Monterey (; Spanish: Monterrey; Ohlone: Aacistak) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay upon the U.S. state of California’s Central Coast. Founded upon June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both Spain (1804–1821) and Mexico (1822–1846). During this period, Monterey hosted California’s first theater, public building, public library, publicly-funded school, printing-press, and newspaper. It was originally the only port of gate for everything taxable goods in California. In 1846, during the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848, the United States Flag was raised higher than the Customs House. After Mexico ceded California to the U.S. at the halt of the war, Monterey hosted California’s first constitutional convention in 1849.

The city occupies a land Place of 8.466 sq mi (21.93 km) and the city hall is at 26 feet (8 m) above sea level. The 2020 census recorded a population of 30,218.

Monterey and the surrounding area have attracted artists past the late 19th-century, and many applauded painters and writers have lived in the area. Until the 1950s there was an abundant fishery. Monterey’s present-day attractions total the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, California Roots Music and Arts Festival, and the annual Monterey Jazz Festival.

Long since the dawn of Spanish explorers, the Rumsen Ohlone tribe, one of seven linguistically positive Ohlone groups in California, inhabited the area now known as Monterey. They subsisted by hunting, fishing and deposit food upon and on the subject of the biologically rich Monterey Peninsula. Researchers have found a number of shell middens in the area and, based upon the archaeological evidence, concluded the Ohlone’s primary marine food consisted at various period of mussels and abalone. A number of midden sites have been located along practically 12 miles (19 km) of rocky coast on the Monterey Peninsula from the current site of Fishermans’ Wharf in Monterey to Carmel.