Ventura County is a region of the Central Coast of California, though is sometimes considered part of Southern California. It is bordered by Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley on the north, Santa Barbara County to the west, Los Angeles and Southern California to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
When it comes to places in California that feel like one big outdoor playground, Ventura County, on the south end of the Central Coast, stands out as a sun- and wave-splashed surprise. The oceanfront region doesn’t get the same attention as Santa Barbara County to the north or Los Angeles County to the south, but that might only add to its charm.
Ventura County has a beautiful, temperate climate and its landmass rises from sea level to 8,831 feet at Mt. Pinos in the Los Padres National Forest. At certain times of the year, it is possible to stand on the beach and see snow in the mountains.
The county’s coastline stretches a stunning 42 miles and the peaks of the Los Padres National Forest account for 46 percent of the landmass in the northern portion of the county. Fertile valleys in the southern half of the county make Ventura County a leading agricultural producer. Together, farming and the Los Padres National Forest occupy half of the county’s 1.2 million acres.
The mild Mediterranean climate, along with scenic geography, makes the area attractive to the more than 900,000 culturally and ethnically diverse people who call Ventura County home. The unincorporated areas – along with the ten incorporated cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and San Buenaventura (Ventura) – rank Ventura as the 11th most populous county in the State.
Ventura County has a strong economic base that includes major industries such as biotechnology, health care, education, agriculture, advanced technologies, oil production, military testing and development, and tourism.
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