Salinas (population 150,000) is located on the Central California Coast, 30 minutes drive from the Monterey Bay and a two hour drive by car south of San Francisco. The campus is situated in a residential area of the city. It is also a short distance from the historic downtown of Salinas. The surrounding area is famous for vegatable crop agriculture. The flat river valley is surrounded on two sides by hills.






A mediterranean climate of mild winters and warm summers embraces you as you walk onto the attractive campus of Hartnell College in historic Salinas, California, to take your place among the more than 9,500 students, including international students from over 30 countries.

Home of the renowned author, John Steinbeck, Salinas is 30 minutes away from the Monterey Bay, and less than an hour from three major universities and institutes in Santa Cruz and San Jose. Salinas cradles the northern foothills of the Salinas Valley. It is one of the major agricultural centers of the United States. An hours drive takes you to San Jose's "Silicon Valley" on your way north to San Francisco. Along the way you can stop at several recreational areas and National Parks. Whatever your interests, Salinas is the ideal hub for recreational activities on the weekends or during breaks between semesters of challenging study.





In Salinas, you will find several shopping malls, the Amtrack train station, Greyhound bus station, hospitals, and many restaurants.

One of the largest malls in Salinas is Northridge Mall. You can buy clothes, books, CDs, stationery, accessories, etc. Northridge Mall is close to other large malls where you will find surpermarkets, electrical appliance stores, art shops,
hair salons, fast food restaurants, and banks.


Most people travel in the United States by either car or air. It is also possible to take the train or bus from Salinas. If you want to fly, you may leave from the Monterey airport. You can also use Amtrack(train) or the Greyhound bus(bus) to travel to different locations in the United States. If you want to drive, you will use Highway 101 north (toward San Francisco) or south (toward Los Angeles). You will use Highway 68 to go to Monterey or the Carmel beach which is only a 30-40 minute drive.

When you are hungry and want to try delicious foods, you can find many different kinds of restaurants in Salinas. Of course, you will find American style restaurants. There are also Mexican, Chinese, and Japanese restaurants close to the college campus. You may want to eat at many of the fast food restaurants which are probably familiar to you. Buffets are a wonderful meal for students. A buffet is "ALL YOU CAN EAT." That means you can eat as much as you want. The best part is that you pay only $6 to $10 for the buffet.


Do you like movies? Salinas has two movie theaters and they are building a new one. You can also go to Monterey to see movies. There are many places where you can rent videos and DVDs. If you have cable TV, you can see many TV programs and movies in your room.


It is an easy walk to The Historic Oldtown of Salinas from Hartnell College. There are restaurants, shops, galleries, antique stores, and coffee shops. One of the highlights is The National Steinbeck Center. Here you will find an exploration of John Steinbeck's literary work and themes.



How do you spend your weekends or holidays? Salinas is just 30-40 minutes away from the Monterey Peninsula and the beaches of Monterey and Carmel. Monterey is popular for sightseeing. You will find museums, galleries, shops, and restaurants. If you like biking, you can rent a bicycle to ride on the recreation trail next to the ocean. Many people enjoy discovering the many shops and restaurants at Fisherman's Wharf. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a popular tourist destination which features life in our oceans. Students enjoy relaxing on the Carmel and Monterey beaches.




The United States has many holidays such as Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Halloween and Christmas. One activity that the people of Salinas enjoys is The California Rodeo. Cowboys from all over the United States come to Salinas to compete in activities during July.