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Hope Ranch is one of Santa Barbara's exclusive residential areas. It is a private community unto itself, though it is part of the City of Santa Barbara. It was created from the 6,000-acre Las Positas and La Calera ranchos, and was named after Thomas Hope who acquired it in the 1880s. In the 1920s it was developed as a planned community by a company headed by Harold Chase (the father of Pearl Chase, who spearheaded Santa Barbara's Spanish Revival renaissance after the 1925 earthquake, and also founded a tradition of public activism to preserve Santa Barbara).
Hope Ranch is a beautiful, secluded, densely wooded residential area. It stretches from roughly Las Positas Road to Vieja Drive and from the beach to Modoc Road. It's a hilly area, which lends to its charm and provides great views from the hilltops. The hills are laced with equestrian trails and many residents live here to keep and ride their horses—one of the few places in metropolitan Santa Barbara where you can ride. Hope Ranch has a private beach for homeowners—one of the best in the area. It even has its own water district.
Because Hope Ranch borders the beach its temperature is cooler and more influenced by the marine climate than inland areas. Hope Ranch itself has no retail area, although it is convenient to Upper State Street shopping, particularly La Cumbre Plaza, a large shopping center anchored by Robinsons-May Company, many fine shops, and a large Vons market.
The beautiful La Cumbre Country Club is located within the boundaries of Hope Ranch. It has one of the best golf courses on the South Coast, and fine tennis facilities as well. Membership is not limited to Hope Ranch residents. It is a proprietary ownership club.
Hope Ranch homes vary from large, ranch style homes to palatial Mediterranean estates.
Everything in Hope Ranch is governed by covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs), which are overseen and enforced by the Hope Ranch Homeowners Association. Every homeowner becomes a member of the Association. There are height and lot coverage limitations, and other restrictions governing home construction. There is a minimum one-acre lot size.
Hope Ranch has no public schools within its boundaries, but there are several excellent schools that serve it, including Vieja Valley Elementary, La Colina Junior High, and San Marcos High School. It's also the location of Laguna Blanca School, one of the best private schools in the county, which serves grades K through 12. School information can be found in the Resources page of this Web site. Please check the school district to find which schools service any address in this area.
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