 Ventura County is located just
northwest of Los Angeles County and is bordered by Kern County to the north, Santa Barbara
County to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The county covers 1,843 square
miles and has 43 miles of coastline.The northern portion of
the County is comprised mainly of the Los Padres National Forest; the majority of the
County's population is in its southern half. Ventura County is home to over 700,000 people
and contains ten incorporated cities, with the City of Ventura acting as the county seat.
An extensive network of freeways links the County's communities and,
along with railway and airport facilities, offers strategic access to outside markets.
The County's three airports, located in Oxnard, Santa Paula and
Camarillo, are vital to the economic growth of industry, business and recreation.
Strengthening the County's position as a major marketer is the Port
of Hueneme, the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The port has
recently been granted Port of Entry status for Foreign Trade Zone status.
Ventura County has three community colleges (Ventura, Oxnard and
Moorpark) and a new State University, Cal-State University at Channel Islands in
Camarillo. Additionally, located in Thousand Oaks is California Lutheran University, an
independent, four-year liberal arts and graduate institution working in partnership with
the business community.
Degree programs are also offered through the University of
California at Santa Barbara and California State University at Northridge satellite
locations.
The area's diverse landscapes and accessibility to Los Angeles'
entertainment industry make Ventura County a popular filming location. Theaters, galleries
and museums flourish throughout the County, and many exciting community events, programs
and festivals provide a wide range of entertainment.
Ventura County is also the gateway to Channel Islands National Park,
with charter boats making frequent trips to the islands. Boating, surfing, sport fishing
and scuba diving are popular, and there are miles of crowd-free beaches. Ventura County is
a recreational paradise of unparalleled stature. Choose to live along the fairways of Lake
Sherwood and North Ranch, the waterways of Oxnard or Ventura, at the beach, in the country
or along a city street.
Text courtesy Ventura County Economic Development
Association (VCEDA) |
