Seaside, formerly East Monterey, is a city in
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 United States census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is ...
,
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 ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, with a population of 32,366 as of the 2020 census.
It is located east-northeast 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 ...
,
at an elevation of ,
and is the home of
California State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university located in Monterey County, California, United States. The main campus is situated on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, spanning the ...
(CSUMB), UC MBEST Center, and the
Monterey College of Law, which are located on the site of the former military base
Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
. Also on the site are the Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses, now open to the public and host to
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
events,
including the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship.
Seaside is the gateway to
Fort Ord National Monument, created on April 20, 2012.
History

In 1888 Seaside, then called East Monterey, was laid out by Dr. J.L.D. Roberts as a resort community.
The Seaside post office opened in 1891.
Seaside was incorporated in 1954
with Jack Oldemeyer as its first mayor.
In the mid-1960s, over a quarter of the population (6,000 out of 22,000) was African-American, which was the largest concentration of African-Americans between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Geography
Seaside is located at ,
toward the southern end 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 ...
. It is bordered to the north by
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 ...
, to the west by
Sand City, to the southwest by Monterey, and to the south by
Del Rey Oaks. The
California State Route 1
State Route 1 (SR 1) is a major north–south state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, ...
freeway runs along the western border of the city, north of Sand City.
According to 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 ...
, the city of Seaside has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.51%, are water.
According to the maps of the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...
, the elevation ranges from .
Climate
The climate is a cool Mediterranean type, strongly influenced by the prevailing winds from the west, which blow over the Pacific Coast's cool ocean currents from Alaska. At the nearest
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
Climate Station, in the City of Monterey at elevation: The coldest month is January, with an average daily high of ; the warmest month is September, with an average daily high of ; the average daily low is in January and in September; and the average rainfall is per year, with 90.3% falling during November through April. The weather can be much hotter when the winds blow from the east: Since 1906, there have been 11 days with a high of or higher; all 11 days occurred in June, September, or October.
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Seaside has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.
Law and government
The City of Seaside is a General Law City with a Council/Manager form of government. The five-member City Council is a legislative and policy-making body that is elected on a nonpartisan basis to represent the residents of Seaside.
The City Manager is appointed by the City Council to manage the daily operations of the city and is responsible for making policy recommendations to the City Council and implementing City Council policy directives.
Policy decisions are made at City Council meetings, which are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, with special meetings as needed. At these public meetings, the City Council makes policy determinations; approves agreements and contracts; adopts ordinances (local laws) and regulations; and authorizes the expenditure of City funds. The City Council also serves as the board of directors for the Redevelopment Agency of the City Council. Meetings of the Redevelopment Agency are held in concurrence with the City Council Meetings.
Demographics
2020
The
2020 United States census reported that Seaside had a population of 32,366. The population density was . The racial makeup of Seaside was 34.7%
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 ...
, 5.8%
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 ...
, 2.1%
Native American, 9.7%
Asian, 1.5%
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 ...
, 28.9% from
other races, and 17.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.9% of the population.
The census reported that 96.4% of the population lived in households, 3.6% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.
[
There were 10,149 households, out of which 40.0% included children under the age of 18, 48.2% were married-couple households, 8.3% were ]cohabiting
Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 26.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 16.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 19.7% of households were one person, and 8.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.07.[ There were 7,308 ]families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(72.0% of all households).
The age distribution was 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% aged 18 to 24, 29.6% aged 25 to 44, 22.8% aged 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 34.0years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males.[
There were 10,801 housing units at an average density of , of which 10,149 (94.0%) were occupied. Of these, 40.7% were owner-occupied, and 59.3% were occupied by renters.][
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $82,303, and 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 ...
was $33,614. About 11.5% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
At the 2010 census Seaside had a population of 33,025. The population density was . The racial makeup of Seaside was 15,978 (48.4%) White, 2,783 (8.4%) African American, 347 (1.1%) Native American, 3,206 (9.7%) Asian, 529 (1.6%) Pacific Islander, 7,579 (22.9%) from other races, and 2,603 (7.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14,347 persons (43.4%).
The census reported that 31,898 people (96.6% of the population) lived in households, 1,127 (3.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.
There were 10,093 households, 4,408 (43.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,232 (51.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,433 (14.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 708 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 727 (7.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 70 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,927 households (19.1%) were one person and 697 (6.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.16. There were 7,373 families (73.1% of households); the average family size was 3.57.
The age distribution was 8,923 people (27.0%) under the age of 18, 4,428 people (13.4%) aged 18 to 24, 10,154 people (30.7%) aged 25 to 44, 6,675 people (20.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,845 people (8.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
There were 10,872 housing units at an average density of 1,159.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 4,183 (41.4%) were owner-occupied and 5,910 (58.6%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 11,979 people (36.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,919 people (60.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Education
Seaside High School is home to the 2006 CCS Small-Division Football Championship winners, the Spartans, led by coaches Alfred Avila, Quentin Crosby, Michael Drain, Jeff Quenga, Matt Avila, Pastor Joe Kamp, and Bryan Shaw. The football game between county rival Monterey High School attracts nearly 5,000 people every year. Ron Rivera
Ronald Eugene Rivera (born January 7, 1962) is an American football executive and former professional player and coach who is the general manager for the California Golden Bears. He played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as ...
, head coach of the NFL's Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...
and former linebacker for the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, was a 1980 graduate of Seaside High School.
California State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university located in Monterey County, California, United States. The main campus is situated on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, spanning the ...
is located in Seaside near Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
and is the second newest campus after CSU Channel Islands. Seaside is also home to Monterey College of Law, a private law school.
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) is a public community college in Monterey, California. Established in 1947, it is a part of the California Community Colleges system. There are two additional MPC campuses located in Marina, CA, and Seaside, ...
has public safety training center in Seaside that includes a fire and police academy.
Economy
The Defense Manpower Data Center
The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) serves under the Office of the Secretary of Defense to collate personnel, manpower, training, financial, and other data for the Department of Defense. This data catalogues the history of personnel in the mili ...
has an office in Seaside, on the former Fort Ord.
Scribble Hill
Scribble Hill (also known as "Message Mountain") is part of Seaside's popular culture
Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art f. pop art
F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet.
F may also refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics
* F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems
* ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function
* F-distributi ...
or mass art, sometimes contraste ...
. It is a large sand dune near the junction of Fremont Boulevard and State Route 1, technically in Sand City, but adjacent to Seaside High School. People write messages on the dune with ice plant. It is a popular place for birthday messages, wedding proposals, and congratulation messages. Many people climb atop it to view fireworks
Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...
on July 4. It is also known as "The Big Dune" or "The Dune" or "The Big Sand Hill" or "The Sand Board".
Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses
Bayonet Golf Course, designed in 1954, was built on the Fort Ord military base. It was named after the Army's 7th Infantry division. The course was allegedly designed to play to then-commanding officer Major General Robert B. McClure's terrible slice, and thus has a series of holes nicknamed "Combat Corner" with substantial doglegs. Black Horse, named after the 11th Cavalry, followed in 1964. Until 1997, the golf courses were only open to members of the military; in 1997 it was purchased by the City of Seaside and opened to the public.[Bayonet and Black Horse: History](_blank)
/ref> After several years of renovation, the courses now meet USGA specifications, and have one new and eight redesigned holes.[Bayonet and Black Horse: Renovation](_blank)
/ref> In 2012, these two courses hosted the PGA Professional National Championship Both Bayonet and Black Horse overlook Monterey Bay, and are par 72 courses.[Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau: Bayonet and Black Horse](_blank)
/ref>
Notable people
* Jamaree Bouyea, basketball player
* Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles co ...
, professional football player
* Herman Edwards
Herman Lee Edwards (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former player. He played cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Edwards was also a head coach in the NFL ...
, football coach
* Mason Foster, professional football player
* Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel ( ; May 13, 1930 – June 26, 2021) was an American politician and writer who represented Alaska in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1981 as a member of the Democratic Party. He ran for president twice: in 200 ...
, U.S. senator
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
from Alaska
* Charley Harraway
Charles Edward Harraway, Jr. (born September 21, 1944) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He also ...
, professional football player
* Melvin T. Mason, city councilman and 1984 presidential candidate (SWP)
* Rachel Roy, fashion designer
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in Monterey County, California
Monterey Bay
Populated coastal places in California
Populated places established in 1888
1888 establishments in California
Populated places established in 1954
1954 establishments in California
Incorporated cities and towns in California