Santa Margarita is a small, unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, on California's Central Coast. It sits in the inland foothills northeast of the city of San Luis Obispo, near Cuesta Peak and along State Route 58, in a landscape of oak woodlands, rolling pastures, and the headwaters of the Salinas River drainage. The community was founded in 1889, but its roots run much deeper, tied to the Spanish and Mexican eras of California history. The town takes its name from the Mexican-era Rancho Santa Margarita, one of the great land grants of Alta California, and it is home to the Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia, a former outpost associated with Mission San Luis Obispo. The ranch tradition continued through the American period, when the Murphy family held the land, ran large cattle herds, and helped bring the Southern Pacific Railroad through the area, securing Santa Margarita's place on the region's map. Today Santa Margarita remains a small community of roughly 1,300 residents. It is served by the Atascadero Unified School District, with Santa Margarita Elementary School located in town and secondary students attending schools in Atascadero. The surrounding Santa Margarita Ranch continues to operate as a working ranch and event venue, keeping the area's agricultural identity alive. The community's chief natural amenity is Santa Margarita Lake, a county-managed recreation area with a reservoir for boating and fishing, developed camping, and miles of trails. For residents, Santa Margarita offers country living with genuine historical depth, positioned conveniently between Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, and the Paso Robles wine region to the north.