*
Monterey Regional Airport
Monterey Regional Airport is three miles (5 km) southeast of Monterey, in Monterey County, California, United States. It was created in 1936 and was known as the Monterey Peninsula Airport until the board of directors renamed it on Septemb ...
is located just east of the city of
Monterey, California. Commercial flights are available.
*
Marina Municipal Airport
Marina Municipal Airport is a public airport located two miles (3 km) east of the central business district of Marina, a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is owned by the City of Marina.
The airport is on the former ...
is located in the city of
Marina, California
Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,359, up from 19,718 in 2010. The city is located along the central coast of California, west of Salinas and northeast of Monterey. I ...
.
*
Salinas Municipal Airport
Salinas Municipal Airport is an airport in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California, United States, three miles (4.8 km) southeast of Downtown Salinas, California, Salinas. It is included in the 2017–21 National Plan of I ...
is located in the southeast part of
Salinas, California.
*
Mesa Del Rey Airport is located in the city of
King City, California
King City (variant: Kings City) is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located on the Salinas River southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . It lies along U.S. Route 101 in the Salinas Valley of California's Cent ...
.
Communities
Cities
*
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...
*
Del Rey Oaks
*
Gonzales
*
Greenfield
*
King City
*
Marina
*
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
*
Pacific Grove
*
Salinas (county seat)
*
Sand City
*
Seaside
*
Soledad
Census-designated places
*
Aromas
*
Boronda
*
Bradley
Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English.
Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular.
It is also an Anglicisation of t ...
*
Carmel Valley Village
*
Castroville
*
Chualar
*
Del Monte Forest
Del Monte Forest (''Del Monte'', Spanish for "of the mountain") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 4,204, down from 4,514 at the 2010 census. The census area ...
, includes the well-known community of
Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf course ...
*
Elkhorn
*
Fort Hunter Liggett
Fort Hunter Liggett is a United States Army fort in Jolon, California, in southern Monterey County, California. The fort, named in 1941 after General Hunter Liggett, is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuve ...
*
Las Lomas
*
Lockwood
*
Moss Landing
Moss Landing, formerly Moss, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located north-northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of . It is on the shore of Monterey Bay, at the ...
*
Pajaro
*
Pine Canyon
Pine Canyon is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California, just south of King City, California, King City. Pine Canyon sits at an elevation of . As of the 2020 United St ...
*
Prunedale
*
San Ardo
*
San Lucas
*
Spreckels
Unincorporated communities
*
Ambler Park
*
Big Sur Village
*
Bryson
*
Carmel Highlands
*
Carmel Valley
*
Corral de Tierra
*
Gorda
*
Jamesburg
*
Jolon
*
Notleys Landing
*
Old Hilltown
*
Pacific Grove Acres
*
Parkfield
*
Plaskett
*
Posts
*
Robles del Rio
*
San Benancio
*
Santa Lucia Preserve
*
Slates Hot Springs
Slates Hot Springs (also known as Big Sur Hot Springs, Slate's Hot Springs, Slate's Springs, and Slate's Hot Sulphur Springs) is the site of a hot spring in the Big Sur region of Monterey County, California. It is located north-northwest of Lope ...
*
Springtown
* Sycamore Flat
*
Tassajara Hot Springs
Tassajara Hot Springs is a collection of natural hot springs within the Ventana Wilderness area of the Santa Lucia Range and Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County, California. The hot springs were used by the indigenous Native Americans f ...
*
White Rock
Other places
*
Big Sur
*
Laguna Seca Ranch
*
Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
Military Base decommissioned in the 1990s, some of it was converted to
California State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university in Monterey County, California. Its main campus is located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, straddling the cities of Seaside and ...
*
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California.
It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 70 fields of study to the U.S. Armed Forces, DOD ci ...
*
Fort Hunter Liggett
Fort Hunter Liggett is a United States Army fort in Jolon, California, in southern Monterey County, California. The fort, named in 1941 after General Hunter Liggett, is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuve ...
*
Presidio of Monterey
The Presidio of Monterey (POM), located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently, it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLI-FLC). ...
, home to the
Defense Language Institute
The Defense Language Institute (DLI) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) educational and research institution consisting of two separate entities which provide linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other f ...
and one of three
presidio
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...
s in California
*
Jacks Peak Park Jacks Peak Park is a county park in Monterey County, California. Its central feature is Jacks Peak, the highest point on the Monterey Peninsula, rising 1,068 feet (325 m) above Monterey and Carmel. The park encompasses 525 acres under control of th ...
, including the highest point on the
Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, and the resort and community of Pebble Beach.
History Monterey
Monterey was founded i ...
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the
2020 census of Monterey County.
† ''county seat''
Education
School districts include:
[ ]
Text list
/ref>
Unified:
* Aromas-San Juan Unified School District
* Big Sur Unified School District
Big Sur Unified School District is a public school district in the southern Big Sur region of Monterey County, California, United States. It was originally the Pacific Valley School in the 1920s and served residents on the south coast including M ...
* Gonzales Unified School District - It serves grades PK-12 in some sections and grades 9-12 only in other sections
* Carmel Unified School District
* Coalinga-Huron Unified School District
* Monterey Peninsula Unified School District
Monterey Peninsula Unified School District is a public school district based in Monterey County, California, United States.
The district serves the cities of Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Sand City, Seaside and a portion of unincorporated De ...
* North Monterey County Unified School District
* Pacific Grove Unified School District
Pacific Grove Unified School District is a public school district in Monterey County, California, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country prima ...
* Pajaro Valley Joint Unified School District
Pajaro (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Pájaro'', meaning "bird") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California, United States. It is located on the south bank of the Paj ...
* Shandon Joint Unified School District
Shandon Joint Unified School District is a school district in San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, ...
* Soledad Unified School District
Soledad Unified School District (SUSD) is a school district headquartered in Soledad, California
Soledad is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is in the Salinas Valley, southeast of Salinas, the county seat. Soledad's ...
Secondary:
* Paso Robles Joint Unified School District
Paso Robles Joint Unified School District is a public school district based in Paso Robles, California, Paso Robles, northern San Luis Obispo County, California, United States.
References
External links
*
Paso Robles, California
School ...
(While it is a K-12 unified school district, it only serves grades 9-12 in its section of this county)
* Salinas Union High School District
Salinas Union High School District is a public school district in Monterey County, California, United States. The feeder districts are Alisal Union School District, Alisal Union, Graves, Lagunita, Salinas City Elementary School District, Salinas ...
* South Monterey County Joint Union High School District
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
Elementary:
* Alisal Union Elementary School District Alisal is a Spanish word for "alder grove". It may refer to:
People
* Carlos Casado del Alisal (1833—1899), Spanish Argentine businessman
* José Casado del Alisal (1830/32–1886), Spanish portrait and history painter
Places
* Alisal, Salin ...
* Bradley Union Elementary School District
Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English.
Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular.
It is also an Anglicisation of t ...
* Chualar Union Elementary School District
Chualar (Spanish for "Pigweed grove") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, United States. Chualar is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . The popul ...
* Graves Elementary School District
A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...
* Greenfield Union Elementary School District
Greenfield or Greenfields may refer to:
Engineering and Business
* Greenfield agreement, an employment agreement for a new organisation
* Greenfield investment, the investment in a structure in an area where no previous facilities exist
* Greenf ...
* King City Union Elementary School District
King City Union Elementary School District is a public school district based in Monterey County, California, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a co ...
* Lagunita Elementary School District
Lagunita is an ancient Maya city, located in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. It was identified in August 2014, along with Tamchen, by Ivan Sprajc, associate professor at the Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and his te ...
* Mission Union Elementary School District
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
* Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
* Pleasant Valley Joint Union Elementary School District
Pleasure refers to experience that feels good, that involves the enjoyment of something. It contrasts with pain or suffering, which are forms of feeling bad. It is closely related to value, desire and action: humans and other conscious animals ...
* Salinas City Elementary School District
Salinas City Elementary is an elementary school district located in Salinas, California. As of 2015, Salinas City Elementary had an enrollment of about 9,000 students, of which 80% were Hispanic or Latino. Salinas City Elementary has 13 campuse ...
* San Antonio Union Elementary School District
* San Ardo Union Elementary School District
* San Lucas Union Elementary School District
* San Miguel Joint Union Elementary School District
* Santa Rita Union Elementary School District
Santa Rita Union School District is located in Salinas, California, USA. The district consists of Gavilan View Middle School (grades 6–8), Juan Gutierrez Middle School (grades 6–8), La Joya Elementary School (K-5), Santa Rita Elementary Schoo ...
* Spreckels Union Elementary School District Spreckels may refer to:
*Spreckels (surname)
* Spreckels, California, originally a company town of the Spreckels Sugar Company
*Spreckels Mansion, a mansion in Coronado, California, built for John D. Spreckels
* Spreckels Mansion, a 1912 mansion b ...
* Washington Union Elementary School District
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
Gallery
File:CalifCentralCoast.jpg, Big Sur - Midcounty coastline with the McWay Rocks in foreground
File:CSUMB Fog.JPG, California State University at Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university in Monterey County, California. Its main campus is located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, straddling the cities of Seaside and ...
File:CarmelScene.jpg, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...
- Beach scene
File:Golden Bough Playhouse.gif, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...
- Golden Bough Playhouse
File:Forest Theater.jpg, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...
- Forest Theater
The Forest Theater is an historic amphitheater in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Founded in 1910, it is one of the oldest outdoor theaters west of the Rockies. Actor/director Herbert Heron is generally cited as the founder and driving force, an ...
File:Artichoke Capitol.JPG, Castroville - Main entrance to the city
File:Gonzales water tower.jpg, Gonzales - Water tower
File:View of sea.JPG, Gorda, California
Gorda (Spanish for "Fat") is a hamlet in Monterey County, California. It is located south of Cape San Martin, at an elevation of . It is one of the three small settlements of filling stations, restaurants, and motels located along State Route 1 ...
- A view of the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
File:Marina homes.jpg, Marina neighborhood
File:Main Street Salinas CA December.jpg, Main Street - Salinas
File:Monterey Bay Aquarium exterior August 2016.jpg, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biologists ...
File:Cannery Row at night.jpg, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Cannery Row
File:MontereyWharf&Harbor.jpg, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Fisherman's Wharf
File:MontereyCommercialWharf.jpg, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Commercial Wharf
File:Hat in three stages of landing claes oldemburg.jpg, Hat in three stages of landing by Claes Oldemburg - Salinas
File:Beach walk.JPG, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Beachside recreational trail
File:SCUBA diving lessons.JPG, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Scuba diving lessons in Monterey Bay
File:Fremont Peak viewed from Monterey Bay Aquarium.JPG, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Fremont Peak Fremont Peak can refer to one of several peaks. In the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in Nor ...
, viewed from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biologists ...
File:Strawberry Fields near Amaral Road.JPG, Monterey County - Strawberry fields in rural area
File:Into the Distance.jpg, Lapis Road looking south
File:Junipero Serra Peak 2015 2.jpg, Junipero Serra Peak
Junipero Serra Peak is the highest mountain in the Santa Lucia range of central California. It is also the highest peak in Monterey County, and is located within the boundaries of Los Padres National Forest. It is named after Saint Junípero Serr ...
, highest point in the county
File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, Salinas - John Steinbeck's former home
File:Sunset Marina.JPG, Marina Sunset
File:Colton Hall.JPG, Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
- Colton Hall
File:Ranch style home in Salinas, California.JPG, Salinas - Newer Spanish-Revival style house in Harden Ranch
File:$700,000 Home.jpg, Salinas - An average home in North Salinas
File:North Salinas.jpg, Salinas - Residential neighborhood at Harden Ranch, Salinas
File:Downtown Salinas.jpg, Salinas - Downtown
File:NationalSteinbeckCentre.jpg, Salinas - National Steinbeck Center
The National Steinbeck Center is a museum and memorial dedicated to the author John Steinbeck, located at the California State University, Monterey Bay#Other locations, California State University, Monterey Bay at Salinas City Center building at O ...
File:Greenfield California.JPG, Agricultural fields in the Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley.
The Salinas River, which geologically ...
File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, Steinbeck House - Salinas
File:Nuestra Senora del la Soledad chapel.JPG, Soledad - Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad
See also
*Coastal California
Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economic ...
*List of museums in the California Central Coast
The Central Coast (California), California Central Coast is an area roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay extending through Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, California, San Benito County, Monterey C ...
*List of school districts in Monterey County, California
List of school districts in Monterey County, California
On February 27, 2008, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell placed several school districts in the county in their list of school districts that need ...
* Monterey County reforestation
*
*List of tourist attractions in Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The population of the county in 2021 was 437,325. The coastline of Monterey County includes Big ...
*Fort Hunter Liggett
Fort Hunter Liggett is a United States Army fort in Jolon, California, in southern Monterey County, California. The fort, named in 1941 after General Hunter Liggett, is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuve ...
Notes
References
External links
*
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Carmel Magazine: The Lifestyle Magazine of the Monterey Peninsula
Finding Aid to the Monterey County Miscellany, 1844-1850
at The Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library in the center of the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is the university's primary special-collections library. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retai ...
Arts Council for Monterey County
{{coord, 36.24, -121.31, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-CA_source:UScensus1990
California counties
1850 establishments in California
Populated places established in 1850
Majority-minority counties in California