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Santa Margarita, California
Santa Margarita is a community of 1,149 people in San Luis Obispo County, California.
Why visit Santa Margarita
Townapedia lists 1 park or trail, 4 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; December lows average 44°F.
Weather in Santa Margarita
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Santa Margarita
Santa Margarita (Spanish for "St. Margaret") is an unincorporated community located in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. It was founded in 1889 near Cuesta Peak and San Luis Obispo along today's State Route 58. The town's name comes from the Mexican Alta California land grant of Rancho Santa Margarita. It is home to the Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia site.
From the Wikipedia article Santa Margarita, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes4
Churches and places of worship2
History
Santa Margarita was named for the 13th-century Saint Margaret of Cortona (1247–1297).
Santa Margarita Valley, with its year-round running streams and abundant acorns, was a meeting place for northern Chumash and southern Salinan around 6500 BCE. The de Anza Expedition traversed the Cuesta Grade into the valley in 1776. After Fr. Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, he realized that an assistancia (sub-mission) was needed. The Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia was founded circa 1775, and was named for the Italian Saint, Santa Margarita de Cortona. The Spanish El Camino Real trail past it is the city's present-day main street.
In 1841, following Mexico's 1822 independence and 1830s mission secularization, Joaquin Estrada became the owner of the Rancho Santa Margarita. Estrada was famed for his "Rancho Hospitality" with rodeos, BBQs and fiestas. After downturns in the economy and personal debts, Estrada sold the Rancho to the Martin Murphy Jr. family in 1860.
From the History section of Santa Margarita, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Santa Margarita Branch San Luis Obispo City-County Library
Library
9610 Murphy Avenue
Atascadero Choices In Education Academy (Ace)
School · 5.1 mi
10801 El Camino Real, Atascadero
Map of Santa Margarita
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 44°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 65°F | 44°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 46°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 47°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 72°F | 49°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 52°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 78°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 55°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 52°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 47°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 64°F | 44°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for San Luis Obispo Poly Hcn (7 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, 11 miles away.
- California Polytechnic State University 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Atascadero 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- San Luis Obispo 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Los Ranchos 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Templeton 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Los Osos 13 mi southwest, about 22 min by car
- Morro Bay 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Avila Beach 15 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) 17 mi north, about 27 min by car
- Pismo Beach 17 mi south, about 27 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downtown Santa Margarita, bill mulder from santa margarita, usa, CC BY 2.0
- Barn, Santa Margarita Ranch, Tracey Adams from Atascadero, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Santa Margarita, CA, USA - panoramio, Thomas Camargo, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Margarita, CA, USA - panoramio (2), Thomas Camargo, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Margarita, CA, USA - panoramio (1), Thomas Camargo, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Margarita, CA, USA - panoramio (3), Thomas Camargo, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Margarita, CA, USA - panoramio (4), Thomas Camargo, CC BY 3.0
- Santa Margarita Ranch, California - panoramio, Andrew Martin, CC BY 3.0
- Pacific Coast RR, Sta Margarita Ranch, Tracey Adams from Atascadero, USA, CC BY 2.0
- San Luis Ambulance Service, Tracey Adams from Atascadero, USA, CC BY 2.0
- ISS017-E-12614 - View of California, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS017-E-12613 - View of California, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Anthoceros fusiformis1, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
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