North America
USA
California

Central Coast

The Central Coast of is a region that remains calm and tranquil. Between the Bay Area's high-tech hassles, and the megalopolis of , the Central Coast provides nice beaches, beautiful Spanish missions, and a more peaceful way of life.
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Photo: Antandrus, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Santa Barbara and Salinas.

Photo: Raduranga, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is a city and metropolitan area less than 100 miles from but vastly different in pace from its huge neighbor to the south. With a temperate climate and lush natural environs, the "Riviera of the West" is a pleasant day or weekend trip from L.A.

Photo: Traveler100, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is in , 20 minutes inland from in a region known as the Central Coast. was the home of writer and Nobel Prize laureate John Steinbeck. It claims to be the "Salad Bowl of the World."…

Photo: Daderot, CC0.
is a city in the area of in . is one of the more beautiful coastal cities of California, and then a historic city can make for a great two-day trip for those visiting or a weekend getaway for California natives.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Ventura County and Santa Barbara County.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0.
is a region of the Central Coast of , though it is sometimes considered part of .

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is in Central Coast region. It is sometimes considered the northernmost part of . Although it shares excellent weather, Mission-style architecture, and beautiful beaches with the rest of Southern California, the Santa Barbara area is physically remote, and has more of the laid-back attitude of the Central Coast.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is in the Central Coast of in the United States of America. The county seat is , home to California Polytechnic State University with 20,000 students.

Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0.
contains a sizable part of the Central Coast of and the southern half of . The area is known for its wildlife and rugged coastline, much of it protected in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the largest US national marine sanctuary and home to a fantastic number of mammals, seabirds, fishes, invertebrates and plants.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is in just south of the Bay Area. The north half of is part of the county. It is the state's second-smallest county by land area, with only San Francisco County occupying a smaller physical area.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
is an inland county in the Central Coast region of California. Except for a small area at the extreme north end of the county, it is hot, dry, and mountainous.

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.
comprises five rugged islands off the coast of and in . Formerly home to ancient villages and 19th-century ranches, the national park is now a nature reserve with beautiful landscapes, peaceful hikes, unique wildlife, and great sea-kayaking.

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.
The , also known as the Santa Barbara Islands, lie off the coast of in the , between and and lie in , and Los Angeles County.

Photo: Eric Chan, CC BY 2.0.
is a region on the Central Coast of . It contains vast wildernesses and breathtaking views as it stretches 72 miles along the rugged Pacific Ocean.

Central Coast

Latitude of center
35.2607° or 35° 15′ 38″ north
Longitude of center
-120.1665° or 120° 9′ 60″ west
Population
2,030,000
Elevation
2,582 feet (787 metres)
Geo­Names ID
12217722
Wiki­data ID
Q2413435
This page is based on GeoNames, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.

Satellite Map

Discover Central Coast from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Arabic to Turkish—“Central Coast” goes by many names.
  • Arabic: “الساحل الأوسط في كاليفورنيا”
  • Chinese: “中央海岸”
  • Chinese: “中海岸”
  • Chinese: “中部海岸”
  • Dutch: “Central Coast”
  • French: “Côte centrale de Californie”
  • French: “Côte centrale”
  • German: “Kalifornische Zentralküste”
  • Hebrew: “רצועת החוף המרכזית של קליפורניה”
  • Indonesian: “Pantai Tengah California”
  • Italian: “Costa centrale della California”
  • Japanese: “セントラルコースト”
  • Persian: “ساحل مرکزی (کالیفرنیا)”
  • Persian: “ساحل مرکزی”
  • Russian: “Центральное побережье (Калифорния)”
  • Russian: “Центральное побережье”
  • Slovenian: “Centralna obala”
  • Slovenian: “Osrednja obala Kalifornije”
  • Slovenian: “Osrednja obala”
  • Slovenian: “Srednja obala”
  • Spanish: “Costa Central de California”
  • Turkish: “Central Coast (Kaliforniya)”

California: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento.

Explore These Curated Destinations

Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Central Coast”. Photo: Antandrus, CC BY-SA 3.0.