Saturday, June 27, 2026

Question: The world’s first motel opened in 1925 in a Central Coast town chosen because it sat roughly midway between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Which California city was it?

Answer: San Luis Obispo. The Milestone Mo-tel, designed by Pasadena architect Arthur S. Heineman, was built beside Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo because the city lies roughly 200 miles from both Los Angeles and the Bay Area. “Mo-tel” was Heineman’s shortening of “motor hotel.”