Goleta, California#Geography

File:Barnsdall-Rio Grande gas station, Goleta.jpg style Barnsdall-Rio Grande station outside the former Ellwood Oil Field]]

The area of present-day Goleta was populated for thousands of years by the Chumash people. Locally, they became known, by the Spanish, as Canaliños as they lived along the coast, adjacent to the Channel Islands. One of the largest villages, S'axpilil, was north of the Goleta Slough, not far from the present-day Santa Barbara Airport.{{cite news|url=http://www.sbnature.org/research/anthro/chumash/golval.htm|title=Chumash Placenames of the Goleta Valley|work=sbnature.org|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520171159/http://www.sbnature.org/research/anthro/chumash/golval.htm|archive-date=May 20, 2011|url-status=dead}}

The first known European visitor to the Goleta area was the mariner Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who spent time around the Channel Islands in 1542, and died there the following year. During the 1980s, the discovery of a 16th-century cannon on the beach led to the advancement of a theory that Sir Francis Drake sailed into the Goleta Slough in 1579. Goleta is one of many alternative locations (and the one farthest south) proposed for Drake's "New Albion", generally believed to be today's Drake's Bay, north of San Francisco.

In 1602, another sailing expedition, led by Sebastian Vizcaino, visited the California Coast. Vizcaino named the channel 'Santa Barbara'. Spanish ships, associated with the Manila Galleon trade, probably stopped in the area, intermittently, over the following 167 years; no permanent settlements were established.

The first land expedition to California, led by Gaspar de Portolà, spent several days in the area in 1769, on its way to Monterey Bay, and also spent the night of August 20 near a creek (possibly San Pedro Creek) to the north of the Goleta estuary. At that time, the estuary was a very large, open-water lagoon that covered most of (what is now) the city of Goleta, stretching as far north as Lake Los Carneros (adjacent to Stow House).{{Cite web|url=http://hep.ucsb.edu/people/hnn/goslupanyarr1782.jpg|title=A 1782 Spanish map of the lagoon overlaid on a modern map|access-date=April 12, 2014|archive-date=June 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628094627/http://hep.ucsb.edu/people/hnn/goslupanyarr1782.jpg|url-status=live}} There were at least five native towns in the area, the largest being on an island in the middle of the lagoon. For that reason, expedition engineer Miguel Costanso called the group of towns 'Pueblos de la Isla', or 'towns of the island'.{{cite news|url=http://pacificahistory.wikispaces.com/Portola+Expedition+August+20%2C+1769+Diaries|title=Portola Expedition August 20, 1769 Diaries|work=pacificahistory.wikispaces.com|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=July 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731023847/https://pacificahistory.wikispaces.com/Portola+Expedition+August+20%2C+1769+Diaries|url-status=live}} Some of the soldiers called the island town Mescaltitlan, after a similarly insular Aztec settlement in Nayarit, Mexico. Franciscan missionary Juan Crespi, who accompanied the expedition, gave the towns the name 'Santa Margarita de Cortona'.{{cite book |last=Bolton |first=Herbert E. |pages=166–169 |year=1927 |title=Fray Juan Crespi: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b233487;view=1up;seq=9|publisher=HathiTrust Digital Library }}

The island retained the name Mescalitan Island (dropping the extra 'T' of the Aztec spelling), until it was bulldozed and flattened in 1941 to provide fill for the military airfield that is now Santa Barbara Airport (SBA). The Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Goleta Sanitary District is located on what used to be the island.{{Cite web|url=https://goletasanitary.org/|title=Goleta Sanitary District - Home|website=goletasanitary.org|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107195134/https://goletasanitary.org/|url-status=live}}

Image:CabrilloBusinessPark-1.png

Portola returned to San Diego via the same route in January 1770, where he mounted a second expedition to Monterey that year. A second Spanish expedition came to the Santa Barbara area of Alta California in 1774, led by Juan Bautista de Anza. De Anza returned the following year, and the road along the coast of Santa Barbara County (today's Highway 1) soon became the El Camino Real, connecting the string of Spanish missions.

An expedition in 1782, led by military governor Felipe de Neve, founded the Presidio of Santa Barbara and, soon thereafter, the Santa Barbara Mission. The Goleta area, along with most of the coastal areas of today's Santa Barbara County, was placed in the jurisdiction of the presidio and mission.

Sometime after the De Anza expeditions, a sailing ship ("goleta") was wrecked at the mouth of the lagoon, and remained visible for many years, giving the area its current name. After Mexico became independent of Spain in 1821, most of the former mission ranch lands were divided up into large grants. The Goleta area became part of two adjacent ranchos. To the east of today's Fairview Avenue was Rancho La Goleta, named for the shipwreck and granted to Daniel A. Hill, the first American resident of Santa Barbara. An 1840s diseño (claim map) of the rancho shows the wrecked ship.{{Cite web|url=http://hep.ucsb.edu/people/hnn/lagoleta.gif|title=Rancho La Goleta diseño}}

The parts of Goleta to the west of Fairview Avenue were in Rancho Dos Pueblos, granted in 1842 to Irish immigrant Nicholas Den, son-in-law of Daniel Hill. Rancho Dos Pueblos included the lagoon, airport, UCSB and Isla Vista, extending to the west as far as the eastern boundary of today's El Capitan State Beach.

The Goleta Valley was a prominent lemon-growing region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was largely agricultural. Several areas, especially the Ellwood Mesa, were developed for oil and natural gas extraction. In the 1920s, aviation pioneers started using portions of the Goleta Slough that had silted-in due to agriculture to land and takeoff. As former tidelands, the title to these lands was unclear. Starting in 1940, boosters from the city of Santa Barbara lobbied and obtained federal funding and passed a bond measure to formally develop an airport on the Goleta Slough. The necessity for an airport – or at least a military airfield – became more apparent after a Japanese submarine shelled the Ellwood Oil Field in 1942. This was one of the few direct-fire attacks on the U.S. continent during WWII. The Marine Corps undertook completion of the airport and established Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara on the site of the current airport and University of California, Santa Barbara, campus.{{cite news|url=http://goletahistory.com|title=Goleta History|work=goletahistory.com|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=June 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621200901/http://goletahistory.com/|url-status=live}}

After the war, Goleta Valley residents supported the construction of Lake Cachuma, which provided water, enabling a housing boom and the establishment of research and aerospace firms in the area. In 1954, the University of California, Santa Barbara, moved to part of the former Marine base. Along with the boom in aerospace, the character changed from rural-agricultural to high tech. Goleta remains a center for high-tech firms, and a bedroom community for neighboring Santa Barbara.

Goleta was incorporated as a city in 2002 after several unsuccessful attempts. A significant urbanized area remains unincorporated between the cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara, largely consisting of the area which polled against incorporation prior to the 2002 election (this area was excluded from the city boundaries to facilitate approval of incorporation). There has been some discussion of annexation of this area (sometimes dubbed "Noleta") by the city of Santa Barbara.

In addition, the student community of Isla Vista directly to the south was excluded from the new city of Goleta. Whether or not to include Isla Vista was a subject of debate during incorporation planning, including Goleta residents concerned about impacts on tax revenue and the voting patterns of students.{{cite news |last= Dougherty |first= Alison |date= December 7, 2000 |title= Meeting To Review Possible City Boundaries for Goleta |url= http://dailynexus.com/2000-12-07/meeting-to-review-possible-city-boundaries-for-goleta/ |newspaper= The Daily Nexus |location= Santa Barbara County, California |access-date= October 7, 2014 |archive-date= October 11, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141011123754/http://dailynexus.com/2000-12-07/meeting-to-review-possible-city-boundaries-for-goleta/ |url-status= live }} A Local Agency Formation Commission report supported excluding Isla Vista because of differences in "community identity", but considered both including and excluding Isla Vista to be viable choices.{{cite news |last= Dougherty |first= Alison |date= May 2, 2001 |title= LAFCO To Vote on Proposed I.V. Inclusion in Goleta Plan |url= http://dailynexus.com/2001-05-02/lafco-to-vote-on-proposed-iv-inclusion-in-goleta-plan/ |newspaper= The Daily Nexus |location= Santa Barbara County, California |access-date= October 7, 2014 |archive-date= October 11, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141011123500/http://dailynexus.com/2001-05-02/lafco-to-vote-on-proposed-iv-inclusion-in-goleta-plan/ |url-status= live }}{{cite news |title=Goleta Activists Kick Off New Petition Drive For City of Goleta without I.V. |pages=3 |newspaper=Isla Vista and Western Goleta Free Press |url=https://www.library.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/special-collections/research/ivweb/ivFP/FreePress_4_27_88.pdf |date=May 3, 1988}}

On January 30, 2006, Jennifer San Marco shot and killed seven people, including six postal workers, before committing suicide at the postal processing facility where she had been previously employed. The dead included Charlotte Colton, 44, Beverly Graham, 54, Ze Fairchild, 37, Maleka Higgins, 28, Nicola Grant, 42, Guadalupe Swartz, 52, and Dexter Shannon, 57. This incident is believed to be the deadliest workplace shooting ever carried out in the United States by a woman.{{cite news| url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/31/postal.shooting| title = Seven dead in California postal shooting| publisher = CNN| date = January 31, 2006| access-date = February 4, 2006| archive-date = February 3, 2006| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060203024519/http://www2.cnn.com/2006/US/01/31/postal.shooting/| url-status = live}}{{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4665790.stm| title = US ex-postal employee kills six| publisher = BBC| date = January 31, 2006| access-date = February 4, 2006| archive-date = February 3, 2006| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060203052511/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4665790.stm| url-status = live}}

File:Gloomy Easter (4491297233).jpg

File:Goleta Beach (5972898584).jpg

File:Goleta shoreline.jpg

Goleta is about {{convert|8|mi|km}} west of the city of Santa Barbara, along the coast (the coast runs east to west in this portion of southern California). Nearby is the Santa Barbara campus of the University of California and the student community of Isla Vista.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|7.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|7.9|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|0.07|sqmi|km2}} (0.91%) is water.

The Goleta Valley is a coastal plain, approximately {{convert|3|miles|spell=in}} across, between the Santa Ynez Mountains, the principal mountain range of southern Santa Barbara County, and the Pacific Ocean.{{cite book |title=The geology and landscape of Santa Barbara County, California|last= Norris|first= Robert M.|year= 2003|publisher= Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History|location= Santa Barbara, California|isbn= 978-0-936494-35-7|page= 33}} It consists of Holocene and Pleistocene alluvium, colluvium, estuarine deposits, as well as marine terraces created during interglacial high sea level episodes. The area has been subject to rapid geologic uplift, as evidenced by its coastal bluffs and narrow beaches. Between the flattest part of the Goleta Valley and the ocean is an area of uplift paralleling the shore which includes, from west to east, Isla Vista, Mescalitan Island, More Mesa, and the Hope Ranch Hills. The elevation of this block of land relative to Goleta Valley increases from 40 to 300 feet along this length.Norris, p. 101{{cite news|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1403/|title=Geologic Map of the Goleta Quadrangle, Santa Barbara County, California|work=United States Geological Survey|last1=Minor|first=Scott A.|last2=Kellogg|first2=Karl S.|last3=Stanley|first3=Richard G.|last4=Brandt|first4=Theodore R.|date=2007|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=August 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813225554/https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1403/|url-status=live}} The uplift was caused by motion along the More Ranch Fault, one of the most geologically active faults in the area. The More Ranch Fault roughly follows a line along El Colegio Road, through the southern part of the airport, along Atascadero Creek, and then continues east into Santa Barbara as the Mission Ridge Fault Zone.{{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3001/downloads/pdf/SIM3001map.pdf|title=Geologic Map of the Santa Barbara Coastal Plain Area, Santa Barbara County, California|author=Minor, S.A.|date=2009|publisher=USGS|access-date=December 20, 2015|display-authors=etal|archive-date=January 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116103534/http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3001/downloads/pdf/SIM3001map.pdf|url-status=live}} Soils in Goleta are mostly well drained brown fine sandy loam of the Milpitas series.{{Cite web | url=http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ | title=SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab | access-date=December 19, 2015 | archive-date=May 14, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514215427/http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ | url-status=live }}

Underneath the alluvial units of the coastal plain are three prominent bedrock units: the Monterey Formation, the Sisquoc Formation, and the Santa Barbara Formation. This latter unit is the principal groundwater aquifer for the region, and its freshwater wells are protected from seawater intrusion by the uplift along the More Ranch Fault, which has placed relatively impermeable rock units between it and the ocean.Norris, p. 95, 101

Some of the underlying sedimentary units contain economically recoverable quantities of oil and gas. The Ellwood Oil Field was worked beginning in the 1920s, with its onshore portions only being dismantled in the 1970s. The La Goleta Gas Field was formerly productive on the bluffs west of More Mesa, and is now used for gas storage by the Southern California Gas Company.{{cite web|url=http://www.sbcountyplanning.org/energy/projects/SoCalGasStorage.asp|title=Southern California Gas Storage Enhancement Project|publisher=Santa Barbara County|date=June 1, 2017|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=August 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806010618/http://www.sbcountyplanning.org/energy/projects/SoCalGasStorage.asp|url-status=live}}

The Santa Ynez Mountains form a scenic backdrop to Goleta. They consist of multiple layers of sandstone and conglomerate units dating from the Jurassic Age to the present, uplifted rapidly since the Pliocene. Rapid uplift has given them their craggy, scenic character, and numerous landslides and debris flows, which form some of the urban and suburban lowland area, are testament to their geologically active nature. Covered by chaparral, the range exceeds {{convert|4,000| feet}} in height to the northwest of Goleta, at Broadcast and Santa Ynez Peaks. Sundowner winds occur in both Goleta and Santa Barbara.

Image:GoletaMonarchCluster.jpg on the Ellwood Mesa]]

Bobcats can also be seen in the area.{{cite web|date=June 1, 2014|title=Bobcat Sighting|url=http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=135162|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140608075419/http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=135162|archive-date=June 8, 2014|access-date=December 3, 2020|website=Edhat}} Coyotes sometimes prey on small domestic pets.{{cite web|title=Coyotes|url=http://www.sbwcn.org/coyotes.html|website=Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052414/http://www.sbwcn.org/coyotes.html|url-status=live}} Skunks sometimes spray, and often fall prey to cars, owls, dogs, and coyotes.{{cite web|title=Skunks|url=http://www.sbwcn.org/skunks.html|website=Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052454/http://www.sbwcn.org/skunks.html|url-status=live}} Raccoons can become neighborhood pests.{{cite web|title=Raccoons|url=http://www.sbwcn.org/raccoons.html|website=Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052417/http://www.sbwcn.org/raccoons.html|url-status=live}} Opossums commonly inhabit neighborhoods.{{cite web|title=Opossums|url=http://www.sbwcn.org/opossums.html|website=Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network|access-date=January 29, 2017|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052416/http://www.sbwcn.org/opossums.html|url-status=live}} Dogs and cats sometimes kill small animals. Monarch butterflies spend the winter in several eucalyptus groves on the Ellwood Mesa.[http://www.goletabutterflygrove.com "Goleta Butterfly Grove"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910143128/http://www.goletabutterflygrove.com/ |date=September 10, 2019 }} City of Goleta Accessed February 7, 2015 Bears and mountain lions live in the foothills and mountains around the town, but are rarely seen by residents.{{cite web|last=Yamamura|first=Jean|date=May 11, 2016|title=Living With Wildlife|url=https://www.independent.com/2016/05/11/bear-casually-roams-west-goleta|access-date=September 17, 2020|website=SB Independent}}

Goleta has a mediterranean climate influenced by maritime winds from the Pacific Ocean with moderate average temperatures. Due to brief spells of winds from the interior, the warmest temperature on record is {{convert|109|F|C}} and the coldest is {{convert|20|F|C}}. That is a relatively large thermal span for a shoreline town.

Chilly days and warm nights are rare. The coldest maximum temperature on record is {{convert|45|F|C}} in 1949 with the annual average between 1991 and 2020 being {{convert|54|F|C}}. The warmest night measured is a freak event of {{convert|81|F|C}} during a heat snap in 1979, a full {{convert|10|F-change}} warmer than the second warmest night on record. During a regular year, the warmest night is at a mild {{convert|65|F|C}}.

{{Weather box

| location = Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (1991–2020 normals, extremes since 1941)

| single line = Y

| Jan record high F = 87

| Feb record high F = 87

| Mar record high F = 94

| Apr record high F = 96

| May record high F = 101

| Jun record high F = 109

| Jul record high F = 109

| Aug record high F = 105

| Sep record high F = 104

| Oct record high F = 103

| Nov record high F = 97

| Dec record high F = 89

| year record high F = 109

| Jan avg record high F = 78

| Feb avg record high F = 77

| Mar avg record high F = 80

| Apr avg record high F = 83

| May avg record high F = 83

| Jun avg record high F = 83

| Jul avg record high F = 86

| Aug avg record high F = 83

| Sep avg record high F = 90

| Oct avg record high F = 89

| Nov avg record high F = 84

| Dec avg record high F = 76

| year avg record high F = 95

| Jan high F = 64.2

| Feb high F = 63.8

| Mar high F = 65.9

| Apr high F = 67.8

| May high F = 69.2

| Jun high F = 70.3

| Jul high F = 73.3

| Aug high F = 74.5

| Sep high F = 74.3

| Oct high F = 73.4

| Nov high F = 69.2

| Dec high F = 64.3

| year high F = 69.2

| Jan mean F = 52.8

| Feb mean F = 53.7

| Mar mean F = 56.1

| Apr mean F = 58.0

| May mean F = 60.3

| Jun mean F = 62.4

| Jul mean F = 65.7

| Aug mean F = 66.2

| Sep mean F = 65.0

| Oct mean F = 62.1

| Nov mean F = 56.7

| Dec mean F = 52.3

| year mean F = 59.3

| Jan low F = 41.3

| Feb low F = 43.6

| Mar low F = 46.2

| Apr low F = 48.1

| May low F = 51.3

| Jun low F = 54.5

| Jul low F = 58.1

| Aug low F = 58.0

| Sep low F = 55.7

| Oct low F = 50.9

| Nov low F = 44.3

| Dec low F = 40.4

| year low F = 49.4

| Jan avg record low F = 32

| Feb avg record low F = 35

| Mar avg record low F = 38

| Apr avg record low F = 41

| May avg record low F = 45

| Jun avg record low F = 49

| Jul avg record low F = 52

| Aug avg record low F = 52

| Sep avg record low F = 48

| Oct avg record low F = 43

| Nov avg record low F = 35

| Dec avg record low F = 31

| year avg record low F = 30

| Jan record low F = 24

| Feb record low F = 25

| Mar record low F = 30

| Apr record low F = 33

| May record low F = 38

| Jun record low F = 41

| Jul record low F = 45

| Aug record low F = 43

| Sep record low F = 42

| Oct record low F = 31

| Nov record low F = 30

| Dec record low F = 20

| year record low F = 20

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 3.84

| Feb precipitation inch = 3.86

| Mar precipitation inch = 3.10

| Apr precipitation inch = 0.91

| May precipitation inch = 0.42

| Jun precipitation inch = 0.11

| Jul precipitation inch = 0.02

| Aug precipitation inch = 0.01

| Sep precipitation inch = 0.07

| Oct precipitation inch = 0.73

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.27

| Dec precipitation inch = 2.91

| year precipitation inch = 17.25

| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=lox|title = NOW Data forecast office Los Angeles, CA|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|accessdate = August 3, 2022}}

}}

{{US Census population

|2000= 55204

|2010= 29888

|2020= 32690

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decade|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1860–1870{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Almeda County to Sutter County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-12.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Tehama County to Yuba County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1880-1890{{Cite web|title= 1890 Census of Population - Population of California by Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1890/bulletins/demographics/134-population-of-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1900{{Cite web|title= 1900 Census of Population - Population of California by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/bulletins/demographic/10-population-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1910{{Cite web|title= 1910 Census of Population - Supplement for California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1920{{Cite web|title= 1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1920/bulletins/demographics/population-ca-number-of-inhabitants.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1930{{Cite web|title= 1930 Census of Population - Number and Distribution of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1930/population-volume-1/03815512v1ch03.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1940{{Cite web|title= 1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch03.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1950{{Cite web|title= 1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-1/vol-01-08.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1960{{Cite web|title= 1960 Census of Population - General population Characteristics - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-06-d.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1970{{Cite web|title= 1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ca1-01.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1980{{Cite web|title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_caAB-01.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1990{{Cite web|title= 1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}

2000{{Cite web|title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 2010{{Cite web|title= 2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}

}}

Goleta first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. Census and then as a city in 2001 after incorporation formed

from part of deleted Goleta CDP, part of Isla Vista CDP, and additional area.

The 2020 United States census reported that Goleta had a population of 32,690. The population density was {{convert|4,162.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Goleta was 52.0% White, 1.6% African American, 1.5% Native American, 12.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 15.8% from other races, and 17.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.3% of the population.{{cite web |title=Goleta city, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0630378 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 21, 2025}}

The census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.5% were institutionalized.

There were 12,029 households, out of which 30.7% included children under the age of 18, 47.5% were married-couple households, 7.2% were cohabiting couple households, 25.1% had a female householder with no partner present, and 20.2% had a male householder with no partner present. 24.0% of households were one person, and 10.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.7. There were 7,789 families (64.8% of all households).{{cite web |title=Goleta city, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0630378 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 21, 2025}}

The age distribution was 19.1% under the age of 18, 11.1% aged 18 to 24, 28.1% aged 25 to 44, 25.1% aged 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 38.2{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males.

There were 12,643 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,610.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}, of which 12,029 (95.1%) were occupied. Of these, 51.4% were owner-occupied, and 48.6% were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 22.5% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 65.1% spoke only English at home, 22.3% spoke Spanish, 4.4% spoke other Indo-European languages, 7.7% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.4% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 89.7% were high school graduates and 48.3% had a bachelor's degree.{{cite web |title=Goleta city, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSCP5Y2023.CP02?g=1600000US0630378 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 21, 2025}}

The median household income was $118,039, and the per capita income was $52,610. About 5.4% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line.{{cite web |title=Goleta city, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=1600000US0630378 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 21, 2025}}

At the 2010 census Goleta had a population of 29,888. The population density was {{convert|3,747.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Goleta was 20,833 (69.7%) White, 469 (1.6%) African American, 283 (0.9%) Native American, 2,728 (9.1%) Asian, 26 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 4,182 (14.0%) from other races, and 1,367 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 9,824 persons (32.9%).{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0630378|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715025155/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0630378|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Goleta city|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}

The census reported that 29,687 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 23 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 178 (0.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 10,903 households, 3,416 (31.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,265 (48.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,069 (9.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 472 (4.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 659 (6.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 88 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,732 households (25.1%) were one person and 1,090 (10.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72. There were 6,806 families (62.4% of households); the average family size was 3.23.

The age distribution was 6,335 people (21.2%) under the age of 18, 3,790 people (12.7%) aged 18 to 24, 7,966 people (26.7%) aged 25 to 44, 7,749 people (25.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,048 people (13.5%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

There were 11,473 housing units at an average density of 1,438.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 5,844 (53.6%) were owner-occupied and 5,059 (46.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 16,222 people (54.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,465 people (45.1%) lived in rental housing units.

File:Santa Barbara Bacara Resort Sunrise.jpg]]

The University of California, Santa Barbara, is the major center of economic activity in the area, both directly and through the numerous associated service industry activities which exist for the staff and students.{{citation needed|date=February 2012}} Hispanic Business had its corporate headquarters in Goleta.[http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/ "Hispanic Business"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102054805/http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/|date=November 2, 2014 }}

Deckers Outdoor Corporation is based in Goleta. It is the parent company for UGG Australia, Teva, Sanuk, Ahnu and Hoka One One. Several technology sector businesses operate in the area due to the proximity to the university, including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, AppFolio, FLIR and InTouch.

The Bacara Resort, located at the western edge of the city, also employs many residents.{{Cite web|url=https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Bacara-Resort-and-Spa-EI_IE239730.11,32.htm|title=Glassdoor review of employment|website=Glassdoor|language=en-US|access-date=September 18, 2020}}

{{further|Cannabis in California}}

Following the statewide passage of Proposition 64 in 2016, the city began accepting retail applications on a first-come, first-served basis in August 2018. The City limits the number of recreational retail cannabis businesses to six. In November 2018, the voters of Goleta passed Measure Z-2018, establishing a tax on cannabis business operations within the city.{{Cite web|title=Cannabis Tax {{!}} Goleta, CA|url=https://www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/finance/cannabis-tax|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=www.cityofgoleta.org|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928160745/https://www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/finance/cannabis-tax|url-status=live}} A medical marijuana dispensary was issued the first license for sales of recreational cannabis and began selling in January 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.com/2020/02/04/goleta-opens-first-recreational-cannabis-store/|title=Goleta Opens First Recreational Cannabis Store|last=Yamamura|first=Jean|date=February 4, 2020|website=The Santa Barbara Independent|language=en-US|access-date=February 5, 2020|archive-date=February 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205062935/https://www.independent.com/2020/02/04/goleta-opens-first-recreational-cannabis-store/|url-status=live}} Companies must be licensed by the local agency and the state to grow, test, or sell cannabis and the city may authorize none or only some of these activities. Local governments may not prohibit adults, who are in compliance with state laws, from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use.

In 2017 the city established an ambitious goal of supplying 100% of the city's municipal facilities and community-wide electricity supply with renewable power by 2030. The city also resolved to have at least 50% of electricity use by municipal facilities come from renewable sources by 2025. In 2019 the City adopted a Strategic Energy Plan as a roadmap on how to accomplish this, which includes switching to [https://3cenergy.org Central Coast Community Energy] as the default energy provider for its residences and businesses beginning in 2021.{{Cite web|title=MBCP BOARDS VOTE UNANIMOUSLY TO EXPAND SERVICE AREA, MAKING MBCP THE LARGEST CCE IN CALIFORNIA|url=https://3cenergy.org/press_release/mbcp-boards-vote-unanimously-to-expand-service-area-making-mbcp-the-largest-cce-in-california/|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=3CE|language=en-US|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125012413/https://3cenergy.org/press_release/mbcp-boards-vote-unanimously-to-expand-service-area-making-mbcp-the-largest-cce-in-california/|url-status=live}} The city is currently moving forward with a contract to install solar panels in the parking lot of City Hall in 2021 and exploring future opportunities for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and a microgrid, which will provide increased resiliency in case of a power disruption.{{Cite web|title=Strategic Energy Plan {{!}} Goleta, CA|url=https://www.cityofgoleta.org/projects-programs/sustainability-climate-adaptation/strategic-energy-plan|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=www.cityofgoleta.org|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229065706/https://www.cityofgoleta.org/projects-programs/sustainability-climate-adaptation/strategic-energy-plan|url-status=live}}

File:Fishing hangout on Goleta Pier (5979502151).jpg

Goleta has several parks, including Stow Park, Girsh Park, Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park, Lake Los Carneros and Coronado Butterfly preserve, the largest{{cite news|url=http://www.sblandtrust.org/coronado-butterfly-preserve-2/|title=The Coronado Butterfly Preserve|work=sblandtrust.org|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=July 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707235933/http://www.sblandtrust.org/coronado-butterfly-preserve-2/|url-status=live}} overwintering grove of the Monarch butterfly,{{Cite web |last=Feraday |first=Caroline |date=December 7, 2023 |title=They're back! Thousands of Monarch Butterflies have been counted on the Central and South Coasts |url=https://www.kclu.org/local-news/2023-12-06/theyre-back-thousands-of-monarch-butterflies-have-been-counted-on-the-central-and-south-coasts |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=KCLU |language=en}} providing street access to the Ellwood Mesa Open Space{{cite news|url=http://www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/planning-and-environmental-review/advance-planning-division/environmental-programs/ellwood-mesa-open-space|title=Ellwood Mesa Open Space|work=cityofgoleta.org|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=July 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710012435/http://cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/planning-and-environmental-review/advance-planning-division/environmental-programs/ellwood-mesa-open-space|url-status=live}} on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean with beach access from UCSB.{{cite news |url=https://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/ellwood-mesa-a-story-of-preservation/|title=Ellwood Mesa: A Story of Preservation|work=environmentaldefensecenter.org|access-date=July 14, 2017}} Goleta Beach County Park is just outside of the city limits.{{cite news|url=http://www.countyofsb.org/parks/day-use/goleta-beach.sbc|title=Goleta Beach Park|work=County of Santa Barbara|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=July 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709230612/http://www.countyofsb.org/parks/day-use/goleta-beach.sbc|url-status=live}} Historic sites include the Stow House and the South Coast Railroad Museum.

Until 2018, the five city council members took turns as mayor. In November 2018, Paula Perotte was elected to a two-year term as Mayor, defeating fellow council member Michael Bennett. This was the first election in City history where residents voted for Mayor as opposed to the Mayor being selected by City Council for a one-year term. The city council also serves as the planning agency. City council, planning commission, and design review board meetings are televised on the local government-access television channel and available on the city's website.

Goleta's cityhood was established through Measure H-2001 in the November 2001 election. At this time, the first five members of the city council were also elected, and they officially began their terms on February 1, 2002. Thereafter, the city has held elections during the November general election in even years. Terms of the city council are four years. Until 2018, the mayor was selected by the members of the city council to serve a one-year term. In November 2016, voters approved Measure C-2016, which called for a directly elected mayor with a term of two years, beginning in the next general election (2018). In November 2020, voters approved Measure O-2020, which changed the term of the mayor from two to four years.{{Cite web|title=Santa Barbara County - Election Results|url=https://countyofsb.org/care/elections/results.sbc|access-date=December 22, 2020|website=countyofsb.org|language=en|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127231731/https://countyofsb.org/care/elections/results.sbc|url-status=live}}

(*) Ed Easton stepped down in 2014, and Tony Vallejo was appointed to fill the remainder of his term.{{Cite web|last=Noozhawk|title=New Councilman Tony Vallejo Vows to Serve Goleta with Independent Mind|url=https://www.noozhawk.com/article/goleta_city_councilman_tony_vallejo_profile_20140623|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=www.noozhawk.com|language=en|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910050354/http://www.noozhawk.com/article/goleta_city_councilman_tony_vallejo_profile_20140623|url-status=live}}

Most local students attend schools in the Goleta Union School District and the Santa Barbara Unified School District. There are also a host of smaller private schools.{{Cite web|url=https://sbscchamber.com/community/community-profile/education/|title=Education|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108224934/https://sbscchamber.com/community/community-profile/education/|url-status=live}}

• Brandon School (within City of Goleta){{cite news|url=http://www.goleta.k12.ca.us/?page_id=67|title=Goleta Union School District Schools|work=goleta.k12.ca.us|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=June 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622072848/http://www.goleta.k12.ca.us/?page_id=67|url-status=live}}
• El Camino School
• Ellwood School (within City of Goleta)
• Foothill School
• Goleta Family School
• Hollister School
• Isla Vista School
• Kellogg School (within City of Goleta)
• La Patera School (within City of Goleta)
• Mountain View School
• Santa Barbara Charter School (within City of Goleta)
• South Coast Montessori School of Santa Barbara

• Goleta Valley Junior High{{cite news|url=http://www.sbunified.org/schools/junior-high-schools/goleta-valley-junior-high-school/|title=Goleta Valley Junior High School|work=sbunified.org|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=June 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623044109/https://www.sbunified.org/schools/junior-high-schools/goleta-valley-junior-high-school/|url-status=live}}
• Dos Pueblos High School{{cite news|url=http://www.sbunified.org/schools/high-schools/dos-pueblos-high-school/|title=Dos Pueblos High School|work=sbunified.org|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=June 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623220723/https://www.sbunified.org/schools/high-schools/dos-pueblos-high-school/|url-status=live}}

Several Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District bus lines run through the city.{{Cite web|url=https://sbmtd.gov/|title=Santa Barbara MTD – Enhancing the Mobility of the South Coast|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107200809/https://sbmtd.gov/|url-status=live}} The main artery of the city is U.S. 101, with the major streets being Hollister Avenue and Cathedral Oaks Road. Other significant streets include Calle Real (which is broken into sections), Storke Road/Glen Annie Road, Los Carneros Road, Fairview Avenue, and Patterson Avenue.{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode&q=Goleta,+California&ie=UTF8&z=10&iwloc=addr&om=1|title=Google Maps|website=Google Maps|access-date=January 7, 2022|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107195134/https://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode&q=Goleta,+California&ie=UTF8&z=10&iwloc=addr&om=1|url-status=live}}

Intercity transit is provided by Amtrak at the Goleta Amtrak Station.

Santa Barbara Airport is adjacent to the City of Goleta, near the intersection of Hollister and South Fairview avenues. The airport serves the greater Santa Barbara area with five airlines connecting to larger hubs.

• 23px U.S. Route 101
• 20px State Route 217

• Carl Barks, comics illustrator and writer; known for his comics featuring Donald Duck;creator of Scrooge McDuck; lived in Goleta during the 1970s{{cite news|url=http://www.cbarks.dk/themeetingscrawshaw.htm|title=Craig Crawshaw|access-date=June 26, 2019|archive-date=August 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824065435/http://www.cbarks.dk/themeetingscrawshaw.htm|url-status=live}}
• Danny Duffy, professional baseball player in MLB, plays for the Kansas City Royals{{cite news|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=duffyda01|title=Danny Duffy Stats|work=Baseball Almanac|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=June 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629225318/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=duffyda01|url-status=live}}
• Burnett Guffey, Oscar-winning cinematographer
• Jean Louise Hodgkins (1914–1987) and Vera B. Skubic (1921–1998) built two houses in Del Playa Drive that, with a third one, were historic evidence of the mid-20th century international style presented by architect Richard B. Taylor.
• Lagwagon, melodic punk band
• Kent McClard, owner and operator of Ebullition Records (a hardcore-punk record label) and former publisher of HeartattaCk, an internationally distributed punk zine
• Larry Moriarty, American football, Notre Dame, NFL
• Katy Perry, pop singer{{cite news|url=https://www.noozhawk.com/article/091410_dos_pueblos_high_gives_katy_perry_a_welcome_homecoming|title=Dos Pueblos High Gives Katy Perry a Welcome Homecoming|work=Noozhawk|last1=Conroy|first1=John|last2=Moehlis|first2=Jeff|date=September 15, 2010|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-date=March 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306040056/http://www.noozhawk.com/article/091410_dos_pueblos_high_gives_katy_perry_a_welcome_homecoming|url-status=live}}
• Derrick William Plourde (1971–2005), drummer, musician, and artist{{Cite web|title = Acclaimed Drummer Derrick Plourde Commits Suicide - antiMusic News 2005|url = http://www.antimusic.com/news/05/march/item75.shtml|website = www.antimusic.com|access-date = November 12, 2015|archive-date = October 14, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141014075109/http://www.antimusic.com/news/05/march/item75.shtml|url-status = live}}
• Kim Wilson, blues singer and musician

{{Portal|California}}

• Campus Point State Marine Conservation Area
• Dos Pueblos High School
• Goleta Depot
• Goleta Slough
• Goleta Union School District
• History of Santa Barbara, California
• Isla Vista, California
• Santa Barbara, California
• South Coast Railroad Museum

{{reflist|35em}}

{{Commons category|Goleta, California}}

{{Wikivoyage|Goleta}}

• {{Official website}}
• [http://cityofgoleta.org/home/showdocument?id=570 City map showing current boundaries]
• [http://www.projectgoleta.com/ City of Goleta's Capital Improvement Project]
• [http://www.cityofgoleta.org/projects-programs/flood-control-improvements/completed/san-jose-creek-project City of Goleta's San Jose Creek Project]
• [http://www.GoletaButterflyGrove.com/ City of Goleta's Monarch Butterfly Grove]
• [http://www.goletavalley.com/ Goleta Chamber of Commerce]
• [http://www.goleta.k12.ca.us/ Goleta Union School District]
• [http://www.goletaeducationfoundation.org Goleta Education Foundation]
• [https://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=locations&q=goleta Movies and televisions shows filmed in Goleta]

{{Geographic location

| Center = Goleta

| North = Santa Ynez Mountains

| Northeast = Eastern Goleta Valley

| East = Eastern Goleta Valley
Santa Barbara

| Southeast = Hope Ranch
Pacific Ocean

| South = Isla Vista
UCSB

| Southwest = Pacific Ocean

| West = El Capitan State Beach

| Northwest = Santa Ynez Mountains

}}

{{Santa Barbara County, California}}

{{authority control}}

Category:2002 establishments in California

Category:Cities in Santa Barbara County, California

Category:Former census-designated places in California

Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California

Category:Populated coastal places in California

Category:Populated places established in 2002