Santa Barbara (Spanish: Santa Bárbara, meaning ‘Saint Barbara‘) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is next the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section upon the West Coast of the United States, the city lies in the midst of the steeply rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Santa Barbara’s climate is often described as Mediterranean, and the city has been dubbed “The American Riviera”. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the city’s population was 88,665.
In auxiliary to creature a popular tourist and resort destination, the city has a diverse economy that includes a large further sector, education, technology, health care, finance, agriculture, manufacturing, and local government. In 2004, the support sector accounted for 35% of local employment. Area institutions of complex learning enhance the University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College, and Antioch University. The city is served by Santa Barbara Airport and train minister to is provided by Amtrak, which operates the Pacific Surfliner, which runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. The Santa Barbara area is related via U.S. Highway 101 to Los Angeles 100 mi (160 km) to the southeast and San Francisco 325 mi (525 km) to the northwest. Behind the city, in and beyond the Santa Ynez Mountains, is the Los Padres National Forest, which contains several snobbish wilderness areas. Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary are located nearly 20 miles (30 km) offshore.
Evidence of human habitation of the area begins at least 13,000 years ago. Evidence for a Paleoindian presence includes a fluted Clovis-like reduction found in the 1980s along the western Santa Barbara County coast, as competently as the remains of Arlington Springs Man, found upon Santa Rosa Island in the 1960s. At least 25,000 Chumash natives lived in the region prior to Spanish contact. Five Chumash villages flourished in the area. The present-day Place of Santa Barbara City College was the village of Mispu; the site of the Los Baños pool (along west beach) was the village of Syukhtun, chief Yanonalit’s large village located with Bath and Chapala streets; Amolomol was at the mouth of Mission Creek; and Swetete, above the bird refuge.
