Catalina Munrás began developing the town of Soledad on her Rancho San Vicente in the 1860s, which eventually incorporated as a city in 1921.

Today, Soledad is a notable tourist destination, owing to the heavily restored mission, its proximity to Pinnacles National Park, and its numerous vineyards, as part of the Monterey wine region.

The Chalon tribe of the Ohlone nation of indigenous Californians have inhabited the area around Soledad for thousands of years.

Alongside the Spanish and the Chalon, the Esselen and Yokuts people eventually came to reside in Soledad as well.

He was granted Rancho San Vicente in 1835 by Governor José Castro, although he and his family resided in Monterey until his death in 1850.

On his deathbed, Munrás told his dying wishes to his wife Catalina: that she should not sell Rancho San Vicente, but instead hold on to it and develop a town there when the right time came.

Catalina Munrás began to subdivide the rancho and develop a town in the 1860s, and donated land for the construction of a school, a church, and a cemetery.

She later granted the right-of-way to the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1872, which established a station in Soledad, allowing the town to emerge as an agricultural center.

[8] The Township of Soledad was created on February 6, 1876, by the Board of Supervisors of Monterey County, upgrading the settlement to an official town.

In the early 1900s, the Paraíso Hot Springs became a popular resort for travelers on Southern Pacific trains.

Soledad is 10 miles (16 km) by road southwest of Pinnacles National Park, nestled among the nearby Gabilan Range.

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F.

Due to this fact great efforts in conserving farmland are a very high priority for the city.

This 13.5 megawatt facility was restarted in July 2001 after a six-year shut-down due to termination of a PG&E purchase agreement.

Several violations at the plant have been issued by the California Integrated Water Quality System Project.

Radio stations Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz area of dominant influence (ADI) or continuous measurement market (CMM).

Local newspapers include the Monterey County Herald, Salinas Californian and Soledad Bee.

Soledad is located on U.S. Route 101 and is accessible via northbound and southbound exit ramps on Front Street, at the north and south ends of town.

It is the western terminus of California State Route 146, which connects the city to nearby Pinnacles National Park.

As of September 5, 2009, the bus stops in Soledad are located at the correctional facility, Front & San Vicente and Monterey & East.