Los Alamos, California
Encyclopedia
Los Alamos is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 (CDP) in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Although located in the Los Alamos Valley, the town of Los Alamos is usually considered to be a part of the Santa Ynez Valley community
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...

. The population was 1,890 at the 2010 census, up from 1,372 at the 2000 census.

History

In 1839, José Antonio de la Guerra, a son of José de la Guerra y Noriega
José de la Guerra y Noriega
José Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega was a soldier and early settler of California.-Biography:José de la Guerra was born 1779 at Novales, Cantabria, Spain. As a boy he wished to be a friar...

 received the Rancho Los Alamos
Rancho Los Alamos
Rancho Los Alamos was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1839 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Antonio de la Guerra, a son of José de la Guerra y Noriega...

 Mexican land grant. The hills above Rancho Los Alamos served as a hideout for bandito, Solomon Pico, whose escapades were popularized by the character "Zorro". During the USA's centennial year of 1876, Thomas Bell along with his son John S. Bell, and Dr. James B. Shaw (all from San Francisco), purchased acreage from Rancho Los Alamos and neighboring Rancho La Laguna
Rancho La Laguna (Gutierrez)
Rancho La Laguna was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pio Pico to Octaviano Gutierrez. The name means "the Lake". The grant extended along the Santa Ynez Valley east of present day Los Alamos....

. Both families allocated a half square mile from each of their new ranches to create the Los Alamos town site with "Centennial Street" as the central thoroughfare.

The Los Alamos Valley prospered and grew quickly serving as a popular stagecoach stop from 1861-1901. The Union Hotel opened in 1880 to serve overnight travelers. The narrow-gauge Pacific Coast Railway also ran to Los Alamos from San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...

 between 1882-1940. Oil was discovered at the Orcutt field
Orcutt Oil Field
The Orcutt Oil Field is a large oil field in the Solomon Hills south of Orcutt, in Santa Barbara County, California. Discovered in 1901 by William Warren Orcutt, it was the first giant field to be found in Santa Barbara County, and its development engendered the boom town of Orcutt, now the major...

 in hills north of Valley in 1901, and in the Purisima Hills south of the valley at the Lompoc Oil Field
Lompoc Oil Field
The Lompoc Oil Field is a large oil field in the Purisima Hills north of Lompoc, California, in Santa Barbara County. Discovered in 1903, two years after the discovery of the Orcutt Oil Field in the Solomon Hills, it is one of the oldest oil fields in northern Santa Barbara County, and one of the...

 in 1903, providing more economic prosperity. The town flagpole at Centennial and Bell Street was dedicated in 1918. The Chamber of Commerce was active from 1920–32 and instrumental in forming a lighting district, obtaining telephone service, street paving and mail service. Residents today still pick-up their mail from the Post Office downtown, as no street delivery is available.

The growth of the Santa Barbara County wine region, and the popularity of the acclaimed film Sideways and local wineries, have led to the Valley's continued prosperity.

Los Alamos California, its also home to the last standing Pacific Coast Railroad Station, which at present houses the Depot Antique Mall, and it is the town's main attraction. The Depot Mall is one of the largest antique malls in the area with more than 60 dealers.

Geography

Los Alamos is located at 34°44′31"N 120°16′31"W (34.741984, -120.275397).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the CDP has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), 99.98% of it land and 0.02% of it water.

Los Alamos is located near the Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...

 in the heart of the Santa Barbara wine country, on U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...

. It is a small, unincorporated town in a region of ranches, oil fields, vegetable farms (broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....

, lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...

 and strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...

), and wine grape vineyards. While Los Alamos is in a narrow valley, the surrounding terrain consists of rolling hills.

Los Alamos is relatively isolated. It is about 10 miles (16.1 km) to Buellton, California
Buellton, California
Buellton is a small city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city of Buellton is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley...

, and Solvang, California
Solvang, California
Solvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census, down from 5,332 at the 2000 census...

 and Los Olivos, California
Los Olivos, California
Los Olivos is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California. The ZIP Code is 93441, and the community is inside area code 805...

 to the southeast, and Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...

 to the northwest along Highway 101. Lompoc, California
Lompoc, California
Lompoc is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in 1888. The population was 42,434 at the 2010 census, up from 41,103 at the 2000 census....

 and Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....

 are to the west and southwest, respectively. California State Route 135 is the main road to the base. The large Cat Canyon Oil Field is in the hills to the northeast, the Zaca Oil Field
Zaca Oil Field
The Zaca Oil Field is an oil field in central Santa Barbara County, California, about 20 miles southeast of Santa Maria. One of several oil fields in the county which produce low-grade heavy oil from the Monterey Formation, the field is within a region of rolling hills containing horse ranches and...

 to the east-southeast, and the Orcutt Oil Field
Orcutt Oil Field
The Orcutt Oil Field is a large oil field in the Solomon Hills south of Orcutt, in Santa Barbara County, California. Discovered in 1901 by William Warren Orcutt, it was the first giant field to be found in Santa Barbara County, and its development engendered the boom town of Orcutt, now the major...

 is in the hills to the northwest of the town.

San Antonio Creek
San Antonio Creek (Vandenburg Air Force Base)
San Antonio Creek is a stream that flows westerly from the Solomon Hills through the Los Alamos Valley, the Barka Slough and the San Antonio Valley on its way to the Pacific Ocean, north of Purisima Point...

 passes through the town on the way to the ocean.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Los Alamos had a population of 1,890. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 488.6 people per square mile (188.6/km²). The racial makeup of Los Alamos was 1,667 (88.2%) White, 5 (0.3%) African American, 10 (0.5%) Native American, 32 (1.7%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 134 (7.1%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 42 (2.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 773 persons (40.9%).

The Census reported that 1,890 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 628 households, out of which 244 (38.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 369 (58.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 55 (8.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 37 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 30 (4.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....

, and 8 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 124 households (19.7%) were made up of individuals and 28 (4.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01. There were 461 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...

 (73.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.52.

The population was spread out with 495 people (26.2%) under the age of 18, 173 people (9.2%) aged 18 to 24, 454 people (24.0%) aged 25 to 44, 589 people (31.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 179 people (9.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

There were 681 housing units at an average density of 176.0 per square mile (68.0/km²), of which 386 (61.5%) were owner-occupied, and 242 (38.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.4%. 1,141 people (60.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 749 people (39.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

At the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, there were 1,372 people, 471 households and 349 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 582.8 per square mile (225.4/km²). There were 488 housing units at an average density of 207.3 per square mile (80.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.90% White, 0.22% African American, 1.82% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.51% Pacific Islander, 15.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 4.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.69% of the population.

There were 471 households of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.36.

Age distribution was 31.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median household income was $47,321, and the median family income was $49,125. Males had a median income of $32,206 versus $30,714 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the CDP was $18,013. About 10.3% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Community

The main street in Los Alamos is Bell Street, or California Route 135. Many businesses line the street, such as the historic Victorian Mansion Bed & Breakfast, an 1864 Victorian that houses six themed suites, or the Union Hotel, an old Wells Fargo stagecoach stop. The town also features antique stores, wine tasting, art galleries such as the C Gallery or the ArtBrut Gallery, and eateries such as Full of Life Flatbread, Twin Oaks, and Cafe Quackenbush. The local elementary school, Olga Reed School, is located next to Los Alamos County Park. The second park in Los Alamos is Arthur Ferrini Park, located next to the U.S Post Office. Many locals walk or ride their bicycles around town. Los Alamos Old Days is a celebration held in September annually on Bell Street. Los Alamos Old Days is usually two days long and offers stands and booths as well as a parade that celebrates the agriculture and history aroung Los Alamos Valley, the Valley of the Cottonwoods. In fact "Los Alamos" in Spanish means "The Cottonwoods".

Los Alamos is located off the U.S 101 about 10 miles (16.1 km) north of Buellton, and 15 miles (24.1 km) south of Santa Maria. Los Alamos is approximately 155 miles (249.4 km) north of Los Angeles.
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