Moss Landing, formerly Moss, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located north-northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of . After the mission system was secularized, the Mexican government granted vast ranchos to soldiers and others with connections, including the Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo. This grant extended from Moss Landing to present-day Prunedale and south to Castroville.

They farmed the land and ran cattle over the nearby hills. Americans arrived in the mid-1800s and farmers turned the area into cropland.

In the early 1860s Charles Moss, a Texas ship captain, established with the help of a partner a landing and wharf to handle the emerging grain trade in the Salinas Valley.

William B. Post earned a reputation as a skilled bear and deer hunter in the Big Sur region, and he traded in hides and buckskin. This work drew him north to Moss Landing. Post opened one of the first grain warehouses along the coast at Moss Landing. Flat bottom boats brought grain from all over the Salinas Valley to Elkhorn Slough and unloaded at Post's warehouse. W.B. became an agent for the steamship company of Goodall, Nelson and Perkins. The success of the shipping point stimulated the growth of Castroville, one of Monterey County's first municipalities, which served to support Moss Landing commerce.

The location was initially named "Moss", after Charles Moss. It became a busy whaling and fishing port and a location for fish processing plants and canneries. The Moss Landing Harbor District, established in the 1940s, dredged channels and built piers. The Moss Landing Power Plant opened in 1950. The California State University system founded Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in 1966 (it was rebuilt nearby after the Loma Prieta Earthquake destroyed the facility in 1989), and in the mid-1990s the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute was moved to Moss Landing from Pacific Grove. In the 1980s, then-Monterey County Supervisor Marc Del Piero secured millions of dollars in federal grants to cure historic and chronic water pollution issues and sanitary sewers were installed.

Geography

Moss Landing is located in northern Monterey County, where Elkhorn Slough becomes an estuary as it flows into Monterey Bay at the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon.

Demographics

Moss Landing first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. census.

The whole population lived in households. There were 114 households, out of which 35 (30.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 36 (31.6%) were married-couple households, 21 (18.4%) were cohabiting couple households, 13 (11.4%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 44 (38.6%) had a male householder with no partner present. 43 households (37.7%) were one person, and 21 (18.4%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.08.

The age distribution was 34 people (14.3%) under the age of 18, 22 people (9.3%) aged 18 to 24, 59 people (24.9%) aged 25 to 44, 68 people (28.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 54 people (22.8%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 51.3years. There were 138 males and 99 females. reported that Moss Landing had a population of 204. The population density was . The racial makeup of Moss Landing was 149 (73.0%) White residents, seven (3.4%) African American, one (0.5%) Native American, two (1.0%) Asian, one (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 30 (14.7%) from other races, and 14 residents (6.9%) of two or more races. There were 46 residents of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (22.5%).

The Census reported that 204 people (100% of the population) lived in households; no residents (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and none (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 100 households, out of which 21 (21.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 36 (36.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 11 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 4 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 8 (8.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 41 households (41.0%) were made up of individuals, and 11 (11.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04. There were 51 families (51.0% of all households); the average family size was 2.76.

There were 32 residents (15.7%) under the age of 18, eight (3.9%) aged 18 to 24, 54 (26.5%) aged 25 to 44, 84 (41.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 26 (12.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.0 males.

There were 108 housing units at an average density of , of which 55 (55.0%) were owner-occupied, and 45 (45.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%. 118 people (57.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 86 people (42.2%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the CDP was $66,442, and the median income for a family was $66,731. Males had a median income of $41,154 versus $36,691 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,005. About 13.0% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.7% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 or over.

Economy

thumb|right|Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

thumb|right|Moss Landing Power Plant

Located in Moss Landing is the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, a multi-campus research facility of the California State University. Also located here is the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a sister organization to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The Moss Landing Power Plant is a natural gas plant and was the largest battery storage facility in the world until it was almost entirely destroyed in a massive lithium ion battery fire in January, 2025.

Located at the intersection of State Route 1 and Dolan Road, it produced 2,538 megawatts prior to the fire, and is wholly owned by Vistra Corp. The structure remains visible from Santa Cruz, California to the north and Monterey, California to the south on clear days. There is a commercial park adjacent to the power plant, housing manufacturers and laboratories.

Other events include the May opener for rock cod fishing, blessing the fleet May 1, open house at Moss Landing Marine Labs held in April or May, and Nautical Flea Market held in May.

Moss Landing is home to the Shakespeare Society of America.

Parks and nature reserves

Moss Landing provides access to state and federal protected lands, including surfing destination Moss Landing State Beach, Salinas River State Beach, Zmudowski State Beach, Moss Landing Wildlife Area, and the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.

References

  • Moss Landing Chamber of Commerce
  • Moss Landing Harbor District