Location:  Santa Barbara is located on the South Central Coast of California, facing the Pacific Ocean, some 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 330 miles south of San Francisco.  The city lies in a moderate coastal valley, surrounded by green foothills and rolling surf.  The elevation ranges from sea level to 850 feet within the city limits.  The city occupies 23 square miles in the county, including the Channel Islands, of 2,774 square miles.

Climate:  Temperatures for the Santa Barbara Area range from a low of 56 to a high of 82 during the summer months (April-September), and a low of 47 to a high of 66 in the winter months (October-March).  The average annual rainfall is 18 inches, and the air quality is generally good.

Economy:  Barbara's employment force is mainly in service-related companies. The economy is based on electronics and space age research, light manufacturing, educational facilities, tourist and convention services. Additional contributors to the economic stability of the area are commercial fishing, agriculture, government and finance, commercially produced minerals such as petroleum, natural gas, sand and gravel, and wholesale and retail enterprises. The financial community consists of 11 banks with 36 offices, and 8 savings and loan associations with 17 offices. The two major shopping malls, the El Paseo Nuevo in downtown, and the La Cumbre Plaza at State Street and La Cumbre attract regional shoppers to their major department stores, specialty shops, and restaurants.

List of People From Santa Barbara:

Includes people who were born and who grew up in the area as well as celebrities who own or have owned property in Santa Barbara.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Santa_Barbara

History:

In 1542, Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo entered Santa Barbara's channel and claimed the land for Spain.

In 1602, a Carmelite friar arriving by frigate names the bay and shore after Saint Barbara.

Until the late 1700s, Chumash Indians lived in small villages along the coast, and on the nearby Channel Islands.

A group led by Father Junipero Serra, Captain Jose Ortega, and Governor Felipe de Neve established a military presidio here in 1782, and a mission in 1785.

Santa Barbara was incorporated on August 26, 1850 as a charter city under California state law.  Today, the city operates under a council administrator form of government consisting of six council members and a major - all elected at-large.