Monte Sereno (Spanish for "Serene Mountain") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States.

The city is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of San Jose, and is bordered by the town of Los Gatos to the north, east, and south, the Santa Cruz Mountains to the southwest, and the city of Saratoga to the northwest.

The Monte Sereno area was part of the 1839 Alta California land grant of Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos.

Its first Mayor was Retired Vice Admiral and former Director of Naval Intelligence, Thomas B. Inglis.

John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men in a wooded home at 16250 Greenwood Lane in what is now Monte Sereno.

[5] Beat generation figure Neal Cassady lived in a Monte Sereno ranch house in the 1950s.

[6] Painter Thomas Kinkade lived in Monte Sereno in the later years of his life until his death.

[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), all of it land.

The median age of Monte Sereno residents is 53.7, significantly higher than the California average of 37.9.

[15] Federally, Monte Sereno is in California's 18th congressional district, represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren.

[16] Monte Sereno is also served by District 1 Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas.

In 1998, voters approved an ordinance limiting the number of terms a member of the Monte Sereno City Council may serve on the City Council to two consecutive four-year terms with a right to hold office again only after at least two years have elapsed since that person last held office.

In 2004, the City Council voted to cancel the election because only the two incumbents whose terms were up, Erin Garner and David Baxter, filed candidacy papers to run for the two available seats.

However, in 2008, the City Council voted to hold the election for the two available seats despite there being only two candidates, Lana Malloy and Susan Garner.

A dispute between two neighbors over extravagant Christmas decorations gained Monte Sereno attention in national news.

For years, Bonnie and Alan Aerts of Monte Sereno had showcased elaborate holiday displays in their front yard, costing as much as US$150,000.

The displays attracted large masses of visitors, resulting in great traffic around the normally quiet cul-de-sac of four houses.

Neighbors Le and Susan Nguyen protested, and, in late 2003, the city council voted 3-2 (Nesbet, Brodsky, Wright for; Garner, Baxter against) to pass an ordinance regarding "regulation of special events," [20] [21]which would require permits for such displays.

[23] The Aertses and the Nguyens also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late night talk show.

In February 2019, newly elected Council Member Shawn Leuthold successfully led an effort to change how Monte Sereno would select its mayor in the future, arguing that the City was violating the law in election years by choosing the Mayor for the next year, prior to the seating of the newly-elected council members.