Browse / United States / California / Los Alamos
Los Alamos
CaliforniaCDP
Los Alamos
Total population
1,163
Median home value
$831,300
Bachelor's+
Median income
$79,167
Air quality index
Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
- Heat Advisory · ModerateHeat Advisory issued October 1 at 12:17PM PDT until October 4 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Source: NOAA National Weather Service.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Los Alamos is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Located in the Los Alamos Valley, the town of Los Alamos is considered to be a part of the Santa Ynez Valley community. It is 140 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 281 miles (452 km) south of San Francisco. The population was 1,839 at the 2020 census, down from 1,890 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Los Alamos as a census-designated place (CDP).
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
In 1839, José Antonio de la Guerra, a son of José de la Guerra y Noriega received the Rancho Los Alamos Mexican land grant. The hills above Rancho Los Alamos served as a hideout for bandito Salomon Pico, whose escapades were popularized by the character "Zorro". During the U.S.'s centennial year of 1876, Thomas Bell along with his nephew JohnS. Bell, and Dr. JamesB. Shaw (all from San Francisco), purchased acreage from Rancho Los Alamos and neighboring Rancho La Laguna. 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 to 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 between 1882 and 1940. Oil was discovered at the Orcutt field in the hills north of Valley in 1901, and in the Purisima Hills south of the valley at the Lompoc Oil Field 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 to 1932 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.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Demographics & economy
Race & ethnicity
Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Current forecast
Forecast for Los Alamos, CA from NOAA NWS API.
Air quality
Current readings from Open-Meteo Air Quality API (Copernicus CAMS European reanalysis).
Industrial & pollution facilities
Natural hazard risk
Health (adults)
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Most-observed species
- California/Woodhouse's Scrub-JayAphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves3,535
- House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves3,178
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves3,091
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves2,634
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves2,534
- California TowheeMelozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves2,421
- Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorus (Swainson, 1827) · Aves2,319
- Anna's HummingbirdCalypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves2,172
Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Schools
Earthquake history
Most recent
- M 2.54 — 2026-08-1712 km SSW of Lompoc, CA
- M 2.66 — 2026-08-1712 km S of Lompoc, CA
- M 2.53 — 2026-08-167 km SW of Atascadero, CA
- M 2.53 — 2026-08-1412 km SSW of Lompoc, CA
- M 2.82 — 2026-08-0912 km SSW of Lompoc, CA
- M 2.51 — 2026-08-0913 km SSW of Lompoc, CA
Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Nearby places in California
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Los Alamos
Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
- Wildfire PLAINS, San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-08-12 · 49 mi
- Wildfire BUZZARD, Kern, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-08-05 · 77 mi
- Wildfire RIDGE, Los Angeles, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-08-07 · 82 mi
- Wildfire Plaskett, Monterey, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-08-26 · 103 mi
- Wildfire Timber, Monterey, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-08-09 · 130 mi
- Prescribed Fire CRAWFORD CORRAL RX, Tulare, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-09-19 · 148 mi
- Wildfire DOME, Mariposa, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-09-15 · 199 mi
- Wildfire GANN, Calaveras, CaliforniaWildfires · 2026-08-03 · 234 mi
Wildfires, storms and other events from NASA EONET (last 12 months, within 250 mi).
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Nearest stream gauge
Events
Gallery
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
- • NOAA National Weather Service
- • Wikidata
- • Open-Meteo Air Quality (CAMS)
- • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
- • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library
- • NASA EONET