Ballard, California | |
|---|---|
 Location of Ballard in Santa Barbara County, California. | |
  Ballard, California Position in California. | |
| Coordinates:34°38′04″N120°06′56″W / 34.63444°N 120.11556°W /34.63444; -120.11556 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Santa Barbara |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.80 sq mi (7.25 km2) |
| • Land | 2.79 sq mi (7.24 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) 0.02% |
| Elevation | 646 ft (197 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 768 |
| • Density | 274.87/sq mi (106.12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 93463 |
| Area code | 805 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2582938 |
| U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ballard, California | |
Ballard is aunincorporated community inSanta Barbara County, California. Ballard is the smallest and oldest community in theSanta Ynez Valley. The nearest city isSolvang. The population was 768 at the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined that community as acensus-designated place (CDP). Ballard was founded in 1880 and has two buildings from that era: the 1883 Ballard School and the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church, which was erected in 1889.[3]
Ballard is a small, mostly residential town in theSanta Ynez Valley, which is in the center ofSanta Barbara County, California. It is one of six towns in the valley, along withBuellton to the west,Los Alamos to the northwest,Los Olivos to the north,Santa Ynez to the southeast, andSolvang to the south. The town is located next to Ballard Canyon.[4] Ballard is accessible by taking Alamo Pintado Road south from Los Olivos, which is located onCalifornia State Route 154, or by taking Alamo Pintado north from Solvang, which is located onState Route 246. From Alamo Pintado, Baseline Avenue is used to enter the main part of town.[5] Baseline Avenue is also accessible directly from State Route 154.[6]
In 1987, Michelle Grimm and Tom Grimm wrote in theLos Angeles Times that Ballard was often visited by "city folks [who] stop by to enjoy the tranquillity of a small town from bygone times."[5] In 2012, theSanta Barbara Independent said the town "still has a 19th-century feel."[7] The town's school isBallard School, which serves grades K-6.[8] It is famous for its one-room schoolhouse, named the "Little Red Schoolhouse".[4] Some of Ballard's most important businesses and community locations include the Ballard Innbed & breakfast, the Bob's Well Bread bakery, the Loper Chapel used mainly for funeral services, and the Oak Hill Cemetery.[4][5][9] The Santa Ynez Valley's climate is useful forwinemaking. TheBallard Canyon AVA producesRhône andBordeaux wines.[4]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 2.8 square miles (7.2 km2), 99.98% of it land, and 0.02% of it water.
Ballard was founded in 1880 at the location of aWells Fargo stage line station, being named by George Lewis after William Ballard, the former proprietor, who ran the station from 1862 to 1870.[10] In 1882 it was believed that Ballard would grow into the central metropolis ofSanta Barbara County. The first school, Ballard's Little Red School House, was built in 1882 and is still in operation today, being the primary tourist attraction.
Thewine-producing region around Ballard was featured in the Academy Award-nominated filmSideways.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 467 | — | |
| 2020 | 768 | 64.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1850–1870[12][13] 1880-1890[14] 1900[15] 1910[16] 1920[17] 1930[18] 1940[19] 1950[20] 1960[21] 1970[22] 1980[23] 1990[24]2000[25] 2010[26] | |||
The2020 United States census reported that Ballard had a population of 768. The population density was 274.9 inhabitants per square mile (106.1/km2). The racial makeup of Ballard was 75.9%White, 1.0%African American, 1.3%Native American, 0.5%Asian, 0.3%Pacific Islander, 3.6% fromother races, and 17.3% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.1% of the population.
The whole population lived in households. There were 304 households, out of which 25.7% included children under the age of 18, 50.3% were married-couple households, 5.9% werecohabiting couple households, 30.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.5% had a male householder with no partner present. 30.9% of households were one person, and 18.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53. There were 189families (62.2% of all households).
The age distribution was 15.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% aged 18 to 24, 21.2% aged 25 to 44, 29.6% aged 45 to 64, and 27.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males.
There were 347 housing units at an average density of 124.2 units per square mile (48.0 units/km2), of which 304 (87.6%) were occupied. Of these, 68.4% were owner-occupied, and 31.6% were occupied by renters.[27][28]
Municipalities and communities ofSanta Barbara County, California,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
