Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Welcome to Santa Barbara - the "American Riviera." Beautiful sandy beaches, sunny skies, majestic mountain views, one of the best climates in the world, and Spanish-Mediterranean architecture make Santa Barbara a premier destination to call home.
If you love wine, Santa Barbara's winery tours, wine festivals, winemaker's dinners and more will let you drink your fill of the how's and why's.
Imagine London, Sydney or Buenos Aires - great food, great shopping, great culture. Now shrink it to about 20 square miles. Delete traffic and noisy, crowded streets. Keep the pedestrian-friendly, easy-to-get-around part plus the great architecture. Now surround it with beautiful mountains, rolling valleys and miles of beautiful beach. Don't forget beautiful hotes and outstanding restaurants! Welcome to the American Riviera®.
Whatever your passion, there's always something to do in Santa Barbara, which combines big city culture with backwoods outdoor adventures, all set off by a culinary tradition that puts its name and flavors on the lips of food and wine critics across the country.
Love the outdoors? Ride horses, wind or waves! Patron of the arts? Explore our galleries and year-round arts events, shopping? food? Wine? Wellness? Family fun? It's all here, to explore on your own or with guided tours, served up in a laid-back elegance that's distinctively Santa Barbara.
Housing
Estimated median house or condo value in 2009: $898,500
Mean prices in 2009: All housing units: $956,125; Detached houses: $1,029,774; Townhouses or other attached units: $736,667; In 2-unit structures: $830,599; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $673,457; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $705,908; Mobile homes: $107,245; Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $156,346
Demographics
Population in July 2009: 86,353. Santa Barbara covers 19.0 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 50 feet above sea level. Area code 805.
Weather
Santa Barbara, CA climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 50's.
The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 76.70 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 44.70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 17 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 19 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Santa Barbara is 18.58 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is February with an average rainfall of 4.68 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
