Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. Take a look below for 15 interesting and obscure facts about Marina, California, United States.
1. The United States Census Bureau estimated its 2019 population at 22,781.
2. Marina is located along the central coast of California, 8 miles (13 km) west of Salinas, and 8 miles (13 km) north of Monterey.
3. Marina is on California State Route 1 between Monterey and Santa Cruz. Marina is at an elevation of 43 feet (13 m).
4. Marina was incorporated in 1975 and is the newest city on the Monterey Peninsula. The city includes part of the California State University, Monterey Bay campus, UC Santa Cruz UC MBEST center, and the Veterans Transition Center (VTC). In 2012, Marina was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise Alliance.
5. The Fort Ord Station Veterinary Hospital, built in 1941 to provide healthcare for U.S. Army horses and mules, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
6. William Locke-Paddon founded the town on 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of land he bought for the purpose.
7. The Marina post office opened in 1916.
8. Marina incorporated in 1975.
9. The City’s history is intertwined with that of Fort Ord. Fort Ord lands were used as an infantry training center since the Mexican–American War.
10. Major growth took place in 1938 with the first joint Army and Navy maneuvers held in 1940.
11. Fort Ord was selected in 1991 for decommissioning and the post formally closed after troop reassignment in 1994.
12. In July 1994 the first academic year of California State University, Monterey Bay opened, and barracks were soon transformed into dorms.
13. As a result of base closure, some of the last undeveloped natural wildlands on the Monterey Peninsula are now overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, including 86 miles of trails for the public to explore on foot, bike or horseback. In 2012, President Barack Obama designated 14,000 acres of the closed base as a National Monument managed by the BLM.
14. Cemex had a sand mining operation in the city along the Monterey Bay coastline that concerned environmentalists and scientists. The California Coastal Commission in March 2016 issued a Cease and Desist order asking for “administration civil penalties” stating that “the operation is narrowing beaches and impacting environmentally sensitive habitat.”
15. Cemex denied the allegations and continued to operate. A settlement was reached in 2017 and CEMEX ended mining in December 2020.
