SAN LUIS OBISPO

city, seat (1850) of San Luis Obispo county, western California, U.S., on San Luis Obispo Creek at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountains, 20 miles (32 km) east of the Pacific Ocean and 80 miles (130 km) northwest of the city of Santa Barbara. It grew up as a farming centre around the mission of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (for St. Louis, bishop of Toulouse), founded in 1772 by Junpero Serra as the fifth in the California chain of 21 missions. After 1894 it became a railroad division point. Oil, pumped and refined locally, is shipped through Port San Luis (9 miles southwest), on the Pacific coast. Light manufacturing, wineries throughout the county, and tourism are other economic factors. It is the home of the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (1901), and Cuesta College (1963). Inc. 1856. Pop. (1990) 41,958.