Santa Maria California - Directions and Map| Santa Maria Valley

Road Travel

The Santa Maria Valley is situated midway along California’s Central Coast. It is located approximately 3.5 hours north of Los Angeles, 1.5 hours north of Santa Barbara, 4 hours south of the Bay Area, and 20 minutes from Pismo State Beach.

You can reach Santa Maria via Highway 101, Highway 1, and Highway 166.

Air Travel

To fly to or from Santa Maria Valley, the Santa Maria Airport (SMX) is a great option. Airlines like Allegiant, Alaska, and Mokulele offer connecting and direct flights to SMX.

Things to Do in Santa Maria Valley

Santa Maria Museum of Flight

Celebrating the history of aviation on the Central Coast, the Santa Maria Museum of Flight emphasizes the region’s contribution to flight. Visitors wandering through two different hangars and are treated to aircraft displays, memorabilia, models, and photos that cover everything from the Wright Brothers to World War II to present day technology.

Urbane Cafe

We craft a casual, yet discerning menu of sandwiches and salads with refined local ingredients and blend them into the tastiest dishes in a warm yet vibrant atmosphere. Every day we make our focaccia dough in our scratch kitchens. And we bake it fresh constantly in our open-hearth ovens right before your eyes. Lunch and […]

Far Western Tavern

A contemporary California ranch cuisine inspired by local traditions, Far Western Tavern is recognized as a landmark of Santa Maria-style barbecue, the renowned regional fare rooted in native tradition, first popularized by the 19th century rancheros. Meals here are prepared with fresh flavors from nearby farms, ranches and vineyards.

Guadalupe Buddhist Church

The Guadalupe Buddhist Church is the oldest Buddhist temple in California. The temple was founded in 1914 and has been operational ever since. Each year, the temple hosts the annual Obon Festival.

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Featured Events

March 02

Santa Maria Civic Theatre: One Slight Hitch

It’s Courtney’s wedding day, and her mom, Delia, is making sure that everything is perfect. The groom is perfect, the dress is perfect, and the decorations (assuming they arrive) will be perfect. Then, like in any good farce the doorbell rings. And all hell breaks loose. So much for perfect! “If you think of Lewis […]

March 07

PCPA: The Wolves

This 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist will play in the electrifying intimacy of the Severson Theatre. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, a girl’s indoor soccer team of distinct personalities navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with the fervent exuberance of a pack of adolescent warriors. The New York Times exclaims, “The scary, exhilarating brightness […]

March 14

Great American Melodrama - Unnecessary Farce

March 14 – April 28 Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go! In a cheap motel room, an embezzling mayor meets with his female accountant. In the next room, two cops wait to catch the meeting on video. But there’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s taken the money, and who’s hired the Scottish […]

March 15

Presqu'ile 3rd Fridays Live - Tepusquet Tornadoes

Presqu’ile’s house band, the Tepusquet Tornadoes, turn into the Tepusquet Shamrocks for one night only, as they kick off St. Paddy’s weekend! Expect a set list full of hits from the likes of U2, Van Morrison, The Cranberries, Thin Lizzy, and more Irish favorites. Our featured pairing is Chef Lisabeth’s take on corned beef and […]

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