About Watsonville
Watsonville is located at the southern end of Santa Cruz County. Originally inhabited by the Coastanoans, many descendants still live and work in the area. Today’s population is represented by Hispanic, Croatian, Filipino, Portuguese, Sikhs and Japanese, each adding a special richness to the area’s culture.
The Portola expedition that passed through in 1769 was followed by explorers and early settlers in 1796 and a second wave of settlers in 1847.
Watsonville is located on the Rancho Bolsa del Pajaro Mexican land grant made to Sebastian Rodríguez in 1837. Watsonville was incorporated on March 30, 1868.
Most of the coastal land near Watsonville is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Other protected areas include the Watsonville Wetlands, the Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve, and the Moss Landing State Wildlife Area.
The GPS coordinates for Watsonville are 36.9102° N, 121.7569° W.