In which U.S. state is the city of Hollister located?

The city of Hollister is located in California. It is the county seat of San Benito County, in California’s Central Coast region, southeast of the San Francisco Bay Area and near the Diablo Range.

Hollister was founded in 1868 by William Welles Hollister on the former Mexican land-grant Rancho San Justo. The settlement was initially part of Monterey County; San Benito County was later created in 1874 from portions of several surrounding counties. The city was incorporated in 1872.

This place-name creates a famous source of confusion. Hollister Co., the clothing brand, uses a Southern California-inspired image but is not affiliated with the city of Hollister. The company has even faced local trademark disputes because merchants in the city attempted to use “Hollister” on clothing. The city is also known for its relationship to the Calaveras Fault, whose slow aseismic creep produces visible offsets in streets and buildings. Thus, California is the answer for the municipality, not merely a reference to the fashion brand’s marketing.