Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the
West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the
Pacific Ocean. Santa Barbara's climate is often described as Mediterranean, and the city has been dubbed "The American Riviera". [11]th-facing section of coastline, the longest such section According to the 2020 U.S. Census

, the city's population was 88,665. [12] In addition to being a popular tourist and resort destination, the city has a diverse economy that includes a large service sector, education, technology, health care, finance, agriculture, manufacturing, and local government. In 2004, the service sector accounted for 35% of local employment. [13] Education in particular is well represented, with four institutions of higher learning nearby: the University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College, and Antioch University. The city is served by Santa Barbara Airport

and train service is provided by Amtrak, which operates the Pacific Surfliner, which runs from San Diego to
San Luis Obispo. The Santa Barbara area is connected via

U.S. Highway 101 to Los Angeles 100mi (160
km) to the southeast and San Francisco 325mi (525
km) to the northwest. Behind the city, in and beyond the Santa Ynez Mountains, is the Los Padres National Forest

, which contains several remote wilderness areas.
Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary are located approximately 20 miles (30km) offshore.