Ventura County, California

Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast, and forms the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest places in the country every year.

As of the 2000 census, the county had a population of 753,197. A more current California Department of Finance estimate places the population at 813,052. The county seat is the city of Ventura (formally known as San Buenaventura). Ventura County's largest city is the City of Oxnard, with a population of 190,000.

History

For thousands of years, the area was home to the Chumash tribe of Native Americans.

In 1782, the Mission San Buenaventura was founded, named after Saint Bonaventure. Buenaventura is composed of two Spanish words, buena meaning "good" and ventura meaning "fortune." The town that grew up around the mission is named San Buenaventura, which came to be known as Ventura.

Ventura County was formed from the southern part of Santa Barbara County in 1872.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Ventura County surged to the forefront of the smart growth movement through a series of voter initiatives that barred development on large swaths of open space surrounding its cities. These measures have limited sprawl, allowing the county to maintain its status as one of California's leading agricultural areas and limiting air pollution in its narrow valleys. However, residents' unwillingness to embrace greater population density has led to a severe housing shortage, to the extent that in 2004, the county's new housing bureau chief resigned due to his inability to purchase a home in the county on his $80,000 salary. As is the case in many areas of California, the struggle to meet the demand for housing while preserving its rural character dominates the county's politics.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,719 km² (2,208 mi²). 4,779 km² (1,845 mi²) of it is land and 940 km² (363 mi²) of it (16.43%) is water. Anacapa Island of Channel Islands National Park and San Nicolas Island are located in the county.

Most of the population of Ventura County lives in the southern portion of the county. The major population centers are the Oxnard Plain and the Simi and Conejo Valleys.

North of Highway 126 the county is mountainous and mostly uninhabited, and contains some of the most pristine, rugged and inaccessible wilderness remaining in southern California. Most of this land is in the Los Padres National Forest, and includes the Chumash Wilderness in the northernmost portion, adjacent to Kern County.

The highest peaks in the county include Mount Pinos (8831', 2697 m), Frazier Mountain (8017', 2444 m), and Reyes Peak (7525', 2294 m), all in the Transverse Ranges (Pinos and Frazier Mountain are sometimes assigned to the Tehachapis). The uplands are well-timbered with coniferous forests, and receive plentiful snow in the winter.

Mount Pinos is sacred to the Chumash Indians. It is known to them as Iwihinmu, and was considered to be the center of the universe; being the highest peak in the vicinity, it has a spectacular view, unimpeded in three directions.

The Santa Clara River is the principal waterway. Lake Casitas, an artificial reservoir, is the largest body of water.

Adjacent Counties

Politics

**Presidential elections results**
Year	GOP	Dems
2004	51.2% ''160,314	47.5% ''148,859
2000	48.2% ''136,173	47.1% ''133,258
1996	43.5% ''109,202	44.1% ''110,772
1992	35.5% ''94,911	37.0% ''99,011
1988	61.6% ''147,604	37.2% ''89,065
1984	68.7% ''151,383	30.2% ''66,550
1980	60.3% ''114,930	29.5% ''56,311
1976	53.2% ''82,670	44.1% ''68,529
1972	63.2% ''95,310	32.7% ''49,307
1968	51.4% ''59,705	41.1% ''47,794
1964	41.0% ''40,264	58.8% ''57,805
1960	49.6% ''35,074	50.0% ''35,334

The supervisors are Steve Bennett, Linda Parks (Chair), Kathy Long, Judy Mikels, and John Flynn. The Sheriff is Bob Brooks.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 753,197 people, 243,234 households, and 182,911 families residing in the county. The population density was 158/km² (408/mi²). There were 251,712 housing units at an average density of 53/km² (136/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 69.93% White, 5.35% Asian, 1.95% Black or African American, 0.94% Native American, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 17.68% from other races, and 3.93% from two or more races. Over a third (33.42%) of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 243,234 households out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 18.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.40% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $59,666, and the median income for a family was $65,285. Males had a median income of $45,310 versus $32,216 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,600. About 6.40% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

Towns and other communities

External links

Official website
News from Ventura County, from the Ventura County Star website
News from Ventura County, from the Los Angeles Times website
The Ventura County Reporter, a weekly newspaper

California counties | Ventura County, California

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