San Simeon, California

Historic Pier of San Simeon

Prehistorically, the local area was inhabited by the Chumash people, who settled the coastal San Luis Obispo area around 10,000 to 11,000 BC, including a large village south of San Simeon at Morro Creek.[3]

The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolà expedition, traveled northwest along the coast in September 1769. On September 11–12, the party passed the future location of San Simeon. At Ragged Point, which is about 15 mi (24 km) past San Simeon, the party turned inland across the Santa Lucia Range.[4]

San Simeon was founded as an asistencia ("sub-mission") to Mission San Miguel Arcángel, founded in 1797 and located to the east across the Santa Lucia Range. San Simeon was named for Rancho San Simeon, although the town-site is actually north of that rancho, on the former Rancho Piedra Blanca, a Mexican land grant given in 1840 to José de Jesús Pico. In 1865, Pico sold part of the rancho to George Hearst, the father of William Randolph Hearst.

The first Europeans to settle in the immediate area near the bay of San Simeon were Portuguese shore whalers under the command of Captain Joseph Clark (born Machado) from the Cape Verde Islands, around 1864.[5] In 1869, Captain Clark built a wharf near the point for his whaling station. A small community grew near the 1869 wharf, but the waves near the wharf were too high, and the wharf was abandoned. In 1878, Hearst built a new wharf, and the small community moved near the new wharf. A general store (later Sebastian's Store) was built near the Clark wharf, and then relocated near the 1878 wharf.[6] Shore whaling continued on the point until the mid-1890s. It ceased for a short time, started up again in 1897, and continued until about 1908 when it ceased for good.[7]

In 1953, the Hearst Corporation donated the William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach, including the Hearst Pier, to San Luis Obispo County. It is currently part of Hearst San Simeon State Park.[8] The present-day San Simeon pier was built in 1957.[9]

The name San Simeon also refers to some geologic structures of the area, particularly elements of the coastal Jurassic-age landforms and ophiolite rock formations.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place covers an area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land. The original townsite of San Simeon is at San Simeon Bay, and was the important 19th-century shipping point with the successive wharves that were built. San Simeon Acres, about 4 mi south of the original townsite at the mouth of Pico Creek, and so about halfway between old San Simeon and Cambria, was established in the 1950s. Most of the development at San Simeon Acres was in the 1960s to the 1980s. Many motels and cafes serve visitors to Hearst Castle.[11]

San Simeon and the Hearst Castle area has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen csb) that is moderated by its relative proximity to the Pacific coastline.

Old Hearst pier (built 1878) and the San Simeon waterfront, c. 1890s. Sebastian Store (established 1852, dark wood) is at center. The white Spanish-style stucco building at right center is a Hearst warehouse, still in use. The ridge in background is the future site of Hearst Castle.

Elephant seals on the beach, north of San Simeon

The 2010 United States Census[13] reported that San Simeon had a population of 462. The population density was 579.9 people per square mile (223.9/km²). The racial makeup of San Simeon was 58.4% White, 0.9% African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 34.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 55.8%.

Of the 197 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, 6.1% were unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2.5% were same-sex married couples or partnerships; 34.0% of the households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. About 61.4% of all households were families; the average family size was 3.00.

The population was distributed as 22.9% under the age of 18, 6.7% aged 18 to 24, 24.2% aged 25 to 44, 28.1% aged 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.3 males.

The 301 housing units averaged 377.8 per square mile (145.9/km²), of which 44.2% were owner-occupied, and 55.8% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 11.3%; 31.0% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 68.8% lived in rental housing units.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Simeon, California.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for San Simeon.

• Chamber of Commerce
• History of San Simeon and the Hearst Family
• History of San Simeon and Sebastian store
• San Simeon pier on Photohound