King City CHamber of Commerce and Agriculture | 2018 Business Directory

2018 King City Chamber Directory • A Publication of South County Newspapers • 17 King City History T he City of King is located on Highway 101 in the Salinas Valley, 155 miles south of San Francisco and 277 miles north of Los Angeles. The population in the city has been relatively slow. In 2010, the city’s population was 12,874 residents and in 2014, the population 13,211 residents. The city is multicultural and family oriented rooted in a strong ag- ricultural economy. Agriculture is the dominant industry in the City. Thirty-eight (38%) percent of the City’s population is employed by the agricultural sector, followed by other major employers including education (11%), manufacturing (9%), and retail trade (8.5%). Agri- culture contributes over $4.38 billion per year to Monterey County’s economic output. Fort Hunter Liggett, located 26 miles from the city, also plays a role in the city’s economic base. The Training Center at Fort Hunter Liggettwww .liggett.army.mil can be accessed north of the city at Jolon Road. The City was incorporated in 1911 as “City of King” and is a Charter City. The City of King derived its name from pioneer Charles H. King, who was born in New York State on May 3, 1844. In 1884 King purchased 13,000 acres of the Spanish land grant and found- ed the King Ranch. His crops succeeded beyond expectations in the area, causing the railroads to take note. In July 1886, the Southern Pacific completed rail lines to what became known as “King’s Sta- tion.” The City is currently working on reestablishing passenger rail service via a multimodal transit center on a site near the original train depot. King City carries its own hospital, airport, golf course, four swimming pools, a theater, college extension, a skate board park, racquet ball courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, basketball court, its own newspaper and a radio station. These are only a few of the great things that the City of King embraces! A few nearby attractions include the Pinnacle National Park, Mission San Antonio de Padua, Monterey County Wine Country and Corridor, San Lorenzo County Park, and Robert Stanton Theater.