Isla Vista, California
Isla Vista is a community of 13,920 people in Santa Barbara County, California.
Why visit Isla Vista
Townapedia lists 36 museums and landmarks, 50 parks and trails, 102 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 13 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Camino Real Cinemas, Isla Vista Theater, Art, Design & Architecture Museum and Goleta Depot.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 72°F; December lows average 42°F.
Weather in Isla Vista
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Isla Vista
Isla Vista (English: EYE-luh VIS-tuh; Spanish: [ˈisla ˈβista], lit. 'island view') is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. As of 2020 census, the community had a population of 15,500. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined the community as a census-designated place (CDP). The majority of residents are college students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, or Santa Barbara City College.
From the Wikipedia article Isla Vista, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do13
Camino Real Cinemas
Cinema and theater · 1.4 mi
7040 Marketplace Drive, Goleta
"Opening/Closing is dependent on movies shown"
University of California, Santa Barbara
School · 0.9 mi
Public university near Goleta, California, United States and part of the University of California system
1 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks36
Goleta Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Place in California listed on National Register of Historic Places
Joseph and Lucy Foster Sexton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Stow House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Place in California listed on National Register of Historic Places
Art, Design and Architecture Museum at UCSB
Museum · 0.7 mi
Museum in Santa Barbara, California
South Coast Railroad Museum
Museum · 2.1 mi
Railroad museum in Goleta, California
Grade & High School
Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi
7961 Seaway Drive, Santa Barbara
24 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds50
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38 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes102
On The Alley
Restaurant · Burger, Tacos, Sandwich, Salad, Breakfast, Dessert · 1.4 mi
Taco Tuesdays
7038 Marketplace Drive, Goleta
08:00-20:00; PH off
Ca'Dario Cucina Italiana
Restaurant · Italian · 1.3 mi
250 Storke Road, Goleta
Mo-Sa 11:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00; Su 16:00-21:00
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 1.3 mi
6950 Marketplace Drive, Goleta
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Dune Coffee Roasters
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.3 mi
250 Storke Road, Goleta
Mo-Fr 06:00-16:00; Sa-Su 07:00-16:00
Finney's Crafthouse
Diner · American · 1.3 mi
6980 Marketplace Drive, Goleta
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Hana Kitchen
Restaurant · Chinese, Chicken
6558 Pardall Road, Isla Vista
Su-Th 11:00-01:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-03:00
90 more on the map.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship4
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon
6524 Cordoba Road, Goleta
Shopping12
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries26
Healthcare6
Map of Isla Vista
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°F | 43°F | 4.7 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 44°F | 4.3 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 46°F | 3.3 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 48°F | 1.0 in |
| May | 68°F | 51°F | 0.5 in |
| Jun | 68°F | 54°F | 0.1 in |
| Jul | 71°F | 57°F | 0.1 in |
| Aug | 72°F | 56°F | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 56°F | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 51°F | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 68°F | 46°F | 1.2 in |
| Dec | 63°F | 42°F | 2.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Santa Barbara 11 W 74505 (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
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, 1 miles away.
- University of California-Santa Barbara 1 mi northeast, about 1 min by car
- Goleta 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Eastern Goleta Valley 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Santa Barbara 8 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Mission Canyon 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Montecito 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Summerland 16 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Toro Canyon 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Carpinteria 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Santa Ynez 20 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- WelcomeToIslaVista, No machine-readable author provided. Alanmak~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Isla Vista Free Box, Dreamyshade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sandpipers in Isla Vista (31679536657), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Sunset in Isla Vista (49225040308), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Surfer in Isla Vista (39793767243), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Surfer in Isla Vista (31817341547), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Surfer in Isla Vista (31817340447), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Surfers in Isla Vista (31817341017), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Surfer in Isla Vista (39793766563), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Surfer in Isla Vista (39793761463), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Surfer in Isla Vista (31817339837), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Isla Vista Sunset 1, Glenn Beltz, CC BY 4.0
- Woodstock's Pizza in Isla Vista (46729267444), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Pre-Pandemic Isla Vista, August 2019 (49844649417), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Spin Scooters in Isla Vista (46729267224), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Isla Vista (49142739252), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Platform Holly, Isla Vista, California - at sunset, beltz6, CC BY 2.0
- Platform Holly, Isla Vista, California at sunset, Glenn Beltz, CC BY 2.0
- Jay at St. George, Apragin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bill's Bus, Jay Freeman, CC BY 4.0
- Brown alga with moss animals (41902248744), Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Brown alga with moss animals (42620595771), Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sunset, Platform Holly (39750162733), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Platform Holly at Sunset (46568452822), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Limpets (41902250854), Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Limpets (42620604101), Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Limpets (42620599711), Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Platform Holly Blocks the Sun (49265266571), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Sunset, Platform Holly (44747087560), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Platform Holly at Sunset (39677146153), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- St. Michael's University Church, Episcopal Campus Ministry, UC Santa Barbara, Dreamyshade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Calm Between the Storms (31817343137), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Sunset, Platform Holly (45650816555), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Sunset from UCSB's Interactive Learning Pavilion, Glenn Beltz, CC BY 2.0
- Platform Holly (49269115963), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Platform Holly at Twilight (49269029193), Glenn Beltz from Goleta, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Platform Holly1, Glenn Beltz, CC BY 2.0
- WORD Magazine bench, red, Dreamyshade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sea shell (43126307932), Björn S..., CC BY-SA 2.0
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