Townapedia
El Estero, Carpinteria Dec 68 (28907839152)
El Estero, Carpinteria Dec 68 (28907839152) · California Department of Fish and Wildlife from..., CC BY 2.0
La Carpinteria Historical Landmark
La Carpinteria Historical Landmark · Seahawk190, CC BY-SA 4.0
Carpinteria State Beach pano
Carpinteria State Beach pano · Ron Kroetz, CC BY 2.0
Carpinteria Creek under overpass
Carpinteria Creek under overpass · Dreamyshade, CC BY 4.0
Carpinteria Creek, Carpinteria, California, US
Carpinteria Creek, Carpinteria, California, US · Clyde Charles Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0
Monte Vista Park, Carpinteria, California, US
Monte Vista Park, Carpinteria, California, US · Clyde Charles Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0

Carpinteria, California

Carpinteria is a city of 13,036 people in Santa Barbara County, California.

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Population13,036 -3.5% since 2019
CountySanta Barbara County
Elevation33 ft 10 m
Land area2.6 sq mi
ZIP code93013
Nearest airportSanta Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) 19 mi

Why visit Carpinteria

Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 20 parks and trails, 29 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Carpinteria Valley Historical Museum, Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, Rincon Beach County Park and Rincon beach.

August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; December lows average 46°F.

About Carpinteria

Carpinteria (; Spanish: Carpintería, meaning "Carpentry") is a small seaside city in southeastern Santa Barbara County, California. Located on the Central Coast of California, it had a population of 13,264 at the 2020 census. Carpinteria is a popular surf destination; the city embraced the slogan "World's Safest Beach" in 1912, which it still uses today.

From the Wikipedia article Carpinteria, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do4

Alcazar Theater

Cinema and theater · 1.1 mi

4916 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria

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Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary Viewpoint

Scenic view

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Lois Sidenberg Overlook

Scenic view · 0.7 mi

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Seaside Theatre

Cinema and theater · 0.9 mi

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Museums and landmarks4

Carpinteria Valley Historical Museum

Museum · 0.9 mi

956 Maple Avenue, Carpinteria

We-Sa 13:00-16:00; Su-Tu,PH off

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia · +1-805-684-3112

Carpinteria Valley Museum of History

Museum · 0.9 mi

History museum in Carpinteria, California

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Carpinteria Arts Center

Museum · 1.1 mi

855 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

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Carpinteria Tar Pit

Monument and historic site

Natural Tar Seep / Natural Tar Pit

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Parks, trails and playgrounds20

Rincon Beach County ParkCC BY-SA 4.0

Rincon Beach County Park

Park · 1.6 mi

Beach in the United States of America

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Rincon beach

Beach · 1.7 mi

Previously a nude beach at Northern end. Nudity no longer allowed since 2000.

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Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Hiking and trails · 0.5 mi

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Carpinteria Community Garden Park

Park · 1.2 mi

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Carpinteria State Beach

Park · 0.8 mi

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El Carro Park

Park · 1.3 mi

5300 El Carro Lane, Carpinteria

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Canalino School Park

Park · 1.2 mi

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Carpinteria Bluffs III

Park · 1.2 mi

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Carpinteria Creek Park

Park · 0.6 mi

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Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary

Hiking and trails

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Franklin Creek Park

Park · 1.5 mi

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Heath Ranch Park & Adobe

Park · 1.7 mi

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8 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes29

Starbucks

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.7 mi

5436 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria

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Jack's Bistro & Famous Bagels

Cafe · Bagel, Deli, Breakfast, Brunch, Bagel · 1.0 mi

5050 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria

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Oaxaca Fresh

Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi

721 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

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Teddy's By The Sea

Restaurant · Seafood, American, Bar And Grill · 1.0 mi

5096 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria

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Sunburst Wine Bar

Bar and pub · 1.0 mi

5080 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria

Mo,We,Th,Su 11:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:00; Tu off

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Corktree Cellars

Restaurant · American, Wine, Bar, Regional · 1.0 mi

910 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

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Esau's Cafe

Restaurant · Regional, Breakfast, American · 1.0 mi

507 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

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Giannfranco's Trattoria

Restaurant · Italian · 1.0 mi

666 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

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Giovanni's

Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi

5003 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria

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Guicho's Eatery

Restaurant · Italian · 1.1 mi

901 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

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Lucky Llama Coffee House

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi

5100 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria

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Pizza Man Dan's

Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi

699 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

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17 more on the map.

History

Carpinteria was home to a Chumash village during pre-colonial times, which was known as Šujtu.

In 1769, the Spanish Portolá expedition came west along the beach from the previous night's encampment at Rincon. The explorers found a large native village on the point of land where Carpinteria Pier is today. The party camped nearby on August 17. Fray Juan Crespí, a Franciscan missionary travelling with the expedition, noted that "Not far from the town we saw some springs of pitch. The Indians have many canoes, and at the time were building one, for which reason the soldiers named this town La Carpinteria" (the carpentry shop).

The Chumash people used the naturally occurring surface asphalt to seal their canoes, known as Tomols. Petroleum seeps are still visible along the beach bluffs at Tar Pits Park on the campground beach of Carpinteria State Beach. The three closest drilling platforms visible from the shore are within the Carpinteria Offshore Oil Field, the 50th-largest field in California.

On March 21, 2023, an EF0 tornado impacted a mobile home park in Carpinteria, damaging 25 mobile homes.

From the History section of Carpinteria, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay6

Churches and places of worship7

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Shopping7

Gas and EV charging5

Schools, colleges and libraries13

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Healthcare1

Map of Carpinteria

96 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

40°60°80°January: 4.4 in of rainFebruary: 4.4 in of rainMarch: 3.2 in of rainApril: 1.0 in of rainMay: 0.4 in of rainJune: 0.1 in of rainJuly: 0.0 in of rainAugust: 0.0 in of rainSeptember: 0.1 in of rainOctober: 0.8 in of rainNovember: 1.4 in of rainDecember: 3.1 in of rainJanuary: 67°FFebruary: 67°FMarch: 68°FApril: 71°FMay: 72°FJune: 73°FJuly: 76°FAugust: 78°FSeptember: 78°FOctober: 76°FNovember: 71°FDecember: 66°FJanuary: 46°FFebruary: 47°FMarch: 49°FApril: 51°FMay: 54°FJune: 57°FJuly: 60°FAugust: 60°FSeptember: 60°FOctober: 56°FNovember: 50°FDecember: 46°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan67°F46°F4.4 in0.0 in
Feb67°F47°F4.4 in0.0 in
Mar68°F49°F3.2 in0.0 in
Apr71°F51°F1.0 in0.0 in
May72°F54°F0.4 in0.0 in
Jun73°F57°F0.1 in0.0 in
Jul76°F60°F0.0 in0.0 in
Aug78°F60°F0.0 in0.0 in
Sep78°F60°F0.1 in0.0 in
Oct76°F56°F0.8 in0.0 in
Nov71°F50°F1.4 in0.0 in
Dec66°F46°F3.1 in0.0 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Santa Barbara Hcn (10 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$100,658median household income
$1,043,100median home value
$2,377median monthly rent
44.8median age
44.0%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
61.5%of homes are owner-occupied
24.9 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1820%18 to 3417%35 to 6438%65 and over24%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Santa Barbara County has had 29 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.

  • 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
  • 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
  • 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
  • 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
  • 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
  • 2021-10-13: Alisal Fire (Fire)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.