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San Luis Obispo County
County
County of San Luis Obispo
Images, from top down, left to right: Cerro San Luis (Mountain) in San Luis Obispo, a vineyard in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Mission San Miguel Arcángel, Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle, Morro Rock
FlagSealLogo
Motto: "Not For Ourselves Alone"
Interactive map of San Luis Obispo County
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	California Central Coast
Incorporated	February 18, 1850
Named for	Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse
County seat	San Luis Obispo
Largest city (Population)	San Luis Obispo
Largest city (Area)	Atascadero
Government
• Type	Council–Administration
• Body	San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
• Chair	John Peschong (R)
• Vice Chair	Debbie Arnold (R)
• Supervisors	List • John Peschong (R) District 1 • Bruce Gibson (D) District 2 • Dawn Ortiz-Legg (D) District 3 • Jimmy Paulding (D) District 4 • Debbie Arnold (R) District 5
• County Administrator	Wade Horton
Area
• Total	3,616 sq mi (9,370 km)
• Land	3,299 sq mi (8,540 km)
• Water	317 sq mi (820 km)
Highest elevation	5,109 ft (1,557 m)
Population
• Total	282,424
• Density	86/sq mi (33/km)
GDP
• Total	$21.713 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area code	805
Congressional district	24th
Website	https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/

San Luis Obispo County (/sæn ˌluːɪs oʊˈbɪspoʊ/ ), 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 San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in 1772, and San Luis Obispo grew around it. The small size of the county's communities, scattered along the beaches, coastal hills, and mountains of the Santa Lucia range, provides a wide variety of coastal and inland hill ecologies to support fishing, agriculture, and tourist activities.

California Polytechnic State University has almost 20,000 students. Tourism, especially for the wineries, is popular. Grapes and other agriculture products are an important part of the economy. San Luis Obispo County is the third largest producer of wine in California, surpassed only by Sonoma and Napa counties. Strawberries are the largest agricultural crop in the county.

The town of San Simeon is located at the foot of the ridge where newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst built Hearst Castle. Other coastal towns (listed from north to south) include Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, and Los Osos -Baywood Park. These cities and villages are located northwest of the city of San Luis Obispo. To the south are Avila Beach and the Five Cities region. The Five Cities originally were: Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach (then known as Grover City), Oceano, Fair Oaks and Halcyon. Today, the Five Cities region consists of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, and Halcyon (basically the area from Pismo Beach to Oceano). Just south of the Five Cities, San Luis Obispo County borders northern Santa Barbara County. Inland, the cities of Paso Robles, Templeton, and Atascadero lie along the Salinas River, near the Paso Robles wine region. San Luis Obispo lies south of Atascadero and north of the Five Cities region.

History

The prehistory of San Luis Obispo County is strongly influenced by the Chumash people. There has been significant settlement here at least as early as the Millingstone Horizon thousands of years ago. Important settlements existed in coastal areas such as Morro Bay and Los Osos.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded on September 1, 1772, in the area that is now the city of San Luis Obispo. The namesake of the mission, city and county is Saint Louis of Toulouse, the young bishop of Toulouse (Obispo and Tolosa in Spanish) in 1297.

San Luis Obispo County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The Salinas River Valley, a region that figures strongly in several John Steinbeck novels, stretches north from San Luis Obispo County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,616 square miles (9,370 km), of which 3,299 square miles (8,540 km) is land and 317 square miles (820 km) (comprising 8.8%) is water.

Climate

San Luis Obispo County has three main climate types. BSk climate can mainly be found in the eastern portions of the county, along with certain smaller areas in the north. Csa climate can mainly be found in the central portions of the counties, in communities such as Paso Robles. The rest of the county is made up of the Csb climate type. The Csb warm-summer mediterranean type climate together with the county's varied landscapes reminds visitors of European locales.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

• Carrizo Plain National Monument (part)
• Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Los Padres National Forest (part)

Marine Protected Areas

• Cambria State Marine Conservation Area
• Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
• Morro Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area and Morro Bay State Marine Reserve
• Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area
• Point Buchon State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area
• White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area

Demographics

2020 census

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that San Luis Obispo County had a population of 269,637. The racial makeup of San Luis Obispo County was 222,756 (82.6%) White, 5,550 (2.1%) African American, 2,536 (0.9%) Native American, 8,507 (3.2%) Asian (1.0% Filipino, 0.6% Chinese, 0.4% Japanese, 0.3% Indian, 0.3% Korean, 0.2% Vietnamese), 389 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 19,786 (7.3%) from other races, and 10,113 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 55,973 persons (20.8%); 17.7% of San Luis Obispo County is Mexican, 0.3% Puerto Rican, and 0.2% Salvadoran.

2000 Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 246,681 residents, 92,739 households, and 58,611 families in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile (29 people/km). There were 102,275 housing units at an average density of 31 units per square mile (12 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 84.6% White, 2.0% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 16.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 13.9% were of German, 11.4% English, 9.7% Irish, 6.1% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 85.7% spoke English and 10.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 92,739 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.40% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,428, and the median income for a family was $52,447. Males had a median income of $40,726 versus $27,450 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,864. About 6.8% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The mainstays of the economy are California Polytechnic State University with its almost 20,000 students, tourism, and agriculture.The economic indicators reveal that San Luis Obispo County aligns closely with California regarding median household income and poverty rates. However, the county distinguishes itself through higher educational attainment and homeownership rates, alongside a distinctive employment sector composition favoring agriculture and related industries. Despite these strengths, the county is not immune to challenges, as evidenced by a housing market that is significantly more expensive than the rest of California and growing income inequality. San Luis Obispo County's economy is primarily a service economy. Service jobs account for 38% of the county's jobs, government jobs accounts for 20.7%, and manufacturing jobs represent 6% of the county's jobs.

San Luis Obispo County is the third largest producer of wine in California, surpassed only by Sonoma and Napa counties. Wine grapes are the second largest agricultural crop in the county (after strawberries), and the wine production they support creates a direct economic impact and a growing wine country vacation industry.

The county led the state in hemp cultivation in 2018 as hundreds of acres of the crop were grown in research partnerships. In 2019, nine agricultural research permits were still active. Sixteen commercial permits were issued before a temporary ban on new applications running through June 2020 was passed by the Board of Supervisors.

Politics

Voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

San Luis Obispo County leaned toward the Republican Party in presidential and congressional elections during most of the 20th century; it has, however, become more Democratic starting in the 2000s. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county with 51.2 percent of the vote. Prior to 2008, the last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, although Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1992. In 2012, Obama again won the county, this time with a slim plurality of the vote. Hillary Clinton won with a larger plurality in 2016; and in 2020, Joe Biden won a solid 55% of the vote, the largest for any Democrat since Johnson.

With respect to the United States House of Representatives, San Luis Obispo County is mostly in California's 24th congressional district, represented by Democrat Salud Carbajal, with the northern part of the county in California's 19th congressional district, represented by Democrat Jimmy Panetta. From 2003 until 2013, the county was split between the Bakersfield-based 22nd district, which was represented by Republican Kevin McCarthy and included Paso Robles and most of the more conservative inland areas of the county, and Lois Capps' 23rd district, a strip which included most of the county's more liberal coastal areas as well as coastal areas of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

With respect to the California State Senate, the county is in the 17th Senate District, represented by Democrat John Laird. With respect to the California State Assembly, the county is in the 30th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Dawn Addis.

In April 2008, the California Secretary of State reported that there were 147,326 registered voters in San Luis Obispo County. Of those voters, 61,226 (41.6%) were registered Republicans, 52,586 (35.7%) were registered Democratic, 8,030 (5.4%) are registered with other political parties, and 25,484 (17.3%) declined to state a political preference. The cities of Grover Beach, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo had pluralities or majorities of registered Democratic voters, whereas the rest of the county's towns, cities, and the unincorporated areas have a plurality or majority of registered Republican voters.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Fire protection

In unincorporated parts of the county, fire protection and emergency response services have been provided by the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department, through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE, since 1930. The county fire department also serves Los Osos, Oceano, and Avila Beach. The city of San Luis Obispo is served by the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department.

Transportation

Major highways

• U.S. Route 101
• State Route 1
• State Route 33
• State Route 41
• State Route 46
• State Route 58
• State Route 166
• State Route 227
• State Route 229

Public transportation

San Luis Obispo County is served by Amtrak trains and Greyhound Lines buses. The San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority provides countywide service along US 101 as well as service to Morro Bay, Los Osos, Cambria and San Simeon.

The cities of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero and Paso Robles operate their own local bus services; all of these connect with SLORTA routes.

Intercity service is provided by Amtrak trains, Greyhound Lines and Orange Belt Stages buses.

The Amtrak Thruway 18 provides a daily connection to Visalia on the east, and Santa Maria on the west, with several stops in between.

FlixBus boards from the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum at 1940 Santa Barbara Avenue.

Airports

• San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) is located just south of the City of San Luis Obispo. Commercial flights are available.
• Paso Robles Municipal Airport (PRB) is located north-east of the City of Paso Robles and is home to California Highway Patrol, CAL-FIRE and the Estrella Warbirds Museum.
• Oceano County Airport (L52) is located on the coast in the 5 Cities area.

Future

In the future, SR 46 may be considered for a possible westward expansion of Interstate 40 via SR 58 from Barstow to Bakersfield, from Bakersfield to I-5 via Westside Parkway, and then following SR 46 to Paso Robles. SR 46 is slowly being upgraded to Interstate standards, minus overpasses between Interstate 5 and US Route 101.

Communities

Cities

• Arroyo Grande
• Atascadero
• Grover Beach
• Morro Bay
• Paso Robles
• Pismo Beach
• San Luis Obispo (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Avila Beach
• Baywood Park
• Blacklake
• California Polytechnic State University
• California Valley
• Callender
• Cambria
• Cayucos
• Creston
• Cholame
• Edna
• Garden Farms
• Halcyon
• Harmony
• Lake Nacimiento
• Los Berros
• Los Osos
• Los Ranchos
• Nipomo
• Oak Shores
• Oceano
• Pozo
• San Miguel
• San Simeon
• Santa Margarita
• Shandon
• Templeton
• Whitley Gardens
• Woodlands

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of San Luis Obispo County.

† county seat

See also

• San Luis Obispo County Search and Rescue
• List of museums in the California Central Coast
• List of school districts in San Luis Obispo County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in San Luis Obispo County, California
• San Luis Obispo Pioneer, the county's first newspaper
• Dalidio Ranch Project, a development proposal in San Luis Obispo County
• Amphibious Training Base Morro Bay

Notes

1. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
2. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
3. ^ Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
4. ^ For statistical purposes, defined by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP).

Footnotes

1. "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
2. "John Peschong, Supervisor, District 1 from San Luis Obispo County, California". Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
3. "Bruce Gibson, Supervisor, District 2 from San Luis Obispo County, California". Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
4. "Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Supervisor, District 3 from San Luis Obispo County, California". Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
5. "Lynn Compton, Supervisor, District 4 from San Luis Obispo County, California". Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
6. "Debbie Arnold, Supervisor, District 5 from San Luis Obispo County, California". Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
7. ^ "Board of Supervisors - County of San Luis Obispo".
8. "Contact - County of San Luis Obispo".
9. "Caliente Mountain". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
10. "Total Gross Domestic Product for San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
11. "San Luis Obispo County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
12. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
13. ^ Settevendemie, Marty. "2020 Crop Report" (PDF). San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture.
14. Terry L. Jones and Kathryn Klar (2007) California Prehistory: Colonization, Culture, and Complexity, Published by Rowman Altamira ISBN 0-7591-0872-2, 408 pages
15. C. Michael Hogan (2008) Morro Creek, ed. by A. Burnham
16. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
17. "Places in San Luis Obispo County that look like Europe, Africa, & South America". www.slocal.com. March 2, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
18. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
19. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
20. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
21. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
22. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
23. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – San Luis Obispo County, California". United States Census Bureau.
24. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – San Luis Obispo County, California". United States Census Bureau.
25. "California: 1990, Part 1" (PDF). Retrieved July 14, 2024.
26. "California: 2000" (PDF). Retrieved July 14, 2024.
27. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
28. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
29. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
30. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
31. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
32. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
33. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
34. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
35. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
36. Vaughan, Monica (June 18, 2019). "Hemp could be big money for SLO County farmers. Did politicians scare away investors?". San Luis Obispo Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
37. Wilson, Nick (October 31, 2019). "SLO County hemp harvest is in full swing, but here's why it's not as big as it could be". San Luis Obispo Tribune. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
38. ^ California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
39. https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/15day-recall-2021/county.pdf
40. Map of Election Results, County-by-County: The New York Times
41. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
42. "California's 24th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
43. ^ Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
44. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
45. ^ United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
46. "San Luis Obispo County Fire Department". calfireslo.org. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
47. https://amtraksanjoaquins.com/route18/
48. Report on the Status of the Federal-Aid Highway Program. United States Senate. April 15, 1970. p. 89.
49. "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2021.

Further reading

• Charles Montville Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, and Edwin M. Sheridan, History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California. In Two Volumes. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1917. Volume 1 | Volume 2
• Yda Addis Storke, A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California... Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1891.

External links

35°23′N 120°27′W / 35.38°N 120.45°W / 35.38; -120.45

v t e Municipalities and communities of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
County seat: San Luis Obispo
Cities	Arroyo Grande Atascadero Grover Beach Morro Bay Paso Robles Pismo Beach San Luis Obispo
CDPs	Avila Beach Blacklake California Polytechnic State University Callender Cambria Cayucos Creston Edna Garden Farms Lake Nacimiento Los Berros Los Osos Los Ranchos Nipomo Oak Shores Oceano San Miguel San Simeon Santa Margarita Shandon Templeton Whitley Gardens Woodlands
Unincorporated communities	Adelaida Asuncion Baywood-Los Osos Bee Rock California Valley Cambria Pines Cholame Halcyon Harmony Huasna Pozo Simmler
Ghost towns	La Panza
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