Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimated its 2013 population at 20,370. Marina is located along the central coast of California, 8 miles (13 km) west of Salinas, and 8 miles north of Monterey, at an elevation of 43 feet (13 m). Marina was incorporated in 1975 and is the newest city on the Monterey Peninsula. The city includes part of a California State University, Monterey Bay, the UCMBEST branch research center of UC Santa Cruz, and the Veterans Transition Center (VTC).