History
- Formed in 1873 from Santa Barbara County
- Chumash Indians were native inhabitants
- Early Spanish settlers described the area as the “land of everlasting summers” and named the region “San Buenaventura”, which means “good fortune”
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Geography
- Covers an area of 1,873 square miles, including 43 miles of coastline
- Located northwest of Los Angeles County, and bordered by Kern County to the north, Santa Barbara County to the west, and the Pacific Ocean on the southwest (view map)
- 7.5 miles of shoreline are public beaches and 411 acres are State beach parks
- The Los Padres National Forest accounts for 860 square miles of the northern portion of the county (46% of the county’s land mass)
- Elevation ranges from sea level to the highest point on Mount Pinos at 8,831 feet
- Ranks 26th in land size among California’s 58 counties
- Gateway to Channel Islands National Park, one of only four designated national marine sanctuaries composed of five tranquil islands located a few miles off the Ventura County coast, comprising a 250,000-acre wilderness preserve/marine sanctuary
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Demographics
- Population of 742,000 makes Ventura County the 12th most populous county in the State of California
- Median household income in Ventura County consistently exceeds national and state levels; median family income in 1999 estimated at $61,944
- 63.8% of households in Ventura County with $35,000+ income
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Education
- Outstanding school districts with State and National Academic Decathalon winning high schools (1st place – Moorpark High School, 1999; 2nd place – Simi Valley High School, 2000)
- Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores have consistently exceeded both State and National averages for the past 10 years
- Three community colleges located in Ventura, Oxnard and Moorpark
- A newly established California State University Campus (Cal State Channel Islands) in Camarillo
- California Lutheran University, an independent four-year liberal arts and graduate institution located in Thousand Oaks
- Branch and satellite campus operations of California State University Northridge and the University of California at Santa Barbara located in Ventura
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Climate
- Coastal areas offer a Mediterranean climate often described as the best in the world, with average annual temperatures of 74.2 degrees
- Ventura County’s mountains, valleys and seashore give the area SIX different micro-climates, more than any other county in the nation
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Local Government
- A general law county, governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors, elected by districts; actions taken by the Board can apply countywide or only in unincorporated areas
- Ten incorporated cities: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and San Buenaventura (Ventura), the County seat
- Thirty-five independent Special Districts providing services that range from water, sanitation, parks and recreation, resource conservation, community services and cemetery
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Economy
- A strong economic base with a large and diverse labor pool, the area includes major industries: Agriculture, Biotechnology, Telecommunications & Advanced Technologies, Manufacturing, Tourism, Military Testing and Development
- Ventura County’s economy ranked 45th in comparison to other states in the nation in 1999
- The Port of Hueneme is the State’s smallest and only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco, but plays a significant role in the local economy
- Serves as the western U.S. distribution network for many imported vehicles, including: BMW, Volvo, Mitsubishi and Mazda; more than 200,000 autos imported in 1999
- Shipping point for agriculture with the largest refrigerated fruit terminal on the West Coast; primarily bananas and lemons
- The United States Navy has had a presence in Ventura County since the 1940’s.
- The Naval Air Station at Point Mugu was founded in 1947; it is home to research, development and test evaluation for weapons systems
- The Naval Construction Battalion Center in Port Hueneme was founded in 1942 and is one of two bases in the United States dedicated to the support of the naval construction force, known as the Seabees
- The combined economic impact to the County from these naval operations is about $1.2 billion and represents the largest employer in the region
- Some of the best soil in the nation for agriculture production, resulting in crop value totaling over $1 billion in 1999 and ranking Ventura County 10th in agricultural production among California counties
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Other Factors
- SAFE CITIES - The cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley consistently rank at the top (one and two) of the FBI’s annual ranking of safest cities in the nation with populations of 100,000+
- RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES – Numerous year-round activities range from walking on the beach to enjoying a concert in a park, sailing to the Channel Islands, or hiking in the Los Padres National Forest, camping and fishing at one of the lakes, golfing at a championship course, surfing at some of the best surfing beaches in the State, biking or jogging on beautiful bike paths, or horseback riding on a mountain trail
- CULTURAL ACTIVITIES – Ventura County is home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum located in Simi Valley, the Fillmore and Western historic railway offering train rides, the San Buenaventura Mission, the Union Oil Museum in Santa Paula, art galleries featuring the work of world famous artists in Ojai and a state-of-the-art Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks offering symphony, ballet and a variety of quality theatrical performances
- TRANSPORTATION – U.S. Highway 101 is the major route linking Ventura County from Los Angeles; also available are Metrolink commuter trains and Amtrak.
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