Maps, Weather, and General Information
Getting to Monterey County
...and Getting around
Located in the heart of California's Central Coast, Monterey County's borders lie 250 miles north of Los Angeles and 100 miles south of San Francisco.
It's simple to reach the county via state Hwy. 101 or the coastal Hwy. 1. There are daily commercial flights into Monterey Peninsula Airport, which is just 10 minutes from downtown Monterey. Flight time from Los Angeles is approximately one hour.
Smaller airports are located in Salinas (offering charter service), King City and Carmel Valley. Helicopter charters service both Monterey and Salinas airports. The San Jose International Airport is just an hour's drive north of Monterey County, and San Francisco International Airport is a two-hour drive north.
Getting around the county is easy on excellent roads and state highways. But with 3,324 square miles to cover, you may find this driving time chart helpful.
Approximate travel time in minutes by car between areas
in Monterey County
|
| LOCATIONS |
Monterey
|
Salinas
|
Carmel Valley
|
Soledad
|
Greenfield
|
King City
|
Big Sur
|
| Monterey |
-
|
25
|
20
|
50
|
60
|
70
|
35
|
| Salinas |
25
|
-
|
25
|
25
|
35
|
45
|
60
|
| Carmel Valley |
20
|
25
|
-
|
60
|
70
|
80
|
50
|
| Soledad |
50
|
25
|
60
|
-
|
10
|
20
|
85
|
| Greenfield |
60
|
35
|
70
|
10
|
-
|
10
|
95
|
| King City |
70
|
45
|
80
|
20
|
10
|
-
|
105
|
| Big Sur |
35
|
60
|
50
|
85
|
95
|
105
|
-
|
Big Sur Travel
Travel along the Big Sur coastline is via Hwy. 1, sometimes called the Pacific Coast Highway. Big Sur refers to a 90-mile stretch of rugged and awesomely beautiful coastline that runs south from Carmel beyond Monterey County's southern border to end around San Simeon. The two-lane road twists dramatically and offers numerous vista point turnoffs. Driving speeds are limited for safety.
Approximate driving times from Carmel (at Hwy. 1 & Rio Road) to some Big Sur landmarks:
- Bixby Bridge: 15 minutes
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: 30 minutes
- Lucia: 65 minutes
- Sanddollar Beach: 90 minutes
|
