Lompoc, pronounced LOM-POKE, is located on scenic Pacific Coast Highway,
55 miles north of Santa Barbara. It is adjacent to Vandenberg
Air Force Base, the nation's premier polar launch site, home
to eight launch complexes and one commercial spaceport.
Lompoc is also strategically
located between Southern California and Bay Area manufacturing,
supplier, and consumer markets. Specifically, it is 155 miles
north of Los Angeles and 270 miles south of San Francisco.
The City's Economic Development
Office works closely with Vandenberg Air Force Base 30th
Space Wing and the Small Business Office to facilitate local
businesses to obtain U.S. Government contracts. Defense industry
contractors, such as Raytheon Vision Systems, are locating in
Lompoc to take advantage of the City's competitive prices for
property, people and power.
The Lompoc Valley is part of California's Central Coast. Rolling hills surround the
Valley on the north, south and east. The Valley is open at its
western end to the Pacific Ocean on the undeveloped Gaviota
Coast. The Pacific Ocean is 8 miles from downtown Lompoc. The
Santa Ynez River runs east to west through the Valley while
Burton Mesa, a chaparral forest with sandy soil, lies to the
north. The hills to the south are mined for diatomaceous (fossil)
earth.
Lompoc is 98 feet above mean
sea level and has a mild climate. A northwest breeze is common
(average hourly wind speed: 6.1 m.p.h.). There is moderate rainfall,
daily fog and no snow.
The temperate climate in the
Lompoc Valley has become famous for producing some of the best
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in the county labeled under
the new Santa Rita Hills appellation.
Average Temperatures & Rainfall
| Period | Minimum
Fahrenheit | Average
Fahrenheit | Maximum
Fahrenheit | Average
Rainfall |
January
April
July
October
Yearly |
39.5
44.2
52.2
47.8
46.0 |
52
55
61
61
57 |
64.2
66.4
70.9
73.8
68.7 |
2.90
.03
.01
.39
13.88 |
| 
