Monterey County, California

Monterey County, California
County of Monterey
Images, from top down, left to right: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Main Street in Salinas, the seventh hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Mission Soledad, Big Sur Coastline
Flag of Monterey County, California
Official seal of Monterey County, California
Map
Interactive map of Monterey County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
IncorporatedFebruary 18, 1850[1]
Named forMonterey Bay
County seatSalinas
Largest citySalinas
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • BodyBoard of Supervisors
 • ChairLuis Alejo
 • Vice ChairGlenn Church
 • Board of Supervisors[2]
Supervisors
  • Luis Alejo
  • Glenn Church
  • Chris Lopez
  • Wendy Root Askew
  • Mary L. Adams
 • County Administrative OfficeSonia M. De La Rosa
Area
 • Total3,771 sq mi (9,770 km2)
 • Land3,281 sq mi (8,500 km2)
 • Water491 sq mi (1,270 km2)
Highest elevation5,865 ft (1,788 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total439,035
 • Density134/sq mi (52/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes805, 831
Congressional districts18th, 19th
Websitewww.co.monterey.ca.us

Monterey County (/ˌmɒntəˈr/ MON-tə-RAY), 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.[4] The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.[5]

Monterey County comprises the Salinas, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It borders on the southern part of Monterey Bay, after which it is named. (The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County.) Monterey County is a member of the regional governmental agency: the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.

Scenic features along the coastline - including Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur, State Route 1, and the 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula - have made the county famous around the world. Back when California was under Spanish and Mexican rule, the city of Monterey was its capital. Today, the economy of the county is mostly based on tourism in its coastal regions, and on agriculture in the region of the Salinas River valley. Most of the county's inhabitants live near the northern coast or in Salinas Valley; the southern coast and inland mountainous regions are sparsely populated.

  1. ^ "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  2. ^ "Board of Supervisors | Monterey County, CA".
  3. ^ "Junipero Serra Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  4. ^ "Monterey County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.