Atascadero is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, on the Central Coast along U.S. Route 101, roughly midway between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. Its population is about 30,000. The city is distinctive for its origins as a planned community: founded in 1913 by publisher E.G. Lewis, who bought the land and marketed it nationally as the "Atascadero Colony," the town was designed from the outset around a civic center, agriculture, and a vision of orderly growth. That founding vision remains visible in Atascadero's landmarks. The historic Colony House, a reinforced-concrete administration building that later served as the city hall, is a California Historical Landmark, and the adjacent Sunken Gardens and civic center reflect the colony's original plan. The city grew through the 20th century around agriculture, and today its economy spans government, health care, and services, anchored significantly by Atascadero State Hospital, a major forensic psychiatric facility and one of the region's largest employers. Atascadero's setting bridges the Salinas River valley and the hills of the southern Coast Range. The city is known for its oak-studded hills, its family-oriented neighborhoods, and its access to the outdoors. Atascadero Lake Park, with its lake, trails, and the Central Coast Zoo — the only AZA-accredited zoo in San Luis Obispo County — is a community centerpiece. Education is provided by the Atascadero Unified School District, and the city's location on Highway 101 places it within easy reach of Paso Robles wine country, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo. For residents, Atascadero offers Central Coast living with a historic identity, a self-contained civic life, and access to both the coast and the inland hills.