{{short description|Highway in California}} {{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox road |state=CA |type=SR |route=246 |map_notes=Map of Santa Barbara County in southern California with SR 246 highlighted in red |section=546 |length_mi=26 |length_round=0 |length_ref={{citation needed|date=September 2017}} |restrictions = No trucks over {{convert|3|ST|t|abbr=on}} through Lompoc<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/engineering/trucks/routes/restrict-list.htm | title=Special Route Restrictions | publisher=Caltrans | access-date=2014-07-28 | archive-date=September 12, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912222946/http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/engineering/trucks/routes/restrict-list.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> |direction_a=West |terminus_a=Ocean Avenue at the western city limits of Lompoc |direction_b=East |junction={{plainlist| *{{jct|state=CA|SR|1}} in Lompoc *{{jct|state=CA|US|101}} in Buellton }} |terminus_b={{jct|state=CA|SR|154}} in Santa Ynez |counties=Santa Barbara |previous_type=SR |previous_route=245 |next_type=SR |next_route=247 }} '''State Route 246''' ('''SR 246''') is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs from Lompoc east to Solvang and Santa Ynez, cutting through the Santa Ynez Valley and the Santa Barbara Wine Country. Its western terminus is at the western city limits of Lompoc, and its eastern terminus is at State Route 154 near Santa Ynez.<ref name="SHC">{{cite web |url = https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=SHC&division=1.&title=&part=&chapter=2.&article=3. |work = California Office of Legislative Counsel |title = California Streets and Highways Code §§ 546 |access-date = February 23, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Google">{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.6391401,-120.4798808/34.6100882,-120.0550009/@34.6261784,-120.385257,10.94z/am=t/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0 |title=California State Route 246 |access-date=February 23, 2023}}</ref>
==Route description== thumb|left|Sign on California Route 246
Most of the road is two lanes wide, with the exception of the route through the cities of Lompoc and Buellton.<ref name="Google-sat">{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.6391401,-120.4798808/34.6100882,-120.0550009/@34.6302295,-120.3977708,44478m/am=t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0|title=California State Route 246 (satellite view) |access-date=February 23, 2023}}</ref> This is the primary route from U.S. Route 101 to Solvang. It follows the Santa Ynez River for most of its length. The portion of the route through Solvang is called ''Mission Drive'', while through Lompoc—including the portion where it is co-signed with State Route 1—it is called ''Ocean Avenue''.<ref name="Google"/>
SR 246 begins at the western city limits of Lompoc, where it runs along Ocean Avenue to H Street, joining SR 1. The SR 246/SR 1 concurrency continues east along Ocean Avenue to the eastern edge of the city. SR 246 then splits from SR 1 and heads northeast out of Lompoc along a relatively flat two-lane road until reaching Buellton, where it widens upon its intersection with US 101. It narrows once again to two lanes through Solvang and Santa Ynez before reaching its eastern terminus at the junction with State Route 154.<ref name="Google-sat"/>
SR 246 passes two of Santa Barbara County's Spanish-era missions, La Purísima Concepción near Lompoc,<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.lapurisimamission.org/|title=Prelado de los Tesoros de La Purísima |access-date = February 23, 2023}}</ref> and Santa Inés in Solvang.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://californiamissionsfoundation.org/mission-santa-ines/|title=Santa Inés |website=California Missions Foundation|access-date = February 23, 2023}}</ref>
Part of SR 246 in Lompoc <!--map isn't clear exactly where--->is in the National Highway System,<ref name=fhwa-nhs>{{FHWA NHS map|region=lompoc|accessdate=September 4, 2017}}</ref> a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.<ref name=NHS-FHWA>{{FHWA NHS}}</ref>
==History== In 1933, this was designated as a state highway<!--clarify-->,<ref>{{cite CAstat|year=1933|ch=767}}</ref> and was numbered as Route 149 in 1935.<ref>{{cite CAstat|year=1935|ch=274}}</ref> In 1963, it was part of State Route 154.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} In the 1964 state highway renumbering, it was renumbered to SR 246.<ref>{{cite CAstat|year=1963|ch=385}}</ref> SR 246 used to run all the way west to Surf, but this segment along Ocean Avenue to the western city limits of Lompoc was relinquished to local control in 1984.
==Major intersections== {{CAinttop|county=Santa Barbara|post_ref=<br><ref name=trucklist /><ref name=bridgelog>{{Caltrans bridgelog|date=April 2008}}</ref><ref>California Department of Transportation, [http://traffic-counts.dot.ca.gov/ All Traffic Volumes on CSHS], 2007</ref> }} {{CAint |location=Lompoc |lspan=4 |postmile=8.30 |road=Ocean Avenue – NASA/Vandenberg SFB South Gate, Surf |notes=Continuation beyond west end of SR 246 at the Lompoc west city limit }} {{CAint |type=concur |postmile=9.55 |line=yes |postmile2=19.25<ref group="N" name="SR 1">Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along SR 1 rather than SR 246.</ref> |road={{jct|state=CA|SR|1|dir1=north|name1=H Street|location1=Vandenberg SFB|city2=Guadalupe|city3=Orcutt|city4=Santa Maria}} |notes=West end of SR 1 overlap }} {{CAint |postmile=19.53<ref group="N" name="SR 1"/> |road={{jct|state=CA|extra=hospital|road|7th Street}} |notes=Serves Lompoc Valley Medical Center }} {{CAint |type=concur |line=yes |postmile=20.57<ref group="N" name="SR 1"/> |postmile2=9.56 |road={{jct|state=CA|SR|1|dir1=south|city1=Santa Barbara|road|12th Street}} |notes=East end of SR 1 overlap }} {{CAint |location=Buellton |postmile=26.29 |road={{jct|state=CA|US|101}} |notes=Interchange; US 101 exit 140A }} {{CAint |location=Solvang |postmile=30.28 |road={{Jct|state=CA|extra=hospital|road|Alamo Pintado Road|city1=Ballard|city2=Los Olivos}} |notes=Serves Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital }} {{CAint |location=none |postmile=R34.60 |road={{jct|state=CA|SR|154|city1=Los Olivos|location2=Cachuma Lake|city3=Santa Barbara}} |notes=Roundabout; east end of SR 246 }} {{CAint |location=none |postmile=R34.60 |road=Armour Ranch Road |notes=Continuation beyond SR 154 }} {{Jctbtm|keys=concur}} {{reflist|group="N"}}
==See also== *{{portal-inline|California Roads}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=inline,title}} {{commons category}} {{CASR external links|SR|246}} *[http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-246.html California @ AARoads.com - State Route 246] *[http://www.cahighways.org/241-248.html#246 California Highways: SR 246]
246 State Route 246 Category:Lompoc, California Category:Solvang, California