Goleta (;
Spanish: , "schooner") is a city in southern
Santa Barbara County, California, US. It was
incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest
unincorporated, populated area in the
county. As of the 2000 census, the
Census-designated place (CDP) had a total population of 55,204, however, a significant portion of the
census territory of 2000 did not incorporate into the new
city. The population was 29,888 at the
2010 census.