A small community grew up around the mission called 'Santa Inés' during the Mexican period, but it was largely abandoned after the American Conquest of California.
Solvang's origins date back to 1804, when Mission Santa Inés was founded by the Spanish under Esteban Tápis. Solvang has been described as 'The Danish Capital of America'. Solvang was founded in 1911 and incorporated as a city on May 1, 1985. The population was 6,126 at the 2020 census, up from 5,245 at the 2010 census. Solvang ( / ˈ s ɒ l v æ ŋ/ Danish for 'sunny field') is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States.