Santa Barbara County
Cities and Towns
Source: Wikipedia
Ballard
Ballard is an unincorporated town in
California, with a population of less than 1,000. The town of
Ballard is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez
Valley. The nearest city is Solvang. The ZIP Code is 93463, and
the community is inside area code 805.
Ballard was founded in 1880 at the location of a Wells Fargo
stage line station, being named after the proprietor. 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.
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.
This page was last updated July 19, 2009.