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Carmel-by-the-Sea | |
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 .jpg)  .jpg) _(cropped).jpg) Top:Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (left) andButterfly House (right); middle:storybook architecture (left) andKocher Building (right); bottom:Carmel coastline | |
 Seal | |
 Location of Carmel-by-the-Sea in Monterey County, California | |
  Carmel-by-the-Sea Location in California Show map of California Carmel-by-the-Sea Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:36°33′19″N121°55′24″W / 36.55528°N 121.92333°W /36.55528; -121.92333 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Monterey |
| Incorporated | October 31, 1916[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dale Byrne[2] |
| • State Senator | John Laird (D)[3] |
| • State Assembly | Dawn Addis (D)[3] |
| • U.S. Rep. | Jimmy Panetta (D)[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.06 sq mi (2.75 km2) |
| • Land | 1.06 sq mi (2.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 223 ft (68 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,220 |
| • Density | 3,034.1/sq mi (1,171.46/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes[7] | 93921–93923 |
| Area code | 831 |
| FIPS code | 06-11250 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1658224,2409987 |
| Website | ci |
Carmel-by-the-Sea (/kɑːrˈmɛl/), commonly known simply asCarmel, is a city inMonterey County, California, located on theCentral Coast of California. As of the2020 census, the city had a population of 3,220, down from 3,722 at the2010 census. Situated on theMonterey Peninsula, Carmel is a tourist destination, known for its natural scenery and artistic history.
TheSpanish founded a settlement in 1771, whenMission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo was relocated bySt. Junípero Serra from Monterey. Mission Carmel served as the headquarters of theCalifornian mission system, until theMexican secularization act of 1833, when the area was divided intorancho grants. The settlement was largely abandoned by theU.S. Conquest of California in 1848 and stayed undeveloped untilSantiago J. Duckworth built asummer colony in 1888. When theCarmel Development Company was formed in 1902, Carmel became anart colony andseaside resort, which incorporated in 1916.
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The first Europeans to see Carmel were mariners led byJuan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542, who sailed up the California coast without landing. Sixty years later Spanish explorerSebastián Vizcaíno landed in what is now known as Carmel Valley in 1602. It is thought that he named the river running through the valley Rio Carmelo in honor of the threeCarmelitefriars serving as chaplains for the voyage.[8]
The Spanish began to colonize the area in 1770, whenGaspar de Portolá, along withFranciscan priestsJunípero Serra andJuan Crespí, visited the area in search of amission site. Portolà and Crespí traveled by land while Serra traveled with supplies aboard ship, arriving eight days later. The colony of Monterey was established at the same time as the second mission inAlta California and soon became the capital of California, remaining so until 1849.[9][10] From the late 18th through the early 19th century most of theOhlone population died from European diseases (against which they had no immunity), as well as overwork and malnutrition at the missions where the Spanish forced them to live.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo was founded on June 3, 1770, in the nearby settlement ofMonterey, but was relocated toCarmel Valley byJunípero Serra due to interactions between soldiers stationed at the nearbyPresidio and the native Indians.[11]
In December 1771, a stockade of approximately 130x200 feet became the new Mission Carmel. Simple buildings made of plastered mud served as the first church and dwellings until a structure was built of wood from nearby pine and cypress trees to withstand the seasonal rains. This was also a temporary church until a permanent stone building was constructed.[11] In 1784, Serra died and was buried, at his request, at the Mission in the Sanctuary of the San Carlos Church, next to Crespí, who had died the previous year. Serra was buried with full military honors.[11] Carmel Mission contains the state's first library.[12]
When Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Carmel becameMexican territory.[13]
Carmel became part of the United States in 1848, when Mexico ceded California as a result of theMexican–American War.In the 1850s, "Rancho Las Manzanitas", the area that was to become Carmel-by-the-Sea, was purchased by French businessmanHonoré Escolle. Escolle, well known and prosperous in the City of Monterey, owned the first commercial bakery, pottery kiln and brickworks in Central California.[14][15]
William Martin ofScotland arrived in Monterey in 1856 by ship with his family. His son,John Martin (1827–1893), bought land around theCarmel River from Lafayette F. Loveland in 1859. He built the Martin Ranch on 216 acres (87 ha) that went as far as the Carmel River to the homes along Carmel-by-the-Sea. The ranch became known as theMission Ranch because it was so close to the Carmel Mission. They farmed potatoes and barley and had a milk dairy.[14][16]
In 1888, Escolle andSantiago J. Duckworth filed a subdivision map with the County Recorder of Monterey County. By 1889, 200 lots had been sold. The name "Carmel" was earlier applied to another place on the north bank of theCarmel River 13 miles (21 km) east-southeast of the present-day Carmel.[17] A post office called Carmel opened in 1889, closed in 1890, re-opened in 1893, moved in 1902, and closed for good in 1903.[17][18]Abbie Jane Hunter, founder of the San Francisco-based Women's Real Estate Investment Company,[19] first used the name "Carmel-by-the-Sea" on a promotional postcard.[20][21]
In 1902,James Franklin Devendorf andFrank Hubbard Powers, on behalf of theCarmel Development Company, filed a subdivision map of the core village that became Carmel. They asked Michael J. Murphy to help build the houses. From 1902 to 1940, he built nearly 350 buildings in Carmel.[22] The Carmel post office opened the same year.[17] In 1899, Fritz Schweninger opened the first bakery on Ocean Avenue, called theCarmel Bakery.[23][24] In 1910, theCarnegie Institution established the Coastal Laboratory, and a number of scientists moved to the area. Carmel incorporated in 1916.[17]
In 1905, theCarmel Arts and Crafts Club was formed to support and produce artistic works. Following the1906 San Francisco earthquake, an influx of artists, writers, musicians and other creative people escaped the disaster for Carmel. The new residents were offered home lots with a ten-dollar down payment, little or no interest, and whatever they could afford to pay monthly.[25][unreliable source?] In 1906, theSan Francisco Call devoted a full page to the "artists, writers and poets at Carmel-by-the-Sea."[26]
The Carmel Arts and Crafts Club held exhibitions, lectures, dances, and produced plays and recitals at numerous locations, including thePine Inn Hotel, before purchasing a lot on Casanova Street, where they built a clubhouse in 1907.[27] By 1914, the club had achieved national recognition.[27]
In 1911, Carmel began a tradition of presenting plays by Shakespeare with a production ofTwelfth Night, directed by Garnet Holme of UC Berkeley and featuring future mayors Perry Newberry and Herbert Heron.Twelfth Night was again presented in 1940 at Heron's inaugural Carmel Shakespeare Festival, and was repeated in 1942 and 1956.[21]
In 1915, during thePanama–Pacific International Exposition inSan Francisco, various items showcasing Carmel were featured in the Monterey County exhibit within the California Building. This exhibit included natural and industrial products of this part of the state.[28] As part of Carmel's involvement in the Exposition, theJunipero Serra or The Padres performance from theForest Theater took place on July 30–31, 1915, within the Court of the Universe. This pageant, written and directed byPerry Newberry, was a tribute to FatherJunipero Serra and featured prominent citizens of Carmel in its cast, such asFrederick R. Bechdolt andGrant Wallace. Around twenty-five thousand individuals attended these performances.[29]
In 1925,Paul Aiken Flanders built theFlanders Mansion and used his home as a model for theHatton Fields subdivision.[30][31] The City of Carmel purchased the Flanders Mansion and adjoining 14.9 acres (6.0 ha) in 1972, from the Flanders heirs for US$275,000 (equivalent to $2,067,204 in 2024). It has become part of the 34-acre (14 ha) Mission Trail Nature Preserve.[32]
In 1932, the city developed theDevendorf Park that occupies the block of Ocean Avenue and Junipero Street. The city park is Carmel's central gathering place for outdoor events.[33]
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Carmel is located on theMonterey Peninsula on the southern portion ofMonterey Bay, on theCentral Coast of California.
Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve,Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area,Point Lobos State Marine Reserve andPoint Lobos State Marine Conservation Area are marine protected areas in the waters around Carmel.[34]
Carmel-by-the-Sea is situated in a moderateseismic risk zone, the principal threats being theSan Andreas Fault, which is approximately thirty miles northeast, and the Palo Colorado Fault which traces offshore through thePacific Ocean several miles away. More minor potentially active faults nearby are the Church Creek Fault and the San Francisquito Fault.[35]
Carmel-by-the-Sea experiences a cool summerMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsb) normal in coastal areas of California. Summers are typically mild, with overcast mornings produced bymarine layer clouds which can bring drizzles that typically give way to clear skies in the afternoon.[citation needed]
September and October (Indian summer) offer the most pleasant weather of the year,[36] with an average high of 72 °F (22 °C). The wet season is from October to May.
Average annual rainfall in Carmel-by-the-Sea is 20 inches (500 mm) per year, and the average temperature is 57 °F (14 °C).
| Climate data for Carmel-by-the-Sea | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.1 (15.6) | 61.0 (16.1) | 64.0 (17.8) | 64.9 (18.3) | 66.9 (19.4) | 68.0 (20.0) | 70.0 (21.1) | 71.1 (21.7) | 70.0 (21.1) | 64.0 (17.8) | 62.1 (16.7) | 60.1 (15.6) | 65.1 (18.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43.0 (6.1) | 45.0 (7.2) | 46.9 (8.3) | 48.0 (8.9) | 50.0 (10.0) | 52.0 (11.1) | 53.1 (11.7) | 53.1 (11.7) | 51.1 (10.6) | 46.9 (8.3) | 46.0 (7.8) | 43.0 (6.1) | 48.2 (9.0) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.19 (106) | 3.75 (95) | 3.53 (90) | 1.48 (38) | 0.50 (13) | 0.20 (5.1) | 0.09 (2.3) | 0.11 (2.8) | 0.28 (7.1) | 1.06 (27) | 2.43 (62) | 2.73 (69) | 20.35 (517) |
| Source:[37] | |||||||||||||
Carmel has historically pursued a strategy of planned development to enhance its natural coastal beauty and to retain its character, which the city's general plan describes as "a village in a forest overlooking a white sand beach".[citation needed] Carmel-by-the-Sea wasincorporated in 1916 and by 1925 it adopted a vision of its future as "primarily, essentially and predominantly a residential community" (Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council, 1929).
New buildings must be built around existing trees and new trees are required on lots that are deemed to have an inadequate number.[39]
The one-square-mile village has no street lights or parking meters.[40] In addition, the businesses, cottages and houses have long had nostreet numbers.[41] In October 2025, the city council approved a plan to begin assigning numbers to buildings, citing concerns regarding the increasing use of technologies that asked for a street address.[42][43]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 638 | — | |
| 1930 | 2,260 | 254.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,837 | 25.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,351 | 53.4% | |
| 1960 | 4,580 | 5.3% | |
| 1970 | 4,525 | −1.2% | |
| 1980 | 4,707 | 4.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,239 | −9.9% | |
| 2000 | 4,081 | −3.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,722 | −8.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,220 | −13.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[44] | |||
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| Race(NH = Non-Hispanic) | 2020[45] | 2010[46] | 2000[47] | 1990[48] | 1980[49] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 86.7% (2,793) | 90% (3,350) | 92.7% (3,783) | 94.4% (4,002) | 94% (4,424) |
| Black alone (NH) | 0.4% (13) | 0.3% (10) | 0.4% (18) | 0.3% (13) | 0.5% (22) |
| American Indian alone (NH) | 0.3% (11) | 0.2% (6) | 0.2% (9) | 0.4% (19) | 0.4% (19) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3.2% (104) | 2.8% (105) | 2.2% (88) | 1.7% (72) | 3.1% (147) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0.1% (2) | 0.2% (6) | 0.1% (6) | ||
| Other race alone (NH) | 0.5% (16) | 0.2% (7) | 0.1% (5) | 0% (1) | 0.4% (21) |
| Multiracial (NH) | 2.8% (89) | 1.7% (64) | 1.3% (52) | — | — |
| Hispanic/Latino (any race) | 6% (192) | 4.7% (174) | 2.9% (120) | 3.1% (132) | 1.6% (74) |
The2020 United States census reported that Carmel-by-the-Sea had a population of 3,220. The population density was 3,034.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,171.8/km2). The racial makeup of Carmel-by-the-Sea was 88.9%White, 0.4%African American, 0.5%Native American, 3.2%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 1.6% fromother races, and 5.3% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.0% of the population.[50]
The census reported that 99.2% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.5% were institutionalized.[50]
There were 1,721 households, out of which 12.9% included children under the age of 18, 42.5% were married-couple households, 3.1% werecohabiting couple households, 37.1% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 41.5% of households were one person, and 26.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.86.[50] There were 912families (53.0% of all households).[51]
The age distribution was 10.2% under the age of 18, 3.7% aged 18 to 24, 11.6% aged 25 to 44, 28.3% aged 45 to 64, and 46.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 63.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.3 males.[50]
There were 3,056 housing units at an average density of 2,880.3 units per square mile (1,112.1 units/km2), of which 1,721 (56.3%) were occupied. Of these, 60.5% were owner-occupied, and 39.5% were occupied by renters.[50]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $115,729, and theper capita income was $87,422. About 0.0% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line.[52]
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In 1907, Carmel's first cultural center and theatre, the Carmel Arts and Crafts Clubhouse, was built. Poets Austin and Sterling performed their "private theatricals" there.[27] By 1913, The Arts and Crafts Club had begun organizing lessons for aspiring painters, actors, and craftsmen.[53]
As theatrical activities grew, two competing indoor theatres were built between 1922 and 1924: the Arts & Crafts Hall and the Theatre of the Golden Bough, designed and built byEdward G. Kuster and originally located on Ocean Avenue. In 1935, after a production ofBy Candlelight, the Golden Bough was destroyed by fire. Kuster, who had previously bought out the Arts and Crafts Theatre, moved his operation to the older facility and renamed it the Golden Bough Playhouse. In 1949, after remountingBy Candlelight, the playhouse again burned to the ground. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1952.[53]
In 1931 the Carmel Sunset School constructed a new auditorium with Gothic-inspired architecture and seating for 700. Often doubling as a performing arts venue for the community, the facility was bought by the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1964, renaming the venue the Sunset Theatre. In 2003, following a $22 million renovation, theSunset Center re-opened with the 66th annual Carmel Bach Festival.[55]
In 1949, the firstForest Theater Guild was organized. For most of the 1960s, the outdoor theater lay unused and neglected, with the original Forest Theater Guild having ceased operations in 1961.[56] In 1968, Marcia Hovick's Children's Experimental Theater leased the indoor theater and continued until 2010. In 1972, a new Forest Theater Guild was incorporated and continues to produce musicals, adding a film series in 1997.[56]
In 1905 novelist Mary Austin moved to Carmel.[57] She is best known for her tribute to the deserts of the American Southwest,The Land of Little Rain. Her play,Fire, which she also directed, had its world premiere at the Forest Theater in 1913. Austin has been credited as suggesting the idea for the outdoor stage.[58]
In 1906, San Francisco photographerArnold Genthe joined the Carmel arts colony, where he was able to pursue his pioneering work in color photography. His first attempts were taken in his garden, primarily portraits of his friends, including the leading Shakespearean actor and actress of the period, Edward Sothern and Julia Marlowe, who were costumed as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Of his new residence, he wrote, "My first trials with this medium were made at Carmel where the cypresses and rocks of Point Lobos, the always varying sunsets and the intriguing shadows of the sand dunes offered a rich field for color experiments."[21]: p88-90
According to the Library of Congress, where over 18,000 of his negatives and prints are on file, Genthe "became famous for his impressionistic portrayals of society women, artists, dancers, and theater personalities."[59]
PhotographerEdward Weston moved to Carmel in 1929 and shot the first of numerous nature photographs, many set at Point Lobos, on the south side of Carmel Bay. In 1936, Weston became the first photographer to receive aGuggenheim Fellowship for his work in experimental photography. In 1948, after the onset of Parkinson's disease, he took his last photograph, an image of Point Lobos.[60] Weston had traveled extensively with legendary photographerAnsel Adams, who moved to theCarmel Highlands in 1962, a few miles south of town.[61]
Carmel is ageneral law city governed by a mayor and fourcity council members.[62][63] The current mayor is Dale Byrne.[63] Elected councilmembers are Mayor Pro Tem Robert Delves, Jeff Baron, Alissandra Dramov and Hans Buder.[64] Chip Rerig is the City Administrator and Brandon Swanson is the Assistant City Administrator.[65][66]
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea has established a "sphere of influence" that includes the communities ofCarmel Woods,Hatton Fields, Mission Fields, Mission Tract,Carmel Point, and Carmel Hills. These neighborhoods are officially parts of unincorporatedMonterey County, which provides most primary services, including law enforcement, street repairs, and public transit. Except for several shopping areas at the mouth of Carmel Valley, these satellite areas contain few, if any, businesses and serve primarily as bedroom communities to Carmel-by-the-Sea and the greaterMonterey Peninsula.[67]
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In July 2024, Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council voted to establish street addresses for the first time in the city.[68] There remains no home mail-delivery in Carmel-by-the-Sea (by contrast with adjacent, "county-Carmel" residential districts).[69]
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Argyll Campbell served ascity attorney of Carmel from 1920 to 1937. He was responsible for drawing up many of Carmel's first zoning laws and ordinances. Campbell backed zoning ordinances that limited the business district and restricting the size of residential houses and lots. No sidewalks in the residential area, no streetlights, no commercial development on the beach, preservation of the native trees, one or two stories height limitation, no chain restaurants, and no billboards. These ordinances have helped preserve Carmel's character as a village.[21]
On the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, Carmel is represented by Supervisor Kate Daniels.[70]
In theCalifornia State Assembly, Carmel is inthe 30th Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Dawn Addis.[3] In theCalifornia State Senate, Carmel inthe 17th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat John Laird.[3]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Carmel is inCalifornia's 19th Congressional District, represented by DemocratJimmy Panetta.
Carmel is served by theCarmel Unified School District,[71] which operates nearby schools includingCarmel High School, Carmel Middle School, Tularcitos Elementary School[72] andCarmel River School.
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The Californian,[73] formerlyThe Carmel Sun,[74] was published weekly in 1936–1937 by E.F. Bunch in Carmel-By-The-Sea.[75]
TheCarmel Pine Cone is the town's weekly newspaper and has been published since 1915, covering local news, politics, arts, entertainment, opinions and real estate.[76]
In February 2009, Carmel was used as a prime location for the 24-day film shoot ofThe Forger.[77]
Carmel-by-the-Sea does not have traffic lights to preserve the city's residential character.[78]
Bus service is provided by Monterey County'sMonterey–Salinas Transit. Carmel is one of the Cities connected by Route 5 and serves as a final Major stop before terminating at Carmel Rancho.[79]
On April 18, 1774, Monterey is named the capital of Las Californias, upper and lower California. ... On February 3, 1777, Monterey becomes the official capital of Alta California.
Monterey [was] the Spanish and Mexican capital of California (1776–1846).
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)This situation is compounded by the fact that there are no traffic signals in Carmel. The lack of traffic controls has been a specific directed action over the years in Carmel in order to preserve the residential character; although additional stop signs have been added in some locations to improve safety.
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Municipalities and communities ofMonterey County, California,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Unincorporated communities |
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| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
