FACTOID # 84: 41% world's poor people live in India.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo
The city of San Luis Obispo looking east from the top of Bishop Peak.
Official website: http://www.slocity.org/
Government
Country
  State
    County
United States
  California
    San Luis Obispo
Mayor Dave Romero
Geographical characteristics
Area
Total 10.7 mi² / 27.7 km²
Land km²
Water km²
Population
Total (2000 census) 44,174
Density 1,600/km²
Elevation 300 ft / 91 m
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)

San Luis Obispo, San Luis, or SLO (Spanish for St. Louis, the Bishop) is a city in California. It is the county seat of San Luis Obispo County and is home to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly SLO). As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 44,174. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 891 KB) Summary San Luis Obispo looking east from the top of Bishop Peak. ... Bishop Peak (elev 1,546 feet) is a peak of volcanic rock near the city of San Luis Obispo, California. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... The political units and divisions of the United States include: the fifty states, which units are typically divided into counties and townships, and incorporate cities, villages, towns, and other types of municipalities, and other autonomous or subordinate public authorities and institutions; and the federal state, which unit is the United... The U.S. state of California is divided into 58 counties. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Sacramento Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1850 Seat San Luis Obispo Area  - Total  - Water 9,364 km² (3,616 mi²) 806 km² (311 mi²) 8. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... The 22nd United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... World map of the population density in 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... The metre, or meter, is a measure of length. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... The Pacific Standard Time Zone is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... See also: Pacific Standard Time Zone This article is a stub. ... Daylight saving time (DST), often referred to as daylight savings time, is a widely used system of adjusting the official local time forward, usually one hour, from its official standard time for the summer months. ... Pacific Daylight Time or PDT is the Pacific Standard Time Zone (or PST) during Daylight Savings Time. ... Mountain Standard Time ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Sacramento Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq. ... A county seat is an administrative center for a county. ... San Luis Obispo County is a county located on Californias central Pacific coast, between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. ... California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, popularly known as Cal Poly, is a public coeducational university located in San Luis Obispo, California. ... The 22nd United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ...

Contents


History

The City of San Luis Obispo serves as the commercial, governmental, and cultural hub of California’s Central Coast. One of California’s oldest communities, it began with the founding of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in 1772 by Father Junípero Serra as the fifth Spanish mission in California's chain of 21 missions. The mission was named after Saint Louis, a 13th century bishop of Toulouse, France. The entrance lobby and belfry of the Mission San Luís Obispo de Tolosa in June 2004. ... Blessed Junípero Serra (November 24, 1713 – August 28, 1784) was a Majorcan (Spain) Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California. ... The Spanish Missions in California (more simply referred to as the California Missions) comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans, to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier... Saint Louis of Toulouse (February 1274 - August 19, 1297) was a cadet of the royal French house of Anjou who was made a Catholic bishop. ... Occitan cross, symbol of Toulouse and of Occitan culture Toulouse (Tolosa in Occitan) is a city in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne River, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. ...


Demographics

The Jennifer Street Bridge with a monument to the Chinese workers who helped build the California railroads in the foreground.
The Jennifer Street Bridge with a monument to the Chinese workers who helped build the California railroads in the foreground.

As of the 2000 census,GR2 there were 44,174 people, 18,639 households, and 7,697 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,600.0/km² (4,144/mi²). There were 19,306 housing units at an average density of 699.3/km² (1,811/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.11% White, 1.46% African American, 0.65% Native American, 5.28% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 4.82% from other races, and 3.55% from two or more races. 11.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The median household income was US$31,926, and the median family income was US$56,319. The per capita income was US$20,386. Although the city is quite prosperous and home to many wealthy retirees, 26.6% of the population and 7.1% of families were below the poverty line; these numbers are skewed by the large student population. ImageMetadata File history File links Jennifer_Street_Bridge. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Jennifer_Street_Bridge. ... The following is a list of sources used in the creation of encyclopedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...


Housing

Though San Luis Obispo county has sustained enormous growth over the past two decades, San Luis Obispo itself has not because of a slow growth policy. Because of this policy, along with many wealthy retirees moving to the area, housing prices have skyrocketed. As of January 2006, only 7% of San Luis Obispo's residents qualified to buy the median priced home.


Education

San Luis Obispo is home to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly for short). Cal Poly has approximately 20,000 students and colleges of Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Design, Agriculture, Science and Math, Business, and Liberal Arts. Besides Cal Poly, there is one other college: Cuesta College. Roughly one third of San Luis Obispo's population is of college age or attending college. The large student population gives the city a youthful energy and vitality. California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, popularly known as Cal Poly, is a public coeducational university located in San Luis Obispo, California. ... Cuesta College is located in San Luis Obispo, California. ...


Tourism

The city of San Luis Obispo with Bishop Peak on the right and Cerro San Luis on the left.
The city of San Luis Obispo with Bishop Peak on the right and Cerro San Luis on the left.

Because of San Luis Obispo's location (almost halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco), it has long been a stopping point for travelers. In fact, the word motel was coined here when the Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo was established in 1925. Since then, the pleasant year-round climate, pretty scenery, and well-preserved, walkable downtown have made the city a tourist destination in itself. San Luis Obispo, California. ... San Luis Obispo, California. ... Bishop Peak (elev 1,546 feet) is a peak of volcanic rock near the city of San Luis Obispo, California. ... Cerro San Luis or San Luis Mountain is located in San Luis Obispo, California. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Holiday Inn Great Sign Exterior of a Howard Johnsons motor lodge. ...


One of the main draws is San Luis Obispo's Farmers' Market, a large festival held downtown on Higuera street every Thursday year-round. About 3/4 of a mile of the street is closed to cars. Live entertainment is featured and nearby farmers and residents of the city sell goods and produce.


Downtown San Luis Obispo is centered around the carefully restored Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, originally built in the late 18th century. It is one of the best preserved examples of Spanish Mission architecture and among the oldest buldings in California. Shopping in downtown San Luis Obispo is a real treat, boasting many eclectic shops including one of the largest and finest used book stores anywhere. The entrance lobby and belfry of the Mission San Luís Obispo de Tolosa in June 2004. ... // Site selection and layout Each frontier station was forced to be self-supporting, as existing means of supply were inadequate to maintain a colony of any size. ...


Another big tourist attraction is Hearst Castle, the vast estate of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, 43 miles to the north. Other places of interest include the Madonna Inn. Established by Alex Madonna in 1958, the Inn is a famously eccentric building known for its generous helping of pink, wildly kitschy decor, themed guest rooms, and a large waterfall in its men's restroom. The Hearst Castle facade is patterned after a Spanish cathedral. ... William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate, born in San Francisco, California. ... The Madonna Inn is a motel of flamboyant style in San Luis Obispo, California. ...


One dubious attraction is Bubble Gum Alley, located downtown. Since about 1960, people have been sticking their chewed gum on the walls. The alley can be found on Higuera Street, between Broad and Garden streets. People may add their own gum to the walls, if they wish, but littering anywhere else risks a substantial fine.


A field station of the Marine Mammal Center is located in San Luis Obispo to support sea rescue and beach stranding rescue operations for this section of the California coast.


Trivia

  • Jamba Juice, a famous smoothie joint, was founded in this town. Formerly called Juice Club, Jamba Juice is now all over the country. Jamba Juice still exists at the original Juice Club location: 17 Chorro Street #C.
  • In 1990, the town was the first to ban indoor smoking in all public buildings, including bars and restaurants.
  • City ordinance prevents businesses of any sort (including fast-food restautrants) from constructing new drive-up or drive-through windows or services. Two branches of one local bank are the only locations in the entire city with drive-up service; their drive-up service was constructed before the oridance became law.
  • The second person to be admitted onto the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, Morley Vernon King, committed his crime in San Luis Obispo.

Jamba Juice is a chain of smoothie restaurants headquartered in San Francisco, California with 533 locations operating in 26 states, the District of Columbia and the Bahamas. ... The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949, during a game of Hearts between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service (the predecessor of the United Press International) Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture...

Notable residents

Chris Pontius has been married to Claire Nolan since October 2004. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Jackass was a half-hour television series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002 in which a group of men perform various dangerous and ridiculous stunts. ... Charles David Liddell (born December 17, 1969 in Santa Barbara, California), popularly referred to as Chuck Liddell, and also known as The Iceman, is a mixed martial artist with a background in kickboxing. ... UFC is a TLA that can stand for Ultimate Fighting Championship Umeå FC This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (born October 18, 1987) is an American television actor and singer. ... Disney Channel is a cable television network run by The Walt Disney Company. ... Sherwood are a San Luis Obispo, California-based indie band. ...

External links

  • City of San Luis Obispo
  • Downtown SLO Association has information about concerts in the plaza and Farmers' Market.

Coordinates: 35.274305° N -120.663192° E Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which is aligned with the spin axis of the Earth. ...

  • Maps and aerial photos


Cities and communities of San Luis Obispo County, California
County seat San Luis Obispo
Incorporated places Arroyo Grande | Atascadero | Grover Beach | Morro Bay | Paso Robles | Pismo Beach | San Luis Obispo
Census-designated places Baywood-Los Osos | California Valley | Cambria | Cayucos | Halcyon | Harmony | Lake Nacimiento | Nipomo | Oceano | San Miguel | San Simeon | Shandon | Templeton
Flag of California State of California

California Topics | Economy | Government | History | Californians A panorama of Sydney, Australia at night. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with unincorporated. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1850 Seat San Luis Obispo Area  - Total  - Water 9,364 km² (3,616 mi²) 806 km² (311 mi²) 8. ... A county seat is an administrative center for a county. ... An incorporated place, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, is a type of governmental unit incorporated under state law as a city, town (except the New England states, New York, and Wisconsin), borough (except in Alaska and New York), or village and having legally prescribed limits, powers, and... Arroyo Grande is a city located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Atascadero is a city located in San Luis Obispo County, California, half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles. ... Grover Beach is a city located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Morro Bay Rock. ... Paso Robles (full name: El Paso de Robles) is a city located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Pismo Beach is a city located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... A census-designated place (CDP) is an area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical reporting. ... Baywood-Los Osos is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... California Valley is an unincorporated community located in the eastern part of San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Cambria is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Cayucos is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Halcyon, California is an unincorporated community of approximately 125 acres (0. ... Harmony (pop. ... Lake Nacimiento is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Nipomo is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Oceano is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... San Miguel is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... San Simeon (ZIP Code: 93452) is a settlement on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California notable in two respects: Its position along Cabrillo Hwy is almost precisely halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, each of those towns being roughly 230 mi (370 km) away. ... Shandon is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Templeton is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... File links The following pages link to this file: California Dana Rohrabacher Los Angeles, California San Francisco Peninsula San Francisco Bay Area Silicon Valley San Diego, California Sacramento, California Sacramento County, California Orange County, California Death Valley San Francisco, California Sierra Nevada (US) Oakland, California Fremont, California San Jose, California... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Sacramento Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq. ... Greetings from California, vintage large-letter postcard. ... A field of California golden poppies circa 1910. ... This is a partial list of well-known people from California. ...

Capital Sacramento
Regions Antelope Valley | Big Sur | Central Valley | Central Coast | Channel Islands | Coachella Valley | Conejo Valley | Death Valley | Eastern California | Emerald Triangle | Gold Country | Greater Los Angeles | Imperial Valley | Inland Empire | Mojave | Northern California | North San Diego County | Owens Valley | Pomona Valley | The Peninsula | Redwood Empire | Sacramento Valley | San Fernando Valley | San Francisco Bay Area | San Gabriel Valley | Santa Clara Valley | Santa Clarita Valley | San Joaquin Valley | Shasta Cascade | Sierra Nevada | Silicon Valley | Southern California | Wine Country
Metropolitan areas Bakersfield | Chico | Fresno | Los Angeles·Long Beach·Glendale | Modesto | Napa | Oakland·Fremont·Hayward | Oxnard·Thousand Oaks·Ventura | Riverside·San Bernardino·Ontario | Sacramento·Roseville | Salinas | San Diego·Carlsbad·San Marcos | San Francisco·San Mateo·Redwood City | San Jose·Sunnyvale·Santa Clara | San Luis Obispo·Paso Robles | Santa Ana·Anaheim·Irvine | Santa Barbara·Santa Maria | Santa Cruz·Watsonville | Santa Rosa·Petaluma | Stockton | Vallejo·Fairfield | Visalia·Porterville | Yuba City
Counties Alameda | Alpine | Amador | Butte | Calaveras | Colusa | Contra Costa | Del Norte | El Dorado | Fresno | Glenn | Humboldt | Imperial | Inyo | Kern | Kings | Lake | Lassen | Los Angeles | Madera | Marin | Mariposa | Mendocino | Merced | Modoc | Mono | Monterey | Napa | Nevada | Orange | Placer | Plumas | Riverside | Sacramento | San Benito | San Bernardino | San Diego | San Francisco | San Joaquin | San Luis Obispo | San Mateo | Santa Barbara | Santa Clara | Santa Cruz | Shasta | Sierra | Siskiyou | Solano | Sonoma | Stanislaus | Sutter | Tehama | Trinity | Tulare | Tuolumne | Ventura | Yolo | Yuba

  Results from FactBites:
 
San Luis Obispo, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (885 words)
One of California’s oldest communities, it began with the founding of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in 1772 by Father Junípero Serra as the fifth mission in the California chain of 21 missions.
Roughly one third of San Luis Obispo's population is of college age or attending college, and the large student population gives the city a youthful energy and vitality.
Downtown San Luis Obispo is centered around the carefully restored Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, originally built in the late 18th century.
San Luis Obispo County, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (775 words)
San Luis Obispo County is a county located on California's central Pacific coast, between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
San Luis Obispo County is the third largest producer of wine in California as of 2004, surpassed only by Sonoma and Napa Counties.
San Luis Obispo County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.