Living in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara | Lompoc | Solvang & the Santa Ynez Valley | Santa Maria

The Santa Barbara Area

Nestled between the mountains and the sea, the city of Santa Barbara serves as the County seat. With its palm tree lined beachfront and charming Mediterranean architecture; the city is renowned as the American Riviera.

Santa Barbara offers a vibrant Old Town, with pedestrians, bicycles, and electric shuttles bringing life to outdoor cafes and beautiful paseos.

Santa Barbara is located 92 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 332 miles south of San Francisco. Santa Barbara provides you and your family with a wide variety of colleges, universities, and professional schools, including the University of California, Antioch University, Westmont College, Santa Barbara City College, Brooks Institute of Photography, the Fielding Institute, Pacifica Graduate Institute, and the Music Academy of the West.

Museums, galleries, theater, music, opera, ethnic and film festivals, botanical gardens, and parks are abundantly available. Thanks to clean air and a mild coastal climate, Santa Barbara residents enjoy year round hiking, surfing, boating, golfing, horseback riding, beach-combing, fishing, mountain biking, and other outdoor activities centered around local beaches. The city boasts a variety of booksellers, antique stores, and retail shops, from exclusive boutiques to factory outlets.

Lompoc

Known the world over as the “valley of flowers”, Lompoc is a small city with a big heart.

Lompoc is home to some of the world’s most beautiful murals, La Purisima Mission, as well as many parks, beaches, and campsites.

Lompoc’s annual flower festival is a rare treat.

Solvang and the Beautiful Santa Ynez Valley

Within minutes of Lompoc lies the Santa Ynez Valley. Sprinkled with vineyards and filled with large and small ranches, the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley lies nestled between the Santa Ynez and San Rafael Mountains. This small coastal valley offers a variety of lifestyle choices, from rural to semi-rural to small city, and provides all the pleasures of superb country living as well as the services available in California's most modern communities. Located 35 miles north of Santa Barbara, the Valley is easily accessible from the north and south via U.S. 101 as well as by California Scenic Route 154 through the San Marcos Pass from Santa Barbara. The Santa Ynez Valley boasts one of the finest climates in the state of California.

The Valley makes it possible to enjoy Santa Barbara County charm at a modest price. There are a variety of homes, ranches, country properties, and town homes available to suit almost any lifestyle. The area boasts three California Distinguished Schools, as well as two nationally recognized preparatory schools. The Valley offers a unique cultural atmosphere. The city of Solvang is one of the South Coast’s treasures - a Danish village featuring unique shops, restaurants, bakeries, and professional theater. In Los Olivos, you will find a quaint Victorian village and some of the finest art galleries in California. The Valley also produces some of the world’s finest wines. For those with more active recreational interests, there is Mount Figueroa, the Los Padres National Forest, and the stunning Lake Cachuma.

Santa Maria and the Beautiful Five Cities Area

The city of Santa Maria is located on California’s Central Coast between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Its location provides easy access for residents to enjoy both rural and urban activities and lifestyles. Santa Maria is blessed with a nearly perfect year-round climate and a stunning natural beauty.

For those wishing to escape the big city this region, sandwiched between rugged mountain wilderness and stunning pacific coastline, is ideal. You will not want for things to do. The Santa Maria Valley offers golfing, fishing, hiking, bicycling, theater, museums and more. The Santa Maria Valley is famed for its local produce, and its renowned tri-tip barbecue is a dining experience not to be missed.

Although one of youngest regions of the Wine Country, the Santa Maria Valley already produces some of the finest premium wines in the world. You will want to visit some of the 40 wineries and 15,000 acres of vineyards not only for their wines, but to enjoy the spectacular views of valleys and mountains they afford. Recently voted an “All American City,” Santa Maria is both a desirable and affordable place to live and work.

Within minutes of Santa Maria lie San Luis Obispo and the Five Cities Area. Consisting of Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, and Oceano, the Five Cities area offers charming communities and wonderful climates all year.

The summer is naturally air conditioned by ocean breezes and light fog. The winters are delightful and often the best time of year to enjoy the nearby sandy beaches. A mere 30 miles north of Santa Maria lies the quiet, tree-lined community of San Luis Obispo. With its unique natural beauty and delightful downtown, San Luis Obispo is a great place to live or visit.

The city has 43,000 residents, and is located eight miles from the Pacific Ocean, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles at the junction of Highway 101 and scenic Highway 1. Housing remains affordable in these coastal communities. The area offers a variety of architecture, from beautiful Victorian to contemporary upscale housing developments. San Luis Obispo is the home of the California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) US News & World Report’s #1 Western regional college 8 years in a row. The Five Cities are also home to Cuesta and Allan Hancock Colleges.