Santa Barbara (pop. 88,665) is an old Spanish mission town in southern California. It lies on the Pacific Coast, at the foot of the Santa Ynez Mountains. It is the seat of Santa Barbara County. Santa Barbara and nearby Santa Maria form a metropolitan area with 448,229 people.
Santa Barbara celebrates its Spanish background. Its mission is known as the “Queen of the California Missions” because of its architectural beauty. Many visitors come during the Old Spanish Days Fiesta held every August. Tourism is the chief economic activity. Westmont College and a large campus of the University of California are near Santa Barbara. Vandenberg Space Force Base lies northwest of the city.
The Franciscan missionary Saint JunÃpero Serra and Captain José Francisco de Ortega founded the city as a Spanish presidio (military fort) in 1782. The mission was founded in 1786. Santa Barbara became an incorporated city in 1850. It has a council-manager government.
