Ben Lomond, California
Ben Lomond is a community of 6,858 people in Santa Cruz County, California.
Why visit Ben Lomond
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 24 parks and trails, 24 places to eat, 17 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Eagle Dell Peak, Park Hall, Felton Covered Bridge and Hiram D. Scott House.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Ben Lomond
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, and also the name of the mountain to the west. The CDP includes the communities of Glen Arbor and Brackney. The population was 6,337 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Ben Lomond, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Museums and landmarks18
Felton Covered Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic bridge in California, USA
Hiram D. Scott House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
House in Scotts Valley, California
Bigfoot Discovery Museum
Museum · 2.7 mi
Museum in Felton, California, USA
San Lorenzo Valley Museum, Faye G. Bellardi Gallery
Museum · 1.9 mi
6299 Gushee Street, Felton
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds24
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12 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes24
Heartwood Coffee Bar
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.5 mi
The Heartwood Coffee Bar is Mount Hermon Christian Camp and Conference Center's coffee shop, but is open to the public.
Mo-Th 06:30-20:00; Fr 06:30-18:00; Sa 06:30-12:00; Su 16:30-18:30
Henfling’s Bar & Grill
Bar and pub · American · 0.8 mi
9450 Highway 9, Ben Lomond
Mo-Su 00:00-02:00,12:00-24:00
I Wok Bistro
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.1 mi
6112 Highway 9, Felton
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Sushi San
Restaurant · Japanese · 2.1 mi
6231 Mount Hermon Road
16:00-21:00
Mountain Roasting Company
Cafe · 2.0 mi
6263 Graham Hill Road
04:00-16:00
12 more on the map.
History
The nearby Ben Lomond Mountain was named after the mountain in Scotland by a Scottish immigrant. John Burns settled on the west side of the ridge in 1851. Burns became one of the first vintners in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and is usually also credited with naming the community of Bonny Doon. The San Lorenzo River watershed contains extensive forests of Coast redwood, and was an early center of the logging/lumber industry in Santa Cruz County. The community was originally known as Pacific Mills, after a sawmill operation located there. When, in 1887, the community applied for a U.S. Post Office, residents voted to adopt the name of the mountain.
Alba School, a one-room schoolhouse, was constructed in 1895 and was in use until 1940; it later served as a library and a community center. It was destroyed in the CZU Lightning Complex fires in August 2020.
From the History section of Ben Lomond, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay17
Quality Inn & Suites Santa Cruz Mountains
Motel and hotel · 0.9 mi
9733 Highway 9, Ben Lomond
Churches and places of worship8
Felton Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
6299 Graham Hill Road, Felton
Grace Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Saints Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church
Church · Orthodox · 1.1 mi
9980 Highway 9, Ben Lomond
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries21
California Connections Academy Monterey Bay
School · 4.1 mi
108 Whispering Pines Dr. Ste. 115, Scotts Valley
Healthcare5
Map of Ben Lomond
133 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 39°F | 9.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 40°F | 7.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 42°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 46°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 49°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 49°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 83°F | 44°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 40°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 64°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ben Lomond #4 (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Santa Cruz County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-08-22: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Brookdale 2 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Felton 3 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Bonny Doon 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Scotts Valley 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Boulder Creek 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Santa Cruz 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Lexington Hills 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Live Oak 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Soquel 10 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Twin Lakes 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Marshall Creek, Ben Lomond, CA, Elaine with Grey Cats from Mountain View, CA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Forme rchurch in Felton, Mrwrite, Public domain
- Felton, California covered bridge, W Nowicki, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grace Episcopal Chrurch, Mrwrite, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bigfoot discovery museum in Felton! D (27292772073), Elizabeth K. Joseph from San Francisco, United States, CC BY 2.0
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