Camarillo, CA
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Camarillo ( ) is a city in
Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, Ca ...
, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 70,741, an increase of 5,540 from the 65,201 counted in the 2010 Census. Camarillo is named for brothers
Juan ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philip ...
and
Adolfo Camarillo Don Adolfo Camarillo (29 October 1864 – 10 December 1958) was a prominent Californio philanthropist, ranchero, and horse breeder, known for founding the city of Camarillo, California, along with his brother Juan Camarillo Jr.Californios Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...
who owned
Rancho Calleguas Rancho Calleguas was a Mexican land grant in present-day Ventura County, California given in 1837 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Pedro Ruiz. The grant was south of Rancho Las Posas, east of Rancho El Rio de Santa Clara o la Colonia, north ...
and founded the city.
California State University, Channel Islands California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI, CSU Channel Islands) is a public university in Ventura County, California. Located near the city of Camarillo, it opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the California State University system ...
, is housed on the former grounds of the
Camarillo State Hospital Camarillo State Mental Hospital, also known as Camarillo State Hospital, was a public psychiatric hospital for patients with both developmental disabilities and mental illness in Camarillo, California. The hospital was in operation from 1936 to ...
.


History

At the time of European contact in the 18th century, Camarillo had been inhabited by the
Chumash Indians The Chumash are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what is now Kern County, California, Kern, San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis O ...
for thousands of years. Present day Camarillo and the larger
Oxnard Plain The Oxnard Plain is a large coastal plain in southwest Ventura County, California, United States surrounded by the mountains of the Transverse Ranges. The cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme and much of Ventura as well as the unincorpo ...
were portions of a paramount Chumash capital at the village of Muwu (today's
Point Mugu Point Mugu (, Chumash: ''Muwu'') is a cape or promontory within Point Mugu State Park on the Pacific Coast in Ventura County, near the city of Port Hueneme and the city of Oxnard. The name is believed to be derived from the Chumash India ...
). Simo'mo (CA-VEN-24), which translates to "the saltbush patch", was a Chumash village located upstream from
Mugu Lagoon Mugu Lagoon (; Chumash: ''Muwu'', meaning "Beach") is a salt marsh located within the Naval Base Ventura County at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains in Ventura County, California. The lagoon extends for 4.3 miles parallel to a narrow barrier ...
near the city of Camarillo. Caves with ancient pictographs are located in the area around
Conejo Grade The Conejo Grade is a 7% grade incline on a section of US 101 (the Ventura Freeway). Also known as the Camarillo Grade, it links Thousand Oaks and cities of the Conejo Valley, with Camarillo and the cities on the Oxnard Plain. With a summit ...
including a site used for religious ceremonies dating back to 500 A.D., where two Chumash villages were located: Lalimanux (Lalimanuc or Lalimanuh) and Kayɨwɨš or Kayiwish (Kawyis) (CA-VEN-243). The village of Kayɨwɨš (
Chumash Chumash may refer to: *Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism *Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California *Chumashan languages, Indigenous languages of California See also

* Pentateuch (dis ...
: "The Head") was first encountered by Europeans of the first
Portola expedition Portola may refer to: * Portola (album), ''Portola'' (album), a 1998 album by Rose Melberg * Portola, California * Portola, San Francisco, California * Portola Music Festival People with the surname * Gaspar de Portolá (ca. 1717-aft.1784), Spanish ...
on August 16, 1795.


19th century

By the early 1820s, Mexico had gained independence from Spain, and shortly afterward California allied itself with Mexico. The Mexican land grant system was liberalized in 1824, resulting in many large grants in California and the proliferation of Ranchos north of the border. One grant to José Pedro Ruiz created
Rancho Calleguas Rancho Calleguas was a Mexican land grant in present-day Ventura County, California given in 1837 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Pedro Ruiz. The grant was south of Rancho Las Posas, east of Rancho El Rio de Santa Clara o la Colonia, north ...
in 1837, in the area that is now Camarillo. The grant was later sold to Juan Camarillo, who had arrived in 1834 as a member of the Híjar-Padrés colony; his sons, Adolfo and Juan, began developing a ranch on the Pleasant Valley area of the vast fertile Oxnard Plain.


Early 20th century

Around 1910, the area for the original town site of Camarillo was beginning to be laid out. The town was centered around St. Mary Magdalen Church, which was to serve as the family chapel for Adolfo Camarillo. In 1927 Don Juan Camarillo, brother of Adolfo, donated to be used as a seminary to be named in honor of
Saint John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on h ...
. The Roman Catholic seminary was opened in 1939 as St. John's Seminary. Camarillo's growth was slow from founding through World War II. In the late 1940s, building lots on Ventura Boulevard, the main downtown street, were being offered for $450 and home lots on the adjoining streets were $250, with few buyers. Travel to and from Los Angeles was difficult, owing to the narrow, tortuous road climbing the Conejo Grade to the east of the city. The main industry during this period was agriculture, and the area surrounding the small town was blanketed with orange, lemon and walnut groves. The State Mental hospital, that was built south of the town, was the largest employer. A few houses had sprung up to the north and south of town center. The Oxnard Army Air Field, built during World War II to the west of town, the Naval Air Facility at
Point Mugu Point Mugu (, Chumash: ''Muwu'') is a cape or promontory within Point Mugu State Park on the Pacific Coast in Ventura County, near the city of Port Hueneme and the city of Oxnard. The name is believed to be derived from the Chumash India ...
and the Seabee base at
Port Hueneme Port Hueneme ( ; Chumash: ''Wene Me'') is a small beach city in Ventura County, California, surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Santa Barbara Channel. Both the Port of Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County lie within the city limits. Port ...
brought many military personnel to the area, but there was little private industry or other source of non-agricultural employment. Oxnard AAF closed at the end of World War II, but the Navy facilities remained open, with the airfield upgraded to
Naval Air Station Point Mugu Naval Air Station Point Mugu was a United States naval air station near Oxnard, California, which operated as an independent base from 1941 to 2000, when it merged with nearby Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme to form Naval Base ...
and the Seabee base becoming Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme and Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme. With the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and associated
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
tensions, the former Oxnard AAF was reactivated in 1951 as
Oxnard Air Force Base Oxnard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, in the city of Camarillo, California. History Camarillo Airport was established in 1942, when the California State Highway Department built an auxiliary landing field with a runw ...
, an
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
/
Aerospace Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was establishe ...
fighter-interceptor base, that closed again in 1970 and became the present-day Camarillo Airport. In the mid-1950s, the
Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California, United States, that runs from the Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara/Ventura county line to Pasadena in Los Angeles County. It is the principal east–west route (designate ...
was completed from Los Angeles to points north, making it an easy one-hour trip to Camarillo. The Old Town was bisect by the Ventura Freeway. On the southern side of the freeway contains a strip of businesses, churches, schools, and parks. The freeway was originally planned to follow the path of Potrero Road, south of Camarillo, which would have completely by-passed the soon-to-be city. However, after much debate, city officials persuaded
Caltrans The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...
to lay the freeway parallel to Ventura Boulevard, creating the infamously steep descent from the
Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...
, known as the
Conejo Grade The Conejo Grade is a 7% grade incline on a section of US 101 (the Ventura Freeway). Also known as the Camarillo Grade, it links Thousand Oaks and cities of the Conejo Valley, with Camarillo and the cities on the Oxnard Plain. With a summit ...
. The grade is about and posted as a 7% grade—which translates as about one thousand feet of elevation change in less than three miles (70 meters per kilometer). There is a
California Highway Patrol The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is the principal state police agency for the U.S. state of California. The CHP has primary jurisdiction, including patrol and Criminal investigation, investigations, over all California Controlled-access highw ...
brake inspection station at the top of the grade and a stop is mandatory for all 18-wheel trucks. The completion of the freeway facilitated the growth that followed. In 1962, the population was 7,500 and 3M began construction for the Mincom and Magnetic Tape Divisions, which would ultimately employ 900 people, becoming the largest local employer. That plant briefly housed a factory for 3M spinoff
Imation GlassBridge Enterprises, Inc., formerly Imation Corporation, is an American holding company. Through its subsidiary, Glassbridge focuses primarily on investment and asset management. The company was founded in 1996 under its original name o ...
before being closed in 2008.


Incorporation

Plans were made for the incorporation of the city to control the rapid expansion. Camarillo became a city in 1964 and soon put into place a General Plan and building codes. In 1964 the closest traffic signal was from the city center on the road to Point Mugu, and the first shopping center and supermarket were under construction. Many of the home buyers during the 1960s were military veterans, who had been stationed at one of the local bases. The temperate climate and the living conditions lured them back. With the establishment of both the Pacific Missile Range at NAS Point Mugu and the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory at Port Hueneme many found employment that utilized their military training. Other newcomers were those who worked and lived in the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
and were willing to endure the commute for the opportunity to raise their families in a smog-free, semirural environment. Still others relocated here with their employers, like 3M, and Harbor Freight Tools who built facilities in and around the city to take advantage of the large workforce.
Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...
Video Services Inc. was the largest DVD duplicator in the world. In 2014, the council voted against an that would have extended development on agricultural lands east towards the
Conejo Grade The Conejo Grade is a 7% grade incline on a section of US 101 (the Ventura Freeway). Also known as the Camarillo Grade, it links Thousand Oaks and cities of the Conejo Valley, with Camarillo and the cities on the Oxnard Plain. With a summit ...
. ;Camarillo Springs Fire Beginning 7:02 am. on Thursday, May 2, 2013, a major brush fire began in the Camarillo Springs area and burned throughout the area. The community of Dos Vientos and CSUCI were evacuated due to the proximity of the fire. About 15 houses were damaged, but none burned down. 28,000 acres of land was burned by the fire. Finally, on Sunday, May 5, 2013, rain in the area during the night helped firefighters bring the fire under full control.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of . of the area (0.08%) is water. Camarillo is located in Pleasant Valley at the eastern end of the
Oxnard Plain The Oxnard Plain is a large coastal plain in southwest Ventura County, California, United States surrounded by the mountains of the Transverse Ranges. The cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme and much of Ventura as well as the unincorpo ...
, with the
Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in Southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west, separating the San Fernando and Simi valleys on its south from the Santa ...
to the north, the Camarillo Hills to the northwest, the
Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Valle del Conejo'', meaning "Valley of the Rabbit") is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County, California, Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles C ...
to the east, and the western reaches of the
Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...
to the south.


Climate

This region experiences warm (sometimes hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Camarillo has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.


Demographics


2020 census

The 2020 United States census reported that Camarillo had a population of 70,741. The population density was . The racial makeup of Camarillo was 59.6%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 2.3%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.9% Native American, 11.3% Asian, 0.3%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 10.0% from other races, and 15.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...
of any race were 27.4% of the population. The census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized. There were 26,727 households, out of which 29.7% included children under the age of 18, 53.1% were married-couple households, 5.5% were
cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 26.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 24.5% of households were one person, and 14.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63. There were 18,476
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(69.1% of all households). The age distribution was 20.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% aged 18 to 24, 24.1% aged 25 to 44, 25.9% aged 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 42.8years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. There were 27,828 housing units at an average density of , of which 26,727 (96.0%) were occupied. Of these, 65.8% were owner-occupied, and 34.2% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $109,390, and the
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $56,144. About 5.8% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line.


2010 census

The 2010 United States Census reported that Camarillo had a population of 65,201. The population density was . The racial makeup of Camarillo was 48,947 (75.1%)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1,216 (1.9%)
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 397 (0.6%) Native American, 6,633 (10.2%) Asian, 116 (0.2%)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 4,774 (7.3%) from other races, and 3,118 (4.8%) from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 14,958 persons (22.9%). The Census reported that 64,705 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 155 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 341 (0.5%) were institutionalized. There were 24,504 households, out of which 8,103 (33.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13,565 (55.4%) were traditional married couples living together, 2,386 (9.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,078 (4.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,257 (5.1%) non-traditional couples or partnerships. 5,986 households (24.4%) were made up of individuals, and 3,231 (13.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64. There were 17,029
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(69.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.14. The population was spread out, with 15,115 people (23.2%) under the age of 18, 5,164 people (7.9%) aged 18 to 24, 15,895 people (24.4%) aged 25 to 44, 17,825 people (27.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,202 people (17.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. There were 25,702 housing units at an average density of , of which 17,059 (69.6%) were owner-occupied, and 7,445 (30.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 45,522 people (69.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,183 people (29.4%) lived in rental housing units.


Economy

Semtech Semtech Corporation is an American supplier of analog signal, analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms for consumer, enterprise computing, communications and industrial end-markets. It is based in Camarillo, California, Cam ...
,
Salem Communications Salem Media Group, Inc. (formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Irving, Texas, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and wha ...
, and
Surfware Surfware, Inc. is a Camarillo, CA-based company involved in the development of CAD/CAM software. Company history In 1950, Victor Diehl opened a mold shop in Southern California for machine tooling medical products. Throughout the 1950s, Victor ...
are based in Camarillo.


Top civilian employers

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the ten largest employers are:


Education

The primary public high schools serving Camarillo are
Adolfo Camarillo High School Adolfo Camarillo High School (ACHS) is a State school, public high school in Camarillo, California established 1956. The school is part of the Oxnard Union High School District and serves students in grades 9–12 in east Camarillo, Somis, Califo ...
in Mission Oaks,
Rio Mesa High School Rio Mesa High School (RMHS) is a high school in Ventura County, California. Located northeast of Oxnard, the school is surrounded by strawberry fields and other crops growing on the Oxnard Plain. The school is part of the Oxnard Union High School ...
in Strickland between Oxnard and Camarillo, and
Rancho Campana High School Rancho Campana High School is an 800 student comprehensive academy high school for grades 9-12 that was built in 2015. The high school is located in Camarillo, California, and is part of the Oxnard Union High School District. The provides public ...
near the intersection of Lewis Road and Las Posas Road. All three high schools are part of the
Oxnard Union High School District The Oxnard Union High School District (OUHSD) is a union high school district in Ventura County, California. The district serves students in grades 9–12 on the Oxnard Plain, including the cities of Oxnard, California, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ca ...
.


California State University, Channel Islands

Camarillo State Mental Hospital was established near the city in the 1930s so that persons suffering from mental illnesses or
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
could recover in Ventura County's balmy climate. Jazzman
Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...
's " Relaxin' at Camarillo," written while he was detoxing from heroin addiction, is a tribute to the facility. The song "Camarillo" by punk outfit
Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...
is also written about the facility. The band
Ambrosia In the ancient Greek mythology, Greek myths, ambrosia (, ) is the food or drink of the Greek gods, and is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Mount Olympus, Olympus by do ...
released a song called "Ready for Camarillo" on their 1978 ''Life Beyond L.A.'' album. "Ready for Camarillo" also appeared as the single B side of their hit "How Much I Feel." The former hospital is the now the site of
California State University, Channel Islands California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI, CSU Channel Islands) is a public university in Ventura County, California. Located near the city of Camarillo, it opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the California State University system ...
. The university has retained the distinctive Mission Revival-style bell tower in the South quad. The Camarillo State Hospital was closed in the 1990s and remained vacant until the site was converted into California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI). CSUCI officially opened in August 2002 and is now accredited by the WASC.


Parks and recreation

The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District operates recreational facilities in Camarillo.


Parks

* Adolfo Park * Arneill Ranch Park * Birchview Park * Bob Kildee Community Park *
Calleguas Creek Calleguas Creek (; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Kayïwïsh'', meaning "the head") is the terminus of a river system in Ventura County, California. It drains the Calleguas Creek Watershed, an area 30 miles long and 14 miles wide (343 square mile ...
* Camarillo Grove Park * Carmenita Park * Charter Oak Park * Community Center Park * Dos Caminos Park * Encanto Park * Foothill Park * Freedom Park * Heritage Park * Laurelwood Park * Eldred Lokker Memorial Park * Mission Oaks Park * Nancy Bush Park * Pitts Ranch Park * Pleasant Valley Fields * Quito Park * Springville Park * Trailside Park * Valle Lindo Park * Woodcreek Park * Woodside Park


Facilities

* Aquatic Center * Auditorium * Classrooms * Community Center * Dirt BMX Track * Equestrian Center * Freedom Center * Freedom Gym * Roller Hockey Rink * R/C Track * Senior Center * Skatepark


Camarillo Christmas Parade

The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District has hosted the Camarillo Christmas Parade since 1962. The Christmas Parade usually occurs during the first or second weekend in December. Hundreds of organizations and thousands of people participate in the parade. Community Members come from all over to watch the parade. Notable Grand Marshals have included
Jessica Mendoza Jessica Ofelia Mendoza (born November 11, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former softball player. Currently, she serves as an analyst for ESPN's coverage of Major League Baseball and Los Angeles Dodgers coverage on Spectrum SportsNet LA. ...
, Lisa Guerrero, Jack Wilson,
Fernando Vargas Fernando Javier Vargas (born December 7, 1977) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2007. He was a two-time light middleweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 1998 to 2000, and the WBA title from 2 ...
, and
Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...
.


Government

At the city's incorporation in 1964, a council-manager form of government was created. The five member city council is elected at large for four-year terms. The council is responsible for establishing policy, enacting laws and making legal and financial decisions for the city. A city manager, hired by the council and answerable to it, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the city. That person is charged with overall management of the five city departments. Services such as water, sewer, trash collection, street maintenance and traffic engineering are provided by a combination of contractors and city employees. Police services are provided by the Ventura County Sheriff's Department under contract to the city, headquartered in a police station owned by the city. The contract providing police services has been in place since the incorporation of Camarillo in 1964. The Sheriff's department helicopter fleet is hangared at Camarillo Airport. Ventura County Fire Department provides fire protection, with five stations within the city limits. In 2000, Camarillo was a stronghold for the Republican Party, and had nearly twice as many Republican voters as Democratic voters. By 2020, voter registration for both parties was close to even. ;Library On October 13, 2010, the Camarillo City Council voted 5–0 to withdraw from the Ventura County Library System, and enter into a public-private contract with Library Systems & Services (LSSI) of Germantown, Maryland, a private company that administers several libraries throughout the United States, to provide locally hired staffing and to manage the day-to-day operations of the City of Camarillo Public Library. Under the partnership agreement, the library will remain in the public trust, managed by the City of Camarillo and operated by LSSI. On January 1, 2011, the City of Camarillo Public Library opened as a municipal public library.


Infrastructure


Transportation

VCTC Intercity VCTC Intercity (formerly known as Ventura Intercity Service Transit Authority or VISTA) is a public transit agency providing bus service in Ventura County, California, Ventura County, California. It provides an intercity bus service between the c ...
operates buses between Camarillo and several nearby cities, including the Conejo Express to the
Warner Center Warner Center is a master-planned neighborhood and business district development in the Canoga Park and Woodland Hills neighborhoods of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California.Station 84(Woodland Hills) an(Canoga Park) serve Warn ...
area of Los Angeles. The City of Camarillo operates a trolley within central Camarillo, which runs from 10:00 to 6:00 Sunday through Thursday and later into the evening on Friday and Saturday nights. CAT operates one scheduled bus line Monday through Friday within Camarillo, and Dial-A-Ride services for the disabled Monday through Saturday. Camarillo Airport is a public airport located west of the central business district of Camarillo. The airport has one
runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
and serves privately operated
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
and
executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...
aircraft, with no scheduled commercial service. Camarillo station is served by both Amtrak's ''
Pacific Surfliner The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is Amtrak's third-busiest service (exceeded in ridership only ...
'' from
San Luis Obispo ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
to San Diego and Metrolink's
Ventura County Line The Metrolink Ventura County Line is a commuter rail line serving Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles, in the Southern California system. The line is the successor of the short lived C ...
from
Los Angeles Union Station Los Angeles Union Station is the main railroad station in Los Angeles, California, and the largest passenger rail terminal in the Western United States. It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, replacing La Grande Sta ...
to Montalvo. Ten ''Pacific Surfliner'' trains serve the station daily and six Metrolink trains serve the station each weekday and four each weekend day, with the majority of this limited Metrolink service at peak hours in the peak direction of travel (i.e., two morning departures to Los Angeles and two evening arrivals from Los Angeles).


Water

The city of Camarillo water system serves about two-thirds of its residents. It imports about 60 percent of its water from the state water project through the Calleguas Municipal Water District and 40 percent is pumped from three wells. The North Pleasant Valley Desalter Project has been under consideration since 2008. The brackish well water from the
Calleguas Creek Calleguas Creek (; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Kayïwïsh'', meaning "the head") is the terminus of a river system in Ventura County, California. It drains the Calleguas Creek Watershed, an area 30 miles long and 14 miles wide (343 square mile ...
watershed will be treated by the $66.3 million project. The project began construction in September 2019. The city held a ribbon cutting ceremony in November 2021 as the plant began to operate. After extensive testing and adjustments, the plant started producing water for the city in January 2023. The Camrosa Water District serves nearly 30,000 people in Camarillo and the
Santa Rosa Valley The Santa Rosa Valley is a small valley and rural unincorporated community in Ventura County, Southern California. The valley is about long (east to west) and wide (north to south). Although not within its city limits, the community is somet ...
along with agricultural customers. The district, which covers is headquartered in Camarillo. Camrosa completed the Round Mountain Water Treatment Plant, a desalting facility, in 2015. It cleans up brackish groundwater and produces of drinking water a year. The facility was the first paying customer for the Calleguas Regional Salinity Management Project. (subscription may be required for this article)


Wastewater

A city facility processes and treats 75% of the wastewater. Camrosa Water District processes the rest.


Notable people

*
August Ames Mercedes Grabowski (August 23, 1994 – December 5, 2017), known professionally as August Ames, was a Canadian pornographic actress. She appeared in more than 100 films, including a non-pornographic film in 2016, and was nominated for several AV ...
, adult film actress * Bryan Anger, NFL punter * Bill Austin, football player of the 1950s *
Bob and Mike Bryan The Bryan brothers, identical twin brothers Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, are American former professional doubles tennis players. The most successful men's doubles team of all time, they won more professional matches, tournaments and majors than a ...
, brothers and professional tennis players, 16 major championships, Olympic gold medalists *
Zach Charbonnet Zachariah Charbonnet ( ; born January 8, 2001) is an American professional football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and UCLA Bruins. He was a two ...
, football player for Seattle Seahawks. * Brandon Cruz, actor and musician *
Kaley Cuoco Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. She starred as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom '' 8 Simple Rules'' (2002–2005), Penny on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019), and as the title ch ...
, actress, star of television's ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for CBS. It aired from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes. The show originally centered on five charact ...
'' * Jeremy Fischer, high jumper and coach *
Scott Fujita Scott Anthony Fujita (; born April 28, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears. He was select ...
, linebacker for
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
*
Nat Gertler Nat Gertler (born April 30, 1965) is an American writer known for his comic books and his books about comics, including six on Charles Schulz's ''Peanuts''. Gertler is the publisher of About Comics and founded an annual cartoonists' challenge, 2 ...
, writer, comics creator (
About Comics About Comics is a publisher of comics and comics-related material founded in 1998 by Nat Gertler. According to Gertler, it is intended to be " eithera mainstream comics publisher, nor an alternative comics publisher". The company has published ...
) *
Ashley Johnson Ashley Suzanne Johnson (born 1983) is an American actress. She became known as a child actor for her role as Chrissy Seaver on the sitcom ''Growing Pains'' (1990–1992). As an adult, her television roles include Amber Ahmed on '' The Killing' ...
, actress *
Bobby Kimball Robert Troy Kimball (born March 29, 1947) is an American retired singer best known as longtime frontman of the rock band Toto from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1998 to 2008. He has also performed as a solo artist and session singer. History ...
, wide receiver for
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
1979–80 *
Charlie Kimball Charles Newton Kimball (born February 20, 1985) is an American former race car driver who most recently competed in the IndyCar Series with A. J. Foyt Enterprises. He has scored a win, six podiums, and 13 top 5s during his IndyCar career. His be ...
,
Indycar IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis ...
driver *
Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cin ...
, Academy Award-nominated film director * John D. Lowry, film restoration specialist *
Jessica Mendoza Jessica Ofelia Mendoza (born November 11, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former softball player. Currently, she serves as an analyst for ESPN's coverage of Major League Baseball and Los Angeles Dodgers coverage on Spectrum SportsNet LA. ...
, USA softball player and ESPN baseball broadcaster * Mad Mike, musician * Peggy Moran, actress in films from 1938 to 1943 *
Cyrus Nowrasteh Cyrus Nowrasteh (Persian language, Persian: سیروس/کوروش نورسته; ; born September 19, 1956) is an American filmmaker. He has worked on numerous television series and Television movie, made-for-TV movies including ''The Day Reagan W ...
, screenwriter, producer and director *
Mike Parrott Michael Everett Arch Parrott (born December 6, 1954), nicknamed "Bird," is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Parrott graduated from Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, California in 1973. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in th ...
, MLB pitcher for
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
and
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
1977–81 *
Duncan Renaldo Renault Renaldo Duncan (April 23, 1904 – September 3, 1980), better known as Duncan Renaldo, was a Romanian-born American actor best remembered for his portrayal of The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950–1956 American TV series ''The Cisco Ki ...
, Western actor best remembered for playing
The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Maga ...
. *
Marla Runyan Marla Lee Runyan (married name Lonergan; born January 4, 1969) is an American track and field athlete, road runner and marathon runner who is legally blind. She is a three-time national champion in the women's 5000 metres. She is also an athlet ...
,
Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...
gold medalist, one of only five athletes to participate in both Paralympics and
Olympics The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...
*
Robert A. Rushworth Robert Aitken "Bob" Rushworth (October 9, 1924 – March 18, 1993) was a United States Air Force major general, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War pilot, mechanical and aeronautical engineer, test pilot and astronaut. He was one of twelve ...
, USAF astronaut * Jimmie Sherfy, Major League Baseball pitcher *
Emil Sitka Emil Sitka (December 22, 1914January 16, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in hundreds of movies, short films, and television shows, and who is best known for his numerous appearances with The Three Stooges. He was the unofficial "last S ...
, actor of many films and television shows, most notably
The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...
film shorts * Jordan Sweeney, musician * Jeff Tackett, Major League Baseball catcher 1991–94 *
Jason Wade Jason Michael Wade (born July 5, 1980) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Lifehouse. Career Lifehouse At the age of 15, Wade co-founded Lifehouse (originally called Blyss) wi ...
, guitarist and vocalist of rock band Lifehouse *
Trevor Wallace Trevor Auburn Wallace (born December 30, 1992) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and social media influencer from Camarillo, California. Wallace is a regular on the YouTube channel All Def Digital and has been featured on BuzzFeed, UNILA ...
, comedian, actor, podcaster *
Patrick Warburton Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. His live action TV roles include David Puddy on ''Seinfeld'', the Tick (character), title character on ''The Tick (2001 TV series), The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less than Perfect'' ...
, actor, known for TV series ''
Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...
'' *
Delmon Young Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Philade ...
, Major League Baseball outfielder 2006–15 *
JoJo Romero Joseph Abel "Jojo" Romero (born September 9, 1996), is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2020 to 2022. He has played for the Mexico ...
Major League Baseball pitcher for the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...


See also

*
Adolfo Camarillo Don Adolfo Camarillo (29 October 1864 – 10 December 1958) was a prominent Californio philanthropist, ranchero, and horse breeder, known for founding the city of Camarillo, California, along with his brother Juan Camarillo Jr.Camarillo Ranch House Camarillo Ranch House, also known as Rancho Calleguas and Adolfo Camarillo House, is a Queen Anne-style Victorian house in Camarillo, California. Built in 1892, the house was designed by architects Herman Anlauf and Franklin Ward. Adolfo Cama ...
*
Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (WFVZ) is a non-profit charitable organization based in Camarillo, California, focused on research and education on bird conservation. It hosts a natural history collection of over 200,000 sets of bird ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Ventura County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California 1898 establishments in California Populated places established in 1898