Map of Ballard CDP, California

Ballard is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Ballard is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The nearest city is Solvang. The population was 467 at the 2010 census. Ballard is the smallest and oldest community in the Santa Ynez Valley. The town history can be seen in two buildings from the 1880s: the 1883 Ballard School and the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church, which was erected in 1889. Ballard was founded in 1880.

Ballard CDP overview:
Name:	Ballard CDP
LSAD Code:	57
LSAD Description:	CDP (suffix)
State:	California
County:	Santa Barbara County
Elevation:	646 ft (197 m)
Total Area:	2.80 sq mi (7.25 km²)
Land Area:	2.79 sq mi (7.24 km²)
Water Area:	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km²) 0.02%
Total Population:	768
Population Density:	274.87/sq mi (106.12/km²)
ZIP code:	93463
Area code:	805
FIPS code:	0603694
GNISfeature ID:	2582938

Online Interactive Map

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Ballard online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Ballard location map. Where is Ballard CDP?

Ballard location on the U.S. Map. Where is Ballard CDP. — Ballard location on the U.S. Map.

Ballard location on the California map. Where is Ballard CDP. — Location of Ballard in California.

History

Ballard was founded in 1880 at the location of a Wells Fargo stage line station, being named by George Lewis after William Ballard, the former proprietor, who ran the station from 1862 to 1870. In 1882 it was believed that Ballard would grow into the central metropolis of Santa 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 in what turned out to be a tiny village, bypassed as a city.

Today, Ballard is a combination of sleepy village and upscale bedroom community. Noted for its excellent elementary school, it is a prized residential area. The surrounding area is noted for its thriving and well-respected wine industry. The wine-producing region around Ballard was featured in the Academy Award-nominated film Sideways. A world-renowned equine hospital is located nearby. The only commercial establishment currently operating in the main village is The Ballard Inn, a four-star restaurant and bed and breakfast inn in the heart of the village. A recent addition, across the street form Ballard Inn, is now Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, offering breakfast and lunch, as well as a multitude of artisan breads and pastries.