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LOCATED ABOUT 65 MILES northwest of downtown Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara, Ventura County is located on California's Pacific coast, and forms the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles area. Often referred to as the Gold Coast, it has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country. It is ranked as one of the 100 highest income counties in the country and as the sixth wealthiest county in California by per capita income.As of December 2008, the median home price was $355,000. This is partly because Ventura County is part of the Tech Coast Area and has a large presence in technology corporations, like telecommunications, healthcare, especially bio tech corporations, most of which are located in the Conejo Valley.
As of the official 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 Oxnard, with a population of about 200,000. Visit http://www.countyofventura.org for all your Ventura County information needs.

HISTORY
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in California, the Chumash tribe of Native Americans called this area home. Active occupation of California by Spain began in 1769. The Mission San Buenaventura was founded in 1782, by Father Junípero Serra, 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 was named San Buenaventura, which came to be known as Ventura.

In the 1790s, the Spanish Governor of California began granting land concessions to Spanish Californians—a cheap way to reward retiring soldiers. These concessions (or "ranchos") consisted of thousands of acres of land that were used primarily as ranch land for livestock. In Ventura County, Rancho Simi was granted in 1795, and Rancho El Conejo in 1802.
v The Mexican-AmericanWar began in 1846 but its effect was not felt in Ventura County until 1847. Captain John C. Fremont led the California Battalion into San Buenaventura and found that all the Europeans had Wed leaving only the Indians in the Mission. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo formally transferred California to the United States in 1848.

By 1849, a constitution had been adopted for the California territory. The new Legislature met and divided the pending state into 27 counties. The area that would become Ventura County was originally included as the southern part of Santa Barbara County.

Large sections of ranchos were bought by eastern capitalists who were dazzled by favorable reports of petroleum deposits. On April 1, 1866, the town of San Buenaventura was incorporated, becoming the first officially recognized town in Ventura County.

Ventura County was officially split from Santa Barbara County in 1873, bringing a Wurry of change. Other towns were started in the county.A plan for Port Hueneme was recorded in 1874 and Santa Paula's plan was recorded in 1875. The community of Nordhoff (later renamed Ojai) was begun in 1874. Piru, Fillmore and Montalvo were established in 1887. 1892 saw Simi (later Simi Valley), Somis, Saticoy and Moorpark become towns. Oxnard was a late-comer, not being established until 1898.

The Southern Pacific Railroad laid tracks through San Buenaventura in 1887. For convenience in printing their timetables, Southern Pacific shortened San Buenaventura toVentura. The Post Office soon followed suit.While the city remains officially known as San Buenaventura, it is simply referred to as Ventura.

Oil existed in Ventura County as far back as the Chumash people, who used tar to make their baskets and canoes waterproof. In 1913, oil exploration began in earnest, with Ralph Lloyd obtaining the Financial support of veteran oil man Joseph B. Dabney. Their first well, named "Lloyd No. 1," was started on Jan. 20, 1914 and subsequent deals were struck with the Shell Oil Company, General Petroleum and Associated Oil Company. At its peak, the Ventura Avenue oilfield was producing 90,000 barrels of oil a day, with annual production of over a million and a half barrels. Oil pumps continue to produce in the area, as they have for decades.
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