Watsonville

Watsonville is a city of 54,000 people (2019) in Santa Cruz County in California in the Monterey Bay Area.

By car

 * California 1.svg to California 183.svg: CA-Hwy 1 connects Santa Cruz ( north) to Monterey ( south) via Watsonville and Castroville ( south). Travelers going towards Salinas can go onto CA-Hwy 183 from Castroville.
 * California 129.svg from US 101.svg & California 156.svg : CA-Hwy 156 & 129 connect Hollister_ (, 35 min west) to Watsonville. Likewise one can go south on US Hwy 101 (towards 'Salinas') and than continue west on San Juan Rd to Watsonville.
 * California 152.svg from US 101.svg & I-5.svg: CA-Hwy 152 connects Watsonville (, 1hr 20 min west) from Exit 403A of Interstate 5 via Gilroy (, 35 min east) which is  south of San Jose on US Hwy 101. CA-Hwy 152 comes into town as E Lake Ave.

By bus
Bus station signed as 'Greyhound' and 'Santa Cruz Metro' but it is only served by Santa Cruz Metro. Passengers will have to travel to Gilroy, Salinas or San Jose to get to an actual Amtrak and Greyhound station/stop.
 * 71 & 91x to Santa Cruz where passengers transfer to the 17- Amtrak Hwy 17 Express to San Jose Diridon Station. Route 71 goes towards Santa Cruz on Soquel Dr & Freedom Blvd while 91x travels on CA-Hwy 1.
 * 72-79F are local bus connections in/around Watsonville. See linked website above.
 * 'Watsonville Circulator (WC)' circles around town in counter clockwise direction between Watsonville Transit Center – Freedom Blvd – Freedom Centre – Green Valley – Main St – Watsonville Transit Center.
 * 'Watsonville Circulator (WC)' circles around town in counter clockwise direction between Watsonville Transit Center – Freedom Blvd – Freedom Centre – Green Valley – Main St – Watsonville Transit Center.

Get around
Downtown is pedestrian friendly. There are some bicycle and pedestrian paths along the creeks, rivers, and sloughs around Watsonville as well and some limited bus service. Taxis are available throughout the area by phone. Watsonville airport also provides small craft access.

See

 * Mountains
 * Pajaro River
 * Mount Madonna
 * Auto races at Ocean Speedway.

Eat
The city imposes a 10¢ fee on all disposable cups – even for a cup of water, which would otherwise be free. You can bring your own water bottle, cup, or coffee mug to restaurants to avoid paying this fee.



Go next

 * Moss Landing - 9 miles south of Watsonville, this tiny town is often overlooked but offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities at Elkhorn Slough, one of the largest saltwater estuaries in California and a great place to spot sea otters. The harbor is also the departure point for several whale watching companies.  Amenities for travelers are limited, although there are several restaurants in the harbor area.