SANTA BARBARA COUNTY is California's 16th largest county for population with a recent count of 414,200. It is the 21st largest county for land mass with 2,745 square miles. It enjoys three missions, a university, shopping, artists street fairs weekly, a skate park, Museum of Art, Museum of History, Carousel at Beach -Santa Barbara, wineries, flower fields, Danish Aebleskivers, horse drawn cart rides, the Stagecoach Museum -Santa Ynez, Sand Dunes -Oso Flaco, Anderson's Split Pea Soup and Ostrich Farm  -Buellton.  

SANTA BARBARA   Created 1850. The Santa Barbara Channel received its name from Sebastian Vizcaino when he sailed over the channel waters in 1602. In 1782, Padre Junipero Serra dedicated a site near the channel for a presidio and on Dec. 4, 1786, he founded the nearby Mission Santa Barbara (Saint Barbara). The county derives its name from the mission. In fact, Santa Barbara County is home to three beautiful mission, Santa Barbara, La Purisima and Solvang. The region honors its rich history not only through these landmarks but also with signage depicting the Stagecoach Route used widely during the late 19th and very early 20th centuries.

www.co.santa-barbara.ca.us Historical Landmarks