County · code 06079
San Luis Obispo CountyCalifornia
San Luis Obispo County is a county in California, with its seat in San Luis Obispo. It was created on February 18, 1850.
- Founded1850
- County seatSan Luis Obispo
- Named forSan Luis Obispo
- Land area3,301 sq mi + 315 sq mi water
- Population282,424 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped131,842 checked 13 October 2026
Where it is
San Luis Obispo on the map of California
California has 58 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1850
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
San Luis Obispo County was created from non-county area in 1850. In its first years, it exchanged and gained territory with neighboring counties including Santa Barbara, Monterey, and later Kern and Ventura.
- 1850San Luis Obispo County created San Luis Obispo created from non-county area. · Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 15, sec. 5/p. 59
- 1851Gained territory San Luis Obispo gained from Santa Barbara, exchanged with Monterey. · Calif. Stats. 1851, 2d sess., ch. 14, sec. 5/p. 173
- 1852Lost territory San Luis Obispo lost to Santa Barbara. · Calif. Stats. 1852, 3d sess., ch. 133/p. 218
- 1854Exchanged territory San Luis Obispo exchanged with Santa Barbara. · Calif. Stats. 1854, 5th sess., ch. 24/p. 148
- 1861Gained territory San Luis Obispo gained from Monterey. · Calif. Stats. 1861, 12th sess., ch. 342/p. 349
Show all 10 changes
- 1850San Luis Obispo County created San Luis Obispo created from non-county area. · Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 15, sec. 5/p. 59
- 1851Gained territory San Luis Obispo gained from Santa Barbara, exchanged with Monterey. · Calif. Stats. 1851, 2d sess., ch. 14, sec. 5/p. 173
- 1852Lost territory San Luis Obispo lost to Santa Barbara. · Calif. Stats. 1852, 3d sess., ch. 133/p. 218
- 1854Exchanged territory San Luis Obispo exchanged with Santa Barbara. · Calif. Stats. 1854, 5th sess., ch. 24/p. 148
- 1861Gained territory San Luis Obispo gained from Monterey. · Calif. Stats. 1861, 12th sess., ch. 342/p. 349
- 1863Lost territory San Luis Obispo lost to Monterey. · Calif. Stats. 1863, 14th sess., ch. 276/p. 358
- 1873Exchanged territory San Luis Obispo exchanged with Santa Barbara, lost to creation of Ventura. · Calif. Stats. 1871, 19th sess., ch. 351/pp. 484-489; Political Code 1872, 1: secs. 3946-3947/pp. 142-143
- 1885Exchanged territory San Luis Obispo exchanged with Kern. · Calif. Stats. 1885, 26th sess., ch. 149/pp. 139-141
- 1991Lost territory San Luis Obispo lost small area to Santa Barbara. · Leaha K. Magee, San Luis Obispo County LAFCO, correspondence, 29 October 2002
- 1992Lost territory San Luis Obispo lost small area to Santa Barbara. · Leaha K. Magee, San Luis Obispo County LAFCO, correspondence, 29 October 2002
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in San Luis Obispo
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 131,842 parcels from California Coastal Commission. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 14 July 2025 · checked 13 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for San Luis Obispo County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
San Luis Obispo by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
- Clerk of court: deeds and plats
Clerk-Recorder
Permits
Zoning and code
- Planning and zoning
Planning & Building
County government
- County government
The official website of San Luis Obispo County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open San Luis Obispo County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about San Luis Obispo County
- When was San Luis Obispo County founded?
- San Luis Obispo County was founded in 1850, and named after San Luis Obispo.
- What is the county seat of San Luis Obispo County?
- The county seat of San Luis Obispo County is San Luis Obispo.
- Is there an online parcel map for San Luis Obispo County?
- Yes. California Coastal Commission publishes a parcel map of 131,842 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has San Luis Obispo County's boundary or name changed?
- San Luis Obispo County was created in 1850. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Santa Barbara County, Monterey County and Kern County.
- Who issues building permits in San Luis Obispo County?
- The county's page on building permits: construction permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in San Luis Obispo County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Animal Services.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for San Luis Obispo County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby