Salinas (;
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 ...
for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
and the county seat of
Monterey County
Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.
Montere ...
. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County.
Salinas is an urban area located along the northern limits of the
Monterey Bay Area
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 both ...
, lying just south of the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
and southeast of the mouth of the
Salinas River.
The city is located at the mouth 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 ...
, about from 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 contin ...
, and it has a climate more influenced by the ocean than the interior.
Salinas serves as the main business, governmental, and industrial center of the region. The marine climate is ideal for the floral industry, grape vineyards, and vegetable growers. Salinas is known as the "Salad Bowl of the World" for its large, vibrant agriculture industry.
It was the hometown of writer and
Nobel laureate John Steinbeck (1902–68), who set many of his stories in the Salinas Valley and Monterey. Salinas has a high
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 ...
proportion, which at 79.6%, is
the highest proportion of Hispanic Americans out of any city in California, and 8th largest overall in the nation.
The city also has a sizable Asian-American population, with a large and historic Filipino population. The city once also had the 2nd biggest Chinatown in the nation behind only San Francisco.
History
![José_Eusebio_Boronda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Jos%C3%A9_Eusebio_Boronda.jpg)
The land that Salinas sits on is thought to have been settled by Native Americans known as the
Esselen prior to 200 AD. Between 200 and 500 AD, they were displaced by the
Rumsen group of
Ohlone speaking people. The Rumsen-Ohlone remained as the inhabitants of the area for approximately another 1,200 years, and in the 1700s, were the group of native inhabitants contacted and recorded by the first Spanish explorers of the Salinas area.
Upon the arrival of the Spanish, large Spanish land grants were initially issued for the
Catholic Missions
Missionary work of the Catholic Church has often been undertaken outside the geographically defined parishes and dioceses by religious orders who have people and material resources to spare, and some of which specialized in missions. Eventually, p ...
and also as bonuses to soldiers. Later on after Mexican independence, smaller land grants continued to be issued for
ranchos where mostly cattle were grazed. One of the many land grants was the
Rancho Las Salinas land grant, part of which included the area of modern-day Salinas. As a result of the many new cattle ranches, a thriving trade eventually developed in cattle hide shipments, shipping primarily out of the Port of Monterey.
["Early Salinas" by Gary S. Breschini, Mona Gudgel, & Trudy Haversat]
In 1848 California officially became a part of the United States of America. This transition followed several years of battles in the Salinas area with
John Fremont
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
flying the American flag on the highest peak of the
Gabilan Mountains and claiming California for the United States. Before the transition to American administration, Monterey had been the capital of California. For a short while after the transition, California was ruled by
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
.
On September 9, 1850, California was admitted to the Union and became a State, celebrated as
California Admission Day
An Act for the Admission of the State of California into the Union is the federal legislation that admitted California to the United States as the thirty-first state. California is one of only a few states to become a state without first being ...
.
In the 1850s a junction of two main stage coach routes was located east 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 ...
and along the big bend of what is locally referred to as the Alisal Slough. In 1854, six years after becoming a part of the United States, a group of American settlers living in the vicinity of this route-junction opened a post office at the junction, naming their town "Salinas," apparently a reference to the original "Rancho Las Salinas" name for the area,
which in turn was named in Spanish for the salt marshes of the area around the central Salinas slough, which was drained. Soon thereafter, in 1856, a traveler's inn called the Halfway House was opened at that junction in Salinas.
(The nearby
Salinas River, was apparently only later named by an American cartographer, after the nearest town of Salinas in 1858. Previously that river had gone by the name: "Rio de Monterey."). The streets of Salinas were laid out in 1867, and the town was incorporated in 1874.
The conversion of grazing land to crops and the coming of the rail road in 1868 to transport goods and people was a major turning point in the history and economic advancement of Salinas. Dry farming of wheat, barley, and other grains as well as potatoes and mustard seed was common in the 1800s. Chinese labor drained thousands of acres of swampland to become productive farmland, and as much early farm labor was done by Chinese immigrants, Salinas boasted the second largest
Chinatown in the state, slightly smaller than
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
Irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
changed farming in Salinas to mainly row crops of root vegetables, grapes and sugar beets. Many major vegetable producers placed their headquarters in Salinas.
Driven by the profitable agricultural industry, Salinas had the highest per capita income of any city in the United States in 1924.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the
Salinas Rodeo Grounds was one of the locations used as a temporary
detention camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...
for citizens and immigrant residents of Japanese ancestry, before they were relocated to more permanent and remote facilities. One of seventeen such sites overseen by the Wartime Civilian Control Administration, the Salinas Assembly Center was built after President
Roosevelt
Roosevelt may refer to:
*Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president
* Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president
Businesses and organisations
* Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation)
* Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank
* Rooseve ...
issued
Executive Order 9066, authorizing the
removal and confinement of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. The camp opened on April 27, 1942, and held a total of 3,608 people before closing two months later on July 4.
![Sargent House historic victorian home Salinas ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Sargent_House_historic_victorian_home_Salinas_ca.jpg)
Following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
major urban and suburban development converted much farmland to city. The city experienced two particularly strong growth spurts in the 1950s and 1960s, and again in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Aerial photographic interpretation indicate such major conversion of cropland to
urban
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
uses over the time period 1956 to 1968, while the city annexed the adjacent communities of
Alisal and
Santa Rita during this time. The Harden Ranch, Creekbridge and Williams Ranch neighborhoods constituting much of the city's North-East were built almost exclusively between 1990 and 2004.
Salinas was also the birthplace of writer and Nobel Prize laureate
John Steinbeck. The historic downtown, known as ''Oldtown Salinas'', features much fine Victorian architecture, and is home to the
National Steinbeck Center, the Steinbeck House and the
John Steinbeck Library The John Steinbeck Library is a public library in Salinas, California. The library was named after writer John Steinbeck in 1969. The library held the Steinbeck archives until 1998 when they were transferred to the new National Steinbeck Center. T ...
.
Major development took place in the 1990s, with the construction of Creekbridge, Williams Ranch, and Harden Ranch.
Geography
![Salinas from airplane October 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Salinas_from_airplane_October_2017.jpg)
According to 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 t ...
, the city has a total area of , 99.84% of it land and 0.16% of it water.
Prior to mass agricultural and urban development, much of the city consisted of rolling hills bisected by wooded creeks and interspersed with marsh land.
Today, the city is located mostly on leveled ground, with some rolling hills and wooded gulches with creeks remaining in the north-eastern Creekbridge and Williams Ranch neighborhoods, as well as the Laurel Heights section of East Salinas. The natural ecosystems accompanying the area's topography and environment have been recreated in Natividad Creek Park and adjacent Upper Carr Lake.
The city rests about above sea level, and it is located roughly eight miles from 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 contin ...
. The
Gabilan and
Santa Lucia mountain ranges border the Salinas Valley to the east and to the west, respectively. Both mountain ranges and the Salinas Valley run approximately south-east from Salinas towards
King City.
The Salinas River runs the length of the Salinas Valley and empties into the Pacific Ocean at the center of the
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 ...
. During the summer months the river flows partially underground and it is this extensive underground aquifer that allows for irrigation of cropland in an area without much annual rainfall.
Climate
![Main Street Salinas CA December](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Main_Street_Salinas_CA_December.jpg)
Salinas has cool and moderate temperatures, due to the "natural
air conditioner" that conveys ocean air and fog from the
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 ...
to Salinas, while towns to the north and south of Salinas experience hotter summers, as mountains block the ocean air. Thus, Salinas weather is closer to that of the
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, roughly spanning the coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of Los Angeles County and south of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and includes the rugged, undevelope ...
, rather than that of inland valleys, and thus has a mild
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Csb'') with typical daily highs ranging from around in the winter to around in the summer. According to the Weather Channel, monthly average temperature highs range from . The record highest temperature was on September 14, 1971. The record lowest temperature was on December 21, 1937. Annually, there are an average of 5.5 days with + highs, and an average of 11.7 days with lows reaching the freezing mark or lower.
Between 1958 and 2018, the coldest measured daytime high in Salinas was in 1990, with the coldest day averaging for the last set of normals between 1981 and 2010.
The warmest night during the station's operation was in 2017, with the warmest annual night standing at a mild .
[
In 2015 Salinas was in the top ten American cities for cleanest air quality, It is thought that the offshore marine layer generates winds that blow smog further inland.
The difference between ocean and air temperature also tends to create heavy morning fog during the summer months, known as the ]marine layer
A marine layer is an air mass that develops over the surface of a large body of water, such as an ocean or large lake, in the presence of a temperature inversion. The inversion itself is usually initiated by the cooling effect of the water on th ...
, driven by an onshore wind created by the local high pressure sunny portions of the Salinas Valley, which extend north and south from Salinas and the Bay.
The average annual rainfall for the city is approximately . The wettest "rain year" since records at the present station began in 1959 was from July 1997 to June 1998 with of precipitation, and the driest from July 1971 to June 1972 with . The most precipitation in one month was in February 1998. The record maximum 24-hour precipitation was on January 23, 2000. Occasionally, there is snowfall on the peaks of the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountain ranges, but snow in the city itself is extremely rare, occurring about once every 5 to 15 years on average. An inch of snow fell in Salinas on February 26, 2011.
Demographics
2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Salinas had a population of 163,542. The racial makeup of Salinas was 32% white (12% for white alone, not Hispanic or Latino), 79% Hispanic or Latino, 1% African American, 6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other pacific Islander, 1% American Indian and Alaska native, 7% Two or more races. The median household income is $67,914, and the medium income per capita is $23,707. The poverty percentage is at 14%.
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 servi ...
reported that Salinas had a population of 150,441. The population density was . The racial makeup of Salinas was 68,973 (45.8%) 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 ...
, down from 90.3% in 1970, 2,993 (2.0%) 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 ...
, 1,888 (1.3%) Native American, 9,438 (6.3%) 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 ...
, 478 (0.3%) 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 ...
, 59,041 (39.2%) 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 7,630 (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 112,799 persons (75.0%).
The Census reported that 147,976 people (98.4% of the population) lived in households, 658 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,807 (1.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 40,387 households, out of which 21,435 (53.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21,380 (52.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 6,835 (16.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,300 (8.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,271 (8.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 271 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,895 households (17.1%) were made up of individuals, and 2,587 (6.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.66. There were 31,515 families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
(78.0% of all households); the average family size was 4.05.
The population was spread out, with 47,180 people (31.4%) under the age of 18, 18,049 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 44,978 people (29.9%) aged 25 to 44, 28,976 people (19.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,258 people (7.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.
There were 42,651 housing units at an average density of , of which 18,198 (45.1%) were owner-occupied, and 22,189 (54.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 65,108 people (43.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 82,868 people (55.1%) lived in rental housing units. The majority of residents were living in single-unit detached homes, built between 1950 and 2000, while one third of the housing stock had three or more units per structure.
2000
The 2000 United States Census reported that Salinas had a population of 151,060. The population density was . There were 39,659 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 65.2% 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, 49.1% 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 ...
, 6.2% Asian American, 3.3% 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 ...
, 1.3% Native American, 38.7% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. 49.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.69 and the average family size was 4.08
Age distribution was 33.0% under the age of 19 or younger, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.7 males. For every 102 females age 18 and over, there were 117.4 males.
The median household income
Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. Fo ...
was $43,728, and the median family income was $44,669. Males had a median income of $35,641 versus $27,013 for females. 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 city was $14,495. About 12.8% of families and 16.7% 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 20.1% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Median household income in the city tended to be significantly higher alongside the city limits, especially in the northern Harden Ranch and Creekbridge neighborhoods. East Salinas and the downtown area suffered from a very low median household income as well as high crime rates. South and North Salinas featured roughly the same level of median households income with the latter being home to city's wealthiest newly constructed neighborhoods.
Crime
Salinas has a significant, but declining problem with organized street gangs, such as Nortenos and Surenos, and associated violent crime
A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objecti ...
. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) of the U.S. Department of Justice is the principal federal agency responsible for measuring crime, criminal victimization, criminal offenders, victims of crime, correlates of crime, and the operation of cri ...
, the city's overall violent crime and homicide rates are above those for California and the nation overall. However, the violent crime rate in Salinas has declined by almost 75 percent since 2015. Gang activity and violent crime are focused in Central and East Salinas and exacerbated by the city's comparatively low tax base and consequently limited policing resources. A hypothesis to explain the city's particularly intense problem with gang related violent crime cites the city's proximity to Salinas Valley State Prison. The prison was an early launch pad for street operations of the notorious prison gang, ''Nuestra Familia
Nuestra Familia (Spanish for ''"our family"'') is a criminal organization of Mexican American (Chicano) prison gangs with origins in Northern California. While members of the Norteños gang are considered to be foot soldiers of Nuestra Familia, b ...
''. This in turn, is seen as having spawned a legacy of multi-generational gang membership among the poorer and less educated residents of East Salinas. In a depiction of crime and active policing within the city, since 2018, Salinas police officers have been shadowed by camera crews for broadcast on the TV show Live PD
''Live PD'' is an American television program that aired on the A&E Network from 2016 to 2020. It followed police officers in the course of their patrols live, broadcasting select encounters with the nation. The show was hosted by Dan Abrams ...
.
Economy
Major employers in Salinas include Taylor Farms, Tanimura & Antle, Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital
The Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) is a public district hospital in Salinas, California. Originally built in 1953, SVMH has 263 hospital beds and 1,800+ employees and primarily serves residents of the Salinas Valley. The hospital has ...
, Natividad Medical Center
Natividad Hospital (NMC) is a 172-bed acute-care teaching hospital located in Salinas, California, Salinas, California. The hospital is owned and operated by Monterey County, California, Monterey County and the hospital's emergency department rec ...
, Mann Packing, Hilltown Packing, Newstar Fresh Foods, Matsui Nursery and Monterey County
Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.
Montere ...
.
Salinas is known for its AgTech industry, and is known as the emerging AgTech Capital of the nation and a global hub for agricultural technology. Its close proximity to Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Coun ...
and large number of agricultural employers give forth to an ideal location for developing high tech agricultural innovations.
Forbes AgTech Summit
Since 2015, Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
has hosted the yearly Forbes AgTech Summit in Salinas. The event draws agricultural technology entrepreneurs from around the world and includes speakers, group discussions, tours, on site demonstrations.
Arts and culture
Salinas has an emerging arts scene led by the First Fridays Art Walk and the innovative use of non-traditional or business venues to exhibit art and host live local music. The oldest gallery in Salinas, the Valley Art Gallery, has been active for over 30 years. The Hartnell College Gallery hosts world-class exhibitions of art during the school year. The National Steinbeck Center has two galleries with changing exhibits, and the city's newest @Risk Gallery features humdrum exhibitions. The Art Walk, held in the downtown area, features 50 venues.
Live theater companies in Salinas include ARIEL Theatrical located in the Karen Wilson's Children's Theater in Oldtown Salinas, and The Western Stage
Hartnell College is a public community college in Salinas, California. Established in 1920 as Salinas Junior College, Hartnell is one of 115 schools that constitute the California Community Colleges, one of the three higher education systems in ...
, based at Hartnell College.
Live local music is available at many restaurants in the downtown area, and during the First Fridays Art Walk. Concerts are held at the historic Fox California Theater, Steinbeck Institute for Arts and Culture and the Salinas Sports Complex, as well as at Hartnell College
Hartnell College is a public community college in Salinas, California. Established in 1920 as Salinas Junior College, Hartnell is one of 115 schools that constitute the California Community Colleges, one of the three higher education systems in ...
.
Salinas is home to many public murals, including work by John Cerney which can be viewed in the agricultural fields surrounding the city. Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg (January 28, 1929 – July 18, 2022) was a Swedish-born American sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions ...
placed his sculpture, ''Hat in Three Stages of Landing'', in Sherwood Park at the center of the city.
The city contains several art deco buildings, including the Monterey County Courthouse and the Salinas Californian Building.
Cultural events
El Grito
El Grito is a free annual event held every September in the Alisal Neighborhood of Salinas. The event draws up to 65,000 people and features a parade, performances, vendors, Mexican cuisine, and cultural exhibits. El Grito is a celebration of the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...
.
Founders Day
Salinas Founders Day is an annual event held since 1869, that celebrates the history of Salinas. The 2017 event was held at the Salinas Train Station Plaza in downtown Salinas, and included tours of the First Mayor's House and the Monterey and Salinas Valley Railroad Museum, music, and historical talks.
Ciclovía Salinas
Ciclovía Salinas is an annual event that has taken place in the Alisal neighborhood of Salinas since 2013, and features a 1.5 mile stretch of Alisal Street that is closed off to automobiles, and exclusively for use of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation. The goal of the event is to promote youth leadership, walking, biking, and other recreational activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.
The event is led entirely by Salinas youth volunteers and in 2018, it featured a 3-kilometer run, Cross Fit activities, soccer, zumba, boxing, community created murals, disc golf, folklorico dancing, and Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...
n cultural dancing.
California Rodeo Salinas
As the host of a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo, Salinas is a major stop on the professional rodeo circuit. The California Rodeo Salinas
Salinas is a major stop on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit. The Salinas rodeo (pronounced the Spanish way: "roDAYo") began in 1911 as a Wild West Show on the site of the old race track ground, now the Salinas Sports ...
began in 1911 as a Wild West Show on the site of the old race track ground, now the Salinas Sports Complex. Every third week of July is Big Week, when cowboys and fans come for the traditional rodeo competitions, including bull riding. Rodeo-related events held in Salinas and 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 ...
include cowboy poetry, wine tasting, a carnival, barbecues and a gala cowboy ball.
Kiddie Kapers Parade
The Kiddie Kapers Parade Kiddie Kapers Parade is a Salinas, California based evening parade held annually since 1930. It is notable as the participants are limited to children. It is held in conjunction with “Big Week” which includes the California Rodeo Salinas
...
began in 1930 and is an annual parade with only children in costume, held in conjunction with "Big Week" and the annual Rodeo.
Salinas Asian Festival
The Salinas Asian Festival is a free annual event in Salinas held since 2009 that celebrates the culture and history of Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese immigrants in Salinas. The Salinas Buddhist Temple, the Salinas Chinese Association, and the Filipino Cultural Center of Salinas are open to tour. The event includes food, demonstrations of tai chi
Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...
, Filipino folk dancing, kendo, and a bonsai display. The 2017 festival the Salinas Chinatown Virtual Walking Tour.
Points of interest
John Steinbeck House
The John Steinbeck House was the birthplace and childhood home of author John Steinbeck, and is now home to a restaurant. The house was built in 1897 and is a Queen Anne style Victorian.
Boronda Adobe History Center
Just outside the official city limits, the restored adobe dwelling constructed in 1844 by José Eusebio Boronda, rests on one of the original Mexican land grants. The Boronda Adobe is a California Historical Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places and holds a museum of early Salinas and California history. Other historic buildings are located here, including the Lagunita School house John Steinbeck wrote about in ''the Red Pony''. The site also holds the official archive of Monterey County, open to researchers by appointment.
Santa Lucia Highlands American Viticultural Area
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California. It is part of the larger Monterey AVA, and located in the Santa Lucia Mountains above the Salinas Valley. Over of ...
is nearby so the area is becoming a destination for wine tasting.
Education
School districts
Salinas has seven public school districts serving the city core and adjacent unincorporated areas. The largest school district in Salinas is the 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 ...
(grades 7–12) with 13,578 students enrolled in 10 campuses. The 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 ...
is the largest elementary school district in Salinas, with 13 schools and 7,954 students. Other districts include 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 ...
, 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 ...
, Washington Union School District
The Washington Union School District is a school district outside Holywood county shwentsil park, California, Salinas, California. It was established in 1869. Its middle school, San Benancio, Monterey County, California, San Benancio Middle Sch ...
, Lagunita School District
Lagunita is an ancient Maya city, located in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. ...
, and Alisal Union School District.
Private Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
schools in the city include the all-boys Palma School
Palma School is a grade 6-12 Catholic boys school located in Salinas, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey, its motto is "Palma Merenti," which translates in English as "Palms to the Victor."
History
Pal ...
and the all-girls Notre Dame High School.
Higher education
Hartnell College
Hartnell College is a public community college in Salinas, California. Established in 1920 as Salinas Junior College, Hartnell is one of 115 schools that constitute the California Community Colleges, one of the three higher education systems in ...
, as well as a satellite campus of 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 ...
, are located in Salinas.
Media
Local newspapers include ''The Salinas Californian
''The Salinas Californian'', sometimes referred to as ''The Californian'', is a digital and print newspaper published in Salinas, California, covering mainly the Salinas Valley. Founded in 1871 as ''The Salinas City Index'', it went through sever ...
'', ''Monterey County Weekly
The ''Monterey County Weekly'' (sometimes called the "Weekly," formerly the ''Coast Weekly.'') is a locally owned and independent newsmedia company founded in 1988. As per the publication's name, it publishes in print weekly, and since 2020 onli ...
'' and '' Monterey County Herald''.
Local radio stations include:
* KION/1460
* KTGE/1570
* KHDC/90.9
* KPRC-FM/100.7
* KDON-FM/102.5
* KRAY-FM/103.5
* KOCN/105.1
* KSQL/99.1
* KBRG/100.3
* KVVF/105.7
Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area ( DMA). KSMS-TV
KSMS-TV (channel 67) is a television station licensed to Monterey, California, United States, serving the Monterey Bay area as an affiliate of the Spanish-language Univision network. It is owned by Entravision Communications alongside Class A U ...
Channel 67, KION-TV
KION-TV (channel 46) is a television station licensed to Monterey, California, United States, affiliated with CBS, Fox, and Telemundo. Owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company, it serves the Monterey Bay area from studios located on Moffett St ...
Channel 46 and KSBW
KSBW (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Salinas, California, United States, serving the Monterey Bay area as an affiliate of NBC and American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Owned by Hearst Television, the station has studios on John ...
Channel 8 provide news for the area as the area's Univision, CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
and ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
affiliates.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Highways and roads
U.S. Route 101 is the major north–south highway in Salinas, linking the city to the rest of the Central Coast region, San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
to the north, and Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
to the south. California State Route 68
State Route 68 (SR 68) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, located entirely in Monterey County. It runs from Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove to U.S. Route 101 in Salinas. The approximately long highway serves as a majo ...
heads west to 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 ...
, while California State Route 183 runs northwest to Castroville.
Rail
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 ...
, the national passenger rail system, serves Salinas. Its ''Coast Starlight
The ''Coast Starlight'' is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States between Seattle and Los Angeles via Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. The train, which has operated continuously since Amtrak's format ...
'' train runs daily in each direction between Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
, and Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, stopping in Salinas.
The Salinas Rail extension aims to provide weekday rail service to Gilroy and San Jose Diridon station by 2024.
Bus
Public transportation via bus is provided by Monterey–Salinas Transit (MST). Public buses take passengers throughout the county, as well as San Jose and Gilroy. Buses to San Jose and Gilroy connect to Caltrain and Amtrak in those cities.
Greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...
operates from the Salinas Amtrak station with service to other California cities and throughout the United States.
Airport
Salinas Municipal Airport is located on the southeastern boundary of the City of Salinas, 3 miles (5 km) from the city center. It is a general aviation facility occupying , with two runways serving single and twin engine aircraft and helicopters, as well as an increasing number of turbopropeller and turbine-powered business jets.
The airport has an air traffic control tower in operation twelve hours a day, seven days a week. The airport terminal is located on Mortensen Avenue and houses airport office staff as well as professional offices. The city is currently accepting proposals for leasing and operation of the restaurant located within the Terminal. Salinas Airport Commissioners agreed to a proposed project that would bring a 100-room hotel, offices and hangars to a vacant lot in front of the Salinas Municipal Airport terminal. The Salinas Jet Center would include a national chain hotel, of office space, four large complexes combining more offices with airplane hangars and a 24-hour, full-service aircraft fueling station. The project would also include a taxiway to allow planes to access the new hangars.
The airport has full Instrument Landing System
In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...
(ILS) and VHF omnidirectional range
Very high frequency omnirange station (VOR) is a type of short-range radio navigation system for aircraft, enabling aircraft with a receiving unit to determine its position and stay on course by receiving radio signals transmitted by a network ...
(VOR) located on the airport. The ILS has a Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System, with Runway Alignment Indicator Lights. The VOR approach has Runway End Identifier Lights. All but the ILS runway, RWY 31, have Visual Approach Slope Indicators (VASIs).
The airport is the site of the California International Airshow, set annually in the late summer or early autumn. The event draws thousands of visitors to Salinas over its three-day run.
Hospitals
Salinas and its surrounding towns are served by Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital
The Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) is a public district hospital in Salinas, California. Originally built in 1953, SVMH has 263 hospital beds and 1,800+ employees and primarily serves residents of the Salinas Valley. The hospital has ...
and Natividad Medical Center
Natividad Hospital (NMC) is a 172-bed acute-care teaching hospital located in Salinas, California, Salinas, California. The hospital is owned and operated by Monterey County, California, Monterey County and the hospital's emergency department rec ...
, both located in Salinas. Natividad is one of the University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It con ...
's teaching hospitals and is owned and operated by Monterey County. Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and Healthcare System is a public district hospital run by an elected board of directors.
Natividad Medical Center, through its affiliated Natividad Medical Foundation, offers trained medical interpreters for speakers of several Oaxacan languages (including Triqui, Mixteco
The Mixtecs (), or Mixtecos, are indigenous Mesoamerican peoples of Mexico inhabiting the region known as La Mixteca of Oaxaca and Puebla as well as La Montaña Region and Costa Chica Regions of the state of Guerrero. The Mixtec Culture ...
, and Zapotec) as well as Spanish.
Notable people
* Monica Abbott
Monica Cecilia Abbott (born July 28, 1985) is an American professional softball player. Abbott was an All-American pitcher for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in college before starting a professional career in the NPF and in the Japan Softball ...
, 2008 Olympic softball pitcher
* Everett Alvarez Jr., U.S. Navy pilot and prisoner of war
* Jodi Arias, convicted murderer of Travis Alexander, was born in Salinas
* Dustin Lance Black
Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. He is known for writing the film ''Milk'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2009. He has also sub ...
, Academy Award-winning screenwriter
* Ernie Camacho
Ernest Carlos Camacho (born February 1, 1955) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1980 to 1981 and 1983 to 1990. His best season came with the 1984 Cleveland Indians, when he led the team with 23 saves. ...
, Major League Baseball pitcher
* Jose Celaya
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
*Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galilean ...
, boxer
* Doug Chandler, Hall of Fame motorcycle racer, Grand Slam winner, World Superbike champion
* Ramiro Corrales
Ramiro Corrales (born March 12, 1977) is an American former professional soccer player who is currently a technical advisor and assistant coach for USL Championship expansion side Monterey Bay FC. He spent most of his professional career with the ...
, former Major League Soccer defender with the San Jose Earthquakes
* Cordell Crockett
Cordell Crockett (born January 21, 1965) is an American rock musician. Crockett is a multi-instrument artist known for playing bass guitar and singing backing vocals for the band Ugly Kid Joe from 1991 until they disbanded in 1997, and again s ...
, bass guitarist with band Ugly Kid Joe
* Chris Dalman
Christopher William Dalman (born March 15, 1970) is a former professional American football player who played offensive lineman for seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers (1993–2000).
Early life and college career
Dalman was born March 15, ...
, National Football League offensive lineman and coach
* Drew Dalman
Drew Brazil Dalman (born October 15, 1998) is an American football center for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford.
College career
Dalman was ranked as a threestar recruit out of hig ...
, National Football League offensive lineman with the Atlanta Falcons
* Harold Davis, athlete in National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field. It is located within the Armory Foundation (the former Fort Washington Avenue Armory) at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, ...
* Amy Díaz-Infante, visual artist and educator
* Evan Dietrich-Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman, Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
champion (2011 with Green Bay Packers), Salinas High School graduate, class of 2004
* David Esquer
David Charles Esquer (born April 13, 1965) is an American college baseball coach. He is the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal baseball team. He previously served as head coach of the California Golden Bears baseball team from 2000–2017.
Earl ...
, head coach of the Stanford Cardinal baseball team, graduate of Palma High School
* David Estrada, UCLA soccer player (midfield, forward), drafted in first round (11th overall) of 2010 MLS SuperDraft by Seattle Sounders FC
* Verna Felton
Verna Arline Felton (July 20, 1890December 14, 1966) was an American actress, best known for providing many voices in numerous Disney animated films.
She also provided the voice for Fred Flintstone's mother-in-law, Pearl Slaghoople in Hanna-Bar ...
, actress
* Michael Gasperson, NFL wide receiver
* Susan Gerbic
Susan Gerbic (born 1962) is an American studio photographer who became known as a scientific skepticism activist, mostly for exposing people claiming to be mediums. A columnist for ''Skeptical Inquirer'', she is the co-founder of Monterey Cou ...
, skeptical activist
* Brandi Glanville, fashion model, television personality in ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' (abbreviated ''RHOBH'') is an American reality television series which has been broadcast on Bravo since October 14, 2010. Developed as the sixth installment in ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has ...
''
* Jackie Greene, singer-songwriter and blues musician
* Sammy Hagar
Samuel Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947), also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose and subsequently launched a successful solo car ...
, singer, former member of Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
, now in bands Chickenfoot and Waboritas
* Alvin
Alvin may refer to:
Places Canada
*Alvin, British Columbia United States
*Alvin, Colorado
*Alvin, Georgia
*Alvin, Illinois
* Alvin, Michigan
*Alvin, Texas
* Alvin, Wisconsin, a town
*Alvin (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
Other ...
and Calvin Harrison
Calvin Harrison (born January 20, 1974) is an American athlete. He won a gold medal in the men's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He is the identical twin brother of fellow Olympic medalist Alvin Harrison. ...
, twins, 1996 Olympic track and field athletes
* Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Anne Hudgens (; born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in '' Thirteen'' (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006 ...
, singer and actress, ''High School Musical''
* Ernie Irvan
Virgil Earnest "Ernie" Irvan (born January 13, 1959), occasionally referred to as Swervin' Irvan, is an American former professional stock car racing driver. A retired NASCAR competitor, he is best remembered for his comeback after a serious head ...
, race car driver and winner of the 1991 Daytona 500
* Joe Kapp
Joseph Robert Kapp (born March 19, 1938) is an American former football player, coach, and executive. He played college football as a quarterback at the University of California, Berkeley. Kapp played professionally in the Canadian Football Lea ...
, quarterback for University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
in College Football Hall of Fame, 1969 NFL champion
* Slim Keith
Nancy "Slim" Keith, Lady Keith (born Mary Raye Gross; July 15, 1917 – April 6, 1990) was an American socialite and fashion icon during the 1950s and 1960s, exemplifying the American jet set.
She and her friend Babe Paley were the thinly veil ...
, socialite
* Craig Kilborn
Craig Lawrence Kilborn (born August 24, 1962) is an American comedian, sports and political commentator, actor, and television host. Kilborn began a career in sports broadcasting in the late 1980s, leading to an anchoring position at ESPN's '' Sp ...
, television personality
* Rick Law
Rick Law (born December 15, 1969) is an American entertainment illustrator and producer, best known for his career with The Walt Disney Company. His work has spanned across all forms of popular entertainment media: films, TV, music, theme park ...
, Disney artist and producer
* Howard H. Leach, businessman and diplomat
* Sacheen Littlefeather
Marie Louise Cruz (November 14, 1946 – October 2, 2022), better known as Sacheen Littlefeather, was an American actress, model, and activist on behalf of Native American civil rights.
Littlefeather represented Marlon Brando at the 45th Aca ...
, Apache actress and activist for Native American rights.
* Herbert Mullin
Herbert William Mullin (April 18, 1947 – August 18, 2022) was an American serial killer who killed 13 people in California in the early 1970s. He confessed to the killings, which he claimed prevented earthquakes. In 1973, after a trial to det ...
, serial killer
* Xavier Nady
Xavier Clifford Nady VI (; born November 14, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. Nady played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Ari ...
, Major League Baseball player, Salinas High School graduate, class of 1997
* Carl Nicks, offensive linemen, Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
champion (2010), North Salinas High School graduate
* Kassim Osgood
Kassim Alexandre Osgood (; born May 20, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and special teamer in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for San Diego State University and ...
, National Football League wide receiver, Pro Bowl, North Salinas High School
* Van Partible
Van Partible (born Efrem Giovanni Bravo Partible; December 13, 1971) is a Filipino-born American animator, storyboard artist, director, writer and producer best known for creating the animated television series ''Johnny Bravo''.
Early life and ...
, cartoonist, creator of ''Johnny Bravo
''Johnny Bravo'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It is the second of the network's Cartoon Cartoons, which aired fr ...
''
* Ernie Reyes Sr., American martial artist, actor and fight choreographer
* Mike Rianda
Michael "Mike" Rianda (born December 25, 1984) is an American writer, director, and voice actor. He is known for his work on ''Gravity Falls'' as a creative director and writer for season 1, and creative consultant for season 2. He is also known ...
, writer and director of '' The Mitchells vs. the Machines''
* Monty Roberts
Marvin Earl "Monty" Roberts MVO (born May 14, 1935) is an American horse trainer who promotes his techniques of natural horsemanship through his ''Join-Up International'' organization, named after the core concept of his training method. Roberts ...
, horse tamer and author of ''The Man Who Listens to Horses''
* Del Rodgers
Rodrick Del Rodgers (born June 22, 1960, in Tacoma, Washington), is a former, professional American football player who was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 3rd round of the 1982 NFL Draft. A 6'1" running back-kickoff returner from the U ...
, NFL running back
* Gary Shipman
Gary Lee Shipman (born March 16, 1966) is an American artist, comic book illustrator and writer of ''Pakkins' Land''. He is father to three children.
Biography
Shipman grew up in Salinas, California and is a self-taught artist. His interest in ...
, artist, comic book illustrator and creator of '' Pakkins' Land''
* Brendon Small
Brendon Small (born February 15, 1975) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, animator, writer, director, producer, and musician known for co-creating the animated series ''Home Movies'' (1999–2004, with Loren Bouchard) and '' Metalocalypse'' ...
, actor, composer, musician, known as creator of the animated series ''Home Movies'' and ''Metalocalypse''
* Edward Soriano
Edward Soriano (born 12 November 1946) is an American retired lieutenant general. He is the highest-ranking Filipino American officer to have served in the United States military, and the first promoted to a general officer. Born in the Philippi ...
, retired United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
* Sam Spence
Samuel Lloyd Spence (March 29, 1927February 6, 2016) was an American soundtrack composer best known for his work with NFL Films. His music has also been in the EA Sports '' Madden NFL'' football video games and many football-related commercials.
...
, NFL Films composer
* John Steinbeck, author and Nobel laureate, author of ''The Grapes of Wrath
''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award
and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Priz ...
'' and ''Of Mice and Men
''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job o ...
'', among others
* Rita Taggart
Rita Jean Taggart (born December 19, 1949) is an American film and television actress. She is known for playing Carla Bouvier on ''Night Court''. Biography
Taggart was born in Salinas, California. She studied special education at San Francisco ...
, actress
* Anthony Toney
Anthony Toney (born September 23, 1962) is a former professional American football running back for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Texas A&M University and was draf ...
, NFL running back
* Sean D. Tucker
Sean Doherty Tucker (born April 27, 1952) is an American world champion aerobatic aviator. He was previously sponsored by the Oracle Corporation for many years, performing in air shows worldwide as "Team Oracle". Tucker has won numerous air show ...
, aerobatic stunt pilot
* Elliot Vallejo, NFL offensive lineman, Palma High School
* Cain Velasquez
Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...
, UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
heavyweight champion, mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
fighter and former collegiate wrestler
In popular culture
* Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
, actress and Twentieth Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
starlet, was honored as the Diamond Queen of Salinas on February 20, 1948.
* Salinas is mentioned in various John Steinbeck novels, and is the setting of his monumental novel '' East of Eden''.
* Salinas is mentioned in the song "Me and Bobby McGee
"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posthu ...
" written by Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...
: "One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away".
*"Salinas" is a track on Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is a British folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit Aw ...
's 2011 album '' A Creature I Don't Know''.
* James Dean was driving to Salinas when he was killed in a car accident.
Sister cities
Salinas' sister cities
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
are:
*Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and capital of the Cebu Province. Acc ...
, Philippines (1964)
*Ichikikushikino
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
The modern city of Ichikikushikino was established on October 11, 2005, from the merger of the city of Kushikino, Kagoshima, Kushikino with the town of Ichiki, Kagoshima, Ichiki ...
, Japan (1979)
*Jerécuaro
Jerécuaro is a Mexican city (and municipality) located in the lowlands of the state of Guanajuato. The municipality has an area of 828.3 square kilometres (2.7% of the surface of the state) and is bordered to the north by Apaseo el Alto, to the ...
, Mexico (1996)
* Guanajuato, Mexico (2007)
* Drogheda, Ireland (2012)
* Söke, Turkey (2015)
*Seogwipo
Seogwipo () is the second-largest city on Jeju Island, settled on a rocky volcanic coastline in the southern part of Jeju Province, South Korea. In July 2006, Seogwipo's boundaries were expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. ...
, South Korea (2018)
See also
* 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 ...
* Salinas lettuce strike of 1934
The Salinas California lettuce strike of 1934 ran from August 27 to September 24, 1934, in the Salinas Valley of California. This strike of lettuce cutters and shed workers was begun and largely maintained by the recently formed Filipino Labor Un ...
* United Farm Workers
The United Farm Workers of America, or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW), is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations, the Agricultural Workers Organizing ...
* John Steinbeck
* List of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations
References
Further reading
* Gálvez-Arango, Hannah, et al. "A Multifaceted Examination of Salinas, California." (2018
online
* McKibben, Carol Lynn. ''Salinas: A History of Race and Resilience in an Agricultural City'' (Stanford University Press, 2022)
online review
External links
*
Salinas Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
1874 establishments in California
Cities in Monterey County, California
County seats in California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places established in 1874
Salinas Valley