San Luis Obispo County (/sæn ˌluːɪs oʊˈbɪspoʊ/ ), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.

Junípero Serra founded the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in 1772, and San Luis Obispo grew around it. The small size of the county's communities, scattered along the beaches, coastal hills, and mountains of the Santa Lucia range, provides a wide variety of coastal and inland hill ecologies to support fishing, agriculture, and tourist activities.

California Polytechnic State University has almost 20,000 students. Tourism, especially for the wineries, is popular. Grapes and other agriculture products are an important part of the economy. San Luis Obispo County is the third largest producer of wine in California, surpassed only by Sonoma and Napa counties. Strawberries are the largest agricultural crop in the county.

The town of San Simeon is located at the foot of the ridge where newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst built Hearst Castle. Other coastal towns (listed from north to south) include Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, and Los Osos -Baywood Park. These cities and villages are located northwest of the city of San Luis Obispo. To the south are Avila Beach and the Five Cities region. The Five Cities originally were: Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach (then known as Grover City), Oceano, Fair Oaks and Halcyon. Today, the Five Cities region consists of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, and Halcyon (basically the area from Pismo Beach to Oceano). Just south of the Five Cities, San Luis Obispo County borders northern Santa Barbara County. Inland, the cities of Paso Robles, Templeton, and Atascadero lie along the Salinas River, near the Paso Robles wine region. San Luis Obispo lies south of Atascadero and north of the Five Cities region.

The prehistory of San Luis Obispo County is strongly influenced by the Chumash people. There has been significant settlement here at least as early as the Millingstone Horizon thousands of years ago. Important settlements existed in coastal areas such as Morro Bay and Los Osos.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded on September 1, 1772, in the area that is now the city of San Luis Obispo. The namesake of the mission, city and county is Saint Louis of Toulouse, the young bishop of Toulouse (Obispo and Tolosa in Spanish) in 1297.

San Luis Obispo County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The Salinas River Valley, a region that figures strongly in several John Steinbeck novels, stretches north from San Luis Obispo County.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,616 square miles (9,370 km), of which 3,299 square miles (8,540 km) is land and 317 square miles (820 km) (comprising 8.8%) is water.

San Luis Obispo County has three main climate types. BSk climate can mainly be found in the eastern portions of the county, along with certain smaller areas in the north. Csa climate can mainly be found in the central portions of the counties, in communities such as Paso Robles. The rest of the county is made up of the Csb climate type. The Csb warm-summer mediterranean type climate together with the county's varied landscapes reminds visitors of European locales.

• Carrizo Plain National Monument (part)
• Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Los Padres National Forest (part)

• Cambria State Marine Conservation Area
• Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
• Morro Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area and Morro Bay State Marine Reserve
• Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area
• Point Buchon State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area
• White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	336		—
1860	1,782		430.4%
1870	4,772		167.8%
1880	9,142		91.6%
1890	16,072		75.8%
1900	16,637		3.5%
1910	19,383		16.5%
1920	21,893		12.9%
1930	29,613		35.3%
1940	33,246		12.3%
1950	51,417		54.7%
1960	81,044		57.6%
1970	105,690		30.4%
1980	155,435		47.1%
1990	217,162		39.7%
2000	246,681		13.6%
2010	269,637		9.3%
2020	282,424		4.7%
2023 (est.)	281,639		−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

San Luis Obispo County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1990	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	176,246	187,840	191,696	183,468	81.16%	76.15%	71.09%	64.96%
Black or African American alone (NH)	4,325	4,743	5,128	4,330	1.99%	1.92%	1.90%	1.53%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	1,652	1,490	1,367	1,136	0.76%	0.60%	0.51%	0.40%
Asian alone (NH)	5,774	6,342	8,106	10,001	2.66%	2.57%	3.01%	3.54%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	N/A	227	346	340	N/A	0.09%	0.13%	0.12%
Other Race alone (NH)	242	365	784	1,614	0.11%	0.15%	0.29%	0.57%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	N/A	5,478	6,237	13,614	N/A	2.22%	2.31%	4.82%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	28,923	40,196	55,973	67,921	13.32%	16.29%	20.76%	24.05%
Total	217,162	246,681	269,637	282,424	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Population, race, and income
Total population	267,871
White	224,800	83.9%
Black or African American	5,882	2.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native	2,625	1.0%
Asian	8,693	3.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	280	0.1%
Some other race	16,666	6.2%
Two or more races	8,925	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	54,537	20.4%
Per capita income	$30,204
Median household income	$58,630
Median family income	$74,841

Places by population and race
Place	Type	Population	White	Other	Asian	Black or African American	Native American	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Arroyo Grande	City	17,132	85.8%	6.7%	5.0%	1.6%	0.8%	12.7%
Atascadero	City	28,194	88.5%	5.7%	1.7%	1.7%	2.4%	13.7%
Avila Beach	CDP	1,086	91.4%	8.6%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	2.2%
Blacklake	CDP	1,014	97.1%	0.0%	1.5%	0.0%	1.4%	0.8%
Callender	CDP	1,531	96.3%	2.2%	1.6%	0.0%	0.0%	42.5%
Cambria	CDP	6,229	91.7%	4.3%	2.7%	0.0%	1.3%	17.1%
Cayucos	CDP	2,822	97.5%	1.8%	0.5%	0.0%	0.2%	6.0%
Creston	CDP	94	79.8%	20.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Edna	CDP	80	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)	City	29,270	76.6%	15.1%	2.0%	4.5%	1.8%	35.1%
Garden Farms	CDP	335	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Grover Beach	City	13,175	81.6%	9.9%	6.0%	1.4%	1.0%	21.0%
Lake Nacimiento	CDP	2,397	96.0%	4.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	12.3%
Los Berros	CDP	920	86.2%	13.8%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	19.8%
Los Osos	CDP	14,950	85.3%	7.5%	6.3%	0.4%	0.5%	12.4%
Los Ranchos	CDP	1,578	91.4%	3.1%	1.5%	0.8%	3.2%	2.1%
Morro Bay	City	10,263	96.0%	1.7%	1.8%	0.1%	0.4%	17.8%
Nipomo	CDP	16,622	84.1%	12.7%	1.3%	1.3%	0.6%	35.0%
Oak Shores	CDP	187	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	5.3%
Oceano	CDP	7,456	77.3%	19.4%	1.5%	0.0%	1.8%	47.6%
Pismo Beach	City	7,753	87.6%	7.7%	2.8%	0.6%	1.3%	10.3%
San Luis Obispo	City	45,130	83.2%	8.4%	6.4%	1.6%	0.6%	16.6%
San Miguel	CDP	2,782	64.6%	29.6%	1.3%	0.0%	4.6%	50.8%
San Simeon	CDP	571	48.0%	52.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	72.5%
Santa Margarita	CDP	1,429	95.7%	4.3%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	18.0%
Shandon	CDP	1,150	82.3%	6.9%	0.0%	10.6%	0.3%	46.1%
Templeton	CDP	7,645	88.9%	9.5%	0.7%	0.5%	0.4%	16.4%
Whitley Gardens	CDP	244	58.6%	33.6%	0.0%	7.8%	0.0%	41.4%
Woodlands	CDP	417	89.2%	3.6%	3.8%	0.0%	3.4%	11.8%

Places by population and income
Place	Type	Population	Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income
Arroyo Grande	City	17,132	$34,489	$64,900	$79,188
Atascadero	City	28,194	$32,153	$68,502	$79,818
Avila Beach	CDP	1,086	$45,863	$65,483	$42,107
Blacklake	CDP	1,014	$43,698	$81,417	$105,152
Callender	CDP	1,531	$25,222	$72,917	$91,852
Cambria	CDP	6,229	$46,892	$76,271	$99,550
Cayucos	CDP	2,822	$38,525	$59,130	$69,861
Creston	CDP	94	$43,934	$85,357	$81,250
Edna	CDP	80	$71,853	$115,962	$115,962
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)	City	29,270	$26,547	$57,927	$63,864
Garden Farms	CDP	335	$61,822	$111,360	$111,360
Grover Beach	City	13,175	$25,232	$47,708	$63,354
Lake Nacimiento	CDP	2,397	$31,410	$58,542	$62,760
Los Berros	CDP	920	$15,603	$36,096	$36,776
Los Osos	CDP	14,950	$30,967	$57,500	$73,027
Los Ranchos	CDP	1,578	$59,646	$99,028	$104,455
Morro Bay	City	10,263	$33,137	$52,582	$65,833
Nipomo	CDP	16,622	$26,014	$61,265	$68,386
Oak Shores	CDP	187	$44,498	$97,639	$98,542
Oceano	CDP	7,456	$18,363	$37,219	$40,489
Pismo Beach	City	7,753	$44,250	$65,682	$88,971
San Luis Obispo	City	45,130	$25,775	$42,528	$80,560
San Miguel	CDP	2,782	$17,371	$49,097	$42,296
San Simeon	CDP	571	$20,490	$44,583	$51,786
Santa Margarita	CDP	1,429	$19,328	$49,032	$58,672
Shandon	CDP	1,150	$19,050	$65,260	$59,167
Templeton	CDP	7,645	$35,743	$70,820	$92,169
Whitley Gardens	CDP	244	$21,938	$106,250	$129,000
Woodlands	CDP	417	$54,163	$96,250	$89,250

The 2010 United States Census reported that San Luis Obispo County had a population of 269,637. The racial makeup of San Luis Obispo County was 222,756 (82.6%) White, 5,550 (2.1%) African American, 2,536 (0.9%) Native American, 8,507 (3.2%) Asian (1.0% Filipino, 0.6% Chinese, 0.4% Japanese, 0.3% Indian, 0.3% Korean, 0.2% Vietnamese), 389 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 19,786 (7.3%) from other races, and 10,113 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 55,973 persons (20.8%); 17.7% of San Luis Obispo County is Mexican, 0.3% Puerto Rican, and 0.2% Salvadoran.

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
San Luis Obispo County	269,637	222,756	5,550	2,536	8,507	389	19,786	10,113	55,973
Incorporated cities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Arroyo Grande	17,252	14,710	156	125	595	14	856	796	2,707
Atascadero	28,310	24,457	585	295	685	57	1,205	1,026	4,429
Grover Beach	13,156	9,964	146	186	542	35	1,582	701	3,840
Morro Bay	10,234	8,909	44	92	258	9	613	309	1,526
Paso Robles	29,793	23,158	622	297	593	56	3,916	1,151	10,275
Pismo Beach	7,655	6,976	50	41	203	11	170	204	715
San Luis Obispo	45,119	38,117	523	275	2,350	65	1,973	1,816	6,626
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Avila Beach	1,627	1,507	13	7	33	0	34	33	111
Blacklake	930	865	8	7	24	0	14	12	70
Callender	1,262	1,003	7	22	48	0	128	54	355
Cambria	6,032	5,166	18	47	78	14	557	152	1,187
Cayucos	2,592	2,366	6	12	54	8	57	89	207
Creston	94	89	0	2	1	0	0	2	6
Edna	193	185	0	3	0	0	5	0	22
Garden Farms	386	348	2	2	5	0	21	8	40
Lake Nacimiento	2,411	2,153	12	44	24	5	75	98	256
Los Berros	641	527	4	1	12	1	45	51	153
Los Osos	14,276	12,304	79	97	748	18	552	478	1,977
Los Ranchos	1,477	1,389	1	2	31	0	18	36	58
Nipomo	16,714	12,281	177	200	421	33	2,821	781	6,645
Oak Shores	337	318	3	2	4	0	4	6	31
Oceano	7,286	5,105	62	120	165	7	1,509	318	3,484
San Miguel	2,336	1,638	65	58	19	1	474	81	1,196
San Simeon	462	270	4	5	9	2	160	12	258
Santa Margarita	1,259	1,077	8	28	34	0	42	70	206
Shandon	1,295	840	34	18	7	2	352	42	693
Templeton	7,674	6,833	59	80	123	10	337	232	1,171
Whitley Gardens	285	260	1	6	1	0	13	4	43
Woodlands	576	541	7	0	18	1	3	6	27
Other unincorporated areas	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	47,973	39,400	2,854	462	1,422	40	2,250	1,545	7,659

As of the census of 2000, there were 246,681 residents, 92,739 households, and 58,611 families in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile (29 people/km). There were 102,275 housing units at an average density of 31 units per square mile (12 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 84.6% White, 2.0% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 16.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 13.9% were of German, 11.4% English, 9.7% Irish, 6.1% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 85.7% spoke English and 10.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 92,739 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.40% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,428, and the median income for a family was $52,447. Males had a median income of $40,726 versus $27,450 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,864. About 6.8% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

The mainstays of the economy are California Polytechnic State University with its almost 20,000 students, tourism, and agriculture.The economic indicators reveal that San Luis Obispo County aligns closely with California regarding median household income and poverty rates. However, the county distinguishes itself through higher educational attainment and homeownership rates, alongside a distinctive employment sector composition favoring agriculture and related industries. Despite these strengths, the county is not immune to challenges, as evidenced by a housing market that is significantly more expensive than the rest of California and growing income inequality. San Luis Obispo County's economy is primarily a service economy. Service jobs account for 38% of the county's jobs, government jobs accounts for 20.7%, and manufacturing jobs represent 6% of the county's jobs.

San Luis Obispo County is the third largest producer of wine in California, surpassed only by Sonoma and Napa counties. Wine grapes are the second largest agricultural crop in the county (after strawberries), and the wine production they support creates a direct economic impact and a growing wine country vacation industry.

The county led the state in hemp cultivation in 2018 as hundreds of acres of the crop were grown in research partnerships. In 2019, nine agricultural research permits were still active. Sixteen commercial permits were issued before a temporary ban on new applications running through June 2020 was passed by the Board of Supervisors.

Population and registered voters
Total population	267,871
Registered voters	184,744	58.4%
Democratic	70,180	38%
Republican	63,687	34.5%
Democratic–Republican spread	+6,493	+3.5%
American Independent	7,116	3.9%
Green	972	0.5%
Libertarian	2,401	1.3%
Peace and Freedom	566	0.3%
Other	1,752	1%
No party preference	37,366	20.2%

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population	Registered voters	Democratic	Republican	D–R spread	Other	No party preference
Arroyo Grande	17,132	65.5%	34.2%	41.8%	-7.6%	8.1%	18.7%
Atascadero	28,194	58.9%	30.8%	43.9%	-13.1%	8.2%	19.8%
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)	29,270	52.1%	29.6%	45.3%	-15.7%	8.2%	19.9%
Grover Beach	13,175	50.6%	37.3%	34.0%	+3.3%	9.3%	22.5%
Morro Bay	10,263	68.4%	39.5%	31.6%	+7.9%	9.5%	22.2%
Pismo Beach	7,753	70.4%	32.2%	41.5%	-9.3%	8.9%	20.3%
San Luis Obispo	45,130	59.2%	40.0%	29.1%	+10.9%	9.0%	24.6%

San Luis Obispo County leaned toward the Republican Party in presidential and congressional elections during most of the 20th century; it has, however, become more Democratic starting in the 2000s. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county with 51.2 percent of the vote. Prior to 2008, the last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, although Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1992. In 2012, Obama again won the county, this time with a slim plurality of the vote. Hillary Clinton won with a larger plurality in 2016; and in 2020, Joe Biden won a solid 55% of the vote, the largest for any Democrat since Johnson.

United States presidential election results for San Luis Obispo County, California

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	64,932	43.05%	81,314	53.92%	4,566	3.03%
2020	67,436	42.22%	88,310	55.29%	3,968	2.48%
2016	56,164	40.94%	67,107	48.91%	13,931	10.15%
2012	59,967	47.61%	61,258	48.63%	4,741	3.76%
2008	61,055	45.85%	68,176	51.20%	3,924	2.95%
2004	67,995	52.69%	58,742	45.52%	2,313	1.79%
2000	56,859	52.22%	44,526	40.89%	7,501	6.89%
1996	46,733	46.50%	40,395	40.19%	13,372	13.31%
1992	36,384	34.78%	40,136	38.36%	28,099	26.86%
1988	46,613	55.85%	35,667	42.73%	1,187	1.42%
1984	49,035	63.72%	26,946	35.02%	969	1.26%
1980	38,631	55.56%	20,508	29.50%	10,388	14.94%
1976	27,785	51.17%	24,926	45.91%	1,587	2.92%
1972	28,566	55.98%	20,779	40.72%	1,688	3.31%
1968	19,420	51.27%	15,828	41.78%	2,633	6.95%
1964	14,906	40.08%	22,252	59.84%	28	0.08%
1960	17,862	54.04%	14,975	45.30%	218	0.66%
1956	16,223	58.47%	11,407	41.11%	118	0.43%
1952	17,716	65.37%	9,174	33.85%	213	0.79%
1948	10,325	53.49%	8,135	42.14%	844	4.37%
1944	7,793	48.90%	8,068	50.63%	75	0.47%
1940	7,204	45.25%	8,499	53.39%	217	1.36%
1936	4,812	37.28%	7,889	61.13%	205	1.59%
1932	3,449	28.59%	7,933	65.77%	680	5.64%
1928	5,425	60.82%	3,336	37.40%	159	1.78%
1924	3,804	49.01%	731	9.42%	3,226	41.57%
1920	4,123	61.31%	1,606	23.88%	996	14.81%
1916	2,854	40.20%	3,539	49.85%	706	9.95%
1912	13	0.23%	2,248	40.48%	3,292	59.28%
1908	2,008	50.76%	1,381	34.91%	567	14.33%
1904	2,015	54.95%	1,167	31.82%	485	13.23%
1900	1,564	45.81%	1,713	50.18%	137	4.01%
1896	1,671	43.74%	2,056	53.82%	93	2.43%
1892	1,433	38.10%	1,199	31.88%	1,129	30.02%
1888	1,689	49.68%	1,585	46.62%	126	3.71%
1884	1,233	51.44%	1,069	44.60%	95	3.96%
1880	830	47.81%	729	41.99%	177	10.20%

With respect to the United States House of Representatives, San Luis Obispo County is mostly in California's 24th congressional district, represented by Democrat Salud Carbajal, with the northern part of the county in California's 19th congressional district, represented by Democrat Jimmy Panetta. From 2003 until 2013, the county was split between the Bakersfield-based 22nd district, which was represented by Republican Kevin McCarthy and included Paso Robles and most of the more conservative inland areas of the county, and Lois Capps' 23rd district, a strip which included most of the county's more liberal coastal areas as well as coastal areas of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

With respect to the California State Senate, the county is in the 17th Senate District, represented by Democrat John Laird. With respect to the California State Assembly, the county is in the 30th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Dawn Addis.

In April 2008, the California Secretary of State reported that there were 147,326 registered voters in San Luis Obispo County. Of those voters, 61,226 (41.6%) were registered Republicans, 52,586 (35.7%) were registered Democratic, 8,030 (5.4%) are registered with other political parties, and 25,484 (17.3%) declined to state a political preference. The cities of Grover Beach, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo had pluralities or majorities of registered Democratic voters, whereas the rest of the county's towns, cities, and the unincorporated areas have a plurality or majority of registered Republican voters.

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Population and crime rates
Population	267,871
Violent crime	694	2.59
Homicide	4	0.01
Forcible rape	89	0.33
Robbery	106	0.40
Aggravated assault	495	1.85
Property crime	3,009	11.23
Burglary	1,433	5.35
Larceny-theft	4,169	15.56
Motor vehicle theft	375	1.40
Arson	88	0.33

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population	Violent crimes	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Arroyo Grande	17,568	60	3.42	358	20.38
Atascadero	28,825	192	6.66	658	22.83
Grover Beach	13,398	32	2.39	306	22.84
Morro Bay	10,423	21	2.01	140	13.43
Paso Robles	30,344	91	3.00	777	25.61
Pismo Beach	7,798	36	4.62	305	39.11
San Luis Obispo	45,947	119	2.59	1,971	42.90

San Luis Obispo County Fire Department

Agency overview
Annual calls	Approximately 20,000
Annual budget	25 million
Facilities and equipment
Battalions	5
Stations	21
Engines	17 - first run 5 - reserve
Rescues	2
Tenders	3
HAZMAT	1
USAR	2
Airport crash	2
Wildland	2 - type 3
Light and air	1
Website
Official website

In unincorporated parts of the county, fire protection and emergency response services have been provided by the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department, through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE, since 1930. The county fire department also serves Los Osos, Oceano, and Avila Beach. The city of San Luis Obispo is served by the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department.

San Luis Obispo County is served by Amtrak trains and Greyhound Lines buses. The San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority provides countywide service along US 101 as well as service to Morro Bay, Los Osos, Cambria and San Simeon.

The cities of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero and Paso Robles operate their own local bus services; all of these connect with SLORTA routes.

Intercity service is provided by Amtrak trains, Greyhound Lines and Orange Belt Stages buses.

The Amtrak Thruway 18 provides a daily connection to Visalia on the east, and Santa Maria on the west, with several stops in between.

FlixBus boards from the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum at 1940 Santa Barbara Avenue.

• San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) is located just south of the City of San Luis Obispo. Commercial flights are available.
• Paso Robles Municipal Airport (PRB) is located north-east of the City of Paso Robles and is home to California Highway Patrol, CAL-FIRE and the Estrella Warbirds Museum.
• Oceano County Airport (L52) is located on the coast in the 5 Cities area.

In the future, SR 46 may be considered for a possible westward expansion of Interstate 40 via SR 58 from Barstow to Bakersfield, from Bakersfield to I-5 via Westside Parkway, and then following SR 46 to Paso Robles. SR 46 is slowly being upgraded to Interstate standards, minus overpasses between Interstate 5 and US Route 101.

• Arroyo Grande
• Atascadero
• Grover Beach
• Morro Bay
• Paso Robles
• Pismo Beach
• San Luis Obispo (county seat)

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of San Luis Obispo County.

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† San Luis Obispo	City	47,063
2	Paso Robles (El Paso de Robles)	City	31,490
3	Atascadero	City	29,773
4	Arroyo Grande	City	18,441
5	Nipomo	CDP	18,176
6	Los Osos	CDP	14,465
7	Grover Beach	City	12,701
8	Morro Bay	City	10,757
9	Templeton	CDP	8,386
10	Pismo Beach	City	8,072
11	Oceano	CDP	7,183
12	Cambria	CDP	5,678
13	San Miguel	CDP	3,172
14	Lake Nacimiento	CDP	2,956
15	Cayucos	CDP	2,505
16	Woodlands	CDP	1,933
17	Avila Beach	CDP	1,576
18	Los Ranchos	CDP	1,516
19	Santa Margarita	CDP	1,291
20	Callender	CDP	1,282
21	Shandon	CDP	1,168
22	Blacklake	CDP	1,016
23	Los Berros	CDP	623
24	Garden Farms	CDP	449
25	San Simeon	CDP	445
26	Whitley Gardens	CDP	325
27	Oak Shores	CDP	316
28	Edna	CDP	184
29	Creston	CDP	98

• San Luis Obispo County Search and Rescue
• List of museums in the California Central Coast
• List of school districts in San Luis Obispo County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in San Luis Obispo County, California
• San Luis Obispo Pioneer, the county's first newspaper
• Dalidio Ranch Project, a development proposal in San Luis Obispo County
• Amphibious Training Base Morro Bay

• Charles Montville Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, and Edwin M. Sheridan, History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California. In Two Volumes. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1917. Volume 1 | Volume 2
• Yda Addis Storke, A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California... Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1891.

35°23′N 120°27′W / 35.38°N 120.45°W / 35.38; -120.45