Santa Maria, California
About Santa Maria
Santa Maria is a mid-size city in southern California, home to 111,346 residents as of the latest Census estimates. It stands among the 500 most populous places in the United States (#291 nationwide).
Officially, Santa Maria is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 22.81 square miles, giving it a compact, walkable footprint at roughly 4,881 residents per square mile.
📰 Santa Maria News Today
- 2 Injured, 1 With 3rd-Degree Burns, in Santa Maria House Fire Noozhawk · Aug 17
- A night at The Agrarian: Where even the strangers come with a moral | 'I see you!' Santa Maria Times · Aug 17
- Patricia Kurzhal Obituary (2026) - Santa Maria, CA - Santa Maria Times Legacy obituary · Aug 18
- How gas prices have changed in Santa Maria in the last week Stacker · Aug 10
- Mark your calendars: Weekly sports schedule for Aug. 18-22 Santa Maria Times · Aug 17
Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.
What Makes Santa Maria Unique
- Positioned in southern California, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.
- Part of the fabric of California — one of 1,618 recognized communities statewide.
Why People Love It Here
- Full urban amenities: dining, healthcare, education, and employment in one place.
- Serious economic gravity — one of the region's employment and cultural hubs.
- Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 8 miles.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Santa Maria
- Al Pho — vietnamese
- Applebee's — american
- Buffalo Wild Wings — wings
- Chuck E. Cheese — pizza
- Coffee Time — coffee shop (café)
- Cool Hand Luke's — steak house
- Denny's — american
- Hamasato — japanese
- Huckleberry's — breakfast
- Jaffa Cafe — kebab
Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🎡 Fun Things to Do
- Chuck E. Cheese
- Santa Maria Museum of Flight · Museum
- Santa Maria Natural History Museum · Museum
- Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Museum · Museum
- Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum · Museum
Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Santa Maria
- Adam Park reviews ★
- Alice Trefts Park reviews ★
- Armstrong Park reviews ★
- Atkinson Park reviews ★
- Buena Vista Park reviews ★
- Community Garden · Garden reviews ★
- Crossroads Open Space reviews ★
- Fletcher Park reviews ★
- Grogan Park reviews ★
- Heritage Square Community Park reviews ★
- Jim May Park reviews ★
- Joe White Park reviews ★
Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.
🏫 Schools in Santa Maria
- Adam (William Laird) Elementary
- Alvin Elementary
- Arellanes (Don Juan Bautista) Elementary
- Benjamin Foxen Elementary
- Bonita Elementary
- El Camino Junior High
- Fairlawn Elementary
- Family Partnership Charter
- Fesler (Isaac) Junior High
- Miller (Isaac) Elementary
- Oakley (Calvin C.) Elementary
- Santa Barbara County ROP-North
- Trivium Charter
- Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary
Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.
🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare
- Marian Regional Medical Center ★★★ (3/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.