County · code 06083
Santa Barbara CountyCalifornia
Santa Barbara County is in California and was created on February 18, 1850, with Santa Barbara as its county seat.
- Founded1850
- County seatSanta Barbara
- Named forSanta Barbara, California
- Land area2,734 sq mi + 1,054 sq mi water
- Population448,229 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped133,602 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Santa Barbara 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.
Santa Barbara County was created on February 18, 1850 from non-county area. The county exchanged territory with Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties multiple times between 1851 and 1873. Small boundary adjustments with San Luis Obispo County occurred in 1991 and 1992.
- 1850Santa Barbara County created Santa Barbara created from non-county area. · Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 15, sec. 4/p. 59
- 1851Exchanged territory Santa Barbara exchanged with Los Angeles, lost to San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1851, 2d sess., ch. 14, sec. 4/p. 173
- 1852Gained territory Santa Barbara gained from San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1852, 3d sess., ch. 133/p. 218
- 1854Exchanged territory Santa Barbara exchanged with San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1854, 5th sess., ch. 24/p. 148
- 1873Exchanged territory Santa Barbara exchanged with San Luis Obispo, 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
Show all 8 changes
- 1850Santa Barbara County created Santa Barbara created from non-county area. · Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 15, sec. 4/p. 59
- 1851Exchanged territory Santa Barbara exchanged with Los Angeles, lost to San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1851, 2d sess., ch. 14, sec. 4/p. 173
- 1852Gained territory Santa Barbara gained from San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1852, 3d sess., ch. 133/p. 218
- 1854Exchanged territory Santa Barbara exchanged with San Luis Obispo. · Calif. Stats. 1854, 5th sess., ch. 24/p. 148
- 1873Exchanged territory Santa Barbara exchanged with San Luis Obispo, 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
- 1968Boundary clarified Santa Barbara boundaries redefined to correct mistake in Government Political Code. The word "northwest" was replaced by "southwestern" (no change).no change· Calif. Stats. 1968, reg. sess., ch. 248/p. 561
- 1991Gained territory Santa Barbara gained small area from San Luis Obispo. · Leaha K. Magee, San Luis Obispo County LAFCO, correspondence, 29 October 2002
- 1992Gained territory Santa Barbara gained small area from San Luis Obispo. · Leaha K. Magee, San Luis Obispo County LAFCO, correspondence, 29 October 2002
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Santa Barbara
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 133,602 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 28 September 2026 · checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Santa Barbara 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
Santa Barbara 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
Santa Barbara County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Santa Barbara County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara County
- When was Santa Barbara County founded?
- Santa Barbara County was founded in 1850, and named after Santa Barbara, California.
- What is the county seat of Santa Barbara County?
- The county seat of Santa Barbara County is Santa Barbara.
- Is there an online parcel map for Santa Barbara County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 133,602 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Santa Barbara County's boundary or name changed?
- Santa Barbara County was created in 1850. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving San Luis Obispo County, Los Angeles County and Ventura County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Santa Barbara County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby