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Overview

Located in northern Santa Barbara County, the Santa Maria Area office is responsible for approximately 30 miles of US-101, 78 miles of State Route 166, 17 miles of State Route 135, 20 miles of State Route 1, and 12 miles of State Route 33. The overall boundaries encompass over 1200 square miles, most of which is unincorporated. Santa Maria and Guadalupe are the only incorporated cities within the Area boundaries. Santa Maria encompasses 22 square miles, while Guadalupe encompasses approximately five square miles. The Area is responsible for patrolling Orcutt which is one of the largest unincorporated towns in California. Santa Maria is located in wine country, midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Therefore, many of the motorists passing through the area are tourists, both domestic and foreign. The Santa Maria Valley has a population of approximately 150,000 residents. The population in these areas vary greatly due to the influx of migrant farm workers during the harvest times from spring through late summer. Many of Santa Maria’s working public commute out of the area to adjacent communities.
 
The Santa Maria Area Office is led by a lieutenant commander, and consists of 24 patrol officers, three field support officers, and three patrol sergeants. The Santa Maria Area employs four support staff members including an Office Services Supervisor, Office Assistant, Auto Technician, and Maintenance Worker. We offer several traffic safety programs such as Start Smart, Age Well Drive Smart, Every 15 Minutes, Impact Teen Drivers, and child safety seat installations to serve and educate our community. Contact the Santa Maria Area Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for more information or click on the Programs & Services above to learn more. Thank you for taking the time to learn about the California Highway Patrol Santa Maria Area.