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Santa Monica, CA

Santa Monica, California
Charter city
City of Santa Monica
Santa Monica's Ocean Avenue at sunset
Santa Monica's Ocean Avenue at sunset
Official seal of Santa Monica, California
Seal
Nickname(s): SaMo
Motto: Populus felix in urbe felice  (Latin)
(English: "Happy people in a happy city", or alternatively "Fortunate people in a fortunate land")
Location in Los Angeles County and the state of California
Location in Los Angeles County and the state of California
Santa Monica, California is located in the US
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°01′19″N 118°28′53″W / 34.02194°N 118.48139°W / 34.02194; -118.48139Coordinates: 34°01′19″N 118°28′53″W / 34.02194°N 118.48139°W / 34.02194; -118.48139
Country  United States of America
State  California
County Los Angeles
Spanish encampment August 3, 1769
Incorporated November 30, 1886
Government
 • Type Council–manager
 • Mayor Ted Winterer
Area
 • Total 8.416 sq mi (21.80 km2)
 • Land 8.415 sq mi (21.79 km2)
 • Water 0.001 sq mi (0.003 km2)
Elevation 105 ft (32 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)
 • Total 89,736
 • Estimate (2013) 92,472
 • Density 11,000/sq mi (4,100/km2)
Time zone Pacific (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 90401–90411
Area codes 310/424
FIPS code 06-70000
GNIS feature IDs 1652792, 2411825
Website www.smgov.net

Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is bordered on three sides by the city of Los AngelesPacific Palisades to the north, Brentwood on the northeast, Sawtelle on the east, Mar Vista on the southeast, and Venice on the south. The Census Bureau population for Santa Monica in 2010 was 89,736.

Due in part to an agreeable climate, Santa Monica became a famed resort town by the early 20th century. The city has experienced a boom since the late 1980s through the revitalization of its downtown core, significant job growth and increased tourism. The Santa Monica Pier remains a popular and iconic destination.

Santa Monica was long inhabited by the Tongva people. Santa Monica was called Kecheek in the Tongva language. The first non-indigenous group to set foot in the area was the party of explorer Gaspar de Portolà, who camped near the present-day intersection of Barrington and Ohio Avenues on August 3, 1769. Named after the Christian saint Monica, there are two different accounts of how the city's name came to be. One says it was named in honor of the feast day of Saint Monica (mother of Saint Augustine), but her feast day is May 4. Another version says it was named by Juan Crespí on account of a pair of springs, the Kuruvungna Springs (Serra Springs), that were reminiscent of the tears Saint Monica shed over her son's early impiety.


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