Cambria, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cambria
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Burton Drive in Cambria's historic East Village
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Location in San Luis Obispo County and the state of California
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 Cambria
Location in southern California
Cambria
Location in California
Cambria
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | San Luis Obispo |
| Named for | Cambria County, Pennsylvania |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.42 sq mi (21.80 km2) |
| • Land | 8.42 sq mi (21.80 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,678 |
| • Density | 674.51/sq mi (260.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
93428
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| Area code | 805 |
| FIPS code | 06-10074 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652683, 2407941 |
Cambria (/ˈkæmbriə/) is a beautiful seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California. It's located right between the big cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California State Route 1 (Highway 1). The name Cambria was chosen in 1869. It comes from the Latin name for Wales, which is Cymru.
Cambria is special because it's surrounded by Monterey pines. These trees grow in only three native forests in the world! Before it was called Cambria, the town had other names like Slabtown, Rosaville, San Simeon, and Santa Rosa. In 2020, about 5,678 people lived in Cambria.
What's in a Name?
The area where Cambria now stands was once a tribal site. The Obispeño people called it tsɨtkawayu, meaning "Place of the horses."
When American settlers first arrived, the town was known as Slabtown. Later, it was called Cambria, centered near what is now Moonstone Beach. This beach even had a wharf for ships.
As more lumber, ranching, and mining grew in the area, the village needed a new name. Many locals believe the name Cambria came from a surveyor. He was from Cambria County, Pennsylvania, and thought the area looked like his home.
However, other stories say the name came from a Welshman named Llewellyn. He owned a shop called "The Cambria Carpenter Shop." He kept calling the town "Cambria" (after Wales), and eventually, that name stuck!
A Look Back in Time
Early People of Cambria
The first people to live in this area were the Native American Chumash tribes. They lived along the coast, especially near rivers. They gathered food from the ocean and hunted inland.
Even though we don't have written records from them, we know many tribes lived in the Cambria area. Experts think as many as 30,000 people lived here before the Spanish arrived. Some believe they moved around seasonally, while others think they lived here all year.
These early people were very skilled. They made tools like spear points and arrowheads from obsidian. They also used basalt, sandstone, and granite to make bowls and grinders. They were good at making baskets and nets. They even made jewelry from crab claws, shells, and shark teeth!
First Europeans and Mining
The first Europeans to visit Cambria were Spanish explorers in 1769. They camped near Santa Rosa Creek, where Coast Union High School is today. This was on September 10, 1769, and again on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that year. The Spanish soldiers named the spot El Osito, which means "The Little Bear." This was because the local Chumash people offered them a pet bear!
Cambria is part of what was once a large Mexican land grant called Rancho Santa Rosa.
Settlers came to Cambria because of its rich land, streams, and forests. In 1862, something exciting happened: cinnabar was discovered! This is an ore that contains mercury, also known as quicksilver.
For a while, Cambria became a "boom town." This means it grew very quickly because of the mercury mining. Between 1867 and 1870, a lot of mercury was shipped out. Many people came hoping to get rich.
The most successful mine was the Oceanic Quicksilver Mining Company. At one point, it had 300 workers! It was the largest mine in the area and the sixth largest in the world. But by 1878, mercury prices dropped, and Cambria's first boom ended. Mining continued to go up and down with prices. A big fire in 1889 mostly stopped the mercury business. After that, Cambria became a quiet farming community.
Hearst Castle and a Brave Rescue
Cambria got a boost from the building of Hearst Castle. This famous castle is just six miles north of town. During the Great Depression, many people didn't have jobs. But in Cambria, many found work building the castle. Cambria also provided supplies and places to stay for the workers. This brought good times to Cambria when other places were struggling.
World War II also touched Cambria. On December 23, 1941, a Japanese submarine attacked and sank the oil tanker SS Montebello. This happened right off the coast. People from Cambria quickly rushed to help, and all six crew members were saved! The ship's captain, Olaf Eckstrom, called the Cambria citizens "real heroes."
The historic Old Santa Rosa Chapel was built in 1870. It's one of the oldest churches in San Luis Obispo County. It was used for Catholic services until 1963. After some years of neglect, the chapel and its cemetery were restored in 1978.
Cambria's Natural Beauty
Cambria covers about 8.5 square miles of land. It has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The warmest days are usually in August and September. Fog is also very common, especially near the coast.
| Climate data for Cambria | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.5 (17.5) |
64.2 (17.9) |
65.3 (18.5) |
67.2 (19.6) |
68.6 (20.3) |
70.9 (21.6) |
72.9 (22.7) |
74.3 (23.5) |
74.7 (23.7) |
73.3 (22.9) |
68.9 (20.5) |
63.5 (17.5) |
69.45 (20.81) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 53.4 (11.9) |
54.4 (12.4) |
55.7 (13.2) |
57.0 (13.9) |
58.9 (14.9) |
61.5 (16.4) |
63.8 (17.7) |
67.8 (19.9) |
64.9 (18.3) |
63.9 (17.7) |
60.1 (15.6) |
54.9 (12.7) |
59.6 (15.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43.2 (6.2) |
44.6 (7.0) |
46.0 (7.8) |
46.7 (8.2) |
49.2 (9.6) |
52.0 (11.1) |
54.6 (12.6) |
59.9 (15.5) |
55.1 (12.8) |
54.4 (12.4) |
51.2 (10.7) |
46.2 (7.9) |
50.26 (10.14) |
| Average precipitation inches (cm) | 4 (10) |
4.1 (10) |
3.5 (8.9) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.9 (2.3) |
1.7 (4.3) |
3.4 (8.6) |
19.5 (50) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.2 | 9.2 | 8.2 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 5.0 | 7.3 | 50.4 |
| Source: Bestplace.net | |||||||||||||
Fun Things to Do in Cambria
Tourism is the main activity in Cambria. People love to visit for its beautiful rocky cliffs and beaches along the Pacific Ocean. The town and nearby hills are famous for their many Monterey pines.
There are many cozy places to stay, especially along Moonstone Beach Drive. This beach is named after the moonstones that sometimes wash ashore. You can see seals and sea otters here. The tide pools are full of amazing sea creatures like sea anemones, sea urchins, sea stars, crabs, and snails.
The Moonstone Beach Boardwalk is a 1.5-mile walk. It has many spots to get to the beach and benches to sit and watch the sea life.
Besides Hearst Castle (just six miles north), you can also visit the Northern elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas. This is about fifteen miles north. In Cambria itself, you can explore the Cambria Historical Museum. Also, check out Nitt Witt Ridge, a unique historic house made from recycled materials.
Parks and Outdoor Fun
Cambria offers lots of outdoor activities like bicycling and hiking. The beaches are great for boogie boarding, surfing, and skimboarding. You can also go ocean fishing or take kayak fishing tours.
Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
The Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is a huge 430-acre park. It separates Cambria's East and West Villages. This park protects over a mile of stunning Pacific Ocean coastline. The Fiscalini family were dairy farmers who owned this land. They even donated parts of it for the public library and a museum.
After some changes in ownership, the land was finally bought by the American Land Conservancy in 2000. Now, it's a beautiful park managed for everyone to enjoy.
Underwater Parks
Off the coast of Cambria, there are special underwater parks. These are called Cambria State Marine Conservation Area and White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area. Like other underwater parks, they help protect ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.
Education in Cambria
Cambria is home to the Coast Unified School District. This district has one elementary school (grades K-5), one middle school (grades 6-8), and one high school, Coast Union High School. There's also an alternative high school. The district also serves students from nearby San Simeon and Cayucos for high school.
Coast Union High School
Coast Union High School, home of the Broncos, is a small public high school. It usually has around 150 students. These students are very active in school clubs, sports, and other activities.
School Sports
Even though it's a small school, Coast Union does well in sports! The girls' volleyball team has won two championships. The 8-man football team also won a championship in 1978. The school has won many league championships too.
Some former students have even gone on to play sports in college at the NCAA Division I level.
Notable People from Cambria
Many interesting people have lived in Cambria, including:
- Bradford Angier, a writer about survival
- Red Holloway, a saxophonist
- Peter Horton, an actor and producer
- Catherine Ryan Hyde, an author
- Christopher Moore, an author
- Nehemiah Persoff, an actor
- Kath Soucie, a cartoon voice actress
Images for kids
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Burton Drive in Cambria's historic East Village
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Location in San Luis Obispo County and the state of California
