Santa Maria, California

About Santa Maria, California

Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the California State Department of Finance, Santa Maria's estimated population of 90,333 has surpassed that of Santa Barbara, making it the largest city in the county. The 2000 census had indicated Santa Maria's population to be 77,423. The estimated population of the area is about 140,000, which includes the Santa Maria Valley, the city of Guadalupe, California and the unincorporated township of Orcutt, California. An additional 12,000 people live in Nipomo, near Santa Maria proper. Santa Maria is probably most notable for its ever-expanding wine country and the creation of what is now commonly known as the foods known as tri-tip and Santa Maria Style barbecue.

Santa Maria is located at 34°57′5″N, 120°26′0″W (34.951377, -120.433373).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.8 square miles (51.2 km²), of which, 19.3 square miles (50.1 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²) of it (2.23%) is water.