Aptos is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 6,220 at the 2010 census.
Aptos is an unincorporated area of Santa Cruz county, consisting of several small communities. The combined population of the CDPs generally considered as parts of Aptos is around 25,000:
Aptos is located at 36°58′53″N 121°54′27″W / 36.98139°N 121.9075°W / 36.98139; -121.9075 (36.981500, -121.907432).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.4 square miles (17 km), all of it land.
Aptos lies near the San Andreas Fault, and it was close to the epicenter of 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
The name Aptos is Ohlone, meaning “the meeting of two creeks”. Aptos was traditionally inhabited by the Ohlone Awaswas people. Aptos is pronounced “app-toss” by residents. The name is often mispronounced “app-tose” by tourists.
In 1833 the government of Mexico granted Rafael Castro the 6,656-acre (26.94 km) Rancho Aptos. Initially…