The Central Coast is an area of
California, roughly spanning the coastal region between
Point Mugu
Point Mugu (, Chumash: ''Muwu'') is a cape or promontory within Point Mugu State Park on the Pacific Coast in Ventura County, near the city of Port Hueneme and the city of Oxnard. The name is believed to be derived from the Chumash Indian term ...
and
Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...
and south of
San Mateo and
Santa Clara counties, and includes the rugged, undeveloped stretch of coastline known as
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ...
. From south to north, there are six counties that make up the Central Coast:
Ventura,
Santa Barbara,
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Louis of Toulouse, St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state ...
,
Monterey,
San Benito, and
Santa Cruz.
The Central Coast is the location of the
Central Coast American Viticultural Area.
Geographically, the actual midpoint of the California coast lies north of Santa Cruz, near
Año Nuevo State Park
Año Nuevo State Park is a state park of California, United States, encompassing Año Nuevo Island and Año Nuevo Point, which are known for their pinniped rookeries. Located in San Mateo County, the low, rocky, windswept point juts out into t ...
in San Mateo County. Neither the popular use of the term Central Coast nor that of the
California North Coast include the
San Francisco Peninsula
The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is Mountain View, south of Palo Al ...
counties of San Mateo and San Francisco.
History
The Central Coast area was originally inhabited by
Chumash Chumash may refer to:
*Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism
*Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California
*Chumashan languages
Chumashan was a family of languages that were spoken on the south ...
and other Native American people since at least 10,000
BC. Many of these communities were coastal, where the people utilized marine resources and dwelt near freshwater inflows to the Pacific Ocean. For example, there were significant communities near the mouth of
Morro Creek and
Los Osos Creek Los Osos Creek is a stream in coastal San Luis Obispo County that discharges to Morro Bay. Los Osos Creek rises in the Clark Valley on the slopes of the Irish Hills. After flowing through Clark Valley, Los Osos Creek flows into Los Osos Valley. I ...
.
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo visited the Central Coast, landing in Santa Barbara County in 1542, having sailed from the south.
Overview
The region is known primarily for
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
and
tourism. Major crops include
wine grapes
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
,
lettuce
Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, ...
,
strawberries, and
artichoke
The globe artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green articho ...
s. The
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley is one of the major valleys and most productive Agriculture, agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley.
The Salinas River (Califo ...
is one of the most fertile farming regions in the United States. Tourist attractions include
Cannery Row in
Monterey, the
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biolo ...
, the theatres, galleries and white sand beaches of
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ri ...
, the golf courses of
Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf course ...
and the
Monterey Peninsula, the rugged coastline of
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ...
and
Hearst Castle in
San Simeon
San Simeon ( Spanish: ''San Simeón'', meaning "St. Simon") is a village and Census-designated place on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Its position along State Route 1 is about halfway between Los Angele ...
. Further south is
Morro Rock and the port city of
Morro Bay, which is adjacent to college town
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Louis of Toulouse, St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state ...
. The
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valle ...
is home to the Central Coast Film Society, which celebrates filmmakers, cinema and media arts that are from the region, also known as "Hollywood's Backyard."
The area is not densely populated. The largest city in the region is
Oxnard in Ventura County, with a population estimated at 203,007 in 2013.
University of California campuses are found in
Santa Barbara and
Santa Cruz, near the south and north edges of the region respectively.
California State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university in Monterey County, California. Its main campus is located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, straddling the cities of Seaside, Cali ...
, founded in 1994, uses facilities donated when
Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, m ...
was converted from military to civilian uses.
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California or California State Polytechnic Univ ...
, in
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Louis of Toulouse, St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state ...
, was founded in 1901.
California State University Channel Islands
California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI, CSU Channel Islands) is a public university in Camarillo, California. It opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the California State University system. CSUCI is located on the Central Coast of Cal ...
opened in
Camarillo
Camarillo ( ) is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 70,741, an increase of 5,540 from the 65,201 counted in the 2010 Census. Camarillo is named for brothers Juan a ...
in 2002, as the 23rd campus in the California State University system.
Population
The six counties that make up the Central Coast region had an estimated population of 2,348,601 according to the 2020 census.
Counties by population
Major cities
The following cities had a population over 20,000 as of the 2020 census:
*
Oxnard - 202,063
*
Salinas - 163,542
*
Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak trees ...
- 126,966
*
Simi Valley
Simi Valley (; Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The ...
- 126,356
*
Ventura - 110,763
*
Santa Maria Santa María is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, in languages such as Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Santa Maria or Santa María may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* "Santa Maria" (Tatjana song), released 1995
* "Santa Maria ...
- 109,707
*
Santa Barbara - 88,665
*
Camarillo
Camarillo ( ) is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 70,741, an increase of 5,540 from the 65,201 counted in the 2010 Census. Camarillo is named for brothers Juan a ...
- 70,741
*
Santa Cruz - 62,956
*
Watsonville
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self- ...
- 52,590
*
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Louis of Toulouse, St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state ...
- 47,063
*
Lompoc
Lompoc ( ; Chumash: ''Lum Poc'') is a city in Santa Barbara County, California. Located on the Central Coast, Lompoc has a population of 43,834 as of July 2021.
Lompoc has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Chumash people, who calle ...
- 44,444
*
Hollister - 41,678
*
Moorpark
Moorpark is a city in Ventura County in Southern California. Moorpark was founded in 1900. The town grew from just over 4,000 citizens in 1980 to over 25,000 by 1990. As of 2006, Moorpark was one of the fastest-growing cities in Ventura County.. ...
- 36,284
*
Goleta
Goleta or La Goleta may refer to:
* ''Goleta'' (spider), a spider genus
* Goleta, California, United States, a suburban city in Santa Barbara County
* La Goleta, the Spanish and Portuguese name for La Goulette
La Goulette (, it, La Goletta), i ...
- 32,690
*
Seaside - 32,366
*
Paso Robles
Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles (Spanish for "The Pass of Oaks"), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River approximately north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its ho ...
- 31,490
*
Santa Paula
Santa Paula (Spanish for " St. Paula") is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. Situated amid the orchards of the Santa Clara River Valley, the city advertises itself to tourists as the "Citrus Capital of the World". Santa Pau ...
- 30,657
*
Monterey - 30,218
*
Atascadero
Atascadero ( Spanish for "Mire") is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, about equidistant from Los Angeles and San Francisco on U.S. Route 101. Atascadero is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles metropolitan statistical area, which ...
- 29,773
*
Soledad - 24,925
*
Marina - 22,359
*
Port Hueneme
Port Hueneme ( ; Chumash: ''Wene Me'') is a small beach city in Ventura County, California, surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Santa Barbara Channel. Both the Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County lie within the city limits.
Port ...
- 21,954
Transportation
Travel is almost entirely by private automobile. Because of its position roughly halfway between the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco,
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Louis of Toulouse, St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state ...
is home to
America's first motel. The major highway is
U.S. Route 101, which runs north-south from Los Angeles, through most of the major communities of the Central Coast, to San Francisco.
State Route 1, a smaller but much more scenic route, connects the coastal communities, running through
San Simeon
San Simeon ( Spanish: ''San Simeón'', meaning "St. Simon") is a village and Census-designated place on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Its position along State Route 1 is about halfway between Los Angele ...
,
Morro Bay, and
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ...
.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...
maintains train service with the
Coast Starlight
The ''Coast Starlight'' is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States between Seattle and Los Angeles via Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. The train, which has operated continuously since Amtrak's formati ...
and
Pacific Surfliner routes along the
Union Pacific Railroad Coast Line that also transports freight. There are no major airports, although Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo have regional airports with commuter service.
Greyhound buses serve most of the region.
Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) operates bus services throughout
Monterey County
Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.
Montere ...
as far south as
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ...
on the coast and
King City in the Salinas Valley. MST also offers connection service to
San Jose Diridon Station
San Jose Diridon station is the central passenger rail depot for San Jose, California. It also serves as a major intermodal transit center for Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley. The station is named after former Santa Clara County Supervisor ...
, downtown Santa Cruz, and
Paso Robles
Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles (Spanish for "The Pass of Oaks"), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River approximately north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its ho ...
and
Templeton in Northern
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Mis ...
via regional routes.
Santa Cruz Metro
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (SCMTD), or simply Santa Cruz METRO, provides bus service throughout Santa Cruz County, California. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
Santa Cruz METRO also operates the Hig ...
offers services within
Santa Cruz County, including connections to
San Jose and
San Jose State
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) ...
and connection to MST service in
Watsonville
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self- ...
, heading south to Salinas.
See also
*
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ...
*
California State Route 1
State Route 1 (SR 1) is a major north–south state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California. At , it is the longest state route in California, and the second-longest in the US after Montana ...
*
Coastal California
Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economi ...
*
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ri ...
*
Hearst Castle
*
List of tourist attractions in Monterey County, California
*
Mission County (proposed)
*
Monterey Peninsula
*
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS)
**
Davidson Seamount
Davidson Seamount is a seamount ( underwater volcano) located off the coast of Central California, southwest of Monterey and west of San Simeon. At long and wide, it is one of the largest known seamounts in the world. From base to crest, t ...
, one of the largest known seamounts in the world, added to MBNMS in 2009
*
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley is one of the major valleys and most productive Agriculture, agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley.
The Salinas River (Califo ...
*
Santa Cruz Mountains
*
Wine Regions
This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...
References
External links
Central California Coast Guide with Photos A comprehensive guide to California's Central Coast
{{California
Regions of California
West Coast of the United States
Geography of California
Northern California
Southern California
Tourism regions of California