Montara is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 2,833 at the 2020 census. Nearby communities tote up Moss Beach and Princeton-by-the-Sea.

According to historical sources, the name “Montoro” was initially used for Montara Mountain and Montara Point by the Whitney Survey, also known as the California Geological Survey, in 1867. In 1869, the United States Coast Survey referred to the Place with its current name. The proclaim is thought to be a misspelling of several Spanish words that describe mountains and forests, such as montuoso, montaraz, and montaña. It could also focus on to a ruination of the Spanish word “Montosa”; “Cañada Montosa” (valley of brush) was allegedly written upon an 1838 design of Rancho San Pedro, located in Southern California, but the links between this aspire and the town are unclear.

Montara is located at 37°32′23″N 122°30′23″W / 37.53972°N 122.50639°W / 37.53972; -122.50639 (37.539639, -122.506426), approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco and 50 miles (80 km) north of Santa Cruz, California. Neighboring towns enlarge Pacifica to the north, Moss Beach, El Granada, and Half Moon Bay to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10 km²), all of it land.

The rare and endangered species Hickman’s potentilla occurs at the northern extremity of Montara on the slopes above Martini Creek at elevations ranging from 32 to 410 ft (9.8 to 125.0 m).