San Benito County covers approximately 1,396 square miles ranging in elevation from near sea level to over 5,000 feet, has a population of over 56,000, and is bordered to the north by Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, by Merced and Fresno counties to the east, and by Monterey County on the west and south. Hollister, the county seat, is approximately 95 miles south of San Francisco, 45 miles inland from Monterey, and 300 miles north of Los Angeles.