City of Monterey | |||
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City | |||
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Nickname(s): Language Capital of the World, California's "First" City |
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Location of Monterey, California |
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Location in the United States | |||
Coordinates: 36°36′N 121°54′W / 36.600°N 121.900°WCoordinates: 36°36′N 121°54′W / 36.600°N 121.900°W | |||
Country | United States | ||
State | California | ||
County | Monterey | ||
Incorporated | June 14, 1890 | ||
Named for | Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey | ||
Government | |||
• Type | Council-manager | ||
• City council | Mayor Clyde Roberson Vice Mayor Alan Haffa Timothy Barrett Libby Downey Ed Smith |
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• City manager | Mike McCarthy | ||
• State senator | Bill Monning (D) | ||
• Assemblymember | Mark Stone (D) | ||
• U. S. rep. | Jimmy Panetta (D) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 11.764 sq mi (30.469 km2) | ||
• Land | 8.466 sq mi (21.927 km2) | ||
• Water | 3.298 sq mi (8.542 km2) 28.03% | ||
Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) | ||
Population (April 1, 2010) | |||
• Total | 27,810 | ||
• Estimate (2013) | 28,294 | ||
• Density | 2,400/sq mi (910/km2) | ||
Time zone | Pacific (UTC−8) | ||
• Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC−7) | ||
ZIP codes | 93940–93944 | ||
Area code | 831 | ||
FIPS code | 06-48872 | ||
GNIS feature IDs | 1659762, 2411145 | ||
Website | www |
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, in the Northern Portion of California's Central Coast. 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 2010 census recorded a population of 27,810.
Monterey was the capital of Alta California under both Spain and Mexico. It was the only port of entry for taxable goods in California. In 1846 the U.S. flag was raised over the Customs House, and California became part of the United States after the Mexican–American War.
The city had California's first theater, public building, public library, publicly funded school, printing press, and newspaper. The city and surrounding area have attracted artists since the late 19th century and many celebrated painters and writers have lived there. Until the 1950s, there was an abundant fishery.
Among Monterey's notable present-day attractions are the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and the annual Monterey Jazz Festival.
Long before the arrival of Spanish explorers, the Rumsen Ohlone tribe, one of seven linguistically distinct Ohlone groups in California, inhabited the area now known as Monterey. They subsisted by hunting, fishing and gathering food on and around the biologically rich Monterey Peninsula. Researchers have found a number of shell middens in the area and, based on the archaeological evidence, concluded the Ohlone's primary marine food consisted at various times of mussels and abalone. A number of midden sites have been located along about 12 miles (19 km) of rocky coast on the Monterey Peninsula from the current site of Fishermans' Wharf in Monterey to Carmel.