Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

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 so ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. As of the 2020 United States 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Salinas. Monterey County comprises the Salinas, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. 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. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via California S ...

, after which it is named (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. Scenic features along the coastline - including Carmel-by-the-Sea,

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Range, Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from th ...

, State Route 1, and the 17 Mile Drive on the

Monterey Peninsula The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, California, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, California, P ...

- have made the county famous around the world. Back when California was under Spanish and Mexican rule, the city of

Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...

was its capital. Today, the economy of the county is mostly based on tourism in its coastal regions, and on

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

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 (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Valle de Salinas'') is one of the major valleys and most productive Agriculture, agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and ...

; 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 in 1874. The area was originally populated by

Ohlone The Ohlone ( ), formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the l ...

, Salinan and the Esselen tribes. The county derives its name from

. The bay was named by Sebastián Vizcaíno 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 Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

. Monterrey is a variation of Monterrei, a municipality in the Galicia region of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

where the ''Conde de Monterrey'' and his father (the Fourth Count of Monterrei) were from.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 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 U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

, and roughly similar in population and the size to

Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara (), is a county located in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa M ...

Adjacent counties

Santa Cruz County to the north, San Benito County, Fresno County, and Kings County to the east as well as San Luis Obispo County to the south.

National protected areas

Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a United States national forest in Southern California, southern and central California. Administered by the United States Forest Service, Los Padres includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast ...

(part) * Pinnacles National Park (part) * Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge * Ventana Wilderness (part) In October

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

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 Soquel Canyon State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is an offshore marine protected area in Monterey Bay. Monterey Bay is on California’s central coast with the city of Monterey at its south end and the city of Santa Cruz at its north end. T ...

* Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve * Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area * Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve * Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area * Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area * Lovers Point State Marine Reserve * Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area * Asilomar State Marine Reserve

Flora and fauna

Monterey County has habitat to support the following

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

: * Hickman's potentilla *

Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander The Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (''Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum'') is an endangered subspecies of the long-toed salamander, which is found only close to a few isolated ponds in Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz and Monterey County ...

* Santa Cruz Tarweed * Southern Steelhead Trout * Yadon's piperia

Demographics

2020 census

Income, education and poverty 2013

American FactFinder - Results - Google Chrome 2016-03-15 17

Share Affluent Households Monterey County

Generally, the western/southern parts of the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley, Creekbridge (Salinas), and eastern parts of Prunedale 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

Thematic_map_showing_percentage_of_households_speaking_only_English_at_home

Places by population, race, and income

2010

The 2010 United States census 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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 12,785 (3.1%)

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 5,464 (1.3%) Native American, 25,258 (6.1%) Asian (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, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 117,405 (28.3%) from other races, and 21,357 (5.1%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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 (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 131,708 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 55.9%

, 3.8%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 1.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.5%

, 27.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. 46.79% of the population were

or Latino of any race. 6.3% were of German and 5.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 52.9% spoke English, 39.6% Spanish 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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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 The Monterey County Board of Supervisors is the central governing body for Monterey County, California. The Board is made up of five elected officials, each of whom represent a distinct geographical district within the County. Background and com ...

. Like all governing bodies in California, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors is empowered with both

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

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 - 1st District * Glenn Church - 2nd District * Chris Lopez - 3rd District * Wendy Root Askew - 4th District * Mary Adams - 5th District The Board conducts its meetings in the

, Salinas, and is a member of the regional governmental agency, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.

Supervisorial districts

Supervisorial district boundaries are divided roughly equally according to

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

, using

data Data ( , ) are a collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted for ...

from the most recent

. In addition, any

redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...

changes should approximately comply with both

California law The law of California consists of several levels, including Constitutional law, constitutional, Statutory law, statutory, and regulatory law, as well as case law. The California Codes form the general statutory law, and most state agency regulat ...

as well as the federal Voting Rights Act. Boundaries are adjusted

decennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded. Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the List of national independence days, date of independen ...

ly based on data reported by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

for the most recent

. 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 City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary (real estate), boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. ...

of the city of Salinas. Luis Alejo represents the 1st District on the Board of Supervisors. His current term expires in December 2024.

District 2

As the northernmost supervisorial district in Monterey County, the 2nd District includes the communities of Boronda, Castroville, Las Lomas, Moss Landing, Pajaro, Prunedale, Royal Oaks, the northern

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

s 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 2026.

District 3

The 3rd District covers the majority of the

and southern Monterey County, extending to its

border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

with San Luis Obispo County. The district includes the unincorporated communities 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 at Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp Roberts; and portions of the

. The 3rd District is represented by Chris Lopez. His current term expires in December 2026.

District 4

The 4th District includes the southwest portion of the city of Salinas, the cities of Del Rey Oaks,

Marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

, Seaside, Sand City, and the former military installation at Fort Ord.
Wendy Root Askew
currently 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

and southern

coast A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

line of Monterey County down to the southern county border with San Luis Obispo County. The 5th District includes the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea,

, and Pacific Grove; the unincorporated communities of Carmel Valley,

, Pebble Beach, San Benancio, Corral de Tierra, and Jamesburg; military installations at the Presidio of Monterey, the Defense Language Institute, and the

Naval Postgraduate School Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a Naval command with a graduate university mission, operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California. The NPS mission is to provide "defense-focused graduate education, including clas ...

; and the Ventana Wilderness area of the

. Mary L. Adams is currently the 5th District Supervisor. Her current term expires in December 2024.

State and federal representatives

In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Monterey County is split between two districts: * , and * . In the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

, Monterey County is split between , and . In the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...

, 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 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 the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

, and

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

. Since 1992, the county has become a Democratic stronghold in Presidential and congressional elections, with

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

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 Watsonville 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'', ''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

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 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 of und ...

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 or house price boom or 2000s housing cycle was a sharp run up and subsequent collapse of house asset prices affecting over half of the U.S. states. In many regions a Real-estate bubble, real estate bubb ...

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 major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...

State Route 1 * California 25

State Route 25 * California 68

State Route 68 * California 146

State Route 146 * California 156

State Route 156 * California 183

State Route 183 * California 198

State Route 198 * California 218

State Route 218

Public transportation

Monterey County is served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

trains and

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

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 the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

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 form the ...

Airports

* Monterey Regional Airport is located just east of the city of

Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...

. Commercial flights are available. * Marina Municipal Airport is located in the city of Marina, California. * Salinas Municipal Airport is located in the southeast part of

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Salt pan (geology), Salt Flats") is a city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Monterey County, California, Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is ...

. *

Mesa Del Rey Airport Mesa Del Rey Airport is a public airport a mile northeast of King City, in Monterey County, California, United States. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''general aviation'' facility. Histo ...

is located in the city of King City, California.

Communities

Cities

* Carmel-by-the-Sea * Del Rey Oaks * Gonzales * Greenfield * King City *

* Pacific Grove * Salinas (county seat) * Sand City * Seaside * Soledad

Census-designated places

* Aromas * Boronda * Bradley * 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, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 4,204, down from 4,514 at the 2010 census. ...

, includes the well-known community of Pebble Beach * Elkhorn * Fort Hunter Liggett * Las Lomas * Lockwood * Moss Landing * Pajaro * Pine Canyon * Prunedale * San Ardo * San Lucas * Spreckels

Unincorporated communities

* Ambler Park * Big Sur Village * Bryson * Cachagua * 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 * Springtown * Sycamore Flat * Tassajara Hot Springs * White Rock

Other places

* Laguna Seca Ranch * Fort Ord Military Base decommissioned in the 1990s, some of it was converted to California State University, Monterey Bay *

* Fort Hunter Liggett * Presidio of Monterey, home to the Defense Language Institute and one of three presidios in California * Jacks Peak Park, including the highest point on the

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Monterey County. † ''county seat''

Education

Gallery

File:CalifCentralCoast.jpg,

- Midcounty coastline with the McWay Rocks in foreground File:CSUMB Fog.JPG, California State University at Monterey Bay File:CarmelScene.jpg, Carmel-by-the-Sea - Beach scene File:Golden Bough Playhouse.gif, Carmel-by-the-Sea - Golden Bough Playhouse File:Forest Theater.jpg, Carmel-by-the-Sea - Forest Theater 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 - A view of the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

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 Bay Aquarium Monterey Bay Aquarium is a Nonprofit organization, 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 Octob ...

File:Cannery Row at night.jpg,

- Cannery Row File:MontereyWharf&Harbor.jpg,

- Fisherman's Wharf File:MontereyCommercialWharf.jpg,

- 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,

- Beachside recreational trail File:SCUBA diving lessons.JPG,

- Scuba diving lessons in Monterey Bay File:Fremont Peak viewed from Monterey Bay Aquarium.JPG,

- Fremont Peak, viewed from the

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, highest point in the county File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, Salinas -

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...

's former home File:Sunset Marina.JPG,

Sunset File:Colton Hall.JPG,

- 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 ...

File:Greenfield California.JPG, Agricultural fields in the

File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, Steinbeck House - Salinas File:Nuestra Senora del la Soledad chapel.JPG, Soledad - Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad

Notes

References

External links

*
Monterey County Convention & Visitors BureauCarmel Magazine: The Lifestyle Magazine of the Monterey PeninsulaFinding Aid to the Monterey County Miscellany, 1844-1850
at The Bancroft Library
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