County · code 06053
Monterey CountyCalifornia
Monterey County is a California county in the state's central coast region, with its county seat in Salinas. The county was created on February 18, 1850.
- Founded1850
- County seatSalinas
- Named forMonterey Bay, California
- Land area3,282 sq mi + 490 sq mi water
- Population439,035 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped123,653 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Monterey on the map of California
California has 58 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1850
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Monterey County was named after Monterey Bay and created from non-county area in 1850. The county's boundaries were adjusted multiple times over the following decades: it exchanged land with San Luis Obispo in 1851, lost territory to San Luis Obispo in 1861, regained some territory from San Luis Obispo in 1863, and lost area to the creation of San Benito County in 1874.
- 1850Monterey County created Monterey created from non-county area. · Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 15, sec. 6/p. 59
- 1851Exchanged territory Monterey exchanged with San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1851, 2d sess., ch. 14, sec. 6/p. 173
- 1861Lost territory Monterey lost to San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1861, 12th sess., ch. 342/p. 349
- 1863Gained territory Monterey gained from San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1863, 14th sess., ch. 276/p. 358
- 1874Lost territory Monterey lost to creation of San Benito. · Calif. Stats. 1873, 20th sess., ch. 87/pp. 95-99
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Monterey
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 123,653 parcels from Monterey County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 14 September 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Monterey County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Monterey by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Monterey County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Monterey County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Monterey County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Monterey County
- When was Monterey County founded?
- Monterey County was founded in 1850, and named after Monterey Bay, California.
- What is the county seat of Monterey County?
- The county seat of Monterey County is Salinas.
- Is there an online parcel map for Monterey County?
- Yes. Monterey County publishes a parcel map of 123,653 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Monterey County's boundary or name changed?
- Monterey County was created in 1850. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving San Luis Obispo County and San Benito County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Monterey County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby