Seaside, formerly East Monterey, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, with a population of 32,366 as of the 2020 census. It is located 2.25 miles east-northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of 33 feet, and is the home of California State University, Monterey Bay, UC MBEST Center, and the Monterey College of Law, which are located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord.