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Seaside, California
Post office in Seaside
Post office in Seaside
Flag of Seaside, California
Flag
Official seal of Seaside, California
Seal
Location in Monterey County and the state of California
Location in Monterey County and the state of California
Seaside, California is located in the United States
Seaside, California
Seaside, California
Location in the United States
Country United States
State California
County Monterey
Founded 1888
Incorporated October 13, 1954
Area
 • Total 9.06 sq mi (23.5 km2)
 • Land 8.92 sq mi (23.1 km2)
 • Water 0.14 sq mi (0.4 km2)  1.51%
Elevation
33 ft (10 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 32,366
 • Density 3,627.3/sq mi (1,400.5/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
93955
Area code(s) 831
FIPS code 06-70742
GNIS feature ID 1659619

Seaside, once known as East Monterey, is a city in Monterey County, California. About 32,366 people lived there in 2020. It is located just east of Monterey.

Seaside is home to California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). This university is built on the land of the old Fort Ord military base. You can also find the UC MBEST Center and the Monterey College of Law here. The famous Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses are also in Seaside. These courses are now open to everyone. Seaside is also the entrance to the Fort Ord National Monument.

History of Seaside

Monterey pacific grove ca 1917
Monterey Bay area in 1917

In 1888, Dr. J.L.D. Roberts planned Seaside as a resort town. It was first called East Monterey. The Seaside post office opened in 1891. Seaside officially became a city in 1954. Jack Oldemeyer was its first mayor. By the mid-1960s, a large part of the city's population was African-American. This was the biggest group between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Where is Seaside?

Seaside is located near the southern end of Monterey Bay. To the north is Marina. To the west is Sand City. Monterey is to the southwest. Del Rey Oaks is to the south. The California State Route 1 freeway runs along the western edge of the city.

The city covers about 9.1 square miles (23.6 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.26 square kilometers), is water. The land in Seaside ranges from sea level up to about 541 feet (165 meters) high.

Seaside's Climate

Seaside has a cool Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Winds from the Pacific Ocean keep the area cool. The ocean currents from Alaska also help.

  • The coldest month is January. The average high temperature is about 59.9°F (15.5°C).
  • The warmest month is September. The average high temperature is about 72°F (22.2°C).
  • Rainfall averages about 20 inches (51 cm) per year. Most rain falls from November to April.
  • Sometimes, winds from the east can make it much hotter. Temperatures have reached 100°F (38°C) or higher on a few days. This usually happens in June, September, or October.
Climate data for Seaside, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 59.7
(15.4)
60.9
(16.1)
61.5
(16.4)
62.6
(17.0)
64.4
(18.0)
67.0
(19.4)
68.0
(20.0)
69.4
(20.8)
70.0
(21.1)
68.3
(20.2)
64.1
(17.8)
60.0
(15.6)
64.7
(18.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 41.3
(5.2)
43.5
(6.4)
44.8
(7.1)
46.3
(7.9)
49.3
(9.6)
51.7
(10.9)
53.6
(12.0)
54.2
(12.3)
52.8
(11.6)
49.5
(9.7)
44.9
(7.2)
41.3
(5.2)
47.8
(8.8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.66
(93)
3.20
(81)
3.21
(82)
1.29
(33)
0.43
(11)
0.19
(4.8)
0.08
(2.0)
0.11
(2.8)
0.26
(6.6)
0.91
(23)
2.13
(54)
2.42
(61)
17.89
(454.2)

Seaside's Population

Historical population
Census Pop.
1960 19,353
1970 36,883 90.6%
1980 36,567 −0.9%
1990 38,901 6.4%
2000 31,696 −18.5%
2010 33,025 4.2%
2020 32,366 −2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, Seaside had a population of 33,025 people. About 48.4% of the people were White. About 8.4% were African American. About 9.7% were Asian. Many people, about 43.4%, were of Hispanic or Latino background.

Most people in Seaside live in family homes. About 43.7% of homes had children under 18. The average household had about 3.16 people. The median age in Seaside was 30.6 years old.

Education in Seaside

CSU Monterey Bay 2003
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus

Seaside High School is well-known for its sports teams. Their football team, the Spartans, won a championship in 2006. The annual football game against Monterey High School is a big event. Many famous people have attended Seaside High. For example, Ron Rivera, a well-known NFL football coach, graduated from Seaside High in 1980.

California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is located in Seaside. It is one of the newer campuses in the California State University system. Seaside is also home to the Monterey College of Law, a private law school.

The Monterey Peninsula College has a public safety training center in Seaside. This center trains future police officers and firefighters.

Economy

The Defense Manpower Data Center has an office in Seaside. This office is located on the land that used to be Fort Ord.

Scribble Hill

Scribble Hill is a famous landmark in Seaside. It is also called "Message Mountain." This is a large sand dune near Fremont Boulevard and State Route 1. Even though it's technically in Sand City, it's right next to Seaside High School.

People use a plant called "ice plant" to write messages on the dune. It's a popular spot for birthday wishes and marriage proposals. Many people also go there to watch fireworks on July 4th. It is also known by other names like "The Big Dune" or "The Sand Board."

Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses

The Bayonet Golf Course was built in 1954 on the Fort Ord military base. It was named after an Army division. The Black Horse Golf Course was built later in 1964. For many years, only military members could play on these courses.

In 1997, the City of Seaside bought the golf courses. They were then opened to the public. After some updates, the courses now meet professional standards. They have hosted big golf events, like the PGA Professional National Championship in 2012. Both courses offer great views of Monterey Bay.

Notable People from Seaside

Many interesting people have connections to Seaside:

  • Jamaree Bouyea, a basketball player
  • Tony Curtis, a professional football player
  • Herman Edwards, a football coach
  • Mason Foster, a professional football player
  • Mike Gravel, a former U.S. senator from Alaska
  • Charley Harraway, a professional football player
  • Rachel Roy, a fashion designer

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Seaside (California) para niños

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