Monterey County is located approximately 125 miles south of San Francisco and 345 miles north of Los Angeles. The county is a study in contrasts, “one of the most beautiful meetings of land and sea in the world.” The coastline of Monterey County, includes Big Sur, California State Route 1 and the 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula, and has made the county world famous. Monterey County is also the site of a Monarch butterfly preserve in the city of Pacific Grove. The county derived its name from Monterey Bay. The word itself is composed of the Spanish words monte and rey, which literally means “king of the mountain.”

The diverse peninsula communities and consistent climate (55°-75°F). offer so much to new residents. Its seven cities and four unincorporated areas provide a wide variety of different property landscapes. The climate is also ideal for the floral industry and grape vineyards planted by world-famous vintners. Salinas is known for being an agricultural center as well as being the hometown of famed writer and Nobel prize laureate John Steinbeck.

Monterey has been recognized for its significant involvement in post-secondary learning of languages other than English and its major role in delivering translation and interpretation services around the world. In November 1995, California Governor Pete Wilson proclaimed Monterey as “The Language Capital of the World”.