San Luis Obispo |
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Address
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Phone
805.781.7100 |
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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 mission in the California chain of 21 missions. The mission was named after Saint Louis, a 13th Century Bishop of Toulouse, France. (San Luis Obispo is Spanish for "St. Louis, the Bishop".) It was first incorporated in 1856 as a General Law City, and became a Charter City in 1876.
With a population of 44,000, the City is located eight miles from the Pacific Ocean and is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles at the junction of Highway 101 and scenic Highway 1. San Luis Obispo is the County Seat, and a number of federal and state regional offices and facilities are located here, including Cal Poly State University, Cuesta Community College, Regional Water Quality Board and Caltrans District offices. The City’s ideal weather and natural beauty provide numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation at nearby City and State parks, lakes, beaches and wilderness areas.
While San Luis Obispo grew relatively slowly during most of the 19th century, the coming of Southern Pacific Railroad in 1894 opened up the area to the rest of California. The City’s distance from major metropolitan areas to the north (San Francisco Bay Area) and south (Los Angeles) have allowed the area to retain its historic and scenic qualities. These qualities contribute to the superb quality of life residents enjoy, and attract visitors from many other areas.
Another key feature contributing to the City’s great quality of life is the delightful downtown. The heart of downtown is Mission Plaza. With its wonderful creek side setting and beautifully restored mission (that continues to serve as a parish church to this day), Mission Plaza is the community’s cultural and social center. This historic plaza is complemented by a bustling downtown offering great shopping, outdoor and indoor dining, night life, and its famous Thursday Night Farmers’ Market, where you can buy locally grown fresh produce and enjoy an outdoor BBQ. This unique blend of history, culture, commerce and entertainment make San Luis Obispo’s downtown one of the most attractive, interesting and economically vibrant downtowns in America.
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