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Oxnard, California

Oxnard is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately 60 miles west of downtown Los Angeles and is part of the larger Greater Los Angeles area.

It is at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, adjacent to agricultural fields with strawberries, lima beans and other vegetable crops. Oxnard is also a major transportation hub in Southern California, with Amtrak, Union Pacific, Metrolink, Greyhound, and Intercalifornias stopping there. It also has a small regional airport, Oxnard Airport (OXR). The town also has significant connections to the nearby oil fields Oxnard Oil Field and the West Montalvo Oil Field. The high density of oil, industry and agricultural activities around the city, have led to several environmental issues.

Oxnard's population was 202,063 in 2020, and is largely Latino. It is the most populous city in the Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Before the arrival of Europeans, the area was inhabited by Chumash Native Americans. The first European to encounter the area was explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho, who claimed it for Spain in 1542. During the mission period, Mission San Buenaventura, established in 1782, used the area for raising cattle.

Ranching began to take hold among Californio settlers, who lost their regional influence when California became a US state in 1850. At about the same time, the area was settled by American farmers, who cultivated barley and lima beans.

Henry T. Oxnard, founder of Moorhead, Minnesota-based American Crystal Sugar Company who operated a successful sugar beet factory with his three brothers (Benjamin, James, and Robert) in Chino, California, was enticed to build a $2 million factory on the plain inland from Port Hueneme. Shortly after the 1897 beet campaign, a new town emerged, now commemorated on the National Register of Historic Places as the Henry T. Oxnard Historic District. Oxnard intended to name the settlement after the Greek word for "sugar", zachari, but frustrated by bureaucracy, named it after himself. Given the potential growth of the town of Oxnard, in the spring of 1898, a railroad station was built to service the plant, which attracted a population of Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican laborers and enough commerce to merit the designation of a town. The Oxnard brothers, who never lived in their namesake city, sold both the Chino and the giant red-brick Oxnard factory in 1899 for nearly $4 million. The Oxnard factory with its landmark twin smokestacks operated from August 19, 1899, until October 26, 1959. Factory operations were interrupted in the Oxnard Strike of 1903. Oxnard was incorporated as a California city on June 30, 1903, and the public library was opened in 1907. Prior to and during World War II, the naval bases of Point Mugu and Port Hueneme were established in the area to take advantage of the only major navigable port on California's coast between the Port of Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay, and the bases in turn encouraged the development of the defense-based aerospace and communications industries.

In the mid-20th century Oxnard grew and developed the areas outside the downtown with homes, industry, retail, and a new harbor named Channel Islands Harbor. Martin V. ("Bud") Smith (1916–2001) became an influential developer. Smith's first enterprise in 1941 was the Colonial House Restaurant (demolished 1988) and then the Wagon Wheel Junction in 1947, (demolished 2011). He was also involved in the development of the high-rise towers at the Topa Financial Plaza, the Channel Islands Harbor, Casa Sirena Resort, the Esplanade Shopping Mall, Fisherman's Wharf, the Carriage Square Shopping Center, the Maritime Museum, and many other hotel, restaurant and retail projects. In the late 1970s, as the demographic shifted towards becoming a majority-Latino city, the Ku Klux Klan, which historically had a weak presence in Ventura County, unsuccessfully tried to form a chapter in Oxnard.

In June 2004, the Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff imposed a gang injunction over a 6.6 sqmi area of the central district of the city, in order to restrict gang activity. The injunction was upheld in the Ventura County Superior Court and made a permanent law in 2005. A similar injunction was imposed in September 2006 over a 4.26 sqmi area of the south side of the city. Prohibited activities include associating with other known gang members, witness intimidation, possessing firearms or using gang gestures. Since then, court decisions have made adding people to the civil orders more stringent, stemming from lawsuits in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Judges determined that it was unconstitutional for people to be added to a gang injunction without a due-process hearing. As a result of budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oxnard police stopped maintaining and enforcing the injunction in 2020.

Geography
Oxnard is located on the Oxnard Plain, an area with fertile soil. With its beaches, dunes, wetlands, creeks and the Santa Clara River, the area contains a number of important biological communities. Native plant communities include: coastal sage scrub, California Annual Grassland, and Coastal Dune Scrub species; however, most native plants have been eliminated from within the city limits to make way for agriculture and urban and industrial development. Also native to the region is the endangered Ventura Marsh Milkvetch, and the last self-sustaining population is in Oxnard in the center of an approved housing development.

Rivers
The Santa Clara River separates Oxnard and Ventura. Tributaries to this river include Sespe Creek, Piru Creek, and Castaic Creek.

Geology
Oxnard is on a tectonically active plate, since most of Coastal California is near the boundaries between the Pacific and North American Plates. The San Andreas Fault, which demarcates this boundary, is about 40 miles away.

One active fault that transverses Oxnard is the Oak Ridge Fault, which straddles the Santa Clara River Valley westward from the Santa Susana Mountains, crosses the Oxnard Plain through Oxnard, and extends into the Santa Barbara Channel. The coastline is subject to inundation by a tsunami up to 23 feet in height.

The fault has proven to be a significant contributor to seismic activity in the Oxnard region and beyond. The 6.7 Northridge earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, is believed to have occurred in the Santa Clarita extension of the Oak Ridge Fault. Landslides and ridge-top shattering resulting from the Northridge earthquake were observed above Moorpark, a city 19.6 mi east of Oxnard.

Climate
Oxnard is the location of the National Weather Service forecast office that serves the Los Angeles area. The city is situated in a Mediterranean (dry subtropical) climate zone, experiencing mild and relatively wet winters, and warm, dry summers, in a climate called the warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Onshore breezes keep the communities of Oxnard cooler in summer and warmer in winter than those further inland. The average mean temperature is 61 °F. The average minimum temperature is 52 °F and the average maximum temperature is 69 °F. Generally the weather is mild and dry, with around 300 days of sunshine annually. The average annual precipitation is 15.62 in.

Wildlife and ecology
The area contains a number of important biological communities. Native plant communities include coastal sage scrub, California Annual Grassland, and Coastal Dune Scrub species; most native plants have been eliminated from within the city limits to make way for development. Also native to the region is the endangered Ventura Marsh Milkvetch, with the last self-sustaining population in Oxnard being at the center of a housing development.

The balance of wildlife in Oxnard is similar to that of most places in southern California, with small mammals being common in urbanized areas, like squirrels, raccoons, and skunks. Coyotes prey on these smaller mammals. Small birds and mammals can be food for stray, feral, and pet dogs and cats.

Environmental issues
Oxnard has more coastal power plants than any other city in California, with three fossil-fuel power plants providing energy for cities in both Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) has identified Oxnard as a city excessively burdened by multiple sources of pollution. Two of the power plants use ocean water cooling. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has categorized much of Oxnard in the top 10 percent of ZIP codes most negatively impacted by pollution in the state. In May 2015, the Oxnard City Council unanimously voted to extend the city moratorium on power plant construction. This moratorium extension occurred due to NRG/Southern California Edison's proposal, also referred to as the Puente Power Project, to construct a new fossil-fuel power plant. The next morning, a NRG representative stated their case to replace the old power generation plant at Mandalay Beach with a new, hi-tech, much cleaner and more efficient plant.

Pesticides are used in the agricultural fields surrounding Oxnard, as the area is one of the nation's leading strawberry producers, with agriculture being one of the top contributors to Oxnard's economy. Strawberries depend on large applications of fumigants containing pesticides. The Center for Health Journalism reported four ZIP codes with the highest pesticide use in the state clustered around Oxnard.

Architecture
The historical architectural styles of Oxnard ranch family homes are Victorian era, Italian style, and Carpenter Gothic. In the Henry T. Oxnard Historic District, there are five Prairie School and eight Tudor Revival homes. The district includes Mission/Spanish Revival, Bungalow/craftsman, Colonial Revival, and other architecture.

Cityscape
Oxnard is a combination of neighborhoods, and urban development focused on the downtown, coastline, and harbor areas. The city's main land uses are industrial, residential, commercial, and open space. The city is characterized by one and two-story buildings. The two tallest buildings in the county are in the northern part of the city at Topa Financial Plaza. The fourteen floor high-rise was built in 1973 and the 21 floor high-rise was built in 1986. The city is surrounded by agricultural land and the Pacific Ocean, as well as the Santa Clara River. The city's primary development lies along Highway 101 and the other main roads.

The Henry T. Oxnard Historic District is a 70 acre historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Oxnard. Covering approximately F and G Sts., between Palm and 5th Sts., in the city, the district includes 139 contributing buildings and includes homes mostly built before 1925. It contains Craftsman and Revival architecture in abundance.

Ormond Beach is a beach along the Oxnard coast. The beach, which stretches for two miles, adjoins the Ormond Wetlands, some farmland, and power plant remains. It covers the area in between Points Hueneme and Mugu, and is a well-known birding area. The beach historically contained marshes, salt flat, sloughs, and lagoons, but surrounding agriculture and industry have drained, filled, and degraded the beach and wetlands. However, there is still a dune-transition zone-marsh system along much of the beach.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Oxnard had a population of 197,899. The population density was 7358 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Oxnard included 95,346 (48.2%) White, 5,771 (2.9%) African American, 2,953 (1.5%) Native American, 14,550 (7.4%) Asian, 658 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 69,527 (35.1%) from other races, and 9,094 (4.6%) from two or more races. In addition, 145,551 people (73.5%) were Hispanic or Latino, of any race. Non-Hispanic Whites were 14.9% of the population in 2010, compared to 42.6% in 1980.

The Census reported that 196,465 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 932 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 502 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 49,797 households, out of which 25,794 (51.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 28,319 (56.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 7,634 (15.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 4,043 (8.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,316 (6.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 395 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 7,090 households (14.2%) were made up of individuals, and 2,665 (5.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.95. There were 39,996 families (80.3% of all households); the average family size was 4.20.

The population was spread out, with 59,018 people (29.8%) under the age of 18, 23,913 people (12.1%) aged 18 to 24, 57,966 people (29.3%) aged 25 to 44, 40,584 people (20.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 16,418 people (8.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.

There were 52,772 housing units at an average density of 1,962 /mi2, of which 27,760 (55.7%) were owner-occupied, and 22,037 (44.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%. 107,482 people (54.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 88,983 people (45.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 170,358 people, 43,576 households, and 34,947 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,729.7 PD/sqmi. There were 45,166 housing units at an average density of 1,784.2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 42.1% White, 3.8% African American, 1.3% Native American, 7.4% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 40.4% from other races, and 4.7% from two or more races. Two-thirds of the population (66.2%) was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 43,576 households, out of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.85 and the average family size was 4.16

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,603, and the median income for a family was $49,150. Males had a median income of $30,643 versus $25,381 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,288. About 11.4% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The economy of Oxnard includes defense, international trade, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. Oxnard is a manufacturing center in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The Port of Hueneme is the only deep-harbor commercial port between Los Angeles and San Francisco and moves trade within the Pacific Rim economies. Companies utilizing the Port include Del Monte Foods, Chiquita, BMW, Land Rover, and Jaguar. Other industries include finance, transportation, the high tech industry, and energy, particularly petroleum. Two large active oil fields underlie the city and adjacent areas: the Oxnard Oil Field, east of the city along 5th Street, and the West Montalvo Oil Field along the coast to the west of town. Tenby Inc.'s Oxnard Refinery, on 5th Street east of Del Norte Avenue, processes oil from both fields.

According to the city's 2024/25 Budget, the top employers in the city are:

Some of the major companies headquartered in Oxnard are Haas Automation, Seminis, Raypak, Drum Workshop, Borla Performance, Boss Audio, Seed Beauty, and Robbins Auto Tops Procter & Gamble and Sysco maintain their West Coast operations in Oxnard.

In October 2020, city officials announced that once a large swath of agricultural land is fully developed into a business park by late 2021, it estimates that up to 8,700 jobs will be created in the area. An Amazon fulfillment center opened in 2022 that serves Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties.

Agriculture
"The areas studied showed a high percentage of Group I soils, primarily located on the relatively flat Oxnard Plain. The Oxnard Plain, because of these high-quality agricultural soils, coupled with a favorable climate, is considered one of the most fertile areas in the world."

In 1995, SOAR (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources) was initiated by farmers, ranchers and citizens of Ventura County to keep land in the Oxnard Plain from development.

Strawberries
The Oxnard Plain is well known for its strawberries. According to the USDA, Oxnard is California's largest strawberry producer, supplying about one-third of the State's annual strawberry volume. From the end of September through the end of October, strawberries are planted and harvesting occurs from mid-December through mid-July in Oxnard. The peak harvesting season in California runs from April through June, when up to 10 million pint baskets of strawberries are shipped daily. The state of California supplies over 85 percent of U.S. strawberries, with the U.S. supplying a quarter of total world production of strawberries.

The annual California Strawberry Festival features vendors as well as food items based on the fruit such as strawberry nachos, strawberry pizza, strawberry funnel cake, strawberry sundaes, and strawberry champagne.

Pests that attack this crop are very economically impactful in this town. Much of the research and effort is expended here and in Watsonville and Salinas. Economically significant insects include the Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum).

Cannabis
In 2018, 80% of the voters approved a cannabis tax. The city council adopted a "go slow" approach upon the legalization of recreational cannabis in California. Companies must be licensed by the local agency and the state to grow, test, or sell cannabis and the city may authorize none or only some of these activities. Local governments may not prohibit adults, who are in compliance with state laws, from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use. After an initial ban, businesses that focus on manufacturing, testing and distributing cannabis were allowed to apply for a permit to operate in July 2019. An initial process in May 2020 to select retail proposals was challenged by unsuccessful applicants. After revising the city ordinance, the council decided in September 2020 to allow 10 retail licences to be issued. A social equity component to maximize the ability for communities of color to benefit from the new industry as owners and investors and managers and employees as allowed by state law was not included. The city requires dispensaries to be a minimum of 600 feet from schools or daycare centers. A special-use permit was approved for a retail store in an Oxnard Shores neighborhood shopping center in February 2022 amidst organized opposition from the neighborhood. The first dispensary in the city opened in the downtown area in December 2022.

Arts and culture
Oxnard cultural institutions include the Carnegie Art Museum, founded in 1907 as the Oxnard Public Library by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie; the Chandler Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife, founded by the late Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler, the Murphy Auto Museum, and the Channel Islands Maritime Museum. The Henry T. Oxnard Historic District is adjacent to the commercial downtown area and dates back to the founding of the city.

Heritage Square in downtown is a collection of restored Victorian and Craftsman houses that were once owned by Oxnard's pioneer ranching families. Heritage Square is home to the Petit Playhouse and the Elite Theatre Company. The Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center is home to the New West Symphony. The Gottfried Maulhardt/Albert Pfeiler Farm site is an historic farm park.

Oxnard also has the Oxnard Independent Film Festival and the annual Channel Islands Tall Ships Festival. The Herzog Winery is based in Oxnard along with other wine tasting rooms. During late July, the annual Salsa Festival is held in downtown Oxnard, featuring a salsa tasting tent, local bands, a large dance floor, local vendors, as well as many salsa based food vendors.

Sports
The Dallas Cowboys currently hold their pre-season training camp at River Ridge Field in Oxnard. They also trained in Oxnard in 2001, 2004–06, 2008–10 and 2012–16 (the Cowboys trained at California Lutheran University in nearby Thousand Oaks in 1963–89). The New Orleans Saints trained in Oxnard in 2011. The Los Angeles Raiders trained at River Ridge in the 1980s and 90s.

On February 4, 2016, the Los Angeles Rams (an NFL team) selected Oxnard to be the site of their official team activities and mini camp. On February 19, 2016, the city of Oxnard and the Rams reached a tentative agreement to host official team activities and minicamp at River Ridge Playing Fields and on February 23, 2016, the Oxnard City Council voted unanimously 5–0 to allow the Los Angeles Rams to use the River Ridge Playing Fields facility from April 18 to June 17 and the locker room space from March 28 until June 24.

River Ridge Golf Course has two 18-hole courses flanked by housing developments.

Government
Oxnard lies within the 26th congressional district, which is represented by.

Education
The city of Oxnard is served by 54 public school campuses which provide education to more than 53,000 students in grades K–12.

Public elementary and junior high schools
The city of Oxnard and surrounding communities are served by four different school districts which oversee education for students grades K–8. They are:
 * Hueneme School District: Serves 7,600 students at 11 campuses in South Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Oxnard beach neighborhoods.
 * Oxnard School District: Serves 18,000 students at 21 campuses throughout Oxnard.
 * Ocean View Elementary School District: Serves 3,000 students at 6 campuses in South Oxnard.
 * Rio School District: Serves 5,000 students at 8 campuses in North Oxnard and El Rio.

On February 12, 2008, a shooting involving students occurred at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard. Larry King was shot in one of the classrooms, from which he was taken to St. John's Hospital and later died.

There are three private K–8 schools in Oxnard and one Roman Catholic High School administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Roman Catholic grade schools

 * Our Lady of Guadalupe Elementary School, Oxnard (La Colonia) K-8
 * Santa Clara Elementary School, Oxnard, TK-8
 * Saint Anthony Elementary School, South Oxnard, K-8

High schools
All public high schools in Oxnard are operated by the Oxnard Union High School District (OUHSD), which provides high school education to 20,000 students at 10 campuses in three cities (Oxnard, Camarillo and Port Hueneme) as well as the unincorporated areas of El Rio, Somis, Silver Strand, and Hollywood Beach. OUHSD campuses in and around Oxnard include Channel Islands High School, Hueneme High School, Oxnard High School, Pacifica High School, Oxnard Middle College High School, and Rio Mesa High School, as well as Oxnard Adult School. Additionally, construction of a new high school has been begun, Del Sol High School.

Santa Clara High School is a private Roman Catholic high school administered by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Colleges and universities
Oxnard is served on the collegiate level by Oxnard College and nearby California State University Channel Islands. Additionally, California Lutheran University, California State University, Northridge, University of Phoenix, University of California, Santa Barbara, National University, and Azusa Pacific University have satellite campuses in Oxnard.

Library
A free public library system is operated by the city with three locations: the Downtown Main Library, the Colonia Branch Library, and the South Oxnard Branch Library. Some library sites include a Homework Center and an adjacent daycare center.

Sanitation
Oxnard collects and processes trash, recyclables, and green waste for its citizens and businesses. The city also has a large treatment plant for the collection of wastewater through the sanitary sewer. An anaerobic digester breaks down solids as waste moves through the plant.

Road
The Ventura Freeway (US 101) is the major highway running through Oxnard, connecting Ventura and Santa Barbara to the northwest, and Los Angeles to the southeast. The Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) heads down the coast south to Malibu. Highway 34 (Fifth Street) connects downtown Oxnard with Camarillo by running east parallel with the Southern Pacific Coast Line, which carries Coast Starlight, Pacific Surfliner and Ventura County Line passenger trains. State Route 232 (Vineyard Avenue), heads northeast, providing connections to California State Route 118 to Saticoy and the junction with California State Route 126 which goes to Santa Paula, Fillmore and Santa Clarita.

Port
The Port of Hueneme is located south of Oxnard in the city of Port Hueneme and is jointly operated by the United States Navy and the Oxnard Harbor District. The port is the only deep water port between the Port of Long Beach and the Port of San Francisco as well as the only military deep water port between San Diego Bay and Puget Sound.

The Port of Hueneme is a shipping and receiving point for a wide variety of resources with destinations in the larger population centers of the Los Angeles Basin. Resources include automobiles, pineapples, and bananas. Agricultural products such as onions, strawberries, and flowers are shipped.

The United States Navy maintains a facility at Port Hueneme, in support of the naval air station at Point Mugu to the south, with which it comprises Naval Base Ventura County. Port Hueneme is the West Coast home of the Naval Construction Force, the "Seabees", as well as a link in the coastal radar system.

Harbor
Channel Islands Harbor provides moorings for both recreational boating and commercial fishing. It shares the nickname "Gateway to the Channel Islands" with Ventura Harbor 7 mi to the north because operations that sail to the islands out of the harbors. Both harbors are vital fishing industry harbors.

Airport
Oxnard Airport is a general aviation airport within the city that is owned and operated by the County of Ventura. While commercial service was offered in the past, no airlines currently provide service.

Public transit
The Oxnard Transit Center serves as a major transit hub for the city, as well as the west county.

Rail

 * Metrolink: Six round-trip trains from the Ventura County Line provide commuter service to Los Angeles on weekdays during peak hours.

 * Amtrak: Ten round-trip Pacific Surfliners daily through Los Angeles to San Diego. Some northbound trains to Santa Barbara continue on to San Luis Obispo. The Coast Starlight, that travels from Los Angeles to Seattle stops twice a day (once in each direction), make the west Ventura County stop here (east county stop is Simi Valley).

Bus

 * Gold Coast Transit District: Operates local bus service in the city of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, and Ojai. Its hub is the Oxnard Transit Center.

 * VCTC Intercity: Operates three Conejo Connection buses during peak hours, towards the Warner Center Transit Hub in the San Fernando Valley, connecting with the Metro G Line. The Conejo Connection does not go to the Oxnard Transit Center, but instead stops at the Esplanade Shopping Center near Highway 101. VCTC also operates the Coastal Connection through Ventura towards Santa Barbara and Goleta from the Esplanade.

A smaller transfer center at the Centerpoint Mall on C Street for Gold Coast Transit serves South Oxnard and Port Hueneme routes. VCTC also operates the Oxnard-CSUCI route to California State University, Channel Islands and Oxnard College from this transfer center.

In popular culture
Oxnard is mentioned in the season 3 episode of The Big Bang Theory entitled "The Jiminy Conjecture". Sheldon and Howard bet on what kind of cricket they hear in the hallway from Sheldon's apartment. They take the cricket to Professor Crawley (Lewis Black), a Caltech entomologist. While consulting Professor Crawley, he informs them that since he lost his funding, he has to move in with his daughter in Oxnard.

Oxnard is also the name of Anderson .Paak's third studio album.

The city of Oxnard is featured in the season 1 Nickelodeon sitcom Sam & Cat in Episode 22 titled, "#Lumpatious". The episode involves the titular characters attempting to get the word "lumpatious" added to the in-universe "Oxnard English Dictionary". However, the characters believe that the only way to get the word added to the dictionary is to meet with the people who run the dictionary called "the word keepers", who convene in the headquarters of the dictionary located in Oxnard, and convince them to add the word to the dictionary.

Political and cultural

 * Lucy Hicks Anderson: trans-woman, socialite, and chef, most notable for being tried in the Ventura County court for perjury for marrying a man while "masquerading" as a woman in 1945.
 * Lupe Anguiano: former nun and civil rights activist known for her work on women's rights, the rights of the poor, and the protection of the environment.
 * John L. Canley: retired United States Marine and recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
 * Lee Van Cleef: An American actor who appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of Italian Spaghetti Westerns, particularly the Sergio Leone-directed Dollars Trilogy films For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). He received a Golden Boot Awards in 1983 for his contribution to the Western film and television genre.
 * César Chávez: farm worker, political activist and union leader, lived in the Colonia area of Oxnard during his childhood. Several streets and schools in the Oxnard area and surrounding areas bear his name. A home he lived in is on Wright Road in the El Rio neighborhood, northwest of Highway 101 and Rose Avenue, where Chavez lived with his family in the late 1950s while working as an advocate for local farmworkers. Also the office of the National Farm Workers Association – which later became United Farm Workers — on Cooper Road, east of Garfield Avenue in the Colonia neighborhood. The Oxnard office opened in 1966, the year of a historic march from Delano to Sacramento.
 * William P. Clark: politician, served under President Ronald Reagan as the Deputy Secretary of State from 1981 to 1982, United States National Security Advisor from 1982 to 1983, and the Secretary of the Interior from 1983 until 1985.
 * Alicia Cuarón: Mexican-American educator, human rights activist, and Franciscan nun
 * Jean Harris: credited with protecting Ormond Beach Wetlands and 'olołkoy State Beach
 * Meagan Hockaday: killed by police
 * Maria Gulovich Liu: Ventura County real estate agent, OSS agent in WWII
 * Armando Xavier Ochoa: was the Bishop of Fresno and was formerly the Bishop of El Paso.
 * Carmen Perez is an activist on issues of civil rights, including mass incarceration, women's rights and gender equity, violence prevention, racial healing and community policing.
 * Alfred V. Rascon: awarded the Medal of Honor—the United States' highest military decoration.
 * James Sumner: awarded the Medal of Honor—the United States' highest military decoration, after military service, he resided in Oxnard.
 * Nao Takasugi: California State Assembly and mayor of Oxnard.

Authors

 * Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario Hernandez: creators of the black-and-white independent comic Love and Rockets.
 * Joyce La Mers, author of light poetry.
 * Michele Serros, American author, poet, comedic social commentator and writer for the George Lopez TV series.

Musicians and singers

 * DJ Babu: Filipino American disc jockey for the Beat Junkies and Dilated Peoples
 * Ritchie Blackmore: guitarist with Deep Purple and founder of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
 * Sonny Bono & Cher: record producers, singers, actors; famous for Sonny & Cher pop duo and TV series, had a beach home in Oxnard Shores, Oxnard
 * Cola Boyy: (Matthew Urango) musician and activist
 * Brooke Candy: rapper
 * Dave Carter: American folk singer-songwriter
 * Down AKA Kilo: rapper
 * Dave Grohl: musician
 * Ill Repute: hardcore punk band and leaders of the Nardcore movement
 * Kankick: American hip-hop producer
 * Homer Keller: composer (1915–1996)
 * Madlib: record producer, musician, rapper, and DJ noted for his work and collaborations in the jazz and hip-hop scenes
 * Rich Moore: Academy Award-winning animation director (The Simpsons), and co-owner of Rough Draft Studios, Inc.
 * Nails: powerviolence band
 * Oh No: hip-hop rapper, producer and brother of Madlib]
 * Anderson .Paak: rapper, singer, songwriter, and drummer famous for reviving west coast soul and R&B
 * Dudley Perkins: rapper, singer, songwriter, producer
 * Ryan Seaman: drummer
 * Shirley Verrett: operatic mezzo-soprano, 1931–2010
 * The Warriors: hardcore band
 * Steve Zaragoza: internet personality, comedian, and host on SourceFed

Scholars and scientists

 * William Bright: Linguist, who specialized in Native American and South Asian languages
 * J. Richard Chase: President of Biola University and Wheaton College
 * Robert P. Sharp: An American geomorphologist and expert on the geological surfaces of the Earth and the planet Mars, born and raised in Oxnard.

Businesspeople

 * Martin V. ("Bud") Smith: developer and philanthropist, the most significant developer in the Oxnard area, built the Financial Plaza Towers and financed construction of CSUCI's school of business and economics. His first real estate project was the Wagon Wheel Motel & Restaurant and Wagon Wheel Junction.
 * Charles C. Lynch: is the former owner of a city-sanctioned, awarded in 2006, medical marijuana dispensary in Morro Bay, California. Lynch obtained a Medical marijuana dispensary Business License, a Medical Marijuana Nursery Permit and was a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, he was born in Oxnard.
 * Stanley Clark Meston: American architect, most famous for designing the original golden arches of McDonald's restaurants, he was born in Oxnard.
 * Ben Rich: was director of Lockheed Skunk Works from 1975 to 1991 and retired to Oxnard.

Actors and TV personalities

 * Walter Brennan, actor, three-time winner of Academy Award, star of TV series The Real McCoys and The Guns of Will Sonnett, died in Oxnard
 * Miles Brown, actor who is best known for his role as Jack Johnson on the sitcom Black-ish
 * John Carradine, actor, lived in Oxnard for many years
 * Lee Van Cleef, actor, died in Oxnard
 * Jeffrey Combs, actor, born in Oxnard
 * Brandon Cruz, child actor and lead singer of the punk band Dr. Know, has family and a beach home in Oxnard
 * Brad Garrett, actor, born in Oxnard
 * John Curtis Holmes, pornographic film star of the 1970s, had ashes scattered at sea off the coast of Oxnard in 1988
 * Isiah Mustafa, the "Old Spice Guy," former NFL player
 * Jamal Mixon, actor
 * Bob Stephenson, actor, film producer and screenwriter
 * Tricia Takasugi, reporter for KTTV Fox 11 News in Los Angeles
 * Dan Tullis Jr., an actor most notable for his role on the sitcom Married... with Children

Athletes and sportspeople

 * Bobby Ayala: former Major League Baseball pitcher; graduated from Rio Mesa High School
 * Mark Berry: coach for the Cincinnati Reds; graduated from Hueneme High School
 * The Bryan brothers: professional ATP tennis doubles players who have graduated from Rio Mesa High School
 * Lorenzo Booker: NFL running back
 * Graciela Casillas: boxer and kickboxer
 * Hugo Centeno Jr.: boxer in the Middleweight division
 * Keary Colbert: wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, all-time reception leader for USC Trojans, graduated from Hueneme High School
 * Jacob Cruz: outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, graduated from Channel Islands High School
 * Tim Curran: professional surfer, graduated from Oxnard High School
 * Lou Cvijanovich: winningest coach in California high school history, coached Santa Clara High School to 829 wins from 1958 to 1999
 * Maxim Dadashev trained in Oxnard with former world champion Buddy McGirt
 * Justin De Fratus: relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, grew up in Oxnard, attended Rio Mesa High and Ventura Junior College
 * Charles Dillon: wide receiver for Green Bay Packers, played for Ventura College and Washington State, graduated from Hueneme High School in 2004
 * Terrance Dotsy: football player
 * Justin Dumais: diver of 2004 Summer Olympics
 * Beverly Dustrude: second base-woman who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
 * Tony Ferguson: a professional mixed martial artist in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), born in Oxnard
 * Scott Fujita: NFL linebacker for the Cleveland Browns, graduated from Rio Mesa High School and University of California, Berkeley
 * Mikey Garcia: boxer
 * Robert Garcia: retired professional boxer, former IBF Super Featherweight Champion
 * Phil Giebler: race car driver, won Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award for 2007
 * Herculez Gomez: soccer player
 * Jim Hall: race car driver, two-time winning car owner of the Indianapolis 500
 * Lemuel Clarence "Bud" Houser: track athlete who won multiple Olympic gold medals, track athlete at Oxnard High School
 * Jeremy Jackson: pro UFC fighter, winner of King of the Mountain 2004, contestant in Ultimate Fighter 4 : The Comeback
 * Ronney Jenkins: 2001 NFL Pro Bowl kick returner for the San Diego Chargers, graduated from Hueneme High School
 * Nicole Johnson: Monster Jam monster truck driver, graduated from Rio Mesa High School
 * Marion Jones: athlete, disqualified multiple Olympic gold medalist, attended and ran for Rio Mesa High School
 * Eric King: former Major League Baseball pitcher, born in Oxnard
 * Tim Laker: former Major League Baseball catcher, played college baseball at Oxnard Community College
 * Dave Laut: UCLA graduate won Olympic Bronze at the 1984 Summer Olympics for shot put
 * Whitney Lewis: former USC Trojans and University of Northern Iowa wide receiver, won 2003 Glenn Davis Award for top player in Southern California
 * Tony Malinosky: former Major League Baseball shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers, longtime resident of Oxnard
 * Kristal Marshall: professional wrestler formerly with the World Wrestling Entertainment
 * Sergio Martínez: boxer, based in Oxnard
 * Paul McAnulty: Major League Baseball outfielder with the San Diego Padres
 * Ken McMullen: former Major League Baseball third baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers, born in Oxnard
 * Victor Ortíz: professional boxer
 * Mike Parrott: professional baseball player and coach, born in Oxnard
 * Corey Pavin: professional golfer; winner of many tournaments, including 1995 U.S. Open; graduated from Oxnard High School
 * Terry Pendleton: retired baseball player, 1991 National League MVP, graduated from Channel Islands High School
 * Josh Pinkard: free safety for two-time national champion University of Southern California football team, graduated from Hueneme High School
 * Brandon Rios: Former professional boxer, Former WBA World lightweight champion
 * Jacob Rogers: offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos, three-year starter and All-American at USC, graduated from Oxnard High School
 * Blaine Saipaia: football player for the St. Louis Rams, graduated from Channel Islands High School
 * Aaron Small: former Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Paul Stankowski: professional golfer, graduated from Hueneme High School
 * Kevin Thomas: former NFL cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, graduated from Rio Mesa High School
 * Josh Towers: pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, graduated from Hueneme High School and Oxnard College
 * Steve Trachsel: pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets, born in Oxnard and attended Hathaway Elementary
 * Fernando Vargas: retired boxer, two-time light-middleweight boxing champion, graduated from Channel Islands High School
 * Dmitri Young: baseball player for the Washington Nationals, graduated from Rio Mesa High School
 * Blake Wingle: offensive guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns, graduated from Rio Mesa High School
 * Cierre Wood: running back of the Canadian Football League (CFL); former member of the Houston Texans, the New England Patriots, and the Buffalo Bills; graduated from Santa Clara High School
 * David Ochoa: soccer player in the MLS for Real Salt Lake and the Mexico Men's National Team, born in Oxnard
 * Jeremiah Valoaga: NFL defensive end, graduated from Channel Islands High School
 * Darius Vines: MLB pitcher, born in Oxnard

Sister city
Oxnard is sister cities with 🇲🇽 Ocotlán, Jalisco (Mexico). This relationship was commemorated with a flag at the Sister Cities bicentennial flag presentation sometime around 1976.

title: Oxnard, California


text:
Piru, California

Piru is a small unincorporated historic town located in eastern Ventura County, California, in the Santa Clara River Valley near the Santa Clara River and Highway 126, about seven miles (11 km) east of Fillmore and about 13 mi west of Interstate 5. Lake Piru, in the Los Padres National Forest, is the main recreational attraction. The population was 2,063 at the 2010 census, up from 1,196 when the 2000 census was enumerated. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Piru as a census-designated place (CDP), which does not precisely correspond to the historical community.

Etymology
Although the town is located in the traditional homelands of the Tataviam, the name Piru (originally pronounced "Pea-roo") derives from the Chumash word pí idhu-ku, which referred to the tule reeds growing along Piru Creek that were used in making baskets. The traditional name is still in use by local residents.

Also designated and delineated as "Piro", adjacent to "Piro Creek" on 19th century atlas maps, (i.e. A. L. Bancroft's 1876 map of CA, NV, AZ, UT) It was first named Piru City in 1888.

Indigenous
The area was originally inhabited by the Tataviam, who often established villages along near permanent water sources at lower elevations, including Piru Creek and the Santa Clara River. The Tataviam village of Piiru was the original village of the area. There was also a nearby shared village between the Tataviam and Chumash of Kamulus in the corridor.

Piru Creek was generally known as the place where the Chumash and Tataviam shared the land with one another, being on the respective edges of each of their lands. Important plant foods for the Tataviam included yucca stalks and hearts, acorns, sage seeds, juniper and holly leaf cherry berries. The yucca hearts were collected in the spring each year and roasted in earth ovens.

Rancho and settler town
The town was founded in 1887 by David C. Cook from Elgin, Illinois, a wealthy publisher of Sunday School tracts and supplies who bought the Rancho Temescal Mexican land grant from the sons of Ygnacio del Valle. Wanting to establish a "Second Garden of Eden" in this part of the Santa Clara River Valley, Cook specified, tradition says, that the acreage be planted with fruits identified with the Biblical garden—apricots, dates, figs, grapes, olives and pomegranates. That same year, he built his first home, a Colonial Revival structure, at the southwest corner of Main and Center Streets.

The coast rail line was built through the valley in 1887. Because a small depot was already going to be built in nearby Camulos, Charles Crocker of Southern Pacific Railroad refused to build a depot in Piru. This so annoyed Cook that he built his own depot and hired a stationmaster. Cook laid out the town around the railroad in 1888.

The U.S. Post Office Department established the Piru Post Office on June 14, 1888. Legend has it that the change in pronunciation was brought about by conductors of Southern Pacific Railroad trains, who would shout out, "Pie-roo!" when pulling into town. Another story tells of a Piru restaurant known for good pies. The owner hung a sign proclaiming, "We Put The Pie In Piru."

In 1890, Cook built a lavish Queen Anne Style home a few blocks northwest of his original home, which came to be known as the Piru Mansion. A strict Methodist, he provided for construction of a church on the north side of Center Street, just west of Main. The church front is used in the movie J. W. Coop starring Cliff Robertson (1972). His home at Main and Center became the Piru Hotel. Cook sold out to the Piru Oil and Land Company in 1900 after being cured of his ailments and realizing a profit due to recent oil discoveries.

For her novel Ramona (1884), Helen Hunt Jackson had used nearby Rancho Camulos as one of the settings. Portions of the 1910 silent movie of the same name, starring Mary Pickford, were shot there. During the production, Pickford, D.W. Griffith and others of the cast and crew, stayed at the Piru Hotel. The hotel later became known as the Mountain View Hotel. The name was later changed to the Round Rock Hotel, because of a large, round boulder located in the northeast corner of the front yard.

20th century
Juan José Fustero (b. ca. 1836), who called himself "the last full-blooded Piru Indian," died on June 30, 1921. In 1961, a plaque to honor him was placed in Piru Canyon near the place where he lived most of his life.

On December 17, 1922, Jenks Harris, a would-be cowboy actor, and a gang of partners in crime, which included another actor and the president of the Pacific Autoplane Company, robbed the bank in Piru of $11,000. He said, when later caught in Los Angeles, that he conceived of the idea while on location at Piru with the film company Universal and stated he committed the robbery to pay his parents' mortgage. The gang was each sentenced from one year to life in prison at San Quentin.

In the 1950s, the Round Rock Hotel became the Round Rock Rest Home for elderly tenants, which it remained until 1989. The architectural style and pastoral setting made it a draw for the film industry. It was used in as a set in films such as The Five Heartbeats (1991) and The Silhouette. (1990). It then became the Heritage Valley Inn. It is no longer functioning as an inn.

Disasters
Piru was struck by two major disasters in the 20th century. On the night of March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam, to the east in Los Angeles County, broke, sending a torrent of water through the Santa Clara River Valley and causing the deaths of approximately 400 people, a number of which were in Piru. The Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994, destroyed several buildings in the historic downtown area.

Geography
Piru is located at 34.40722°N, -118.79972°W (34.407297, −118.799675).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.8 sqmi, of which 99.45% of it is land and 0.55% is water.

Elevation: 692 ft.

Piru is located in the Santa Clara River Valley.

Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Piru has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Economy
Piru has the highest percentage of agricultural workers and second-highest percent of manufacturing workers in Ventura County. 32% have occupations in manufacturing, while 28% are employed in the agricultural sector.

Piru had the lowest median home prices in Ventura County in 1999.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Piru had a population of 2,063. The population density was 727.6 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Piru was 1,063 (51.5%) White, 16 (0.8%) African American, 43 (2.1%) Native American, 11 (0.5%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 830 (40.2%) from other races, and 100 (4.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,748 persons (84.7%).

The Census reported that 2,063 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 523 households, out of which 292 (55.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 329 (62.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 69 (13.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 39 (7.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 29 (5.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 67 households (12.8%) were made up of individuals, and 25 (4.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.94. There were 437 families (83.6% of all households); the average family size was 4.34.

The population was spread out, with 676 people (32.8%) under the age of 18, 243 people (11.8%) aged 18 to 24, 569 people (27.6%) aged 25 to 44, 420 people (20.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 155 people (7.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.

There were 561 housing units at an average density of 197.9 /sqmi, of which 302 (57.7%) were owner-occupied, and 221 (42.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%. 1,202 people (58.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 861 people (41.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,196 people, 308 households, and 263 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 514.5 PD/sqmi. There were 328 housing units at an average density of 141.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 53.51% White, 0.25% African American, 3.01% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 38.38% from other races, and 3.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 67.89% of the population.

There were 308 households, out of which 52.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.3% were non-families. 9.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.88 and the average family size was 4.11.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 35.1% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,490, and the median income for a family was $40,703. Males had a median income of $32,303 versus $17,159 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,337. About 16.4% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.5% of those under age 18 and 16.1% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure
Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 provides water and sewer service to the more densely populated historic town center around the railroad line on the west side of Piru Creek. The district's service area also includes a small area east of the creek and certain areas south of the settlement along Main Street.

Education
Fillmore Unified School District operates Piru Elementary School. The district also operates Fillmore Middle School and Fillmore High School in Fillmore.

Use as filming location
Piru has been used for shooting film and television productions over the years, including Desert Fury (1947). Location scenes were shot with the northwest side of Center Street, at Main, used as the exterior of Fritzi Haller's saloon and casino; the Piru Mansion was used as the Haller home and the historic Piru bridge, crossing Piru Creek on the east side of town, was used as the locale of the car crash. (Some of the exterior scenes were also filmed in the Old Town section of Cottonwood, Arizona, especially where Burt Lancaster enters the Old Town jail, extant though enlarged.) Piru was also used in the scene in A Star Is Born (1954) starring Judy Garland and James Mason where Jack Carson's character, Libby, finds them after they are married. Piru was also featured in the 1966 film Incident at Phantom Hill.

Piru stood in for a fictional town Clarksberg, California in the 1974 TV movie The California Kid. Piru was used as a location for the 1974 Rockford Files episode 'Caledonia, It's Worth a Fortune.' It was used for exterior shots in the 1975 Filmation children's series The Ghost Busters. "Charlie's Angels," filmed "Angel's on Vacation" in Piru in 1979. Scenes in The Fugitive, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard, Murder, She Wrote, NCIS and Monk were filmed in Piru. In the 1981 made-for-TV horror film Dark Night of the Scarecrow, several of the primary locations in the film, including the café, post office and service station, are in Piru.

In Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), the scenes of the rest home in the "Kick the Can" segment were filmed at the historic building that is now the Heritage Valley Inn. Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone filmed scenes for Rhinestone (1984), in Piru. Also Silent Night Deadly Night 3 was filmed here, in 1984.

The town served as the fictional San Remos countryside in the movie Cobra, starring Sylvester Stallone, Reni Santoni and Brigitte Nielsen.

With the exception of a few scenes, the entire comedy Happy, Texas (1999) was filmed in Piru. It was also used for scenes of Bubble Boy. The exterior of Piru United Methodist Church was used in Big Momma's House (2001). The chase scene in Enough (2002) starring Jennifer Lopez was filmed in Piru along with scenes from Torque (2004) and the final scene for Van Helsing (2004).

The 2005 movie The Amateurs starring Jeff Bridges was largely filmed in Piru – as was much of the television movie The Love War (1970) starring Jeff's father Lloyd Bridges, with Angie Dickinson (with Piru serving as location and setting). The town has also served for some of the scenes on TV's Reno 911! and for scenes set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, in True Blood.

In the Disney movie Race to Witch Mountain (2009) starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, scenes where he and the alien boy and girl go into a small town, Stony Creek, where they have repairs done on his taxi and go to a restaurant/country music club, were actually shot in Piru, which continues to be a popular location with film companies.

Piru Mansion was used as the home of Ellis Wyatt in Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), the first segment in a three-part movie adaptation of the novel by Ayn Rand. Piru was also used to film the 2011 music video Don't Stop (Colour on the Walls), from the band Foster the People and featuring actress Gabourey Sidibe.

The Dexter season 6 episode Nebraska which aired in 2011 was partially filmed in Piru, with Piru standing in for parts of Nebraska.

The 2013 music video for the hit Wake me up by Avicii, starring the Russian model Kristina Romanova and the young Californian model Laneya Grace.

Water for Elephants was also filmed in Piru as well as Alicia Keys' Unthinkable music video.

The 2014 action-drama film Swelter, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lennie James, and Alfred Molina, was filmed entirely in Piru, per the DVD credits, with the town substituting for Baker, Nevada.

The 2017 movie Lucky, starring Harry Dean Stanton, was filmed in Piru.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Piru, California


text:
Port Hueneme, California

Port Hueneme (Chumash: Wene Me) is a small beach city in Ventura County, California, surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Santa Barbara Channel. Both the Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County lie within the city limits.

Port Hueneme has a south-facing sand beach, known for its surfing. The beach has a wooden fishing pier and is about a mile long between Ormond Beach downcoast and Point Hueneme Light at the harbor entrance shared by the naval base and the port. The Waterfront Promenade, also known as the Lighthouse Promenade, provides a paved public access along the shoreline with two historic sites at viewpoints: the 1872 Wharf and the Oxnard Packing House.

Name
The name Hueneme derives from the Spanish spelling of the Ventureño Chumash name Wene Me, meaning "Resting Place". In the 1800s, the postmaster named the post office Wynema after his company, Wynema Lighter Co. The town's name was officially changed to Port Hueneme in 1939 and was incorporated March 24, 1948.

In July 2021, the city council approved starting the process to change the city name to Hueneme Beach. During the adoption of the strategic plan in October 2020, staff recommended rebranding the city as a way to attract tourism, bring new businesses, and draw attention to the city's coastline. The initiative was voted down in November 2022.

History
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo explored this area and the adjacent Channel Islands in October 1542.

Thomas Bard learned of the submarine canyon at Point Hueneme and took advantage of the canyon depth to construct the Hueneme Wharf in 1871 here. The existing street grid of the town was formally laid out in 1888. Until the construction of the Montalvo Cutoff that brought the railroad to nearby Oxnard, the wharf was the principal means of transportation for that portion of Ventura County lying south of the Santa Clara River. Hueneme was the second largest grain shipping port on the Pacific coast between 1871 and 1895.

A 650 foot pier was built in 1956 as a construction trestle for a sewer outfall pipeline. The fishing pier is now 1,250 feet after having been modified over the years.

On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean between Port Hueneme and Anacapa Island after a mechanical failure. U.S. Navy Base Ventura County, adjacent to the port, was the staging ground for recovery of the wreckage. The victims' families later approved the construction of a memorial sundial designed by Santa Barbara artist James "Bud" Bottoms, which was placed on the beach close to the crash site. Victims' names are placed on bronze plates mounted on the dial's perimeter. The sundial casts a shadow on a memorial plaque at 16:22 each January 31.

Geography
Port Hueneme is located on the southwest portion of the Oxnard Plain on the Pacific Ocean.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.1 km2 (11.5 km2) of it is land and 0.2 mi2 of it (4.70%) is water.

Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Port Hueneme has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Port Hueneme had a population of 21,723. The population density was 4,651.2 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Port Hueneme was 12,357 (56.9%) White, 1,111 (5.1%) African American, 295 (1.4%) Native American, 1,299 (6.0%) Asian, 119 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 5,224 (24.0%) from other races, and 1,318 (6.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,360 people (52.3%).

The Census reported that 20,854 people (96.0% of the population) lived in households, 869 (4.0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 7,080 households, out of which 2,832 (40.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,267 (46.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,121 (15.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 440 (6.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 458 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 53 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,760 households (24.9%) were made up of individuals, and 775 (10.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95. There were 4,828 families (68.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.52.

The population was spread out, with 5,781 people (26.6%) under the age of 18, 2,705 people (12.5%) aged 18 to 24, 6,258 people (28.8%) aged 25 to 44, 4,593 people (21.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,386 people (11.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.

There were 8,131 housing units at an average density of 1,741.0 /mi2, of which 3,422 (48.3%) were owner-occupied, and 3,658 (51.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%. 9,747 people (44.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 11,107 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,845 people, 7,268 households, and 5,000 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,912.9 PD/sqmi. There were 7,908 housing units at an average density of 1,778.5 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 57.27% White, 6.06% African American, 1.69% Native American, 6.33% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 21.84% from other races, and 6.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.02% of the population.

There were 7,268 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. Twenty-four point one percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.42.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 13.2% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,246, and the median income for a family was $46,056. Males had a median income of $30,314 versus $25,703 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,311. About 9.8% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The business district is on Channel Islands Boulevard on the north side of the city separated from the original downtown by the Naval base.

Cannabis
Under the legalization of the sale and distribution of cannabis in California, the city developed a model program as the only city in Ventura county to initially allow multiple types of marijuana businesses, including cultivation, manufacturing and retail sales. Commercial activities, such as growing, testing, and selling cannabis within their jurisdiction may be regulated by each city by licensing none or only some of these activities but local governments may not prohibit adults from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use. The retail shops in the city are required to have armed security on the premises during hours of operation with some businesses deciding to have a guard nearby 24 hours a day. Security video feed from the shops must be accessible to the police at all times.

By the end of 2018, the city had four recreational marijuana storefronts. As one of the few cities with retail, the city found that about 10 percent of the customers are from Port Hueneme with approximately 50 percent from the adjacent city of Oxnard. About 15 percent were from Camarillo and 10 percent from Ventura with the remaining 15 percent of customers coming from other areas. During a city sponsored workshop in 2019, the chief of the state Bureau of Cannabis Control, which regulates the industry said, “I think you have a lot to be proud of this city. This city has shown if it's done right, it really works well.” In 2022, the city council approved allowing cannabis events with sale and consumption at the Hueneme Beach Park parking lots after a small cannabis farmers market in December 2021 generated about $4,000 in city revenue. Only one event of the series of six events occurred after the first event had poor attendance and sales, prompting the event organizers to cancel the remaining 5 approved events. The city was the first in the county to allow cannabis lounges in 2022, which opened in 2023.

Five percent of gross revenues from these businesses is collected by the city per agreements that allow them to operate in the city. This has helped with a deficit city budget. The city was able to produce a balanced budget without dipping into reserves in 2019 for the first time in many years partially due to the cannabis revenue. In the fiscal year 2020, the city collected $2.2 million. Businesses are required to contribute one percent to community activities.

Near the end of 2023, the city had nine dispensaries, seven delivery-only services and one microbusiness that has cannabis retail, cultivation and distribution. The fees collected by the city peaked at $2.9 million in 2022 with businesses reporting stagnant or falling revenue in 2023.

The Port
The Port of Hueneme, shared with Oxnard Harbor District and Naval Base Ventura County, is the only deep water port between the Los Angeles and the San Francisco, and the only Navy-controlled harbor between San Diego Bay and Puget Sound, Washington.

The harbor is a shipping and receiving point for a wide variety of goods destined for the Los Angeles Basin and beyond, including automobiles, pineapples, and bananas. Agricultural products such as onions, strawberries, and flowers are shipped. The city receives about $2 million in tax revenue annually from the port.

In 2014, the beach at Port Hueneme had been eroding for the 60 years since it was built as a commercial port, with jetties that block the natural flow of sand. After the US Navy took over the port during World War II, the government had the responsibility to put back the sand that had disappeared. Funds were lacking until 2013 when it was announced that nearly $12 million in funding would be available to replenish the sand at the beach, the money coming from various branches of the government. Furthermore, there is a continuing, expensive routine to prevent ocean water from sitting on the city streets.

Hueneme Beach Festival

Since 1998, the city of Port Hueneme holds an annual theme-based beach festival at 550 East Surfside Drive. This 2-day event is held in mid/late August. Entertainment includes live music, rides, games, attractions, food/ vendor booths and exhibits.

Hueneme Harbor Days (Historic)
Prior to the "Hueneme Beach Festival", the HHD Board of Directors ran the 'Port Hueneme Harbor Days Festival & Parade' with food, bands, entertainment, kids attractions, vendor booths, and activities, such as kite-flying contests, sand sculpture contests, metal detection contests, and a long time ago, bathing suit contests. HHB was started in 1950 and ended in 2001, after 51 years of successful operations. The demise came from a lack of city support, and financial troubles such as an increases in fees for insurance, and food handling regulations. There are pictures of the early Hueneme Harbor Days Festival at the local history museum.

Banana Festival
The Banana Festival is an annual event with tours of the port, food, and entertainment. Since 2011, the Port of Hueneme holds the event on the port grounds. The festival includes port tours, live bands, a kids zone, local vendors, and food/drink. Attendees spend the day celebrating the over 3.3 billion bananas that come through the Port of Hueneme each year and have the chance to receive free bananas/banana products from the companies working to transport bananas through the port such as Del Monte and Chiquita.

Sports
This South facing beach offers pitching waves year-round from a multitude of swell directions. As a result of great surf, Port Hueneme surfers are territorial and localism has been known to be a problem.

Education
Most of the city of Port Hueneme lies within the boundaries of the Hueneme School District. Portions of the city north of Channel Islands are served by Oxnard Elementary School District. Elementary schools within Port Hueneme include: Hueneme Elementary, Richard Bard Elementary, Parkview Elementary, and Sunkist Elementary.

Hueneme High School of the Oxnard Union High School District serves most of the city. Portions of the city north of Channel Islands are served by Oxnard High School.

 * Libraries

Ventura County Library serves the community through its local branch, the Ray D. Prueter Library.

title: Port Hueneme, California


text:
Ventura, California

Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city in and the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States. It is a coastal city located northwest of Los Angeles. The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census. Ventura is a popular tourist destination, owing to its historic landmarks, beaches, and resorts.

Ventura has been inhabited by different peoples, including the Chumash Native Americans, for at least 10,000 years. With the arrival of Spanish missionaries in 1782, Mission San Buenaventura was established by Junípero Serra, giving the city its name. Following the Mexican secularization of the Californian missions, San Buenaventura was granted by Governor Pío Pico to Don José de Arnaz as Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura and a small community arose. Following the American Conquest of California, San Buenaventura eventually incorporated as a city in 1866. The 1920s brought a major oil boom, which along with the post–World War II economic expansion, significantly developed and expanded Ventura.

Chumash
Archaeological discoveries in the area suggest that humans have populated the region for at least 10,000–12,000 years. Archaeological research demonstrates that the Chumash people have deep roots in central and southern coastal regions of California, and has revealed artifacts from their culture. Shisholop Village, designated Historic Point of Interest #18 by the city at the foot of nearby Figueroa Street, was the site of a Chumash village. They had keen oceanic navigational skills made use of the abundant local resources from sea and land. The Ventura Chumash were in contact with the Channel Islands Chumash; both mainland and island Chumash utilized large plank-sewn seagoing canoes, called Tomol, with the island people bringing shell bead money, island chert, and sea otter pelts to trade for mainland products like acorns and deer meat.

Spanish era
In 1769, the Spanish Portolà expedition, first recorded European visitors to inland areas of California, came down the Santa Clara River Valley from the previous night's encampment near today's Saticoy and camped near the outlet of the Ventura River on August 14. Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary traveling with the expedition, noted that "we saw a regular town, the most populous and best laid-out of all that we had seen on the journey up to the present time." Archaeological records found that the Chumash village they encountered was settled sometime around A.D. 1000. Junípero Serra, first leader of the Franciscans in California, founded Mission San Buenaventura in 1782 as his ninth and last mission established near the Chumash village as part of Spain's colonization of Alta California. The mission was named for St. Bonaventure, a Thirteenth Century Franciscan saint and a Doctor of the Church. San Miguel Chapel was the first outpost and center of operations while the first Mission San Buenaventura was being constructed. The first mission burned in 1801 and a replacement building of brick and stone was completed in 1809. The bell tower and facade of the new mission was destroyed by an 1812 earthquake. The Mission was rebuilt and functions as a parish church.

Mexican era
The Mexican secularization act of 1833 was passed twelve years after Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. Mission land was sold or given away in large grants called ranchos. Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura was a 48823 acre grant that included downtown Ventura. The Battle of San Buenaventura was fought in 1838 between competing armies from northern and southern California. Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted Rancho San Miguel to Felipe Lorenzana and Raymundo Olivas, whose Olivas Adobe on the banks of the Santa Clara River was the most magnificent hacienda south of Monterey. Fernando Tico also received a Mexican land grant for Ojai and a parcel near the river in downtown Ventura.

American era

Following the American Conquest of California in the Mexican–American War, California became a U.S. territory in 1848 and a U.S. state in 1850. After the American Civil War, settlers came to the area, buying land from the Mexicans, or simply as squatters. Vast holdings were later acquired by Easterners, including railroad magnate Thomas A. Scott. He sent Thomas R. Bard to handle Scott's property.

Ventura had a flourishing Chinese settlement in the early 1880s. The largest concentration of activity, known as China Alley, was just across Main Street from the Mission San Buenaventura.

Ventura Pier was built in 1872 at a cost of $45,000 and was the longest wooden pier in California. By 1917, it had been rebuilt to a length of 1,700 feet. Much of the pier was destroyed by a storm in 1995, but it was subsequently rebuilt.

In 1913, the Rincon Sea Level Road and the Ventura River Bridge opened. The large Ventura Oil Field was first drilled in 1919 and at its peak produced 90000 oilbbl/d. The development of the oil fields in the 1920s, along with the building of better roads to Los Angeles and the affordability of automobiles, enabled a major real estate boom. Symphony concerts and Little League teams were sponsored by the oil companies. Contemporary downtown Ventura is defined by extant buildings from this period. Landmarks built during the oil boom include Ventura Theatre (1928), the First Baptist Church of Ventura (1926), the Ventura Hotel (1926), and the Mission Theatre (1928).

On March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam, 54 mi inland, failed catastrophically, creating a flood that took over 600 lives as it flowed down the Santa Clara River to the ocean.

From the south, travel by auto was slow and hazardous, until the completion of a four-lane freeway (US Highway 101) over the Conejo Grade in 1959. This route, which was widened and improved by 1969, is known as the Ventura Freeway, which directly links Ventura with the rest of the Greater Los Angeles.

In 2017, the Thomas Fire started north of Ventura in Santa Paula and the Santa Ana Winds the fire spread into hillside neighborhoods of Ventura and into the area above downtown. Five hundred and four residences burned down in the city.

Main Street in the downtown was closed to vehicle traffic in June 2020 in an effort to boost business and keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geography
Ventura is located northwest of Los Angeles on the California coast. The western portion of the city stretches north along the Ventura River which is characterized by a narrow valley with steeply sloped areas along both sides. The steep slopes of the Ventura foothills abut the northern portion of the community. Much of the eastern portion is on a relatively flat alluvial coastal plain lying along the western edge of the Oxnard Plain. Several Barrancas extend from the foothills to the Santa Clara River which forms the city's southerly boundary. The city extends up to the beginning of the Santa Clara River Valley at the historic community of Saticoy.

Ventura is within a seismically active region like much of California and is crossed by several potentially active fault systems. The Ventura Fault is capable of an 8.0 earthquake and a local tsunami up to 23 feet in height. According to the United States Census Bureau, Ventura has a total area of 32.1 sqmi, of which 21.7 sqmi is land and 10.4 sqmi, comprising 32.53%, is water.

Climate
Ventura has a Mediterranean climate, typical of most coastal California cities, with the sea breeze off the Pacific Ocean moderating temperatures. It is not uncommon for the city to be affected by Santa Ana winds off the Transverse Ranges on occasion, which increase temperatures dramatically.

Demographics
The community is registered in the census as San Buenaventura (Ventura).

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Ventura had a population of 106,433. The population density was 3,316.2 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Ventura was 76.6% White, 1.6% African American, 1.2% Native American, 3.4% Asian (0.9% Filipino, 0.6% Chinese, 0.4% Indian, 0.4% Korean, 0.4% Japanese, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.5% Other), 0.2% Pacific Islander, 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 31.8% of the population.

The Census reported that 103,940 people (97.7% of the population) lived in households, 755 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,738 (1.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 40,438 households, out of which 13,014 (32.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 18,907 (46.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,936 (12.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,153 (5.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,621 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 371 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,959 households (27.1%) were made up of individuals, and 4,271 (10.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57. There were 25,996 families (64.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.14.

The population was spread out, with 23,918 people (22.5%) under the age of 18, 9,581 people (9.0%) aged 18 to 24, 28,814 people (27.1%) aged 25 to 44, 29,957 people (28.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 14,163 people (13.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

There were 42,827 housing units at an average density of 1,334.4 /sqmi, of which 22,600 (55.9%) were owner-occupied, and 17,838 (44.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. 59,330 people (55.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 44,610 people (41.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 100,916 people, 38,524 households, and 25,233 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,790.6 PD/sqmi. There were 39,803 housing units at an average density of 1,889.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 1.4% African American, 1.2% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 11.1% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 30.4% of the population.

There were 38,524 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,297, and the other income for a family was $60,466. Males had a median income of $43,828 versus $31,793 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,065. About 6.4% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Ventura is a popular tourist destination in Southern California, owing to its historic landmarks, beaches, and the local leisure economy. Businesses related to tourism and hospitality account for a significant portion of Ventura's economic activity.

The outdoor clothing manufacturer Patagonia is based in Ventura. Diaper bag manufacturer Petunia Pickle Bottom was founded in Ventura. Research and resource company The Barna Group is located near downtown Ventura.

In 2009 the City of Ventura created Ventura Ventures Technology Center, a business incubator with a high-tech focus. Ventura Ventures Technology Center was created as an economic engine to develop jobs and companies locally, as well as attract entrepreneurs to the area. The Trade Desk was started in the incubator. The Trade Desk, an industry leader in advertising on streaming services, is the second biggest publicly-traded company in Ventura County by market capitalization.

Top employers
According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Cannabis
Following the legalization of cannabis in California, local governments can prohibit companies from growing, testing, and selling cannabis within their jurisdiction by licensing none or only some of these activities but may not prohibit adults from growing, using or transporting marijuana for personal use. The state allows deliveries without local agency licensing at the point of delivery. In November 2020, a ballot measure for taxation of cannabis was approved by city voters. The City Council adopted a resolution allowing a maximum number of cannabis businesses in the city in February 2021. The ordinances allow up to three retail permits and up to 10 distribution permits. In October 2022, the City Manager selected four businesses to be allowed to operate in the city after a lengthy application and ranking process. Three retail and one distribution business without a retail component were selected. Two more permits for the city's coastal zone, which includes downtown were considered and rejected after further information requested from the California Coastal Commission was reviewed. Once the appeals process is completed, applicants worked with the city on safety, security, odor control and other issues before being able to open for business. In late June 2023, the three retail businesses that were selected filed a lawsuit against the city for a court order that would end the appeals and force the city to issue them permits. The other five finalists had appealed, resulting in a lengthy delay while the appeal was sent to the California Office of Administrative Hearings. The city decided in late July to issue permits to the three businesses already selected immediately after August 31 and also issue permits to three of the other five finalists.

Music venues
The Majestic Ventura Theater is an early 20th-century landmark in the downtown. It has been a venue for concerts such as The Doors, Pearl Jam, Van Halen, X, Ray Charles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Social Distortion, Bad Religion, Fugazi, Incubus, Tom Petty, They Might Be Giants, and Johnny Cash, as well as homegrown artists like KYLE, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Army of Freshmen.

The Ventura County Fairgrounds is the home of the annual Ventura County Fair, and over the years has hosted such acts as Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Phish, Smokey Robinson, All American Rejects, Smash Mouth, and Sugar Ray, as well as the Vans Warped Tour. The train station for Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner route is adjacent to the fairgrounds.

Downtown
Downtown Ventura is home to the Mission San Buenaventura, museums, galleries, dining, and shopping. Located in downtown is the historic Ortega Adobe, once home to the Ortega family known for chili products. Downtown Ventura is home to Ventura's ornate city hall. Downtown includes restaurants, wine bars, breweries, and the Rubicon Theatre Company.

In Plaza Park (Chestnut and Santa Clara streets, downtown) stands a large Moreton Bay fig tree. Across the street, the main post office has murals on interior walls commissioned by the Section of Painting and Sculpture of the U.S. Treasury Department as New Deal art.

Other sites
Ventura Harbor has fishing boats, seafood restaurants and a retail center, the Ventura Harbor Village. The Channel Islands National Park Headquarters is also located at the harbor, and boats to the Channel Islands depart daily.

The Olivas Adobe, one of the early "California Rancho"-styled homes, is operated as a museum and performing arts venue. Living history reenactments, demonstrations of Rancho life and ghost stories are presented. A summer music series of performances held in the courtyard features an eclectic assortment of artists from blues to jazz to country.

"Two Trees" is two lone trees on a hilltop, visible from much of Ventura. Access to the hill is private property. In early October 2017, one of the trees was destroyed by high winds.

Libraries
There are three branches of the Ventura County Library in the City of Ventura: E.P. Foster Library on Main Street, Avenue Library on Ventura Avenue, and Hill Road Library on the east side of the city. Saticoy Library is in the unincorporated area of Saticoy outside the east end of the city of Ventura.

The Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Library of Ventura College, dedicated in 2005, serves the students, faculty and staff of the college as well as the general public of Ventura County.

The Research Library of the Museum of Ventura County holds books and archival materials related to the history of the county and surrounding regions. Its holdings are catalogued in the Ventura County Library system and the Central Coast Museum Consortium, and the library is open to the public.

Ventura County Law Library, located in the Ventura County Government Center, makes current legal resources available to judges, lawyers, government officials, and other users.

Sports
Ventura is notable for the quality and frequency of the surfing conditions at spots such as Surfer's Point at Seaside Park. X Games California 2023 (Summer) event finals were scheduled for the adjacent Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Ventura is the home to the soccer clubs Ventura County Football Club and Ventura County Fusion, of USL League Two.

Ventura is also home to the Ventura Raceway, a 1/5mile dirt track which hosts an array of auto racing events throughout the year, including the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix.

Government

Ventura had an at-large system of electing council members but changed to seven council districts in 2018 due to threatened legal action based on the California Voting Rights Act. Council members have four-year terms and their elections are staggered so three or four are up for re-election every two years. The council elects from among its own members a mayor and deputy mayor who serve two-year terms.

Joe Schroeder was selected as Mayor of San Buenaventura in December 2022. Ventura is located within California's 26th congressional district, with Julia Brownley currently serving as its representative in the U.S. Congress.

Education
Ventura has four college campuses: Ventura College of Law, Southern California Institute of Law, Santa Barbara Business College and Ventura College. Ventura College of Law is a non-profit law school founded in 1969. Ventura College is a community college, part of the Ventura County Community College District. The Brooks Institute of Photography shut down in 2016 after many years in the community.

Public school students from kindergarten through 12th grade attend schools in the Ventura Unified School District. The district has five high schools: Ventura High in the midtown area, Buena High in east Ventura, Foothill Technology High School, Pacific High School and El Camino High School, an independent study program located on the Ventura College campus. Private schools include St. Bonaventure High School, a Catholic school, Ventura County Christian School, Ventura Missionary School, evangelical Christian schools, and Holy Cross School, Sacred Heart, and Our Lady of the Assumption, Roman Catholic schools for grades pre-kindergarten through 8.

Transportation
The major road through Ventura is the Ventura Freeway (U.S. Route 101), connecting the California Central Coast and San Francisco to the north, and Los Angeles to the south. State Route 33, the Ojai Freeway, heads north to Ojai. State Route 126 and State Route 118 head east to Santa Clarita and Simi Valley, respectively.

Ventura–East station, in the historic Montalvo neighborhood, serves as the western terminus of the Ventura County Line of the Metrolink commuter rail system, which extends to Union Station in Los Angeles. The downtown Ventura Amtrak Station is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego. Local bus service is provided by Gold Coast Transit. Commuter and intercity bus services are provided by VCTC Intercity and by MTD to Santa Barbara.

Utilities
Ventura provides water to its residents and some unincorporated areas near the city. Water sources are Lake Casitas, the Ventura River, and groundwater. The water system includes 3 treatment plants, 10 wells, and 27 reservoirs. The city has rights to State Water Project since the early 1970s but has not built a connection to use the water.

Sanitary sewer services began treatment at a single plant in 1955. The plant, within a former portion of the estuary of the Santa Clara River, has ponds of treated water that attract birds. Some recycled water from the plant is used for landscaping and other non potable uses.

The Montalvo Community Services District looked at the cost of a new treatment plant in 2014 and considered having the city take over their service area and dissolve the district. The Montalvo Municipal Improvement District had been formed 60 years prior to bringing sewer service to what was then a remote unincorporated area southeast of Ventura. The city of Ventura annexed the last unincorporated portions of Montalvo in 2012 and had already begun to provide water to the community before the annexation.

Neighborhoods

 * Arundell
 * College
 * Downtown
 * Hillsides
 * Hobson Heights
 * Juanamaria
 * Midtown
 * Montalvo
 * North Bank
 * Olivias
 * Pierpoint
 * Poinsettia
 * Saticoy
 * Serra
 * Taylor Ranch
 * Thille
 * Wells
 * Westside

In popular culture

 * Film

The movies Swordfish, Little Miss Sunshine and Erin Brockovich were partially filmed in Ventura.

The comedy film The Bet was filmed entirely in the city of Ventura and was written by Ventura residents Chris Jay and Aaron Goldberg, both members of the band Army of Freshmen.

Ventura was fictionalized as "Madison City" by long-time resident Erle Stanley Gardner in his D.A. series of crime novels featuring Doug Selby, the crusading district attorney of a rural California county.
 * Books

Ventura is the setting for Julie Carobini's 2007 book Chocolate Beach.

 * Music

The America song "Ventura Highway" was inspired by the feel of the coastal highway running through Ventura, when the songwriter saw the sign to Ventura on a childhood family trip.

The song "(Girl We got a) Good Thing" by Weezer mentions Ventura in the 2nd verse, where Rivers Cuomo sings "Or driving to Ventura on the 101."

The macOS Ventura operating system was presented at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC2022) on June 6, 2022, after having been named after the city.
 * Other

Ventura is a course in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. It was called "Skatestreet Ventura".

Notable people

 * Anderson .Paak, Grammy-nominated rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer; attended Foothill Technology High School and named his fourth studio album Ventura
 * Curren Caples, skateboarder
 * Frank Churchill, composer for Disney, began his career in Ventura
 * George Christie, the long-time president of the Hells Angels Ventura chapter.
 * Cirith Ungol, heavy metal band who formed in Ventura in 1972 and are still active
 * Matt Corral, NFL quarterback for the Carolina Panthers
 * Kevin Costner, actor, attended Buena High School
 * James Ennis III, basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, born in Ventura
 * Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970) created the fictional lawyer Perry Mason, who appeared first in novels and then later in a television series from 1957 to 1966, followed by several "made-for-TV" movies in the 1980s. Gardner was a lawyer and did much of his early writing in Downtown Ventura. The First National Bank building at California and Main streets, where Gardner's law office was located, bears his name on a state historical marker and is also identified as the "Erle Stanley Gardner Building" over the front entrance.
 * Natasha Halevi, actress and director, attended Saint Bonaventure High School
 * Kyle, rapper, attended Ventura High School
 * Zachary Levi, actor, attended Buena High School
 * Fernando Librado (1839–1915), Chumash elder and master builder of the tomol born at Mission San Buenaventura. He worked extensively with John Peabody Harrington in his later life to record much about the Chumash people, language, and culture.
 * Cameron Rising, quarterback for the Utah Utes
 * Theodosia Burr Shepherd (1845–1906), botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in plant breeding; called the "Flower Wizard of California", and "The Pioneer Seed-grower", as she was the first woman in California and possibly in the US to hybridize flowers. Her seed and bulb business, the Theodosia B. Shepherd Company, is considered to be the foundation of the California seed industry and is listed as number 34 in the City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and Districts. She was compared favorably to Luther Burbank.
 * Steven Thrasher (born 1978), journalist and academic
 * Sami Whitcomb (born 1988), WNBA shooting guard for the Seattle Storm

Sister cities

 * 🇲🇽 Loreto, Baja California Sur (Mexico)

title: Ventura, California