Get to know Ventura, CA

Officially named the City of San Buenaventura, Ventura is the county seat.  In 1782 Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Buenaventura, and a town grew around it.  Once California was admitted to the United States, many immigrants and easterners moved to the state for land.  However because Ventura was difficult to get to, it remained a quiet rural town for most of the 19th century.  Railroad magnate Thomas Scott did come to the area and entrusted Thomas Bard to handle his property.  Ventura was incorporated in 1866, but still remained isolated from the rest of California.  Bard is considered the Father of Ventura County and his descendants helped to grow the county.  In 1890 he helped to organize the Union Oil Company.  The Ventura Oil Field began being drilled in 1919 and grew in the 1920’s, bringing a real estate boom.  The city is the home of clothing manufacturer Patagonia.  The County of Ventura and the Ventura County Health Care Agency are the top employers.  Popular attractions include the annual Ventura County Fair, Olivas Adobe, and Surfer’s Point.

Quick Facts

Population: 108,899

Median Household Income: $66,995

Median Property Value: $434,900