Sand City is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, located on the shores of Monterey Bay, and surrounded on most sides by the larger city of Seaside. Sand City is located 2 miles northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of 72 feet. The population was 325 at the 2020 census. The city is predominantly a business community, and has a number of larger retail stores. The West End area of Sand City, once an industrial area, hosts a growing artists' colony.