City
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a city record. City or town offices may handle local rules inside their limits, while county offices still handle records, taxes, courts, and many services.
Starting point
Confirm the address is inside local limits first.
If the address is inside Santa Monica, city or town offices may handle local permits, code, and services. If it is outside limits, county routing may be the better first stop.
A mailing city is not always the same as city government jurisdiction.
2025 population
90,082
Land area
8.409 sq mi
Water area
8.763 sq mi
Directory notes
Local layers to keep on the same page.
Confirm city or town limits.
A mailing address can use a nearby place name. If the address is outside limits, county offices may handle permits, code, and land-use routes.
County still matters.
Los Angeles County can still matter for assessor, tax collector, recorder, court, public health, social service, and election records.
Some layers are separate.
Water, sewer, fire, school, utilities, coast, earthquake maps, wildfire zones, parks, and trails may point outside city hall.
County layer
County shown for Santa Monica
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Santa Monica
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 7, 2026
Santa Monica tsunami routes are a coastal map habit
Santa Monica's tsunami preparedness pages, evacuation route map, and SMAlerts signup make coastal planning easier for residents, workers, and beach visitors.
Place note · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 6, 2026
Big Blue Bus fares work better when you tap
Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus gives lower regular fares and transfer benefits to riders who use TAP, mobile tickets, or contactless payment instead of cash.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Santa Monica 311 keeps everyday city requests in one place
Santa Monica 311 gives residents one non-emergency door for city service requests, questions, compliments, maintenance issues, app reports, email, phone, and online contact.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Santa Monica business licenses can need extra forms
Santa Monica's business-license page separates online applications, business types, regulatory permits, supplemental forms, zoning review, fees, and update forms, so the exact activity matters.
Place note · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 3, 2026
Santa Monica parking permits are really about the exact block
Santa Monica preferential parking permits can help residents in posted zones, but they do not replace meters, curb rules, street sweeping, or other parking limits.
County layer · Home and property · Reviewed July 7, 2026
Glendale permits depend on the project type
Glendale separates simple residential online permits from larger building, planning, zoning, licensing, and neighborhood services questions.
Almanac notes
Stories and local context near Santa Monica
Place note · History and culture
Santa Monica's Camera Obscura is a tiny ocean-view surprise
The Camera Obscura in Palisades Park connects Santa Monica's visitor history, ocean views, old optical tech, and today's community art space.
Place note · Outdoors
Santa Monica State Beach is simple, but the rules still matter
Santa Monica State Beach stretches more than three miles, covers 245 acres of sand, and has city and State Parks management, amenities, dog limits, and e-scooter rules to know.
County layer · Outdoors
El Dorado Nature Center gives Long Beach a quiet habitat pocket
El Dorado Nature Center sits between the San Gabriel River and the 605 Freeway, giving Long Beach trails, water, trees, and a calmer nature stop inside the city.
County layer · History and culture
Mentryville gives Santa Clarita an old oil-canyon story
Mentryville and Pico Canyon add an early California oil layer to Santa Clarita, with trails, old buildings, and the story of Pico No. 4.
County layer · History and culture
The Museum of Neon Art gives Glendale a glow-in-the-dark art stop
Glendale's Museum of Neon Art preserves historic neon signs and electric art, adding a bright Los Angeles County story to Brand Boulevard.
County layer · History and culture
A Playhouse mural turns Palmdale's stage into a city story
The 152-foot mural on the Palmdale Playhouse blends theater scenes with local details, including the old schoolhouse, Joshua trees, and a small B-2 silhouette.
County layer · History and culture
Alhambra's name began with a book and a family idea
Alhambra's name traces back to Benjamin Wilson's 1874 tract and a family reading of Washington Irving's stories about the palace in Granada, Spain.
County layer · History and culture
AMOCA gives Pomona a downtown art stop made of clay
Pomona's American Museum of Ceramic Art adds a hands-on arts layer downtown, with exhibitions, collections, studio programs, and ceramic history in one place.