Santa Maria ( Spanish for "

St. Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

") is a city near the

Central Coast of California The Central Coast is an area of California, roughly spanning the coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of Los Angeles County and south of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and includes the rugged, undeveloped ...

in northern Santa Barbara County. It is approximately northwest of Santa Barbara and northwest of downtown

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Its population was 109,707 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous city in the county and the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Metro Area. The city is notable for its wine industry and

Santa Maria-style barbecue Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

History

Architect and engineer (1934) (14578059319)

The Santa Maria Valley, stretching from the

Santa Lucia Mountains The Santa Lucia Mountains (sæntə luˈsiːə) or Santa Lucia Range is a rugged mountain range in coastal central California, running from Carmel southeast for to the Cuyama River in San Luis Obispo County. The range is never more than from t ...

toward the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, was the homeland of the Chumash people for several thousand years. The Native Americans made their homes on the slopes of the surrounding hills among the

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

s, on the banks of the Santa Maria River among the sycamores, and along the coast. They had unique plank-built boats, called Tomol, which they used for ocean fishing. In 1769, the Portolá Expedition passed through the Santa Maria Valley during the first Spanish land exploration up the coast of

Las Californias The Californias (Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexican stat ...

Province.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa ( es, Misión San Luis Obispo de Tolosa) is a Spanish mission founded September 1, 1772 by Father Junípero Serra in San Luis Obispo, California. Named after Saint Louis of Anjou, the bishop of Toulouse, the m ...

was established just north of the valley in 1772, and Mission La Purísima Concepción was established near present-day Lompoc in 1787. Rather than rich soil, white settlers were attracted here by the possibility of free land. In 1821, after the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

, the mission lands in Santa Maria Valley were made available for private ownership under a

Mexican land grant The Spanish and Mexican governments made many concessions and land grants in Alta California (now known as California) and Baja California from 1775 to 1846. The Spanish Concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an inducement for ...

called

Rancho Punta de Laguna Rancho Punta de Laguna was a Mexican land grant in present day northern Santa Barbara County, California, and southern San Luis Obispo County given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Luis Arellanes and Emigdio Miguel Ortega. The name of t ...

. At the end of the Mexican War in 1848, California was ceded to the United States, and was granted statehood with the Compromise of 1850. In the late 19th century, the area's rich soil attracted farmers and other settlers. By the end of the century, the Santa Maria River Valley had become one of the most productive agricultural areas in the state. Agriculture remains a key component of the economy for the city and the entire region. Between 1869 and 1874, four of the valley's settlers, Rudolph Cook, John Thornburg, Isaac Fesler (for whom Fesler Jr. High School is named), and Isaac Miller (for whom Miller Elementary School is named), built their homes near each other at the present corners on Broadway and Main Street. The townsite was recorded in Santa Barbara in 1875. The new town was named Grangerville, then changed to Central City. It became Santa Maria on February 18, 1885, since mail was often being sent by mistake to

Central City, Colorado The historic City of Central, commonly known as Central City, is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, Colorado, United States. Central City is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gilpin County. ...

. Santa Maria was chosen from the name Juan Pacifico Ontiveros had given to his property 25 years earlier. Streets named after the four settlers now form a 6-block square centered at Broadway and Main Street, the center of town. Oil exploration began in 1888, leading to large-scale discoveries at the turn of the 20th century. In 1902,

Union Oil Union Oil Company of California, and its holding company Unocal Corporation, together known as Unocal was a major petroleum explorer and marketer in the late 19th century, through the 20th century, and into the early 21st century. It was headqu ...

discovered the large Orcutt Oil Field in the

Solomon Hills The Solomon Hills are a low mountain range in the western Transverse Ranges, in northern Santa Barbara County, California. The Hills separate the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Maria to the north, from the Los Alamos Valley and the Santa Ynez Vall ...

south of town, and a number of smaller companies also began pumping oil. Two years later, Union Oil had 22 wells in production. Other significant discoveries followed, including the

Lompoc Oil Field The Lompoc Oil Field is a large oil field in the Purisima Hills north of Lompoc, California, in Santa Barbara County. Discovered in 1903, two years after the discovery of the Orcutt Oil Field in the Solomon Hills, it is one of the oldest oil fiel ...

in 1903 and the Cat Canyon field in 1908. Over the next 80 years more large oil fields were found, and thousands of oil wells drilled and put into production. Oil development intensified in the 1930s, with the discovery of the Santa Maria Valley Oil Field in 1934, p. 63 right underneath the southern and western parts of the city of Santa Maria, which spurred the city's growth even further. By 1957 there were 1,775 oil wells in operation in the

Santa Maria Valley The Santa Maria Valley is an American Viticultural Area, American Viticultural Area (AVA) which straddles the boundary of Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis Obispo counties in Califor ...

, producing more than $640 million worth of oil.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (2.73%) is water. Santa Maria is situated north of the unincorporated community of

Orcutt, California Orcutt is an unincorporated town and census-designated place located in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Orcutt is named for William Warren Orcutt, the manager of the Geological, Land and Engineering Depar ...

, and south of the Santa Maria River (which serves as the line between Santa Barbara County and

San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo. Junípero Serra founded the Mission ...

). The valley is bordered on the west by the

and to the east by the San Rafael Mountains and the Los Padres National Forest. The city of Guadalupe, California is approximately to the west of Santa Maria.

Climate

Santa Maria experiences a cool

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Csb'') typical of coastal areas of California north of Point Conception. The climate is mostly sunny, refreshed by the ocean breeze. Fog is common. Snow in the mountains is seen during the winter however, in the lowest parts of the city it is virtually unknown; with the last brief flurry recorded in January 1949. The only recorded earlier snowfall was in January 1882. Rainfall averages annually. The record high temperature of was observed on June 20, 2008, while the record low of was observed twice: on January 2, 1976 and December 7, 1978.

Demographics

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

reported that Santa Maria had a population of 99,553. The population density was . The racial makeup of Santa Maria was 55,983 (56.2%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1,656 (1.7%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1,818 (1.8%) Native American, 5,054 (5.1%)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 161 (0.2%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 29,841 (30.0%) from other races, and 5,040 (5.1%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 70,114 persons (70.4%). The Census reported that 98,546 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 588 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 419 (0.4%) were institutionalized. There were 26,908 households, out of which 13,223 (49.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,616 (54.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,962 (14.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,901 (7.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,754 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 190 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,079 households (18.9%) were made up of individuals, and 2,431 (9.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.66. There were 20,479

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

(76.1% of all households); the average family size was 4.06. The population was spread out, with 31,302 people (31.4%) under the age of 18, 12,170 people (12.2%) aged 18 to 24, 28,486 people (28.6%) aged 25 to 44, 18,204 people (18.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 9,391 people (9.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males. There were 28,294 housing units at an average density of , of which 13,893 (51.6%) were owner-occupied, and 13,015 (48.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.8%. 46,463 people (46.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 52,083 people (52.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

According to the 2000

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, there were 77,423 people, 22,146 households, and 16,653 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 22,847 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 58.1%

, 1.9%

, 1.8% Native American, 4.7%

, 0.18%

, 28.02% from other races, and 5.36% from two or more races.

of any race were 59.7% of the population. There were 22,146 households, out of which 42% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.6% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $51,739, and the median income for a family was $48,233. Males had a median income of $28,700 versus $22,364 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $13,780. About 15.5% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

plays an important role in the city's economy. The Santa Maria area is home to an increasing number of

vineyards A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, b ...

and winemakers and is centrally located to both the

Santa Ynez Santa Ynez (; Spanish for "St. Agnes") is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. It features the Santa Ynez Airport ...

and Foxen Canyon areas of Santa Barbara County's wine country, and San Luis Obispo County's Edna Valley- Arroyo Grande wine country. The agricultural areas surrounding the city are some of the most productive in California, with primary crops including

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

, wine grapes,

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, lea ...

, lettuce, peas, squash,

cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species ''Brassica oleracea'' in the genus ''Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – the ...

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

, broccoli and beans. Many

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

ranchers also call the Santa Maria Valley home. Two of the city's major retail centers, the Crossroads, completed in 1999, and the historic Enos Ranch site, still under development, are both situated adjacent to the U.S. Route 101/Betteravia Road interchange and feature several prominent big-box stores. The city is also home to the

Santa Maria Town Center Santa Maria Town Center (also referred to as Town Center Mall) is an indoor shopping center located in Santa Maria, California. It is located on the junctions of Routes 135 (Broadway) and 166 (Main Street), and Cook Street and Miller Street. A ...

, the only enclosed shopping mall in Santa Barbara County and the largest on the Central Coast, located at the junction of Broadway and Main Street. Santa Maria also features the historic Santa Maria Inn, located on South Broadway; originally built in 1917 by Frank McCoy, it is a registered historic landmark and features a wide range of amenities. Several famous guests have stayed at this inn, including

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred ...

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

, and

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

. In recent years, other industries have been added to the city's agricultural and retail mix, including: aerospace; communications; high-tech research and development; energy production; military operations; and manufacturing. The

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

industry has long had a large presence in the area, since oil was first discovered at the Orcutt Oil Field in 1902. By 1957, there were 1,775 oil wells in operation in the Santa Maria Valley, producing more than $640 million worth of oil.

Top employers

According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

Tri-Tip and Santa Maria-style barbecue

Santa Maria-style barbecue is a regional culinary tradition rooted in the Santa Maria Valley. The

tri-tip The tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef from the bottom sirloin subprimal cut, consisting of the tensor fasciae latae muscle. Untrimmed, the tri-tip weighs around 5 pounds. In the US, the tri-tip is taken from NAMP cut 185C. Etymology The p ...

steak has its roots in Santa Maria. Tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin. It is a small triangular muscle, usually per side of beef. In the United States, this cut was typically used for

ground beef Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife, meat grinder (American English), mincer or mincing machine (British English). It is used in many recipes including hamburgers, bolognese sauce, meatloaf, ...

or sliced into steaks until the late 1950s, when it became a local specialty in Santa Maria. "Santa Maria-style" barbecue is usually used in reference to the seasoning of tri-tip or other meats (most notably top sirloin, or "top block") when rubbed with salt, pepper, and spices and cooked whole on a

rotisserie Rotisserie, also known as spit-roasting, is a style of roasting where meat is skewered on a spit – a long solid rod used to hold food while it is being cooked over a fire in a fireplace or over a campfire, or roasted in an oven. This metho ...

or grilled over local red oak wood. The side dishes complementing a typical "Santa Maria-style" barbecue generally consist of

garlic bread Garlic bread (also called garlic toast) consists of bread (usually a baguette or sour dough like a ciabatta), topped with garlic and olive oil or butter and may include additional herbs, such as oregano or chives. It is then either grilled unt ...

, pinquito beans, and a

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

. Sunset Magazine's August 2013 issue features a 10-page spread on Santa Maria Style BBQ, crowning Santa Maria as "The West's Best BBQ Town".

Wine

Santa Maria, along with the neighboring Lompoc, Los Alamos and Santa Ynez Valleys, combine to create one of the nation's largest wine-producing regions, referred to as the Santa Barbara Wine Country. The often foggy and windswept Santa Maria Valley is the northernmost appellation in Santa Barbara County. The region's first officially approved

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

(AVA) enjoys extremely complex soil conditions and diverse microclimates.

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

and

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...

are two varietals which especially benefit from the ocean's influence, and are the flagship wines of this appellation. Santa Maria Valley grapes are also used by wineries throughout Santa Barbara County and at many wineries outside of the county. The Santa Maria Valley name is used on labels from wineries that are based far away from the Santa Barbara County sunshine. The Santa Maria Valley appellation is bounded by the San Rafael Mountains and the Los Padres National Forest to the east, and by the Solomon Hills and the city of Santa Maria to the west.

Theatre

Santa Maria's Allan Hancock College is the home of The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA), a theatrical school and production company. Notable alumni include:

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

, Kathy Bates,

Kelly McGillis Kelly Ann McGillis (born July 9, 1957) is an American stage actress. She is known for her film roles such as Rachel Lapp in ''Witness'' (1985), for which she received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations; Charlie in ''Top Gun'' (1986); ''Made in ...

Mercedes Ruehl Mercedes J. Ruehl (; born February 28, 1948) is an American screen, stage, and television actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, two Obie Awards, an ...

, and

Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...

. An additional PCPA theatre is located in Solvang, California in the Santa Ynez Valley. Santa Maria is also home to two large indoor Regal Edwards movie theaters; one located in the Town Center Mall, and one located off the 101 Freeway. Santa Maria also has a small community theatre, the Santa Maria Civic Theatre which is located on the northwest side of town.

Parks and recreation

Santa Maria Fairpark, located at Stowell Road and Thornberg Street, is home to the annual Santa Barbara County Fair, which began in 1891. It is also home to the annual Strawberry Festival, in addition to a wide variety of other events, concerts, and conventions. Waller Park is a 154-acre park located at the south end of Santa Maria, featuring two large duck ponds with water fountains, several playgrounds, picnic and sports areas, a hiking trail, and a frisbee golf course. The first parcels of land that would become Waller Park were donated by the Santa Maria Golf and Country Club in 1928, and the remainder of the land was purchased in 1964 and 1967. Preisker Park, located at the north end, is home to large open fields, a disc golf course, playgrounds and picnic areas. Its main feature is the large pond with a small replica of the Santa Maria ship, which children can play on. The Santa Maria Skate Park is located in Fletcher Park. There is also the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center/Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center. Rotary Centennial Park has a basketball court, a baseball field, a large open grass area, and two playgrounds. Each year, the Annual Free Family Kite Festival organized by the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum is held there.

Government

Santa Maria's government is split down the middle of the political spectrum, in contrast to Santa Barbara, which tends to be more liberal. Due in part to this political division, plus irrigation and water-supply issues, many attempts have been made to divide the county, the northern portion from Point Conception upwards to become Mission County. Thus far the movement has been unsuccessful. Santa Maria is a reliably Democratic stronghold, having voted for the Democratic candidate for the past six elections, .

Education

School districts

The

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) operates four high schools (Delta, Ernest Righetti, Santa Maria, and Pioneer Valley) located in Santa Maria, California. Currently, 7,800 students are enrolled in this district. History Pr ...

(SMJUHSD) is the oldest high school district in the State of California and runs the three primary public high schools in the area: Santa Maria High School,

Pioneer Valley High School Pioneer Valley High School (PVHS) is a public comprehensive high school in Santa Maria, California, United States. The school is the newest campus in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, opening to a class of freshmen and sophomores ...

, and

Ernest Righetti High School Ernest Righetti High School (commonly Righetti, or RHS) is a public comprehensive secondary school in Santa Maria, California, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District ...

. The

Santa Maria-Bonita School District The Santa Maria-Bonita School District in Santa Maria, California Santa Maria (Spanish for "St. Mary") is a city near the Central Coast of California in northern Santa Barbara County. It is approximately northwest of Santa Barbara and nor ...

is home to 16,900 students in 17 elementary schools (K-6th grade) and four junior high schools (7th-8th grade). The schools in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District serve students who live within the city limits of Santa Maria, the county area of Tanglewood and the county area just outside Santa Maria heading toward Guadalupe. There are also four notable private schools in the valley:

St. Joseph High School St. Joseph's School, St. Joseph's Catholic School, St Joseph's School, St Joseph's Catholic School, and variants are frequently used school names, and may refer to: Africa * St Joseph's School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Asia * St Joseph Higher Secon ...

, St. Marys Catholic School, Valley Christian Academy, and Pacific Christian School (K-6th grade). The Orcutt Union School District serves students who live in the unincporporated community of Orcutt and serves students in grades K through 12.

Allan Hancock College

Allan Hancock College is a California public

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

located in northern Santa Barbara County. Allan Hancock College was ranked as one of the five best community colleges in California and one of the nation's top 120 community colleges. Approximately 11,500 credit students enroll each semester at one of the college's four locations in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Solvang, or at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The main campus is in a 105-acre park in Santa Maria. Allan Hancock College is known for its distinguished athletic programs which have included former head football coaches

John Madden John Earl Madden (April 10, 1936 – December 28, 2021) was an American football coach and sports commentator in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, who he led to eight pla ...

and

Ernie Zampese Ernie Zampese (March 12, 1936 – August 29, 2022) was an American professional American football, football coach in the National Football League (NFL). Playing for Santa Barbara High School, he was selected as the California Interscholastic Fed ...

, as well as

Gunther Cunningham Gunther Cunningham (June 19, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American football head coach. He served as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach for two seasons. He also had two stints as the Chiefs' Defensive Coordinator. He served as an assistant coach ...

. The college is also home to the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, one of the state's finest theatre programs. Santa Maria is also home to

Santa Barbara Business College Santa Barbara Business College (SBBCollege) was a private, for-profit college with multiple locations in California. It was founded in 1888 as a co-ed finishing college in Santa Barbara. SBBCollege expanded its program fields and campus location ...

, which has been serving the community since 1982.

Media

Television

The following TV stations broadcast in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Maria Television Market Area: *

KEYT KEYT-TV (channel 3) is a television station licensed to Santa Barbara, California, United States, serving the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California as an affiliate of American Broadcasting Company, ABC, CBS, and MyNetworkTV. It ...

3, an

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

/ CBS television affiliate; *

KSBY KSBY (channel 6) is a television station licensed to San Luis Obispo, California, United States, serving the Central Coast of California as an affiliate of NBC and The CW Plus. The station is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and maintains s ...

6, a NBC television affiliate; broadcast from San Luis Obispo *

KCOY KCOY-TV (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Santa Maria, California, United States, serving the Central Coast of California as an affiliate of the digital multicast network Dabl. It is owned by VistaWest Media, LLC, which maintains ...

12, a

Dabl Dabl () is an American lifestyle-oriented digital multicast television network owned by the CBS Media Ventures subsidiary of Paramount Global. The company's formerly-owned other subchannel network, Decades, through CBS News and Stations was l ...

television affiliate; broadcast from Santa Maria * KKFX 24, a

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

television affiliate; license to San Luis Obispo studios broadcast from

in Santa Maria. Also seen on cable channel 11. *

KTAS KTAS (channel 33) is a Spanish=language independent television station licensed to San Luis Obispo, California, United States, serving the Central Coast of California. Owned by Raul and Consuelo Palazuelos, the station maintains studios on Carm ...

33, a

Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language Terrestrial television, terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a divi ...

affiliate; broadcast from San Luis Obispo *

KPMR KPMR, virtual channel 38 ( UHF digital channel 21), is a Univision- affiliated television station licensed to Santa Barbara, California, United States and serving the Central Coast of California. Owned by Santa Monica-based Entravision Communicat ...

38, a

Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...

affiliate, and

Radio

*1240 KSMA News/Talk *1380

KVSM KVSM (1380 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Santa Maria, California, United States and broadcasting to the Santa Maria area. The station is owned by Cristian Martinez and airs a regional Mexican music format. KVSM is rebroadcast ...

"Mario 1380"

Regional Mexican Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Genres include banda, country en español, Duranguense, grupero, mariachi, New Mexico ...

*1410

KTNK KTNK (1410 AM) is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Lompoc, California and serves the Santa Maria—Lompoc area. The station, established in 1963, is owned by Michael Alan Day's Cross and Crown Broadcasting Corporation and broadcast ...

Classic Country Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades. Repertoire The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on innov ...

*1440

KUHL KUHL (1440 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio station that is City of license, licensed to Santa Maria, California and serves the Santa Maria, California, Santa Maria—Lompoc, California area. The station is owned by Knight Broadcasting ...

News/Talk *1480

KSBQ KSBQ (1480 AM broadcasting, AM, "La Mexicana") is a Commercial radio, commercial radio station that is City of license, licensed to Santa Maria, California, United States and serves the Santa Maria—Lompoc, California, Lompoc area. The station is ...

"La Mexicana" Ranchera *1600

KTAP KTAP (1600 AM, "Radio Ranchito") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Santa Maria, California and serves the Santa Maria—Lompoc area. The station is owned by Emerald Wave Media and broadcasts a regional Mexican radio format. KTAP i ...

"Radio Ranchito

*88.9 KXWB "La Nueva Radio Vision" "Spanish Christian Talk" *89.7

KCLM KCLM (89.7 FM) is a non-commercial radio station that is licensed to Santa Maria, California and serves the Santa Maria—Lompoc area. It is rebroadcast via translator K221FV in San Luis Obispo, California on 92.1 FM. Both KCLM and the translato ...

NPR operated by

Cal Lutheran California Lutheran University (CLU, Cal Lutheran, or Cal Lu) is a private university in Thousand Oaks, California. It was founded in 1959 and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but is nonsectarian. It opened in 1960 ...

*90.5 KGDP "Family Life Radio" Contemporary Christian *91.5

KRQZ KRQZ (91.5 FM, "RadioU") is a non-commercial radio station that is licensed to Lompoc, California and serves the Santa Maria—Lompoc area. The station is owned by Spirit Communications, Inc. and broadcasts a youth-targeted Christian rock for ...

"RadioU"

Christian Rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...

*94.1

KLMM KLMM (94.1 FM) is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Oceano, California and serves the San Luis Obispo area. The station is owned by Lazer Licenses, LLC and broadcasts a regional Mexican music format. History The station first signe ...

"Radio Lazer"

*95.7 KPAT "The Beat" CHR-Rhythmic *96.7

KSYV KSYV (96.7 FM broadcasting, FM, "Mix 96.7") is a Commercial radio, commercial radio station that is City of license, licensed to Solvang, California, United States and broadcasts to the Santa Maria, California, Santa Maria-Lompoc, California area. ...

"Mix 96.7"

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

*97.1

KRTO KRTO (97.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a Commercial radio, commercial radio station that is City of license, licensed to Santa Maria, California, United States and broadcasts to the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California from Paso Rob ...

Rhythmic Oldies Rhythmic oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, R&B, disco, or dance genres of music. Playlists can span from the 1960s through the 2000s and, depending on market conditions, may be designed for African-American or Hispanic a ...

*99.1

KXFM KXFM (99.1 FM, "Old School 99.1") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Santa Maria, California and serves the Santa Maria-Lompoc area. Owned by Point Broadcasting (through licensee Point Ten), the station broadcasts a rhythmic oldie ...

"Old School 99.1 FM"

*100.3 KRQK, "La Ley"

Lompoc. *102.5 KSNI "Sunny Country"

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

*103.3 KRUZ

Classic Hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...

Broadcast from Santa Barbara, California *104.1 KBOX "Pirate Radio" Adult Hits *105.1

KIDI Dennis Nana Dwamena, better known as KiDi, (born August 18, 1993) is a Ghanaian high-life and afrobeats singer-songwriter. He is signed to Lynx Entertainment and is best known for his global hit single Touch It. The remix features American rapp ...

"La Buena"

*106.7 KSMY "La Mejor"

Spanish Oldies Latin ballad ( es, balada romántica) is a sentimental ballad derived from bolero that originated in the early 1960s in Los Angeles, California and Southern California. Some of the best known artists of the Latin ballad are Julio Iglesias, Moceda ...

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...

runs through the middle of the

and is the main

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

connecting many West Coast cities. It has been improved to freeway status (meaning all at-grade intersections have been eliminated) within the city of Santa Maria itself. A $32 million widening project that expanded the freeway from four to six lanes between Santa Maria Way and the Highway 166 exit was completed by early 2009. State Route 1 runs around the western edge of the city and connects it to nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc. The section of US 101 in the city is a freeway, and a small part of a nearby section of Highway 1 that runs between the city and the base is also a freeway, but the two freeway segments do not directly connect to each other. State Route 135 is considered to be the major artery through the city. It comes from Los Alamos, a town to the south of Santa Maria, and it enters Orcutt and Santa Maria as an expressway. The expressway runs all the way to Santa Maria Way. Highway 135 then turns into Broadway and runs through the heart of the city and all the way up to the Santa Maria River and U.S. 101.

Rail

The

Santa Maria Valley Railroad The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is a shortline railroad that interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad's (former Southern Pacific) Coast Line at Guadalupe, California. As of 2006, the Railroad is owned by the Coast Belle Rail Corporation. Tr ...

(SMVRR) is a shortline freight

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

to Guadalupe where the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

Interchange point is. Main business includes storage of railroad cars when northern California and southern California storage area are full. In the 1990s, the city proposed a light rail service to replace the SMV's right-of-way, as its future was uncertain. The nearest

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing suc ...

with long-distance

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

service is in Guadalupe, to which Amtrak provides bus service from Santa Maria. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner provides twice daily service in each direction, running to San Luis Obispo to the north and to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

via

to the south.

Bus

SMAT,

Santa Maria Area Transit Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT), formerly Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT), is a bus service local to Santa Maria, California, providing both intracity service within Santa Maria and intercity service within Santa Barbara County, including rou ...

, is a local bus service provided by both city and county-run lines, it has recently expanded its services during the evening that stretch to 10:15 P.M.

The Breeze Bus Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT), formerly Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT), is a bus service local to Santa Maria, California, providing both intracity service within Santa Maria and intercity service within Santa Barbara County, including rou ...

provides service to Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and Santa Maria. RTA Route 10 connects Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo. The Guadalupe Flyer connects Santa Maria and Guadalupe. Long-distance intercity bus service is provided by

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...

. The

Clean Air Express The Clean Air Express provides commuter bus service in portions of Santa Barbara County, California, with service between the cities of Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Goleta, California. In 1991, the service was formed to provide commute ...

commuter bus runs between Santa Maria and Goleta as well as a line to Santa Barbara weekdays.

Airport

Pacific Skyway Jetstream 31 N653JX-SMX-Feb2000

The Santa Maria Public Airport is served by two airlines,

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

. United Airlines announced service to Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco daily starting June 4, 2020. United is now booking flights to San Francisco and Denver starting Fall 2021, instead of this summer which was previously announced. Allegiant Air operates nonstop jet service three days a week to Las Vegas.

Courts

Santa Maria is home to one of three official Superior Court locations in Santa Barbara County, with the other courthouse located in Santa Barbara. From 2003 to 2005, the Superior Court handled a felony complaint against

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

(see Michael Jackson: 2005 trial) which reached a not guilty verdict on June 13, 2005. The District Attorney chose to present the trial in Santa Maria due to its close proximity from Neverland Ranch where the alleged incident took place.

Law enforcement

As the primary

law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws. Jurisdiction LEAs which have their ability to apply their powers restricted in some way are said to operate within a jurisdiction. LEAs ...

for the City of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Police Department handles approximately 130,000 calls for service each year. The

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

also operates within the city in addition to the Santa Maria Park Officers who consist of 6 sworn officers who derive their authority under CA Penal code section 831.31(b). The SMPD is administratively divided into the three divisions,

Administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...

, Operations, and

Support Support may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Supporting character Business and finance * Support (technical analysis) * Child support * Customer support * Income Support Construction * Support (structure), or lateral support, a ...

, and has 111 sworn officers and 49 full-time support personnel.

Notable people

Entertainment

* Kathy Bates, actress * Gary Coleman, actor *

Nino Del Pesco Nino Del Pesco (born September 6, 1959 - August 14, 2019) was a musician known for playing in various critically acclaimed and groundbreaking bands throughout his career including the Lonesome Strangers, Snake Farm, the Knights of the Living De ...

, musician *

Myriam Gurba Myriam Gurba is an American writer, story-teller, and visual artist. She is best known for her review, in Tropics of Meta, of American Dirt. In 2019, ''O, The Oprah Magazine'' called Gurba's work ''Mean'' (2017) one of the "Best LGBTQ Books of ...

, writer * Francisco Jiménez, writer and professor at Santa Clara University * Chris Lambert, musician *

Beverlee McKinsey Beverlee McKinsey (August 9, 1935 – May 2, 2008) was an American actress. She is best known for her roles on daytime serials, including Iris Wheeler, Iris Cory Carrington on ''Another World (TV series), Another World'' and the spin-off series ...

, actress *

Kim Miyori Kim Miyori (born Cheryl Utsunomiya; January 4, 1951) is an American actress, best known for the role of Dr. Wendy Armstrong, a beleaguered resident, on the first two seasons (1982–1984) of the medical drama '' St. Elsewhere''. Miyori was born ...

, actress * Joe Nanini, musician *

Chuck Negron Charles Negron II (born June 8, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the rock band Three Dog Night, which he helped form in 1968. Early life Chuck Negron was born on June 8, 1942, in M ...

, founding member of Three Dog Night * Jane Russell, actress * Aurora Snow, writer, former pornographic actress and director

Sports

* Mark Brunell, former NFL football player *

Paco Craig Paco is a Spanish nickname for Francisco. According to folk etymology, the nickname has its origins in Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the father of the Franciscan order; his name was written in Latin by the order as ''Pater Communitatis'' (fat ...

, football player *

, former head football coach of NFL's

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

* Carlos Dias, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher *

Blaine Johnson Blaine H. Johnson (May 22, 1962 – August 31, 1996) was a professional drag racer. Blaine, along with his lifelong crew chief and brother, Alan, were competitors in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster Series, a series which they entered in 1988. J ...

, former NHRA Top Fuel driver * Jim Lonborg, former Major League Baseball player *

, Hall of Fame NFL football coach and commentator *

Josh Prenot Joshua Prenot (born July 28, 1993) is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and individual medley events. Career In 2012, Josh Prenot began his freshman year at the University of California Berkeley. In 2016, Prenot ...

, Olympic swimmer * John Rudometkin, USC and NBA basketball player, first-round pick of

1962 NBA draft The 1962 NBA draft was the 16th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 26, 1962, before the 1962–63 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball playe ...

Marla Runyan Marla Lee Runyan (married name Lonergan; born January 4, 1969) is an American track and field athlete, road runner and marathon runner who is legally blind. She is a three-time national champion in the women's 5000 metres. Early life and edu ...

, marathon runner *

Bryn Smith Bryn Nelson Smith (born August 11, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player who was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1981 to 1993. Selected in the 49th round in 1973 as the 779th player, Smith made his Major League de ...

, retired

pitcher who played for both Santa Maria High School and Allan Hancock College * Ozzie Smith, Hall of Fame

player *

Jim Steels James Earl Steels (born May 30, 1961) is a former outfielder. He played for the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants.

, MLB player * Robin Ventura, former Major League Baseball player and manager best remember for his time with the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

* Jimy Williams, Major League Baseball manager *

, NFL football coach *

Ken Zampese Kenneth Zampese (born July 19, 1967) is an American football coach who is the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Zampese began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of San Dieg ...

, NFL football coach

Politics

* Abel Maldonado, former

Lieutenant Governor of California The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms. In addition to l ...

Other

William Kraemer Coblentz William Kraemer Coblentz AHB-lenz(July 28, 1922 – September 13, 2010) was an American attorney and behind-the-scenes power broker who played an important role in California politics in the years after World War II, serving as a Regent of th ...

, attorney and politician * George Allan Hancock, philanthropist, oil, railroad and aviation engineer. *

James Lamar McElhany James Lamar McElhany (January 3, 1880 – June 25, 1959)Ochs, Daniel A. and Ochs, Grace Lillian. ''The Past and the Presidents'', Southern Publishing Association, Nashville, Tennessee, 1974. SBN: 8127-0084-8 was a Seventh-day Adventist ...

, President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists from 1936 to 1950 *

Inga Muscio Inga Muscio (born c. 1966) is an American feminist, writer and public speaker. Her books include '' Cunt: A Declaration of Independence'' (1998) and '' Rose: Love in Violent Times'' (2010). Work Muscio's book, '' Cunt: A Declaration of Indepe ...

, author and activist *

Owen W. Siler Owen Wesley Siler (January 10, 1922July 17, 2007) was a United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 15th commandant from 1974 to 1978. Early life and education Siler was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Santa Maria, California w ...

, 15th Commandant of the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

(1974–1978) *

Carol Sklenicka Carol Sklenicka is an American biographer, literary scholar, and essayist best known as the author of ''Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life'', which was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2009 by the N ew York Times Book Review in 2009. It remains the o ...

literary biographer When studying literature, biography and its relationship to literature is often a subject of literary criticism, and is treated in several different forms. Two scholarly approaches use biography or biographical approaches to the past as a tool for ...

* Naason Joaquin Garcia, current international leader of the La Luz del Mundo church, former pastor of the La Luz del Mundo church in Santa Maria in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In popular culture

In the '' Space: 1999'' episode " Another Time, Another Place", the "Earth" Alphans, during their period on Earth, have built a small village in the destroyed Santa Maria,'' Space: 1999'' episode " Another Time, Another Place". discovering that on Earth there was an Atlantis-like civilization. In the 1995 film Nick of Time, the main character Gene Watson who is played by Johnny Depp is from Santa Maria, CA.

References

External links

* {{authority control 1905 establishments in California Cities in Santa Barbara County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1874 Populated places established in 1905 1874 establishments in California

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2010

2000

Economy

Top employers

Arts and culture

Tri-Tip and Santa Maria-style barbecue

Wine

Theatre

Parks and recreation

Government

Education

School districts

Allan Hancock College

Media

Television

Radio

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads

Rail

Bus

Airport

Courts

Law enforcement

Notable people

Entertainment

Sports

Politics

Other

In popular culture

See also

References

External links