805.643.7222 | info@ventura-chamber.org| 2478 E. Main St., Ventura, CA 93003
https://venturachamber.com

Ventura – A Great Place to Live

Visit & Explore Ventura

The City of San Buenaventura was founded by Franciscan friars in 1782. The name, according to legend, was abbreviated to accommodate the dimensions of a sign at the local rail station. Nonetheless, Ventura is one of the oldest central coast communities founded with a mission.

From rolling hills to sweeping ocean views, reminiscent of a European seaside village and compared to Hawaii’s mainland; the City of Ventura is located 63 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara. Its warm Mediterranean climate and wonderful quality of life are a few of the reasons many call Ventura home. Ventura artfully melds thriving family owned businesses with high-tech enterprises in beautifully planned communities, making the region one of the fastest growing in Southern California.

Nestled between the Los Padres National Forest and the Pacific Ocean residents and visitors enjoy miles of sun drenched golden beaches, diverse parks and a spectacular small boat harbor. It has retained its coastal character with a backdrop of foothills and scenic vistas of the Pacific Ocean. Ventura features a warm Mediterranean climate and is a popular recreational paradise and tourist destination. Ventura has even been called Hawaii on the mainland.”

An environmentally sensitive community, Ventura offers residents and visitors surfing, sailing, golfing, skateboarding, biking, hiking, scenic, and historical tours and more. Ventura is a beautifully planned community.

The beaches are among the most spectacular in the world. Arthur Frommer, famed tourism guru, has rated Ventura beaches superior to many better known places in Northern California and Los Angeles.

Ventura offers year-round recreational and cultural opportunities. Beaches, guided tours, golfing, tennis, hiking, parasailing, scuba diving, jet skiing – the list of activities is unending. Bicycle enthusiasts are able to travel from Ventura to Ojai along the Ventura River Trail. This 914 mile trail provides walkers, runners, and cyclists with an easy connection to the Coast Bikeway.

Ventura has 31 parks including the recently completed Ventura Community Park.  This park provides a wide array of recreational amenities for Ventura residents and visitors. The park, designed to accommodate numerous sports, recreation and leisure activities, serves a wide variety of different interests and activity levels.  This includes a recreational pool, a competition pool, two waterslides, a bathhouse, multipurpose fields, and bike and pedestrian path.

The Ventura Chamber of Commerce supports cultural growth in the City of Ventura. Year-round recreation of live theatre, farmers’ markets, art walks, fairground events, music festivals, and street fairs bring locals and tourists alike into Ventura’s artistic realm.

While visiting Ventura you may wish to learn more about our fine restaurants, hotels, entertainment and other fun activities or need professional services. The Ventura Chamber of Commerce proudly offers its online Business Directory to help accommodate your necessities.

To get more specific information on tourism and a calendar of special events please visit the website for the Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau.

Neighborhoods

The Westside: Ventura’s oldest neighborhood, the Westside, is home to family-owned businesses that have served the community for years.

A new vision currently evolving for this neighborhood includes a revitalization plan that proposes new commercial and retail development, mixed-use housing projects, a live-work artist district, and new areas for industrial-use development. The Ventura Unified School District offices recently relocated to the Westside.

The Westside vision identifies open space opportunities, public facility recommendations, and improved transportation corridors, including, Highway 33, which connects the ocean in Ventura to the mountains in Ojai.

At the beginning of the 20th century (1903) along Ventura Avenue, the first commercial oil wells were drilled in the Ventura Avenue Fields. In 1949, the Ventura Avenue Fields produced 21.1 million barrels of crude oil, the fifth most productive fields in America. Currently, the fields are producing approximately five million barrels per year.

Historic Downtown: Ventura’s historic downtown is the city’s designated Cultural District. By carefully preserving its past while welcoming the future, downtown has grown into a delightful mix of coffeehouses, outdoor cafes, restaurants, performing arts groups, retail shops, spas, salons, health clubs, antique stores, art galleries, museums and historic buildings, including City Hall and the San Buenaventura Mission.

The City of Ventura hosts an annual artwalk in downtown. Art galleries are open for browsing and buying with many local artists in attendance.

Each August, Seaside Park hosts the annual Ventura County Fair, offering a blend of agricultural exhibits, live music, nightly fireworks, carnival booths, and rides.

Venturans also have a virtually unlimited choice of housing options downtown, from mixed-use properties to unique bungalows.

Ventura Harbor: Ventura Harbor is home to a spectacular small boat harbor, commercial fishing fleets, and wonderful shops. The harbor is also considered one of the best kayaking spots in Southern California.

The harbor is the primary departure point and home for Channel Islands National Park. The headquarters of the Channel Islands Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitors Center, a one-stop resource for information about the five northern Channel Islands, is also located at the Harbor. The visitors’ center features a museum, a living tide pool exhibit, a tower with telescopes, a bookstore, and a picnic area. Learning at the harbor will be significantly enhanced when the proposed educational aquarium is built.

The 249,353-acre Channel Islands National Park includes Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and Santa Barbara Islands. Diving, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, and camping are available on the islands. The park is home to more than 2,000 different kinds of plants and animals, many of them unique to the islands. Island Packers, a company based at Ventura Harbor, offer excursion trips to the islands and whale watching from December through March, when migrating Pacific gray whales pass through the Santa Barbara Channel.

Ventura Harbor has a significant impact on the city’s economy. Its total impact is approximately $246 million a year, including $109 million in commercial fishing revenue and 975 local jobs. It also has the only major vessel service and repair center between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Midtown: Midtown is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Ventura, home to spectacular ocean views, picturesque craftsman style homes, neighborhood restaurants, and major professional buildings.

Pacific View Mall, Community Memorial Hospital, financial institutions, jewelers, furniture stores, travel agencies, distinct restaurants, and shops are all found in Midtown. Ventura’s two major hospitals and several urgent care centers, family practices, specialty clinics, and assisted living communities all thrive in this neighborhood.

Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) is a non-profit, 240-bed community-owned regional hospital and health center fully licensed by the California Department of Health Services and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. CMH operates a 24-hour emergency room, a comprehensive cardiac care unit, and a same-day surgery center.

Ventura County Medical Center is a full-service, acute-care public hospital. Associated with the renowned UCLA School of Medicine, the VCMC provides general medical and surgical services, orthopedic care, and a network of specialty and community outpatient clinics. The hospital has a 24-hour heliport and serves as Ventura’s paramedic base station. Ventura also offers a variety of free and low-cost clinics with family planning, nutrition, immunization, and alcohol and drug prevention programs. There are also several convalescent hospitals.

Seaward Village-Pierpont Community-Ventura Keys; together, these neighborhoods make up a lovely seaside area in the middle of the City of Ventura. They offer a unique selection of restaurants, historic buildings, and housing options, including beachfront homes and homes with private boat slip access.

East End: The East End is an urban residential community with small shopsVentura Aquatic Center-CompetitionPool02 and larger stores, the Auto Center mall, and some of the city’s major office buildings.

Ventura College, one of three community colleges in Ventura County, is located on Telegraph Road, at the western border of the East End. The Ventura County Government Center, the seat of government for Ventura County as well as the county courthouse, is in the East End, at the center of Victoria Avenue and Telephone Road. Assisted living communities, banks, specialty shops, grocery stores, coffee shops, and the City’s 100-acre community park are all found on the East End.

Making the Move – Relocating to Ventura

While making your transition into Ventura you may need many professional services. The Ventura Chamber of Commerce proudly offers its business directory to help accommodate your necessities. You may search our online Business Directory to find moving and other professional services.

To learn more about Ventura we offer much more information on Business in Ventura, Visiting Ventura, and local Governmental Representatives within our website.

Important Facts

Ventura Facts:

  • Population: 107,186
  • Households: 41,385
  • Household Income: $72,393
  • Median Age: 39
  • Employed: 60%
  • Unemployed: 6.6%
  • Per Capita Income: $34,406
  • Median Housing Costs: $1,202 (Median Cash Rent)
  • Estimated Average Travel Time to Work: 22.73 minutes
  • Average Temperature: High: 70.3 degrees/Low: 49.1 degrees
  • Average Annual Rainfall: 14.67 inches
  • Elevation: 35 feet above sea level
  • Ventura Unified School District: (805) 641-5000
  • Ventura, Incorporated: 1866
  • Ventura’s Official Flower: Poinsettia
  • Ventura’s Nicknames: Palm City, Poinsettia City
  • Sales Tax: 7.75%

Employees by Major Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Division in Ventura:

  • Services: 20,899
  • Retail Trade: 10,400
  • Public Administration: 7,063
  • Manufacturing: 3,966
  • Construction: 2,831
  • Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate: 2,761
  • Wholesale Trade: 1,838
  • Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services: 1,372
  • Agriculture, Forestry, and Finishing: 914
  • Mining: 316

California Facts:

  • Bordering States: Oregon, Nevada, Arizona
  • Bordering Country: Mexico
  • Nickname: The Golden State
  • Flag: Bear
  • Major Interstates: North & South 5 & 15 / East & West 80, 40, 10
  • Colors: Blue and Gold
  • Motto: “Eureka” which means “I have found it”
  • Song: “I Love You California” by Francis Bernard Silverwood
  • Mineral: Gold
  • Rock: Serpentine
  • Gemstone: Benitoite “Blue Diamond”
  • Tree: California Redwood
  • Flower: Golden Poppy
  • Animal: Grizzly Bear
  • Fish: South Fork Golden Trout
  • Marine Mammal: California Gray Whale
  • Reptile: Desert Tortoise
  • Bird: California Valley Quail
  • Fossil: Saber-toothed Cat
  • Largest County (Area): San Bernardino
  • Largest County (Population): Los Angeles
  • Most Famous City: Hollywood
  • Most Famous Attraction: Disneyland