Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of 8.466 sq mi (21.93 km2)[8] and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census.

The city was founded by the Spanish in 1770, when Gaspar de Portolá and Junípero Serra established the Presidio of Monterey and the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo.

In the late 19th century, Monterey and its surrounding area began to attract communities of artists, writers, and other creatives, leading to the creation of an art colony.

[11] Ohlone villages in the area included Ichxenta (Point Lobos), Calendaruc, Wacharon (Moss Landing), and Rumsien (Carmel-by-the-Sea), among others.

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 of various types of mussels and abalone.

[2] Despite the explorations of Cabrillo and Vizcaino, and despite Spain's frequent trading voyages between Asia and Mexico, the Spanish did not make Monterey Bay into a settled permanent harbor before the 18th century because it was too exposed to rough ocean currents and winds.

Despite Monterey's limited use as a maritime port, the encroachments of other Europeans near California in the 18th century prompted the Spanish monarchy to try to better secure the region.

In 1769, the first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition, traveled north from San Diego.

[17] Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí noted in his diary, "We halted in sight of the Point of Pines (recognized, as was said, in the beginning of October) and camped near a small lagoon which has rather muddy water, but abounds in pasture and firewood.

[25] On November 24, 1818, Argentine corsair Hippolyte Bouchard landed 7 km (4.3 mi) away from the Presidio of Monterey in a hidden creek.

[26] The Argentines took the city for six days, during which they stole the cattle and burned the fort, the artillery headquarters, the governor's residence and the Spanish houses.

Today Colton Hall houses a small museum, while adjacent buildings serve as the seat of local government, and the Monterey post office (opened in 1849).

Such painters as Arthur Frank Mathews, Armin Hansen, Xavier Martinez, Rowena Meeks Abdy and Percy Gray lived or visited to pursue painting in the style of either En plein air or Tonalism.

More recently, Monterey has been recognized for its significant involvement in post-secondary learning of languages other than English and its major role in delivering translation and interpretation services around the world.

The city is in a moderate to high seismic risk zone, the principal threat being the active San Andreas Fault approximately 26 miles (42 km) to the east.

The city is adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a federally protected ocean area extending 276 mi (444 km) along the coast.

In the early 20th century the botanist Willis Linn Jepson characterized Monterey Peninsula's forests as the "most important silva ever", and encouraged Samuel F.B.

[41] The dune area is no less important, as it hosts endangered species such as the vascular plants Seaside birds beak, Hickman's potentilla and Eastwood's Ericameria.

The extreme moderation of summer temperatures is further underlined by the fact that Monterey is geographically situated at a similar latitude within California as Death Valley⁠ — one of the hottest areas in the world.

[52] The cornucopia of marine life makes Monterey a popular destination for scuba divers of all abilities ranging from novice to expert.

[57] What may be the only whalebone sidewalk still in existence in the United States lies in front of the Old Whaling Station,[58] left by New England whalers while California was still part of New Spain.

[61] Once called Ocean View Boulevard, the street was renamed Cannery Row in 1953 in honor of writer John Steinbeck,[62][failed verification] who had written a well-known novel of the same name.

Other historical buildings in this district include Wing Chong Market, The American Tin Cannery which is a shopping mall, Doc Rickett's lab, next door to the aquarium and only open to the public a few times a year, and some of the water tanks written about by Steinbeck.

A few privately owned and operated fishing companies still exist on Cannery Row, housed on piers located a short distance from the historic district frequented by tourists.

[66] In 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson spent a short time in Monterey at the French Hotel while writing The Amateur Emigrant, "The Old Pacific Capital", and "Vendetta of the West".

It was the first widely promoted and heavily attended rock festival, attracting an estimated 200,000 total attendees with 55,000 to 90,000 people present at the event's peak at midnight on Sunday.

[68] The Monterey Pop Festival embodied the themes of San Francisco as a focal point for the counterculture and is generally regarded as one of the beginnings of the "Summer of Love" in 1967.

The Forest Theater Guild produced several plays at the Golden State, including Aida, Grease, Zoot Suit, and Fiddler on the Roof.

[6] As of December 2021, the mayor is Tyller Williamson and the city council members are Kim Barber, Gino Garcia, Alan Haffa, and Ed Smith.

The city is serviced by CA 1, also known as the Cabrillo Highway, as it runs along the coastline of the rest of Monterey Bay to the north and Big Sur to the south.