Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica, California
Nickname: 
SaMo
Motto: 
Populus felix in urbe felice
(Latin for 'Happy people in a happy city' / 'Fortunate people in a fortunate land')
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
Named afterSaint Monica
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorCaroline Torosis
 • Mayor Pro TemJesse Zwick
 • Santa Monica City CouncilDan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell, Natalya Zernitskaya
 • City ManagerOliver Chi
Area
 • Total
16.00 sq mi (41.43 km2)
 • Land8.42 sq mi (21.80 km2)
 • Water7.58 sq mi (19.64 km2)
Elevation
105 ft (32 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
93,076
 • Rank91st 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
GNIS feature IDs1652792, 2411825
Websitesantamonica.gov

Santa Monica (Spanish: Santa Mónica, lit.'Saint Monica') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. As of the 2020 census, Santa Monica had a population of 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to its climate, beaches, and hospitality industry. It has a diverse economy, hosting headquarters of companies such as Skydance Media, Hulu, Activision Blizzard, Universal Music Group, Starz Entertainment, Lionsgate Studios, 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. It is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles.