Hollister Is The County Seat In San Benito County, It Is Part Of The Monterey Bay Association. With a 2010 census population of 34,928, Hollister is one of the largest cities in the largely rural Central California subregion. 

History

The area of modern-day Hollister was historically inhabited by the Mutsun band of the Ohlone Native Americans. With the construction of Mission San Juan Bautista in 1797, the Ohlone were forced into the California mission system.

The town of Hollister was founded on November 19, 1868, by William Welles Hollister on the grounds of the former Mexican land-grant Rancho San Justo. At the time, Hollister was located within Monterey County, until San Benito County was formed by the California Legislature in 1874 from portions of Monterey, Merced, and Fresno counties.