Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove is a city of 14,951 people in Monterey County, California, founded in 1875.
Why visit Pacific Grove
Townapedia lists 48 museums and landmarks, 48 parks and trails, 114 places to eat, 40 places to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Monterey Bay Aquarium, 17-Mile Drive, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History and Asilomar Conference Grounds.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 71°F; December lows average 44°F.
Weather in Pacific Grove
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California, United States. Located in Monterey County, the city had a population of 15,090 at the 2020 census. Pacific Grove is a popular tourist destination on the Central Coast, hosting notable attractions the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, Asilomar Conference Center, the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens, and Point Pinos Lighthouse, among others.
From the Wikipedia article Pacific Grove, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do9
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Zoo and aquarium · 1.4 mi
Nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California
886 Cannery Row, Monterey
Mo-Su 09:00-17:00
First Theater
Cinema and theater · 2.2 mi
Building in Monterey State Historic Park, built as a lodging house and tavern, used as a theatre in 1850
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
School · 2.3 mi
Institution of higher education
Museums and landmarks48
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Museum · 0.5 mi
Natural history museum in Pacific Grove, California
165 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove
We-Su 10:00-16:00, PH off
Asilomar Conference Grounds
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Conference center at "Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds"
800 Asilomar Avenue, Pacific Grove
Point Pinos Lighthouse
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Lighthouse in California, United States
Centrella Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Hotel in Pacific Grive, California
El Castillo de Monterey
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Site of a Spanish fort constructed in 1792 to protect the port and presidio of Monterey, California from invaders.
Frank LaVerne Buck House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Pacific Grove, California
G. T. Marsh and Sons
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic building in Monterey, California, United States
Gosby House Inn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Two-story Victorian mansion that was built in 1887 by J.F. Gosby in Pacific Grove.
James W. Finch House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Monterey, California, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Josiah Merritt Adobe
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic house in Monterey, California
Larkin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in California, United States
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Lou Ellen Parmelee House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic house in California, United States
36 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds48
36 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes114
Alfredo’s Pastaria & Mozzarella Bar
Restaurant · Italian · 1.2 mi
1188 Forest Avenue
We-Su 17:00-21:00
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.5 mi
720 Cannery Row
Su-Th 10:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-23:00
Cafe Guarani
Cafe · Paraguayan · 1.2 mi
111 Central Avenue, Pacific Grove
Mo-Tu 08:00-15:00; Th-Fr 08:00-15:00; Sa-Su 08:00-17:00
El Canatro - Vegan Mexican Food
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.4 mi
791 Foam Street
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-15:30
Love Thai Cuisine
Restaurant · Thai · 1.2 mi
1180 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove
Tu-Fr 11:30-14:30, 16:30-20:45; Sa-Su 12:30-20:45
Namaste India Bistro
Restaurant · Indian · 1.6 mi
538 Lighthouse Avenue, Monterey
Fr-Sa 11:30-14:30,17:00-21:30; Su-Th 11:30-14:30,17:00-21:00
102 more on the map.
History
The first people to inhabit Pacific Grove were members of the Ohlone Rumsen tribe who lived between Big Sur and San Francisco since the 6th century CE. Grinding stones from this tribe still exist in Pacific Grove. The area later became part of the Mexican land grant Rancho Punta de Pinos.
The second group of people to come to Pacific Grove were Chinese immigrants as early as 1853. They established a successful fishing village at Point Alones, an area between Lover's Point and the western edge of Monterey. The Chinese were the first to recognize the potential for commercial fishing in the Monterey Bay. Others quickly saw the benefit, however, and eventually pushed the Chinese from their daytime fishing grounds. Being resourceful, they began fishing for squid in the night, thus beginning California's squid fishery – now one of California's largest fisheries.
From the History section of Pacific Grove, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay40
The Wilkie's Inn by Clarion Collection
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
1038 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove
Green Gables Inn
Motel and hotel · 1.0 mi
301 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove
Churches and places of worship13
Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Christian Church of Pacific Grove
Church · 0.7 mi
442 Central Avenue, Pacific Grove
Shopping48
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries38
Dual Language Academy of The Monterey Peninsula
School · 5.5 mi
1650 Sonoma Ave., Seaside
Healthcare6
Map of Pacific Grove
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 45°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 45°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 63°F | 46°F | 3.3 in | 0.2 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 47°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 64°F | 49°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 66°F | 51°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 67°F | 53°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 69°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 53°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 52°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 48°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 44°F | 3.6 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Monterey (2 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
Monterey County has had 19 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
Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Monterey 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Seaside 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Marina 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Salinas 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Prunedale 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Watsonville 22 mi north, about 36 min by car
- Santa Cruz 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Live Oak 25 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Soquel 26 mi north, about 42 min by car
- Gilroy 33 mi northeast, about 52 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
- Point Pinos Light during reconstruction (2013), Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MontereyBayAquariumBackview, Meij.kobayashi, Public domain
- Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, January 2016, Collin Knopp-Schwyn, CC BY 4.0
- Merrill Hall Asilomar edit1, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 649 Lighthouse Avenue, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Castillo site, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Custom House Monterey, CA, Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Finch-Fleischer House (Monterey, CA), Jack Boucher, Public domain
- Mary C. W. Black Studio House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Centrella Hotel, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frank LaVerne Buck House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Merritt House (Monterey, CA), Robert W. Kerrigan, photographer, Public domain
- Larkin House, Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Trimmer Hill, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fremont Adobe Pacific Street Monterey, Kristen (Krimp) Fuentes, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stevenson House Monterey, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monterey Cathedral, Unknown author, Public domain
- Lou Ellen Parmelee Archer St. Monterey, Kristen (Krimp) Fuentes, CC BY-SA 3.0
- G. T. Marsh and Sons, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pacific Biological Laboratories, exterior 2016, Mark Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.