Santa Maria Real Estate
City of Santa Maria Settlers created a productive area from the desert, planting more than 40,000 eucalyptus trees to break the forces of wind and lessen its drying effect on surface soil. A short drive away from Pismo Beach, Santa Maria is a prime location to live, work and play. The area's mild climate results from solving the wind problem of the 1870's. Irrigation was introduced in 1897, establishing the valley's destiny. People can enjoy Santa Maria's three 18 hole golf courses, lighted tennis courts, a tennis club, clamming, and west of Santa Maria attracts sand dune riders statewide.
Santa Maria is located in California's Central Coast Wine Country between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, approximately 170 miles north of Los Angeles and 270 miles south of San Francisco, where the craggy, brush covered foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains descend into a flat, fertile valley. With an elevation of 206 feet, Santa Maria's incorporated area encompasses roughly 21 square miles. The Santa Maria area includes the cities of Santa Maria and Guadalupe and the unincorporated areas of Orcutt and Nipomo. These combined areas make up the urban and most populated area of the Central Coast. The total population of the Santa Maria Valley has grown to nearly 127,411 of which 91,110 are located in the city of Santa Maria. The population of Santa Barbara County is 414,156.
Santa Maria LivingThose fortunate enough to relocate to this peaceful valley will find friendly neighbors, a strong community spirit, a growing business sector, and a moderate cost of living and housing compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Diego. Santa Maria has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1998 All-America City Award and the California Parks & Recreation Society Award. There is a state-of-the-art public library which has just been completed in 2009. The Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, Paul Nelson Aquatic Center, YMCA, Natural History Museum, Santa Maria Civic Theater, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and the Santa Maia Valley Discovery Museum all offer recreational activities and programs for youth and adults.
Other recreational facilities include one drive-in and one walk-in movie theater, twenty-two parks including playgrounds, a municipal swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course, a modern 18-hole golf course, one softball complex, a 32 lane bowling alley and a miniature golf park.
Stemming from the custom from years past of celebrating the end of "roundup" on cattle ranches, the Santa Maria Style Barbecue still flourishes as a widely known attraction. Barbecues may have originated when an unknown 18th century vaquero tossed a hunk of beef on a fire. With an abundance of beef and red oak for the fire, the tradition was honed as ranchers got together to help neighbors at roundups and brandings, polishing off their work with a neighborly feast. The tradition moved indoors when the Santa Maria Club opened in a former home at 800 South Broadway in 1919, and a huge barbecue pit was built in the backyard. While passing through Santa Maria, visitors can join its residents in the city's signature meal of top sirloin of beef cooked over chunks of locally grown red oak, seasoned, and served with salsa, pinquito beans, French bread, and salad. Sunset magazine has even boasted that Santa Maria's dish is the "best barbecue in the world".
More than 50 wineries are found between Paso Robles and Santa Barbara, and the Central Coast is gaining a reputation for premium, award-winning wines. The Foxen Canyon Wine trail features more than a dozen wineries throughout the valley, starting in Santa Maria and then traveling south. The trail includes Foxen, Fess Parker, and Firestone wineries, among others, which were all featured in the 2004's hit "Sideways".
Located 12 miles from the Pacific coastline, Santa Maria enjoys a smog-free climate with mild temperatures throughout the year. Ocean breezes cool the valley in the summer and warm it in the winter. Hazy morning fog is prominent in the summer months. The community which is ideally located between the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Madre foothills, went through a couple of name changes - Grangerville and Central City - until it was finally dubbed Santa Maria in 1885.
Santa Maria CommunityThe community grew on land donated by four prominent settlers - Rudolph Cook, John Thornburg, Isaac Fessler and Isaac Miller - each of whom donated a 40-acre plot. Their names can still be seen today on city streets. The town was initially inhabited by farmers, who are still influencing the city today. Future growth was initiated by the discovery of oil in the Santa Maria Valley.
The City of Santa Maria is a regional trading, manufacturing and service center. The Santa Maria area has a stable economic base which includes agriculture, transportation, oil, tourism, electronic manufacturing, and the government installation at nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base, which is the largest employer in the area, employing over 5,000 people. Santa Maria produces over 20 million trays of strawberries annually which are distributed both domestically and internationally. The growing season is up to 10 months a year.
The city's small-town roots are evident in the summer months when Santa Maria plays host to the Santa Barbara County Fair in July, the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival in April, and the Santa Maria Elk's Rodeo and Parade in June.
Allan Hancock College serves all of northern Santa Barbara county and parts of San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties at campuses in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Solvang and Vandenberg Air Force Base. Over 1,200 courses are offered in over 100 fields of study via nine academic departments. Allan Hancock College, with nearly 1,000 employees, is one of the five largest employers in northern Santa Barbara County. The college offers opportunities for those who want to complete the first two years of a bachelor's degree, earn an associate degree, prepare for a career or upgrade their skills. Hancock's well known and much accomplished athletic program offers intercollegiate football, basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, softball, golf, volleyball, cross country, and track and field.
Santa Maria SchoolsThe Santa Maria-Bonita School District serves kindergarten through 8th grade students at 19 schools. There are four new school campuses, and portions of 11 existing campuses were recently remodeled. The Orcutt Union School District includes six elementary schools and two junior high schools, all of which operate on a traditional calendar. All district schools have received the honor of being named California Distinguished Schools and four have achieved the status of national Blue Ribbon Schools, awards that are given to a small number of outstanding schools each year.
The district has three comprehensive high schools (Pioneer Valley, Ernest Righetti, and Santa Maria High) as well as one continuation school, Delta High School.
There are nine private schools---Children's House Montessori, Christian Life, Crossroads Christian Junior High, Lion of Judah Christian School, Pacific Christian School, St. Joseph High School, St. Louis de Montfort Elementary School, St. Mary of the Assumption School, and Valley Christian Academy.
Santa Maria TransportationSanta Maria is bisected by California State Highway 101 and Highway 166. State Highway 154, located only 20 miles to the south, completes Santa Maria's transportation grid. The Santa Maria Public Airport/Capt. G. Allan Hancock Field is owned and operated by the Santa Maria Public Airport District. The designated role of the Airport is to serve short-haul air carrier routes of less than 500 miles. Amtrak offers daily service into Guadalupe from the Pacific Surfliner train: one direct route to Los Angeles daily. From San Luis Obispo: four daily schedules north to San Francisco and south to Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
The state beaches are Avila Beach, Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, and Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area and Grover Beach. The area lakes are Lopez Lake and Lake Cachuma. Wildlife includes the Monarch Butterflies. The "Butterfly Trees" of Pismo Beach are one of our most spectacular attractions from late October through February where thousands of colorful Monarch butterflies cluster in the limbs of Eucalyptus and Monterey Pines in the area. Lake Cachuma's naturalist-led cruises focus on wildlife, waterfowl, wildflowers, and unusual birds and animals.
The best places to go in Santa Maria
- MotionZ (laser tag arena)
- Boomer's (miniature golf)
- YMCA Skateboard Park
- Paul Nelson Aquatic Center
- Rancho Bowl
- Santa Maria Speedway
- Central Coast Sports Arena
- Central Coast Cycling
- Farmers Market
- YMCA
- Santa Maria Museum of Flight
- The Natural History Museum
- Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum
- Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum
- Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum
- La Purisima Mission Historic State Park
- Mission Santa Inez
- Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
- Hearst Castle
- Chumash Casino Resort
- Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch
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Ostrich Land
Just recently announced, the California Space Center will be located just outside the gates at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This will be a wonderful addition to our beautiful Central Coast and a benefit to our local economy. This will be a tremendous advantage to our youth, young and old.
From top-quality theater productions to legendary strawberries to award-winning wines, as the Chamber of Commerce says, Santa Maria is "CALIFORNIA'S SWEET SPOT". |
LEONA DOIDGE, Realtor ®
GRI, SRES, e-PRO
Century 21 Hometown Realty
1811 South Broadway
Santa Maria, CA 93454
Business: (805) 934-2105
Direct: (805) 331-8978
Toll Free: (800) 922-8978
E-Mail: Leona@LeonaDoidge.com
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