Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica, California
Official seal of Santa Monica, California
Nickname: 
SaMo[1]
Motto(s): 
Populus felix in urbe felice
(Latin for 'Happy people in a happy city' / 'Fortunate people in a fortunate land')[2]
Map
Map
Map
Map
Coordinates: 34°01′19″N 118°28′53″W / 34.02194°N 118.48139°W / 34.02194; -118.48139
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyLos Angeles
Spanish encampmentAugust 3, 1769
IncorporatedNovember 30, 1886[3]
Named forSaint Monica
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager[4]
 • MayorGleam Davis (D)[5]
 • Mayor Pro TemLana Negrete
 • City CouncilOscar de la Torre
Caroline Torosis
Christine Parra
Phil Brock
Jesse Zwick
 • City ManagerDavid White
Area
 • Total
16.00 sq mi (41.43 km2)
 • Land8.41 sq mi (21.80 km2)
 • Water7.58 sq mi (19.64 km2)
Elevation105 ft (32 m)
Population
 • Total
93,076
 • Rank92nd in California
 • Density11,067/sq mi (4,273/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
90401–90411
Area codes310/424
FIPS code06-70000[9]
GNIS feature IDs1652792, 2411825[10]
Websitesantamonica.gov

Santa Monica (Spanish for 'Saint Monica'; Spanish: Santa Mónica) is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to its climate, beaches, and hospitality industry.[11] It has a diverse economy, hosting headquarters of companies such as Hulu, Activision Blizzard, Universal Music Group, Lionsgate, Illumination and The Recording Academy.

Santa Monica traces its history to Rancho San Vicente y Santa Mónica, granted in 1839 to the Sepúlveda family of California. The rancho was later sold to John P. Jones and Robert Baker, who in 1875, along with his Californio heiress wife Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker, founded Santa Monica, which incorporated as a city in 1886. The city developed into a seaside resort during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the creation of tourist attractions such as Palisades Park, the Santa Monica Pier, Ocean Park, and the Hotel Casa del Mar.

  1. ^ Archibald, Ashley (April 26, 2013). "Report: SaMo air quality some of the best in SoCal". Daily Press. Santa Monica, California. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  2. ^ Simpson, David Mark (June 3, 2015). "The mystery of Santa Monica's city motto". Santa Monica Daily Press. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  3. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Microsoft Word) on February 21, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  4. ^ "Charter of the City of Santa Monica". Quality Code Publishing. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  5. ^ "Santa Monica City Council". City of Santa Monica. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  6. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. ^ "Santa Monica". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  8. ^ "Santa Monica (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  10. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  11. ^ Begley, Sarah (December 10, 2015). "The Most Popular Places to Check In on Facebook in 2015". Time. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.