Templeton is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.8 square miles (20 km2), 99.37% of it land and 0.63% water.

Rain generally falls only between November and March, with the rainy season tapering off almost completely by the end of April.

Like much of the nearby area, Templeton occasionally receives significant but temporary fog through parts of the year.

In summer, Templeton will occasionally receive fog due to its proximity with the California Coastal Range, Pacific Ocean, and the higher valley temperatures of Templeton itself; the differential in density between the warm rising air in the valley causes it to be displaced with the descent of the cooler marine air layer via the Templeton Gap in the Santa Lucia Range.

Similarly, in winter, Templeton will occasionally receive morning fog due to the temperature differential with the Central Valley.

Templeton is home to numerous businesses that serve local agriculture and ranching, with the economy comprised most significantly from medical care including the Twin Cities Hospital, Templeton Unified School District, agriculture consisting primarily of vineyards and wineries, and assorted businesses on Main Street.

Templeton is emerging as a world class wine producer;[6] with many of the wineries carrying the "Paso Robles" appellation actually located in the unincorporated Templeton area – including Castoro Cellars, Peachy Canyon, York Mountain, and Wild Horse.

The town was briefly the end of the line for passengers travelling south via the Southern Pacific Railroad from northern California; passengers disembarked at Templeton and were then carried by stagecoach south to San Luis Obispo.

In 1889, the railroad was continued 14 miles (23 km) south to Santa Margarita and the town was reclassified to a flag stop.

Currently, the railroad stops in nearby Paso Robles before continuing on, and Templeton is classified as a bypass.

In 1898, a fire destroyed most of the original wooden buildings of the business district along Main Street, prompting this section of the town to be rebuilt with brick, although on a somewhat smaller scale than before.

There were 3,006 housing units at an average density of 387.1 per square mile (149.5/km2), of which 2,002 (70.7%) were owner-occupied, and 828 (29.3%) were occupied by renters.