A beautiful coastline of the county, including Big Sur, California State Route 1 and the 17 Mile Drive between Monterey and Pacific Grove, has made a county globe notable. Monterey County is as well the places of a Monarch butterfly preserve.

History
Monterey County was one of a original counties of California, created inside 1850 at the period of statehood. Area of the county were given to San Benito County in 1874.

A county derived its title from either Monterey Bay. A word itself is composed of the Spanish words monte & rey, which literally means "king of the mountain." A bay was known as by Sebastian Vizcaino in 1602, in honor of Gaspar diamond state Zuniga y Acevedo, Conde de Monterrey, a Viceroy of New Spain.

Geography
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 9,767 km² (3,771 mi²). 8,604 kilometre² (3,322 mi²) of these are l& and 1,163 kilometer² (449 mi²) of these are a stream. A aggregate vicinity is Eleven.91% a water system.

Demographics
When of the census² of 2000, there are 401,762 people, 121,236 households, and 87,896 families residing in the county. A population density is 47/km² (121/mi²). There are 131,708 housing units at an typical density of 15/km² (40/mi²). A racial makeup of the county is 55.92% White, 3.75% Black or African American, 1.05% Native American, 6.03% Asian, 0.45% Pacific Islander, 27.82% from other races, and 4.98% from two or more races. 46.79% of the people are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 121,236 menage away from which 39.10% own kids under a age of Xviii accept the two, 56.00% come married couples living together, 11.60% have a female homeowner by owning there is no hubby present, & Xxvii.50% come non-families. Xxi.20% of a lot home come manufactured higher of souls & Ogdoad.20% use person residing alone world health organization is 65 years aged or even older. A typical house size is Triplet.Fourteen & a typical personal size is Three.65.

In a county the people is spread retired by owning Twenty-eight.40% under a age of Xviii, Decade.90% from either 18 to Two dozen, 31.40% from either 25 to 44, Nineteen.30% from either 45 to 64, & Ten.00% world health organization come 65 years aged or even older. A median age is 32 years. For each Hundred females there are 107.Xxx males. For each C females age Eighteen & concluded, there are 107.Seventy males.

the median income for a menage in the county is $48,305, & the median income for a personal is $51,169. Males have a median income of $38,444 versus $30,036 for females. A per capita income for the county is $20,165. Long dozen.50% of the people & Nina from carolina.70% of families come in a image below the poverty line. Away from a number people, Seventeen.40% of people under a age of 18 & 6.80% of people 65 & older come dwelling following a poverty level.

Cities and towns
Carmel-by-the-Sea Del Rey Oaks Gonzales Greenfield King City Marina Monterey Pacific Grove Salinas Sand City Seaside Soledad

Census-designated places
Aromas Boronda Bradley Carmel Valley Village Castroville Chualar Del Monte Forest, better known as Pebble Beach Elkhorn Las Lomas Moss Landing Pajaro Prunedale San Ardo San Lucas Spreckels

Other locales
Big Sur