Mendocino is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. The population was 824 at the 2000 census.
Despite its small size, the town's scenic location on a headland surrounded by the Pacific Ocean has made it extremely popular as an artist colony and with vacationers. It is less than a four-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area and thus is a popular weekend getaway spot for Bay Area residents.