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Ventura (officially the City of San Buenaventura ; commonly called San Buenaventura
before 1891) is the county seat of Ventura County, California,
United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 100,916 at the 2000
census. The April 2010, California Department of Finance estimates the population
at 109,946. Ventura is accessible via U.S. Route 101, State Route 33, and
State Route 126.

Coordinates: 34°16?30?N 119°13?40?W
ZIP code 93001-93007, 93009
Area code 805
History
Father Junípero Serra founded Mission San Buenaventura in 1782, forming the
basis of what would become the city. The mission was named for St. Bonaventure,
a Thirteenth Century Franciscan saint and a Doctor of the Church. On July
6, 1841, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted Rancho San Miguel to Felipe
Lorenzana and Raymundo Olivas, whose Olivas Adobe on the banks of the Santa
Clara River was the most magnificent hacienda south of Monterey.
After the American Civil War, settlers came to the area, buying land from
the Mexicans, or simply as squatters. Vast holdings were later acquired by
Easterners, including the railroad magnate, Thomas Scott. He was impressed
by one of the young employees, Thomas R. Bard, who had been in charge of train
supplies to Union troops, and Bard was sent west to handle Scott's property.
Not easily accessible, Ventura was not a target of immigrants, and as such,
remained quiet and rural. For most of the century which followed the incorporation
of Ventura in 1866, it remained isolated from the rest of the state.
Bard is often regarded as the Father of Ventura and his descendants have been
prominently identified with the growth of Ventura County. The Union Oil Company
was organized with Bard as President in 1890, and has offices in Santa Paula.
The large Ventura Oil Field was first drilled in 1919 and at its peak produced
90,000 barrels per day . The city is located between the Ventura River and
the Santa Clara River, leading to soil so fertile that citrus grew better
here than anywhere else in the state. The citrus farmers formed Sunkist Growers,
Incorporated, the world's largest organization of citrus production.
From the south, travel by auto was slow and hazardous, until the completion
of a four-lane freeway (US Highway 101) over the Conejo Grade in 1959. This
route, now further widened and improved by 1969, is known as the Ventura Freeway,
which directly links Ventura with the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Another
route, US Highway 101 ALT (now the Pacific Coast Highway) traveled along the
coast from Santa Monica via Oxnard, but was not heavily used.
From the north, entrance was by way of a single road along the beach and stagecoach
passengers either had to wait until low tide when the horses could cross on
the exposed wet sand, or go up the Ventura River Valley and then cross over
the mountains to Santa Barbara via Casitas Pass, a long and difficult trip.
Inland, Ventura was hemmed in by (what is now) the Los Padres National Forest,
composed of mountainous country and deep canyons. This route became passable
with the completion of the Maricopa Highway (Hwy 33) in the 1930s.
Since then, Ventura has grown steadily. In 1920 there were 4,156 people. In
1930 the population had increased to 11,603, by 1950 the population reached
16,643, by 1970 the population was 57,964, and in 1980 the population had
increased to 73,774. In the last three decades it has increased to approximately
107,000.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,916 people, 38,524 households, and
25,233 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,790.6 inhabitants
per square mile . There were 39,803 housing units at an average density of
1,889.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 78.8% White, 1.4%
African American, 1.2% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander,
11.1% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino
of any race were 30.4% of the population.
There were 38,524 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age
of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 11.7%
had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families.
26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living
alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56
and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18,
7.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who
were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100
females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,297, and the median
income for a family was $60,466. Males had a median income of $43,828 versus
$31,793 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,065. About
6.4% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including
12.2% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Ventura has a total area of
32.7 square miles . 21.1 square miles of it is land and 11.6 square miles
of it (35.49%) is water.
Ventura River is at its western boundary and the Santa Clara River at its
southern edge
Source ® Wikipedia
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