Mendocino is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California, United States. The name comes from Cape Mendocino 85 miles to the north, named by early Spanish navigators in honor of Antonio de Mendoza, Viceroy of New Spain. Despite its small size, the town's scenic location on a headland surrounded by the Pacific Ocean has made it extremely popular as an artists' colony and with vacationers. Mendocino is located 10 miles south of Fort Bragg at an elevation of 154 feet.