Lompoc Real Estate Listings of Houses and Homes for Sale in Santa Barbara County, California

Lompoc

The name Lompoc comes from the language of the Chumash Indians, meaning “little lake or lagoon.” The Chumash were the first known residents in the Lompoc Valley, and for nearly 10,000 years prior to European contact, the Chumash and their predecessors lived in the valley. The establishment of La Purisima Mission in 1787 marked the earliest European settlement in the Lompoc Valley. An earthquake destroyed the original mission, located at what is now the foot of “F” Street in Downtown Lompoc, in 1812. Remnants of the mission can be seen at this site, which has been preserved, as a State Historical Landmark. The mission was rebuilt over several years beginning in 1813 at its current location on the north side of the Valley. The Mission, the most authentically restored in the mission system, is now a State Park.

The Lompoc Land Company was formed and incorporated in August of 1874 for the purpose of purchasing almost 43,000 acres to establish a temperance colony. The City of Lompoc was incorporated on August 13, 1888. A number of wharves were constructed during this period serving as shipping points for incoming supplies and outgoing agricultural produce until the turn of the century when the railroad replaced shipping as the primary means of commercial transportation.

The completion of the coastal railroad between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1901, and the subsequent extension of a spur into Lompoc, provided the impetus for growth in the Valley. Fields were cleared and leveled for agricultural production of specialized crops including flower seeds. The flower seed industry so dominated agricultural production that the area was dubbed the "Valley of Flowers". The Johns-Manville Corporation and others began the mining of diatomaceous earth in the southern hills. The mining industry continues to be major employer.

In 1941, Camp Cooke was established as an Army training base, which was renamed Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1958. The Base was the first missile base of the United States Air Force. The Space Shuttle program was slated to begin launches in the late 1980's. However, when the Challenger exploded during take-off in 1986, the West Coast Shuttle Program was terminated, leaving Lompoc in a severe recession.

The Lompoc Valley responded to the Shuttle disaster by focusing on tourism as a means of fighting its way through the recession. By focusing on the natural beauty of the Valley, its flower industry, the pristine Central Coast, and by developing a successful downtown mural program, the City of Lompoc has built an excellent tourism industry that is to this day a primary component of the Lompoc economy. Today, the City of Lompoc is dubbed "The City of Arts and Flowers".

The city often comes together to celebrate and there are 2 different yearly events that are particularly well attended. The Annual Flower Festival has been going strong for over 50 years, and each June is highlighted by a top ranked parade on Saturday. The weeklong festival also features a carnival, arts and crafts, food booths and of course the Flower Show. The Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival weekend brings crowds to Lompoc’s River Park from far around each April. Special winemaker dinners, the Spring Arts Festival, Bodger Seed Greenhouse tours, winemaker golf tournament, mural tours and La Purisima Mission tour are just a few of the attractions of the weekend. Other annual events include dog shows, art shows, car shows, Easter egg hunt, music festivals, American Mountain Men rendezvous and Indian Village Days.

The dominant economic activity in the Lompoc valley is Vandenberg Air Force Base. Strategic government and commercial space programs define the principal activity of the base and the reason that Vandenberg will remain a permanent U.S. military installation in future years. Military and civilian workers and retired military populations dominate the base and the surrounding environs. Vandenberg AFB has largely influenced the economy, but over time, the economy is becoming more diverse. While the largest employers in the Valley economy still remain the principal defense contractors on the base, the business sector has evolved to include manufacturing operations, more retail and recreation services, and technology companies that have the potential to grow and create new jobs in the area over time.

Lompoc benefits from its strategic location between Southern California and Bay Area manufacturing, supplier, and consumer markets. Specifically, it is 155 miles north of Los Angeles and 270 miles south of San Francisco.

A high quality of life in a safe and peaceful community with a small town atmosphere is an added bonus for locating in Lompoc. Lompoc-Santa Barbara-Santa Maria was even ranked within the top four most desirable communities in the 2004 issue of Cities Ranked and Rated. There is moderate rainfall, daily fog and no snow.

While Santa Barbara County is famous for its missions, rare bird watching, surfing/windsurfing, undeveloped beaches and mountains, chaparral forests, biological diversity, premium wineries, Lompoc offers it all with affordability. New homes under construction are about half the price of homes in Santa Barbara. Utility rates are frequently over a third lower, as well.

Those that love to hit the links will love life in Lompoc. Nearby La Purisima Golf Course is the site of the PGA Tour Qualifiers and the USGA Qualifiers. It is also rated in the top 60 best public courses by Golf Magazine and rated 4-stars by Golf Digest’s “Places to Play.” The Village Country Golf Club is a private golf club and is another highly rated golf facility in the area.