See Also: Santa Barbara(tourism)
Santa Barbara(encyclopedia)
Hospital Santa Barbara(health)
Santa Barbara clinic(health)
Santa Barbara Airlines(tourism)
Santa Barbara doctor(health)
Santa Barbara hospitals(health)
Santa Barbara - Poker(gambling)
Santa Barbara hotels(tourism)
Santa Barbara DOeste(tourism)

Santa Barbara (sh)




City (pop., 2000: 92,325), southern California, U.S. Located on the Pacific coast, Santa Barbara was named for the patron saint of mariners in 1602, and it became the site of a Spanish military post in 1782.

The mission of Santa Barbara was built in 1786; it is the western headquarters of the Franciscan Order and has been in continuous use since its founding. The city developed into a busy port and was incorporated as a city in 1850. After the arrival (1887) of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Santa Barbara became a popular seaside resort. Its economy is bolstered by livestock farms and petroleum production. Its educational institutions include the University of California at Santa Barbara (1891).