Monterey, California

Monterey is a municipality in Monterey County in the U.S. state of California. It is on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on California's Central Coast.

Municipality
Flag Seal
Coordinates: 36°35′50.2″N 121°53′52.2″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Monterey
Government
• Mayor	Tyller Williamson
Area
• Total	22.39 km2 (8.64 sq mi)
Population  (April 1, 2020)
• Total	30,230
• Density	1,350/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−08:00
ZIP code(s)	93940, 93942–93944
FIPS code	0648872
Website	Official website

It stands at an elevation of 26 feet (8 m) above sea level, on a land area of 8.466 sq mi (21.93 km²). The 2020 census recorded a population of 30,218. Monterey had a big herring industry, which went bust because of overfishing. Cannery Row in Monterey was where the fish were packaged.

Cannery Row was the setting of John Steinbeck's novels Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954). Both were the basis for the 1982 movie Cannery Row, starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. It is also mentioned in Bob Dylan's song "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands". Sea otters still dive for abalone shellfish

Pacific Biological Laboratories, a biological supply house, was located at 800 Ocean View Avenue (now 800 Cannery Row) from 1928 to 1948. It was operated by Edward F. Ricketts. He was the inspiration for several characters in Steinbeck novels. Ricketts rebuilt the laboratory using the original floorplan.

There is a variety of natural habitats in Monterey: the closed-cone pine forest has pines whose cones only open after a fire (this is called "seroteny"). The idea is that the seeds drop onto ground with few occupants, so have the best chance of developing into trees. Coast live oaks often grow nearby.

Monterey, California Media

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  Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey, namesake of Monterey Bay, and thus the city and county

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  Saint Junípero Serra celebrating mass in Monterey in 1770.

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  The Presidio of Monterey was built in 1771 by Pedro Fages, on a site selected by Miguel Costansó in 1770.

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  Monterey served as the capital of Alta California from 1770 until 1849, hosting its only official port-of-entry and the provincial legislature.

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  The 1846 Battle of Monterey, part of the U.S. conquest of California, resulted in American forces capturing the capital of Mexican California.

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  Colton Hall hosted the 1849 Constitutional Convention, which drafted the Constitution of California.

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  Cannery Row was once one of the most productive fish canning hubs in the world, until its collapse in the 1950's due to overfishing.

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  Rock sea wall near Coast Guard Station bordering Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

References

Media related to Monterey, California at Wikimedia Commons