San Luis Obispo County, California

San Luis Obispo County
; San Luis Obispo County; SLO County;
	; County;
	; County of San Luis Obispo
	; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Images, from top down, left to right: Cerro San Luis (Mountain) in San Luis Obispo, a vineyard in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Mission San Miguel Arcángel, Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle, Morro Rock; ;
; ;	; ; Seal;
	; ; Seal;
	; Motto(s): "Not For Ourselves Alone"
	; ; Location in the state of California;
	; ; California's location in the United States;
Country	; United States;
State	; California;
Region	; California Central Coast;
Incorporated	; February 18, 1850;
Named for	; Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse;
County seat	; San Luis Obispo;
Area;
• Total	; 3,616 sq mi (9,370 km2)
• Land	; 3,299 sq mi (8,540 km2)
• Water	; 317 sq mi (820 km2)
Highest elevation;	; 5,109 ft (1,557 m)
Population (April 1, 2010);
• Total	; 269,637
• Estimate (2016);	; 282,887
• Density	; 86/sq mi (33/km2)
Time zone	; UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	; UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Website	; www.slocounty.ca.gov;

County in California, United States

The entrance lobby and belfry of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. A statue of Fray Junípero Serra stands outside the church.

Robert Jack House, built c. 1882

San Luis Obispo County, officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county located in California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 269,637.^[3] The county seat is San Luis Obispo.^[5]

San Luis Obispo County (locally, SLO County) comprises the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is located along the Pacific Ocean in Central California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Father Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in 1772 and the Mission is today an active part of downtown San Luis Obispo (popularly referred to as SLO or SLO-town). The small size of the county's communities, scattered along the beaches, coastal hills, and mountains of the Santa Lucia range, provides a wide variety of coastal and inland hill ecologies to support many kinds of fishing, agriculture, and tourist activities.

The mainstays of the economy are California Polytechnic State University with its almost 20,000 students, tourism, and agriculture. San Luis Obispo County is the third largest producer of wine in California, surpassed only by Sonoma and Napa Counties. Wine grapes are the second largest agricultural crop in the county (after strawberries),^[6] and the wine production they support creates a direct economic impact and a growing wine country vacation industry.

The town of San Simeon is located at the foot of the ridge where newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst built Hearst Castle. Other coastal towns (listed from North to South) include Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, and Los Osos -Baywood Park. These cities and villages are located northwest of San Luis Obispo city, and Avila Beach and the Five Cities Region to the south which were originally: Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach (then known as Grover City), Oceano, Fair Oaks and Halcyon. Today, the Five Cities Region consists of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach and Oceano (County), basically the area from Pismo Beach to Oceano. Nipomo, just south of the Five Cities, borders northern Santa Barbara County. Inland, the cities of Paso Robles, Templeton, and Atascadero lie along the Salinas River, near the Paso Robles wine region. San Luis Obispo lies south of Atascadero and north of the Five Cities region.

History[edit]

The prehistory of San Luis Obispo County is strongly influenced by the Chumash people who had significant settlement here at least as early as the Millingstone Horizon thousands of years before the present age. Important settlements existed, for example, in many coastal areas such as Morro Bay and Los Osos.^[7]^[8]

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded on September 1, 1772 in the area that is now the city of San Luis Obispo.
The namesake of the mission, city and county is Saint Louis of Toulouse, the young bishop of Toulouse (Obispo and Tolosa in Spanish) in 1297.

San Luis Obispo County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The Salinas River Valley, a region that figures strongly in several Steinbeck novels, stretches north from San Luis Obispo County. The remote California Valley near Soda Lake is the region most untouched by modernity. Travels through this area and the hills east of highway 101 during wildflower season are very beautiful and can be incorporated with wine tasting at local vineyards.

Geography[edit]

San Luis Obispo

Sand dunes - Oceano CA

Morro Bay Docks

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,616 square miles (9,370 km²), of which 3,299 square miles (8,540 km²) is land and 317 square miles (820 km²) (8.8%) is water.^[9]

Adjacent counties[edit]

San Luis
Obispo

Monterey

Kings

Kern

Santa Barbara

Pacific
Ocean

Areas adjacent to San Luis Obispo County, California

National protected areas[edit]

Carrizo Plain National Monument (part)

Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Los Padres National Forest (part)

Marine Protected Areas[edit]

Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area, an elephant seal rookery.

Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area

Cambria State Marine Conservation Area

White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area

Morro Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area and Morro Bay State Marine Reserve

Point Buchon State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area

Demographics[edit]

2011[edit]

Population, race, and income
Total population^[10]	267,871
White^[10]	224,800	83.9%
Black or African American^[10]	5,882	2.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native^[10]	2,625	1.0%
Asian^[10]	8,693	3.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander^[10]	280	0.1%
Some other race^[10]	16,666	6.2%
Two or more races^[10]	8,925	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[11]	54,537	20.4%
Per capita income^[12]	$30,204
Median household income^[13]	$58,630
Median family income^[14]	$74,841

Places by population, race, and income[edit]

Places by population and race
Place	Type^[15]	Population^[10]	White^[10]	Other^[10] ^{[note 1]}	Asian^[10]	Black or African American^[10]	Native American^[10] ^{[note 2]}	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[11]
Arroyo Grande	City	17,132	85.8%	6.7%	5.0%	1.6%	0.8%	12.7%
Atascadero	City	28,194	88.5%	5.7%	1.7%	1.7%	2.4%	13.7%
Avilla Beach	CDP	1,086	91.4%	8.6%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	2.2%
Blacklake	CDP	1,014	97.1%	0.0%	1.5%	0.0%	1.4%	0.8%
Callender	CDP	1,531	96.3%	2.2%	1.6%	0.0%	0.0%	42.5%
Cambria	CDP	6,229	91.7%	4.3%	2.7%	0.0%	1.3%	17.1%
Cayucos	CDP	2,822	97.5%	1.8%	0.5%	0.0%	0.2%	6.0%
Creston	CDP	94	79.8%	20.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Edna	CDP	80	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)	City	29,270	76.6%	15.1%	2.0%	4.5%	1.8%	35.1%
Garden Farms	CDP	335	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Grover Beach	City	13,175	81.6%	9.9%	6.0%	1.4%	1.0%	21.0%
Lake Nacimiento	CDP	2,397	96.0%	4.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	12.3%
Los Berros	CDP	920	86.2%	13.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	19.8%
Los Osos	CDP	14,950	85.3%	7.5%	6.3%	0.4%	0.5%	12.4%
Los Ranchos	CDP	1,578	91.4%	3.1%	1.5%	0.8%	3.2%	2.1%
Morro Bay	City	10,263	96.0%	1.7%	1.8%	0.1%	0.4%	17.8%
Nipomo	CDP	16,622	84.1%	12.7%	1.3%	1.3%	0.6%	35.0%
Oak Shores	CDP	187	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	5.3%
Oceano	CDP	7,456	77.3%	19.4%	1.5%	0.0%	1.8%	47.6%
Pismo Beach	City	7,753	87.6%	7.7%	2.8%	0.6%	1.3%	10.3%
San Luis Obispo	City	45,130	83.2%	8.4%	6.4%	1.6%	0.6%	16.6%
San Miguel	CDP	2,782	64.6%	29.6%	1.3%	0.0%	4.6%	50.8%
San Simeon	CDP	571	48.0%	52.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	72.5%
Santa Margarita	CDP	1,429	95.7%	4.3%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	18.0%
Shandon	CDP	1,150	82.3%	6.9%	0.0%	10.6%	0.3%	46.1%
Templeton	CDP	7,645	88.9%	9.5%	0.7%	0.5%	0.4%	16.4%
Whitley Gardens	CDP	244	58.6%	33.6%	0.0%	7.8%	0.0%	41.4%
Woodlands	CDP	417	89.2%	3.6%	3.8%	0.0%	3.4%	11.8%

Places by population and income
Place	Type^[15]	Population^[16]	Per capita income^[12]	Median household income^[13]	Median family income^[14]
Arroyo Grande	City	17,132	$34,489	$64,900	$79,188
Atascadero	City	28,194	$32,153	$68,502	$79,818
Avilla Beach	CDP	1,086	$45,863	$65,483	$42,107
Blacklake	CDP	1,014	$43,698	$81,417	$105,152
Callender	CDP	1,531	$25,222	$72,917	$91,852
Cambria	CDP	6,229	$46,892	$76,271	$99,550
Cayucos	CDP	2,822	$38,525	$59,130	$69,861
Creston	CDP	94	$43,934	$85,357	$81,250
Edna	CDP	80	$71,853	$115,962	$115,962
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)	City	29,270	$26,547	$57,927	$63,864
Garden Farms	CDP	335	$61,822	$111,360	$111,360
Grover Beach	City	13,175	$25,232	$47,708	$63,354
Lake Nacimiento	CDP	2,397	$31,410	$58,542	$62,760
Los Berros	CDP	920	$15,603	$36,096	$36,776
Los Osos	CDP	14,950	$30,967	$57,500	$73,027
Los Ranchos	CDP	1,578	$59,646	$99,028	$104,455
Morro Bay	City	10,263	$33,137	$52,582	$65,833
Nipomo	CDP	16,622	$26,014	$61,265	$68,386
Oak Shores	CDP	187	$44,498	$97,639	$98,542
Oceano	CDP	7,456	$18,363	$37,219	$40,489
Pismo Beach	City	7,753	$44,250	$65,682	$88,971
San Luis Obispo	City	45,130	$25,775	$42,528	$80,560
San Miguel	CDP	2,782	$17,371	$49,097	$42,296
San Simeon	CDP	571	$20,490	$44,583	$51,786
Santa Margarita	CDP	1,429	$19,328	$49,032	$58,672
Shandon	CDP	1,150	$19,050	$65,260	$59,167
Templeton	CDP	7,645	$35,743	$70,820	$92,169
Whitley Gardens	CDP	244	$21,938	$106,250	$129,000
Woodlands	CDP	417	$54,163	$96,250	$89,250

2010[edit]

The 2010 United States Census reported that San Luis Obispo County had a population of 269,637. The racial makeup of San Luis Obispo County was 222,756 (82.6%) White, 5,550 (2.1%) African American, 2,536 (0.9%) Native American, 8,507 (3.2%) Asian (1.0% Filipino, 0.6% Chinese, 0.4% Japanese, 0.3% Indian, 0.3% Korean, 0.2% Vietnamese), 389 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 19,786 (7.3%) from other races, and 10,113 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 55,973 persons (20.8%); 17.7% of San Luis Obispo County is Mexican, 0.3% Puerto Rican, and 0.2% Salvadoran.^[17]

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
San Luis Obispo County	269,637	222,756	5,550	2,536	8,507	389	19,786	10,113	55,973
Incorporated cities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Arroyo Grande	17,252	14,710	156	125	595	14	856	796	2,707
Atascadero	28,310	24,457	585	295	685	57	1,205	1,026	4,429
Grover Beach	13,156	9,964	146	186	542	35	1,582	701	3,840
Morro Bay	10,234	8,909	44	92	258	9	613	309	1,526
Paso Robles	29,793	23,158	622	297	593	56	3,916	1,151	10,275
Pismo Beach	7,655	6,976	50	41	203	11	170	204	715
San Luis Obispo	45,119	38,117	523	275	2,350	65	1,973	1,816	6,626
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Avila Beach	1,627	1,507	13	7	33	0	34	33	111
Blacklake	930	865	8	7	24	0	14	12	70
Callender	1,262	1,003	7	22	48	0	128	54	355
Cambria	6,032	5,166	18	47	78	14	557	152	1,187
Cayucos	2,592	2,366	6	12	54	8	57	89	207
Creston	94	89	0	2	1	0	0	2	6
Edna	193	185	0	3	0	0	5	0	22
Garden Farms	386	348	2	2	5	0	21	8	40
Lake Nacimiento	2,411	2,153	12	44	24	5	75	98	256
Los Berros	641	527	4	1	12	1	45	51	153
Los Osos	14,276	12,304	79	97	748	18	552	478	1,977
Los Ranchos	1,477	1,389	1	2	31	0	18	36	58
Nipomo	16,714	12,281	177	200	421	33	2,821	781	6,645
Oak Shores	337	318	3	2	4	0	4	6	31
Oceano	7,286	5,105	62	120	165	7	1,509	318	3,484
San Miguel	2,336	1,638	65	58	19	1	474	81	1,196
San Simeon	462	270	4	5	9	2	160	12	258
Santa Margarita	1,259	1,077	8	28	34	0	42	70	206
Shandon	1,295	840	34	18	7	2	352	42	693
Templeton	7,674	6,833	59	80	123	10	337	232	1,171
Whitley Gardens	285	260	1	6	1	0	13	4	43
Woodlands	576	541	7	0	18	1	3	6	27
Unincorporated communities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	47,973	39,400	2,854	462	1,422	40	2,250	1,545	7,659

2000[edit]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	336		—
1860	1,782		430.4%
1870	4,772		167.8%
1880	9,142		91.6%
1890	16,072		75.8%
1900	16,637		3.5%
1910	19,383		16.5%
1920	21,893		12.9%
1930	29,613		35.3%
1940	33,246		12.3%
1950	51,417		54.7%
1960	81,044		57.6%
1970	105,690		30.4%
1980	155,435		47.1%
1990	217,162		39.7%
2000	246,681		13.6%
2010	269,637		9.3%
Est. 2016	282,887	^[4]	4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census^[18] 1790–1960^[19] 1900–1990^[20] 1990–2000^[21] 2010–2015^[3]

As of the census^[22] of 2000, there were 246,681 residents, 92,739 households, and 58,611 families in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 102,275 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.6% White, 2.0% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 16.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 13.9% were of German, 11.4% English, 9.7% Irish, 6.1% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 85.7% spoke English and 10.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 92,739 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.40% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,428, and the median income for a family was $52,447. Males had a median income of $40,726 versus $27,450 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,864. About 6.8% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics[edit]

Voter registration[edit]

Population and registered voters
Total population^[10]	267,871
Registered voters^[23]^{[note 3]}	156,516	58.4%
Democratic^[23]	52,937	33.8%
Republican^[23]	61,640	39.4%
Democratic–Republican spread^[23]	-8,703	-5.6%
Independent^[23]	4,303	2.7%
Green^[23]	1,394	0.9%
Libertarian^[23]	1,303	0.8%
Peace and Freedom^[23]	327	0.2%
Americans Elect^[23]	4	0.0%
Other^[23]	1,846	1.2%
No party preference^[23]	32,762	20.9%

Cities by population and voter registration[edit]

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population^[10]	Registered voters^[23] ^{[note 3]}	Democratic^[23]	Republican^[23]	D–R spread^[23]	Other^[23]	No party preference^[23]
Arroyo Grande	17,132	65.5%	34.2%	41.8%	-7.6%	8.1%	18.7%
Atascadero	28,194	58.9%	30.8%	43.9%	-13.1%	8.2%	19.8%
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)	29,270	52.1%	29.6%	45.3%	-15.7%	8.2%	19.9%
Grover Beach	13,175	50.6%	37.3%	34.0%	+3.3%	9.3%	22.5%
Morro Bay	10,263	68.4%	39.5%	31.6%	+7.9%	9.5%	22.2%
Pismo Beach	7,753	70.4%	32.2%	41.5%	-9.3%	8.9%	20.3%
San Luis Obispo	45,130	59.2%	40.0%	29.1%	+10.9%	9.0%	24.6%

Overview[edit]

San Luis Obispo County, as a whole, leans toward the Republican Party in presidential and congressional elections; it has, however, become somewhat more Democratic during the 2000s and 2010s. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county with 51.2 percent of the vote.^[24] Prior to 2008, the last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964, although Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1992. In 2012, Obama again won the county, this time with a slim plurality of the vote.

Presidential elections results

San Luis Obispo County vote
by party in presidential elections^[25]
Year	GOP	DEM	Others
2016	40.94% 56,164	48.91% 67,107	10.15% 13,931
2012	47.61% 59,967	48.63% 61,258	3.76% 4,741
2008	45.85% 61,055	51.20% 68,176	2.95% 3,924
2004	52.69% 67,995	45.52% 58,742	1.79% 2,313
2000	52.22% 56,859	40.89% 44,526	6.89% 7,501
1996	46.50% 46,733	40.19% 40,395	13.30% 13,372
1992	34.78% 36,384	38.36% 40,136	26.86% 28,099
1988	55.85% 46,613	42.73% 35,667	1.42% 1,187
1984	63.72% 49,035	35.02% 26,946	1.26% 969
1980	55.56% 38,631	29.50% 20,508	14.94% 10,388
1976	51.17% 27,785	45.91% 24,926	2.92% 1,587
1972	55.98% 28,566	40.72% 20,779	3.31% 1,688
1968	51.27% 19,420	41.78% 15,828	6.95% 2,633
1964	40.08% 14,906	59.84% 22,252	0.08% 28
1960	54.04% 17,862	45.30% 14,975	0.66% 218
1956	58.47% 16,223	41.11% 11,407	0.43% 118
1952	65.37% 17,716	33.85% 9,174	0.79% 213
1948	53.49% 10,325	42.14% 8,135	4.38% 844
1944	48.90% 7,793	50.63% 8,068	0.47% 75
1940	45.25% 7,204	53.39% 8,499	1.36% 217
1936	37.28% 4,812	61.13% 7,889	1.59% 205
1932	28.59% 3,449	65.77% 7,933	5.64% 680
1928	60.82% 5,425	37.40% 3,336	1.78% 159
1924	49.01% 3,804	9.42% 731	41.57% 3,226
1920	61.31% 4,123	23.88% 1,606	14.81% 996
1916	40.20% 2,854	49.85% 3,539	9.95% 706
1912	0.23% 13	40.48% 2,248	59.28% 3,292
1908	50.76% 2,008	34.91% 1,381	14.33% 567
1904	54.95% 2,015	31.82% 1,167	13.23% 485
1900	45.81% 1,564	50.18% 1,713	4.01% 137
1896	43.74% 1,671	53.82% 2,056	2.43% 93
1892	38.10% 1,433	31.88% 1,199	30.02% 1,129

The county backed Democrat Jerry Brown during his 2014 re-election campaign after having supported his Republican opponent, Meg Whitman, in 2010. Prior to this, the last Democrat to carry the county in a gubernatorial election was Gray Davis in 1998.

With respect to the United States House of Representatives, San Luis Obispo County is in California's 24th congressional district, represented by Democrat Salud Carbajal.^[26] From 2003 until 2013, the county was split between the Bakersfield-based 22nd district, which was represented by Republican Kevin McCarthy and included Paso Robles and most of the more conservative inland areas of the county, and Lois Capps' 23rd district, a strip which included most of the county's more liberal coastal areas as well as coastal areas of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

With respect to the California State Senate, the county is in the 17th Senate District, represented by Democrat Bill Monning. With respect to the California State Assembly, the county is in the 35th Assembly District, represented by Republican Jordan Cunningham.

In April 2008, the California Secretary of State reported that there were 147,326 registered voters in San Luis Obispo County. Of those voters, 61,226 (41.6%) were registered Republicans, 52,586 (35.7%) were registered Democratic, 8,030 (5.4%) are registered with other political parties, and 25,484 (17.3%) declined to state a political preference. The cities of Grover Beach, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo had pluralities or majorities of registered Democratic voters, whereas the rest of the county's towns, cities, and the unincorporated areas have a plurality or majority of registered Republican voters.^{[citation needed]}

Crime[edit]

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Population and crime rates
Population^[10]	267,871
Violent crime^[27]	694	2.59
Homicide^[27]	4	0.01
Forcible rape^[27]	89	0.33
Robbery^[27]	106	0.40
Aggravated assault^[27]	495	1.85
Property crime^[27]	3,009	11.23
Burglary^[27]	1,433	5.35
Larceny-theft^[27]^[28]	4,169	15.56
Motor vehicle theft^[27]	375	1.40
Arson^[27]	88	0.33

Cities by population and crime rates[edit]

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population^[29]	Violent crimes^[29]	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes^[29]	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Arroyo Grande	17,568	60	3.42	358	20.38
Atascadero	28,825	192	6.66	658	22.83
Grover Beach	13,398	32	2.39	306	22.84
Morro Bay	10,423	21	2.01	140	13.43
Paso Robles	30,344	91	3.00	777	25.61
Pismo Beach	7,798	36	4.62	305	39.11
San Luis Obispo	45,947	119	2.59	1,971	42.90

Economy[edit]

Clubhair mariposa lily near SLO city, 2014

San Luis Obispo County’s economy is primarily a service economy. Service jobs account for 38% of the County’s jobs, government jobs accounts for 20.7%, and manufacturing jobs represent 6% of the County's jobs.

Transportation[edit]

Major highways[edit]

U.S. Route 101

State Route 1

State Route 41

State Route 46

State Route 58

State Route 166

State Route 227

State Route 229

Public transportation[edit]

San Luis Obispo County is served by Amtrak trains and Greyhound Lines buses.
The San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority provides countywide service along US 101 as well as service to Morro Bay, Los Osos, Cambria and San Simeon.

The cities of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero and Paso Robles operate their own local bus services;
all of these connect with SLORTA routes.

Oceano County Airport in 2013

Intercity service is provided by Amtrak trains, Greyhound and Orange Belt Stages buses.

Airports[edit]

San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) is located just south of the City of San Luis Obispo. Commercial flights are available.

Paso Robles Municipal Airport (PRB) is located north-east of the City of Paso Robles and is home to California Highway Patrol, CAL-FIRE and the Estrella Warbirds Museum.

Oceano County Airport (L52) is located on the coast in the 5 Cities area.

Communities[edit]

Cities[edit]

Arroyo Grande

Atascadero

Grover Beach

Morro Bay

Paso Robles

Pismo Beach

San Luis Obispo (county seat)

The "Five Cities" as they are known today are: Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Oceano and Pismo Beach. Some people think that Shell Beach is separate from Pismo Beach, and while it was originally developed in the County, it was annexed into the City of Pismo Beach and is part of that City. Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach are the only incorporated cities. Oceano is a census-designated place, and Shell Beach is part of Pismo Beach.

Census-designated places[edit]

Avila Beach

Blacklake

Callender

Cambria

Cayucos

Creston

Edna

Garden Farms

Lake Nacimiento

Los Berros

Los Osos

Los Ranchos

Nipomo

Oak Shores

Oceano

San Miguel

San Simeon

Santa Margarita

Shandon

Templeton

Whitley Gardens

Woodlands

Pair of Bat stars near Los Osos

Unincorporated communities[edit]

Baywood Park

California Valley

Cholame

Halcyon

Harmony

Pozo

Population ranking[edit]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of San Luis Obispo County.^[30]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† San Luis Obispo	City	45,119
2	Paso Robles (El Paso de Robles)	City	29,793
3	Atascadero	City	28,310
4	Arroyo Grande	City	17,252
5	Nipomo	CDP	16,714
6	Los Osos	CDP	14,276
7	Grover Beach	City	13,156
8	Morro Bay	City	10,234
9	Templeton	CDP	7,674
10	Pismo Beach	City	7,655
11	Oceano	CDP	7,286
12	Cambria	CDP	6,032
13	Cayucos	CDP	2,592
14	Lake Nacimiento	CDP	2,411
15	San Miguel	CDP	2,336
16	Avila Beach	CDP	1,627
17	Los Ranchos	CDP	1,477
18	Shandon	CDP	1,295
19	Callender	CDP	1,262
20	Santa Margarita	CDP	1,259
21	Blacklake	CDP	930
22	Los Berros	CDP	641
23	Woodlands	CDP	576
24	San Simeon	CDP	462
25	Garden Farms	CDP	386
26	Oak Shores	CDP	337
27	Whitley Gardens	CDP	285
28	Edna	CDP	193
29	Creston	CDP	94

Notes[edit]

^ Other = Some other race + Two or more races

^ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native

^ ^a^b Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

Footnotes[edit]

^ "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}

^ "Caliente Mountain". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 18, 2015.

^ ^a^b^c "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

^ ^a^b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.

^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.

^ Settevendemie, Marty. "2012 Crop Report" (PDF). San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture.

^ Terry L. Jones and Kathryn Klar (2007) California Prehistory: Colonization, Culture, and Complexity, Published by Rowman Altamira
ISBN 0-7591-0872-2, 408 pages

^ C.Michael Hogan (2008) Morro Creek, ed. by A. Burnham

^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿ^o^p^q U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.

^ ^a^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.

^ ^a^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

^ ^a^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

^ ^a^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

^ ^a^b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.

^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.

^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿ^o^p^q California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2013-10-31.

^ Map of Election Results, County-by-County: The New York Times

^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-09-02.

^ "California's 24th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved September 25, 2014.

^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2013-11-14.

^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.

^ ^a^b^c United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved 2013-11-14.

^ https://www.census.gov/2010census/

External links[edit]

Economic Vitality Corp.

Official website

San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conference Bureau website

SLOweather.com has weather conditions, web cams, and weather forecasts for the County seat and surrounding areas

Coordinates: 35°23′N 120°27′W / 35.38°N 120.45°W / 35.38; -120.45

[other-16] Other = Some other race + Two or more races

[na-17] Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native

[PCT-RV-26] Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

[csac-1] "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}

[2] "Caliente Mountain". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 18, 2015.

[QF-3] "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

[USCensusEst2016-4] "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.

[GR6-5] "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.

[6] Settevendemie, Marty. "2012 Crop Report" (PDF). San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture.

[7] Terry L. Jones and Kathryn Klar (2007) California Prehistory: Colonization, Culture, and Complexity, Published by Rowman Altamira
ISBN 0-7591-0872-2, 408 pages

[8] C.Michael Hogan (2008) Morro Creek, ed. by A. Burnham

[GR1-9] "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

[US-CB-B02001-10] ⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿ^o^p^q U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.

[US-CB-B03003-11] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.

[US-CB-B19301-12] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

[US-CB-B19013-13] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

[US-CB-B19113-14] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

[US-CB-15] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

[US-CB-B01003-18] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.

[19] "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.

[20] "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

[21] "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

[22] Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

[23] "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

[GR8-24] "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.

[CA-SS-25] ⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿ^o^p^q California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2013-10-31.

[27] Map of Election Results, County-by-County: The New York Times

[28] Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-09-02.

[29] "California's 24th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved September 25, 2014.

[CA-DOJ-T11-30] ⁱ^j Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2013-11-14.

[LT-note_group=note-31] Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.

[FBI-UCR-T8-32] United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved 2013-11-14.

[33] ttps://www.census.gov/2010census/

v t e Municipalities and communities of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
County seat: San Luis Obispo
Cities	Arroyo Grande Atascadero Grover Beach Morro Bay Paso Robles Pismo Beach San Luis Obispo
CDPs	Avila Beach Blacklake Callender Cambria Cayucos Creston Edna Garden Farms Lake Nacimiento Los Berros Los Osos Los Ranchos Nipomo Oak Shores Oceano San Miguel San Simeon Santa Margarita Shandon Templeton Whitley Gardens Woodlands
Unincorporated communities	Adelaida Asuncion Baywood-Los Osos Bee Rock Bern Bromela California Valley Cambria Pines Cholame Chorro Halcyon Harmony Huasna La Panza Pozo
Ghost towns	La Panza

v t e California Central Coast
Counties	Monterey San Benito San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara Santa Cruz Ventura
Cities and towns 100k-250k	Oxnard Salinas Santa Maria Ventura
Cities and towns 25k-100k	Atascadero Camarillo Goleta Hollister Lompoc Monterey Orcutt Paso Robles San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara Santa Cruz Seaside Soledad Watsonville
Cities and towns 10k-25k	Arroyo Grande Capitola Carpinteria Greenfield Grover Beach Isla Vista King City Live Oak Los Osos Marina Montecito Morro Bay Nipomo Pacific Grove Port Hueneme Prunedale Scotts Valley
Sub-regions	Big Sur Channel Islands of California Monterey Bay Oxnard Plain Salinas Valley Santa Maria Valley Santa Ynez Valley
Counties in italics sometimes included in the definition of the Central Coast

v t e State of California
Sacramento (capital)
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Metro regions	Metropolitan Fresno Los Angeles metropolitan area Greater Sacramento San Bernardino-Riverside metropolitan area San Francisco metropolitan area San Diego–Tijuana
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