Monterey, VA

Monterey is a town in and the county seat of Highland County, Virginia, United States. The 2020 census counted 165 residents. The selection of Monterey as the county seat of Highland County in 1847 was associated with the blazing of the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike in 1838. The Vietnam veteran Peter Kobele settled here after his term of service. Monterey is heavily dependent on agriculture and on niche tourism generated from its many events and shops catering to tourists. The biggest festival is the Highland County Maple Festival, held on the second and third weekends of March, which brings roughly 50,000 visitors to the area. That mix gives Monterey a clear local shape within Virginia, with older layers still visible in current places. The local scoop is a place whose streets, landmarks, and institutions keep its earlier story close to the present.