Pacific Grove, California

Pacific Grove, California
Top: Perkin's Park (left) and Asilomar (right); center: aerial view of downtown Pacific Grove; bottom: downtown shops (left) and Hopkins Marine Station (right).
Location in Monterey County and the state of California
Pacific Grove
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 36°37′04″N 121°55′00″W / 36.61778°N 121.91667°W / 36.61778; -121.91667
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyMonterey
Founded1875
IncorporatedJuly 5, 1889
Government
  TypeCouncil-manager
  MayorNick Smith
  State SenatorJohn Laird (D)
  AssemblymemberDawn Addis (D)
  U. S. Rep.Jimmy Panetta (D)
Area
  Total
4.00 sq mi (10.4 km2)
  Land2.87 sq mi (7.4 km2)
  Water1.13 sq mi (2.9 km2)  28.28%
Elevation
151 ft (46 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
15,090
  Density5,257.8/sq mi (2,030.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
  Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
93950
Area code831
FIPS code06-54848
GNIS feature IDs1652821, 2411350
Websitewww.cityofpacificgrove.gov

Pacific Grove is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city had a population of 15,090 at the 2020 census. Pacific Grove is a popular tourist destination on the Central Coast, hosting notable attractions the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, Asilomar Conference Center, the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens, and Point Pinos Lighthouse, among others.

The region was historically inhabited by the Rumsen tribe of Ohlone people. During the Mexican era, the area was granted by Governor José Figueroa to local merchant José Abrego as part of Rancho Punta de Piños, in 1833. Following the Mexican-American War and the U.S. conquest of California, the area developed into a notable fishing village. By 1875, the Pacific Improvement Company owned most of the area and founded the modern settlement of Pacific Grove as a Methodist retreat. By the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Pacific Grove had come to host a notable art colony, along with the other communities of the Monterey Peninsula.