Santa Maria, California

Welcome to Santa Maria

Santa Maria is a lovely city in California. It sits along the Central Coast of California, about 65 miles northwest of Santa Barbara and 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Many people live here—about 109,707 in 2020!

Fun Things About Santa Maria

Santa Maria is famous for two special things: its tasty wine and a yummy way of cooking called Santa Maria–style barbecue. People love to cook beef in a special way over oak wood, and they enjoy it with yummy side dishes.

The city gets its name from Spanish words meaning “St. Mary.” Long ago, the Chumash people lived here, enjoying the hills and rivers. Later, farmers found the soil great for growing many crops, and the city grew bigger.

Places to Explore

Santa Maria has many places to see! You can visit lovely parks like Waller Park, where you can play, picnic, and even go to a frisbee golf course. The Paul Nelson Aquatic Center has fun pools and water activities. Santa Maria Fairpark hosts the Santa Barbara County Fair each year, with games, concerts, and a strawberry festival.

You can also enjoy shopping at big malls and exploring the city’s beautiful vineyards. Santa Maria is part of a wine country, so wine lovers can taste different kinds of grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot noir.

Cool Facts

• Santa Maria’s weather is usually mild with lots of sunshine, and sometimes cool breezes from the ocean.
• The city has many schools, including Allan Hancock College, which is known for its theater program.
• Famous people like actress Kathy Bates come from Santa Maria!

Santa Maria is a place full of history, tasty food, and fun activities for everyone to enjoy!