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Lompoc
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Lompoc

California, United States
Written and fact-checked by
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History

Lompoc, city, Santa Barbara county, southwestern California, U.S. It lies along the Santa Ynez River in the coastal Lompoc valley, 155 miles (250 km) northwest of Los Angeles. Originally inhabited by Chumash Indians, the area was part of a Spanish land grant established in 1787. The city was founded (1874) as a farming community by the Lompoc Valley Land Company, which bought and subdivided the Ranchos Lompoc and Misión Vieja. Lompoc (Chumash Indian: “Little Lake” or “Lagoon”) now has a diversified economy based on agriculture, oil production (since 1904), the mining and processing of diatomite, the flower-seed market of the valley (with an annual festival), and the vast aerospace complex at Vandenberg Air Force Base (just north); the air base also includes the California Spaceport, which offers orbital launches and payload processing for businesses and government. The city is also the site of a federal prison. Lompoc’s many murals are popular attractions. The Lompoc Museum contains exhibits on the area’s regional history. Jalama Beach, just south of the city, is a popular surfing spot. La Purísima Mission State Historic Park, 3 miles (5 km) northeast of the city, contains many restored buildings of the Franciscan Misión la Purísima Concepción de María Santísima, established in 1787. Inc. 1888. Pop. (2000) 41,103; (2010) 42,434.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.
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