San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city of 48,491 people in San Luis Obispo County, California, founded in 1772.
Why visit San Luis Obispo
Townapedia lists 53 museums and landmarks, 48 parks and trails, 280 places to eat, 37 places to stay and 15 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Sunset Drive-in, Downtown Centre Cinemas, Dallidet Adobe and Gardens and Jack House.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; December lows average 40°F.
Weather in San Luis Obispo
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (Spanish for 'St. Louis the Bishop'; san LOO-iss ə-BISS-poh; Spanish: [san ˈlwis oˈβispo]; Obispeño: tiłhini) is a city in and the county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway between the San Francisco Bay Area in the north and Greater Los Angeles in the south. The population was 47,063 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article San Luis Obispo, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do15
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo College of Architecture and Environmental Design
School · 2.4 mi
College at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo College of Engineering
School · 2.6 mi
College of engineering in the city of San Luis Obispo, California
California Polytechnic State University
School · 2.5 mi
Public university in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre
Cinema and theater · 1.2 mi
888 Morro Street, San Luis Obispo
3 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks53
Dallidet Adobe and Gardens
Museum · 1.2 mi
1185 Pacific Street, San Luis Obispo
Apr-Oct Sa-Su 12:00-16:00
Jack House
Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi
536 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo
May-Dec Su[2],Su[4] 13:00-16:00; PH off
San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Library building in San Luis Obispo, California, United States
696 Monterey Street
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
Museum · 0.9 mi
Art museum in San Luis Obispo, California
1010 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
Museum · 0.9 mi
Railroad museum in San Luis Obispo, California
1940 Santa Barbara Street, San Luis Obispo
Myron Angel House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
United States historic place
Pacific Coast Railway Company Grain Warehouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Warehouse building in California, USA
Robert Jack House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in California, United States
San Luis Obispo Octagon Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Place in California listed on National Register of Historic Places
The Powerhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic building in San Luis Obispo, California, United States
Tribune-Republic Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Commercial building in San Luis Obispo, United States of America
William Shipsey House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic house in California, United States
41 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds48
North Broad Street Neighborhood Park
Park · 1.2 mi
533 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo
sunrise-sunset
36 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes280
201 Kitchen
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.0 mi
857 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo
Mo-Tu 11:00-15:00,16:30-21:00; We 11:30-15:00,16:30-21:00; Th...
At Bites
Restaurant · Asian, Fusion, Vietnamese · 2.0 mi
195 Santa Rosa Street, San Luis Obispo
We-Mo 11:00-21:00
Bang the Drum Brewery
Bar and pub · Bakery · 1.3 mi
1150 Laurel Lane, San Luis Obispo
We-Th 12:00-20:00; Fr 12:00-21:00; Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-19:00
Bear & The Wren
Bar and pub · Pizza · 0.8 mi
570 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo
Tu-Sa 16:00-22:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Buona Tavola
Restaurant · Italian · 1.2 mi
1037 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo
Mo-Fr 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:30; Sa-Su 17:30-21:30
Capriottti's Sandwich Shop
Restaurant · Sandwich · 1.9 mi
791 Foothill Boulevard, San Luis Obispo
Mo 10:00-20:30; Tu 11:30-20:45; We-Fr 10:00-20:45; Sa 11:00-20:45;...
Finney's Crafthouse
Diner · American · 1.0 mi
857 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
G Brothers Smokehouse
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.9 mi
885 Foothill Boulevard, San Luis Obispo
Mo-Su 07:30-21:00
Honey Belly
Restaurant · Korean · 0.9 mi
1127 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo
Su-Th 12:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:30
268 more on the map.
History
The earliest human inhabitants of the local area were the Chumash people. One of the earliest villages lies south of San Luis Obispo and reflects the landscape of the early Holocene when estuaries came farther inland. The Chumash people used marine resources of the inlets and bays along the Central Coast and inhabited a network of villages, including sites at Los Osos and Morro Creek. The tribal site on present-day San Luis Obispo was named tiłhini (Obispeño for 'Place of the full moon').
From the History section of San Luis Obispo, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay37
La Quinta Inn & Suites San Luis Obispo Downtown
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
1845 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo
Residence Inn by Marriott San Luis Obispo
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
701 Froom Ranch Way, San Luis Obispo
Churches and places of worship32
United Church of Christ
Church · United Church Of Christ · 1.6 mi
11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo
Saint Anne Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite
Church · Catholic · 2.1 mi
First Church of Christ Scientist
Church · Christ Scientist · 0.9 mi
1326 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo
Saint Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox Church
Church · Greek Orthodox · 2.1 mi
232 Foothill Boulevard, San Luis Obispo
Shopping59
Gas and EV charging19
Schools, colleges and libraries40
Healthcare27
Cottage Urgent Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.9 mi
777 Foothill Boulevard, San Luis Obispo
Cuesta Medical Group, Inc.
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.0 mi
171 Santa Rosa Street, San Luis Obispo
Map of San Luis Obispo
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 41°F | 3.9 in |
| Feb | 65°F | 42°F | 3.5 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 44°F | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 46°F | 1.1 in |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 0.5 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 51°F | 0.1 in |
| Jul | 78°F | 54°F | 0.1 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 55°F | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 53°F | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 77°F | 50°F | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 45°F | 1.4 in |
| Dec | 65°F | 40°F | 3.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for San Luis Obispo Ap (3 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
San Luis Obispo County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 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)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
San Luis Obispo Regional Airport (SBP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- California Polytechnic State University 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Los Ranchos 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Avila Beach 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Pismo Beach 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Los Osos 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Santa Margarita 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- Grover Beach 10 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Arroyo Grande 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Oceano 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Morro Bay 13 mi northwest, about 21 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
- Sanluisobispo, User:Basar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frt hse 2, SLOGlen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SLO historical museum, You may select the license of your choice., CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.