Camarillo
Camarillo is the fourth largest city in Ventura County, occupying over 9 square miles of land.Of its 61,500 people, 90% have obtained a high school diploma and almost 33%have attained a Bachelor’s degree or higher.Camarillo ranks third among the county's ten cities in median family income.Its residents are made up of varied ethnic and cultural groups and a blending of ages and interests, which keep the community lively and interesting.Camarillo’s residents are interested in maintaining and improving their quality of life, and to this end, the city has developed a General Plan that ensures the compatibility of various elements such as housing, community design, recreation and open space areas.The preservation of agricultural space for economic development and containment of urbanization have also been taken into account.
Nestled in among strawberry fields, avocado and citrus orchards, Camarillo residentsenjoy and value the beauty of their natural surroundings and are committed to maintaining their clean air environment.In fact Camarillo has an excellent record for smog free air and enjoys clear skies most of the year.Camarillo knows that people like to work in clean, healthful environments; hence, the city encourages non-polluting industries, and is successfully attracting industry leaders.The General Plan also provides for environmental reviews in the community development planning process.
Cultural, civic and social activities are abundant in and around Camarillo.The Camarillo Art Center offers classes, demonstrations and sponsors art shows.Camarillo has an up-to-date Performing Arts Pavilion in Constitution Park – an enjoyable outdoor venue where many kinds of music is performed:classical, country music, jazz, and military bands.The city sponsors summer street fairs and carnivals with live entertainment, crafts, antiques, games, and food vendors.Christmas in Camarillo is lots of fun!There is a Holiday Lighting event in Constitution Park and a delightful Christmas Parade for young and old to enjoy.
And don’t forget that Camarillo is less than an hour from Los Angeles, which abounds in cultural and musical events, the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, the Ventura County and Conejo Symphony Orchestras and Santa Barbara's Civic Light Opera.
Camarillo excels in recreational and outdoor activities.Just a fifteen-minute drive from the Pacific Ocean will afford you beautiful beaches for swimming, sunning, surfing and sailing.Miles of walking and jogging trails and biking paths make their way through beautiful neighborhoods, through wooded areas, and into the hills.There is easy access to Channel Islands National Park, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and Los Padres National Forest.
Camarillo also enjoys a favorable climate.The city is enveloped inhills, valleys, and citrus orchards, where mild ocean breezes cool the land, creating a benign and moderate climate.The city enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine annually. Rainfall occurs most frequently in January and February, with an average of 13 inches of precipitation each year.
LOCATION
Camarillo is situated on I-101 halfway between the Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley areas north of Los Angeles, and the towns of Oxnard and El Rio to the northwest.Cities nearest to Camarillo are Casa Conejo (6.6 miles), El Rio (8.7 miles), and Santa Paula (9.3 miles).Los Angeles has a population over 3,700,000, and is 46 miles south of Camarillo.
TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
The Camarillo Airport is conveniently located a mile and a half southwest of Camarillo's business district and within a ten-minute drive from the beach.Point Mugu Nas (Naval Base Ventura County) is located bout 10 miles from Camarillo in Point Mugu; Oxnard Airport is about 12 Miles away in Oxnard; and Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport is approximately 48 miles south in Burbank.
The Camarillo Area Transit system has a fixed-route bus service that operates on a regular schedule, and a door-to-door "Dial-a-Ride" service available to the general public for which reservations are required.
The Camarillo Health Care District provides door-to-door service for medically-related needs.Call "Care-a-Van" for details.
Local bus transportation is also available via Ventura County's VISTA bus service.
BRIEF HISTORY
The Chumash Indians were the first inhabitants of Ventura County.The name is derived from the Indian name Mi-tch-mac, which was originally used for the Native Americans living on Santa Rosa Island.In 1891 an explorer and geologist, John Wesley Powell, referred to them as the “Cheumash”, and in time this appellation came to be the term used for all Indians living along the coastal regions in an extended area around what came to be the Camarillo and Ventura areas.
The County itself was named for San Buenaventura Mission, the most prosperous and influential mission established by Father Junipero Serra along the coast of California.The San Buenaventura Mission was the last one he personally dedicated.After the earthquake of 1812-13, Mission lands were divided up and sold for secular development.
Ventura County was created in 1872 from the eastern portion of Santa Barbara County.The community that came to be known as Camarillo, was named after a rancher, Juan Camarillo.
What is well known about Camarillo and the whole region of Ventura County is that it is rich in agricultural and natural resources.The land has a rich soil blanket over the valley floors and this provides the resource for the agricultural endeavors all over the valley. The Santa Clara and Ventura Rivers add a good source of water to the rich valley areas.Camarillo has become known as the great citrus bearing region of the world, and earlier in this century Ventura was the source of prosperous and productive oil fields.
Camarillo has grown into a thriving community with a strong economic base, a forward-looking city government, and a well-educated population that supports its public education, and is creating a well-planned community that is balancing environmental concerns with structured urban development.Its residents enjoy a moderate climate, loads of outdoor activities, local cultural and musical events, and also take advantage of the intellectual, cultural, and educational opportunities found in the metropolitan areas around Los Angeles.
ABOUT EDUCATION
Pleasant Valley, Mesa Union and Somis Union School Districts oversee elementary through intermediate education, while Oxnard Union High School District has jurisdiction over the two local high schools.A continuation high school is operated by the county Superintendent of Schools.Seventeen private schools are also located in the greater Camarillo area.
With 14 schools for grades K-8 (including two intermediate schools), Pleasant Valley School District has the largest enrollment. PVSD also operates three alternative schools for those who desire a non-traditional or more structured educational environment for their children. Four of PVSD's schools have received state or national recognition for academic excellence.
Camarillo high school students' Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores have ranked consistently among the highest in Ventura County, and well above the state and national averages.
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