Isla Vista, California | |
|---|---|
 A welcome sign in Isla Vista | |
| Nickname: I.V. | |
 Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California | |
  Isla Vista, California Location in the United States  Isla Vista, California Isla Vista, California (California)  Isla Vista, California Isla Vista, California (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 34°24′48″N 119°51′39″W / 34.41333°N 119.86083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Santa Barbara |
| Government | |
| • County Supervisor | Joan Hartmann |
| • Senate | Monique Limón (D) |
| • Assembly | Steve Bennett (D) |
| • U.S. Congress | Salud Carbajal (D) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.86 sq mi (4.833 km2) |
| • Land | 1.849 sq mi (4.789 km2) |
| • Water | 0.017 sq mi (0.045 km2) 0.93% |
| Elevation | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 15,500 |
| • Density | 8,300/sq mi (3,200/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 93117 |
| Area code | 805 |
| FIPS code | 06-36868 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1702880 |
| Website | islavistacsd |
Isla Vista (English: /ˈaɪlə ˈvɪstə/ EYE-lə VISS-tə; Spanish: [ˈisla ˈβista], lit. "Island View") is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, California, in the United States. As of 2020 census, the community had a population of 15,500.[2] For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined the community as a census-designated place (CDP). The majority of residents are college students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, or Santa Barbara City College.[3] The beachside community of Isla Vista lies on a flat plateau about 30 feet (9 m) in elevation, separated from the beach by a bluff.
Isla Vista enjoys a Mediterranean climate and often has slightly less precipitation than Santa Barbara and Goleta, respectively. Isla Vista is located on a south-facing portion of the Santa Barbara County coast, between Coal Oil Point and Campus Point in view of the Channel Islands. During El Niño years, precipitation in Isla Vista can be excessive and potentially dangerous. Some homes and apartments built on the south side of Del Playa Drive, most popular with students due to their direct ocean views, are in danger of collapse, since they are built on quickly-eroding bluffs thirty to sixty feet above the Pacific Ocean.[citation needed] Recent erosion has exposed foundation supports in several of the properties closest to the university campus, UCSB.
As Isla Vista is on the south coast of Santa Barbara County, which has some of the highest housing prices in the United States,[4] the student population shares densely packed housing with a working class Hispanic population. Since Isla Vista has not been annexed by either Goleta or Santa Barbara, remaining unincorporated, only county funds are available for civic projects.[5][6] While the main campus is to the east, the community is surrounded on three sides by university property governed by the state Board of Regents.[7]
Isla Vista is home to a student housing cooperative, the Santa Barbara Student Housing Coop, as well as a food cooperative, the Isla Vista Food Co-op.
- ^ "U.S. Census". Archived from the original on July 2, 2012.
- ^ "QuickFacts: Isla Vista, CA".
- ^ "Isla Vista". Gaucho Parents: A Student Affairs Web Site for UCSB Families. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ "Santa Barbara's Real Estate Market In A Nutshell". california.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ Martin, Erika (May 30, 2014). "Isla Vista tragedy shows the dark side of paradise". Pacific Coast Business Times.
- ^ "Brown signs bill to establish community services district for Isla Vista". Pacific Coast Business Times. October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Isla Vista". countyofsb.org. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2022.