Thousand Oaks, California
Encyclopedia
Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County
, California
, in the United States
. It was named after the many oak
trees that grace the area, and the city seal
is adorned with an oak.
The city forms the most populated part of a regional area called the Conejo Valley
, which includes Thousand Oaks proper, Newbury Park
, Westlake Village
, Agoura Hills
, and Oak Park
. The Los Angeles County
/Ventura County
line crosses at the western city limits of Westlake Village. The population was 126,683 at the 2010 census, up from 117,005 at the 2000 census.
Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park were part of a master planned city
, created by the Janss Investment Company
in the mid-1950s. It included about 1,000 custom home lots, 2,000 single-family residences, a regional shopping center, 200 acre (0.809372 km²) industrial park and several neighborhood shopping centers. The median home price is around $673,000. It is located in the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area
. The city was in 2006 named one of Money
magazine's Best Places to Live.
The area's recorded history dates to 1542 when Spanish
explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
landed at Point Mugu
and claimed the land for Spain. It eventually became part of the 48671 acres (197 km²) Rancho El Conejo
land grant by the Spanish government, thus becoming the basis of the name Conejo Valley (conejo means "rabbit" in Spanish, and there are many in the area). It served as grazing land for vaquero
s for the next fifty years.
In the late 19th century it was on the stagecoach
route between Los Angeles
and Santa Barbara
. The Stagecoach Inn
was built in 1876, and is now a California Historical Landmark
and a popular museum.
The Janss family
, developers of Southern California subdivisions, purchased 10000 acres (40.5 km²) in the early 20th century. They eventually created plans for a "total community" and the name remains prominently featured in the city.
Jungleland USA
was one of Southern California
's first theme parks. Wild animal shows entertained thousands in the 1940s and 1950s. Many TV and movie productions used the park's trained animals and were filmed there, including Birth of a Nation, Tarzan
, and The Adventures of Robin Hood
. Jungleland closed down in May 1968, in part due to competition from other amusement parks such as Knott's Berry Farm
and Disneyland. The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center
today stands on the site of the park.
The City of Thousand Oaks was incorporated on October 7, 1964, the first incorporated city in the Conejo Valley. It is known for being entirely a planned community
, as the city is one of few that have actually stayed with the master plan. As a result, the city has fewer of the problems of other cities of similar size, such as traffic congestion and pollution, although increased development in Moorpark and Simi Valley in the late 1990s and early 2000s caused the Moorpark Freeway (Highway 23)
to become heavily congested during both morning and afternoon rush hours. A major widening project began in 2008 to alleviate most of this congestion. Because of its desirable environment and location, property values have appreciated more than 250% in less than ten years, primarily during the mid-90s to early 2000s.
Newbury Park is located in the westernmost part of the city within the 91320 zip code. This area was once controlled by Ventura County as an unincorporated area, but was later annexed by the city of Thousand Oaks through votes by Newbury Park communities. The only communities that chose to remain county areas are Casa Conejo
, which was Newbury Park's first planned community built from 1960 to about 1965, and Lynn Ranch, an old neighborhood in the western portion of the city.
Thousand Oaks also annexed the parts of neighboring Westlake Village (then simply known as "Westlake") that were located in Ventura County, in two portions in 1968 and 1972.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 55.2 square miles (143 km²). 55 square miles (142.4 km²) of it is land and 0.15 square mile (0.3884982165 km²) of it (0.27%) is water.
Although Thousand Oaks has a downtown area (focused around the Janss Marketplace mall, The Oaks
mall, and W. Thousand Oaks Blvd.), a large portion of the city's inhabitants live in suburban communities a distance from the commercial centers of the city. The large housing districts near Lynn Road to the north and west are an example of this sprawl
, despite attempts by Ventura County planners to reduce it.
or Dry-Summer Subtropical zone climate, with warm, sunny, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Vegetation is typical of Mediterranean environments, with chaparral and grasses on the hillsides and numerous western valley oaks. Its elevation ranges from about 500 to 900 feet (excluding the mountains and hills). The area has slightly cooler temperatures than the surrounding areas, as it receives cooler air from the ocean through various hill and mountain passes. On March 10 and 11th of 2006, snow fell on the peak of Boney Mountain, the first snow to fall in the area in about 20 years. Snow also fell on Boney Peak on December 17 and 18th of 2008.
(Temperatures vary by zip code)
was 2,295.8 people per square mile (886.4/km²). The racial makeup of Thousand Oaks was 101,702 (80.3%) White, 1,674 (1.3%) African American, 497 (0.4%) Native American, 11,043 (8.7%) Asian, 146 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 6,869 (5.4%) from other races
, and 4,752 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,341 persons (16.8%).
The Census reported that 124,941 people (98.6% of the population) lived in households, 1,390 (1.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 352 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 45,836 households, out of which 16,439 (35.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 27,206 (59.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 4,260 (9.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,925 (4.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,761 (3.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 284 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 9,728 households (21.2%) were made up of individuals and 4,459 (9.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73. There were 33,391 families
(72.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.15.
The population was spread out with 30,076 people (23.7%) under the age of 18, 10,226 people (8.1%) aged 18 to 24, 29,853 people (23.6%) aged 25 to 44, 37,964 people (30.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 18,564 people (14.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
There were 47,497 housing units at an average density of 860.8 per square mile (332.3/km²), of which 33,501 (73.1%) were owner-occupied, and 12,335 (26.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%. 92,510 people (73.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 32,431 people (25.6%) lived in rental housing units.
for the city was $54,304. About 2.2% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
in annual surveys, the main competition being nearby Simi Valley
, as well as Amherst, New York
, which has claimed first place seven times in the last 12 years.
According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city’s various funds had $118.1 million in Revenues, $113.5 million in expenditures, $245.0 million in total assets, $63.4 million in total liabilities, and $214.2 million in investments:
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
Today the city boasts a very active, and historically "slow growth"-minded city council. Along with the ordinances protecting the numerous oak trees, the city's leaders and residents alike boast of the ring of protected land, free from development, that surrounds the city's borders and which may account for the accelerating land values in recent years. More than 15000 acres (60.7 km²) have been preserved as "open space", containing more than 75 miles (120.7 km) of trails.
, Teledyne Technologies, SAGE Publications
, and Skyworks Solutions
have corporate headquarters in the city, while Bank of America
, Baxter International
, General Dynamics Corporation, Verizon, Verizon Wireless
, Volkswagen
, Audi
, General Motors
, BMW
, Silver Star Automotive Group, and Anthem Blue Cross
manage regional offices. Thousand Oaks also has large employers Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center
, Conejo Valley Unified School District
, City of Thousand Oaks, Hyatt Hotels, and California Lutheran University
headquartered in the city. The city was also the former home to the corporate offices of Wellpoint
and GTE
, which later became Verizon, which relocated in the last decade. J.D. Power and Associates
is headquartered in Thousand Oaks. J.D. Power began moving its employees from its former headquarters in Agoura Hills, California
, to its current headquarters in the Westlake section of Thousand Oaks in the weekend after April 11, 2002. The communities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills are served by the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, one of the few in California to receive four-star accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce.
. It includes numerous elementary schools, Colina Middle School
, Redwood Middle School, Los Cerritos Middle School
. The high schools of the area include Thousand Oaks High School
, Newbury Park High School
, and Westlake High School
. Also part of the school district are Sycamore Canyon Middle School and Sequoia Middle School, located in Newbury Park. Oaks Christian High School
, while located immediately outside of Ventura County, matriculates numerous students from the county. La Reina High School
is a private Roman Catholic
, all-girls junior/senior high school. California Lutheran University
is located in Thousand Oaks.
The Thousand Oaks Library system is consistently ranked as one of the best public libraries in California. The library consists of the Grant R. Brimhall Library
in Thousand Oaks and the Newbury Park Branch Library in Newbury Park. A 22000 square feet (2,043.9 m²) children's library was added to the existing 62000 square feet (5,760 m²) main building in June 2006. The children's library expansion resulted in an improved children's services area, a 3800-gallon, salt-water aquarium; quiet study rooms; a technology training room; a children's programming room; and additional seating and shelving capacity for both the children's services area and adult services area. Both the main library and Newbury Park Branch offer free wireless Internet access.
, Pop Warner
football
, Little League
baseball
, CYFFA flag football
, girls' softball
, organized swim team leagues, ice hockey
, and even organized lacrosse
and field hockey
involve hundreds and even thousands of participants and their parents year in and year out.
In August 1991, a team from Thousand Oaks Little League became the first Little League team in Ventura County to win a World Championship, winning the Championship game 20-3. Two years later in 1996, a Senior Division (ages 14–16) Thousand Oaks Little League team won a National Championship. Two years later in 1998, a Big League Division (ages 17–18) Conejo Valley Little League team won a World Championship, defeating a Venezuelan Team 10-9 and going 26-1 in tournament play. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/23/sports/sp-15787 In 2006, Thousand Oaks won the World Championship in the Big League Division(ages 16–18) of Little League by defeating a team from Puerto Rico
10-0. http://www.littleleague.org/. The Thousand Oaks Big League team were also World Series runner-ups in 2003 and 2005. In 2007, they were United States runner-up. In 2009, they won the United States Championship and appeared on prime time on ESPN. In the summer of 2004, the Little League National Championship team hailed from Thousand Oaks. The Conejo Valley East team of 11 and 12-year-olds went 22-0 in local, regional, and World Series tournaments play claiming the national title at the Little League World Series
in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
before losing in the international title game to the team from Curaçao
, Caribbean
.
In professional sports, the city is home to the Sherwood Country Club
, a world-class golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus
. The annual Chevron World Challenge golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods
takes place at the course.
Ventura County Fusion
, a minor league soccer team playing in the USL Premier Development League
, while based in nearby Ventura
, has held home games at Newbury Park High School
in Newbury Park.
In the 1970s, California Lutheran University
(CLU) served as the training camp location for the Dallas Cowboys
. The CLU football
practice field used by the Cowboys
as well as the CLU Kingsmen football team was replaced by a large sports complex in 2006. The Cowboys Clubhouse in Thousand Oaks still stands across from the complex, and is currently a family residence.
, with the city of Los Angeles
to the east and the city of Ventura
to the west. The city is served by U.S. Route 101 (Ventura Freeway), as well as State Route 23
. Highway 101 runs through the city and connects it with Los Angeles and Ventura. CA Route 23 connects to the 101 near downtown Thousand Oaks, runs north toward Moorpark
and Simi Valley
, and essentially divides the city in two. Thousand Oaks is also served by Thousand Oaks Transit
(TOT), which provides public transportation in the form of shuttles and buses. TOT buses provide service to Thousand Oaks as well as some neighboring communities.
The city boasts many amenities that other cities of similar size lack; among these is a regional transportation center. The new facility offers bus and shuttle lines to Los Angeles, Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Santa Barbara
via the VISTA
, Metro
, and LADOT Commuter Express bus lines. In addition to being a transfer station from Los Angeles and other nearby cities, it also serves as the primary station for TOT buses.
Commercial air travel is provided primarily by Los Angeles International Airport
for regular commuters, while the Bob Hope Airport
(in Burbank
) offers an alternative for domestic destinations. Thousand Oaks offers public transportation that runs to both airports, via the VISTA, Metro, and LADOT bus lines. Los Angeles International Airport is approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) southeast of the city, while Burbank Airport is approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) east of the city. The closest commercial airport is Oxnard Airport
located approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) to the west in nearby Oxnard, California
; however this airport provides service only to Los Angeles. General aviation airports include Camarillo Airport
, which is approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) to the west of the city, and Van Nuys Airport
, which is 25 miles (40.2 km) east of the city
is in the process of being expanded to a six-lane highway, U.S. Route 101 is being upgraded, The Oaks Shopping Center
is being expanded by the Macerich Company, and the city has plans to renovate the old Downtown, near the Civic Arts Plaza on Thousand Oaks Blvd.
New homes are also being built in very few areas of the city. Primary areas of new residential construction are currently in-fill sites within the developed area of the community and not outward expansion.
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was named after the many oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees that grace the area, and the city seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
is adorned with an oak.
The city forms the most populated part of a regional area called the Conejo Valley
Conejo Valley
The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States...
, which includes Thousand Oaks proper, Newbury Park
Newbury Park, California
The community of Newbury Park, California is located in the western portion of the city of Thousand Oaks and Casa Conejo, an unincorporated area of southeastern Ventura County's Conejo Valley, which is also in the northwestern Greater Los Angeles Area...
, Westlake Village
Westlake Village, California
Westlake Village is a planned community that straddles the Los Angeles and Ventura county line. The eastern portion is the incorporated city Westlake Village, located on the western edge of Los Angeles County, California. The city, located in the region known as the Conejo Valley, encompasses half...
, Agoura Hills
Agoura Hills, California
Agoura Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and has the ZIP code 91301. The population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, down from 20,537 at the 2000 census. It is located in the eastern Conejo Valley between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. This city on the Ventura...
, and Oak Park
Oak Park, California
Oak Park is a census-designated place located in the Simi Hills, in Ventura County, California. As of the 2010 census, Oak Park had a population of 14,266, up from 14,225 at the 2000 census...
. The Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
/Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
line crosses at the western city limits of Westlake Village. The population was 126,683 at the 2010 census, up from 117,005 at the 2000 census.
Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park were part of a master planned city
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
, created by the Janss Investment Company
Janss Investment Company
The Janss Investment Company was a family run, Los Angeles, California, real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995.-First generation:...
in the mid-1950s. It included about 1,000 custom home lots, 2,000 single-family residences, a regional shopping center, 200 acre (0.809372 km²) industrial park and several neighborhood shopping centers. The median home price is around $673,000. It is located in the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
. The city was in 2006 named one of Money
Money Magazine
Money Magazine is a business news and financial programme that is broadcast on Sundays at 7:00pm in Hong Kong by television channel TVB Pearl.-Producers and reporters:...
magazine's Best Places to Live.
History
The area was once occupied by the Chumash people, and 2000-year-old cave drawings may still be seen at the Chumash Indian Museum, 3290 Lang Ranch Parkway, in the Lang Ranch section of the city. The Chumash village was known as Sap'wi, which means "House of the Deer."The area's recorded history dates to 1542 when Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
landed at Point Mugu
Point Mugu, California
Point Mugu , California is an unincorporated area and geographical promontory on the Pacific coast in Ventura County, near the town of Port Hueneme and the city of Oxnard. The name is believed to be derived from the Chumash Indian term Muwu, meaning beach, which was first mentioned by Cabrillo in...
and claimed the land for Spain. It eventually became part of the 48671 acres (197 km²) Rancho El Conejo
Rancho El Conejo
Rancho El Conejo was a Spanish land grant in California given in 1803 to Jose Polanco and Ygnacio Rodriguez that encompassed the area now known as the Conejo Valley in southeastern Ventura and northwestern Los Angeles Counties. El Conejo means "The Rabbit" in Spanish, and refers to the many...
land grant by the Spanish government, thus becoming the basis of the name Conejo Valley (conejo means "rabbit" in Spanish, and there are many in the area). It served as grazing land for vaquero
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s for the next fifty years.
In the late 19th century it was on the stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
route between Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. The Stagecoach Inn
Stagecoach Inn (California)
The Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park, California, originally known as the Grand Union Hotel, was used as a resting area for people who traveled from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. It is California Historical Landmark no. 659 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.The Grand Union...
was built in 1876, and is now a California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
and a popular museum.
The Janss family
Janss Investment Company
The Janss Investment Company was a family run, Los Angeles, California, real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995.-First generation:...
, developers of Southern California subdivisions, purchased 10000 acres (40.5 km²) in the early 20th century. They eventually created plans for a "total community" and the name remains prominently featured in the city.
Jungleland USA
Jungleland USA
Jungleland USA was a theme park in Thousand Oaks, California, United States, on the current site of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.Louis Goebel created Jungleland in 1926 as an animal training center for Hollywood. It later became one of Southern California's first theme parks. It opened to the...
was one of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
's first theme parks. Wild animal shows entertained thousands in the 1940s and 1950s. Many TV and movie productions used the park's trained animals and were filmed there, including Birth of a Nation, Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, and The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...
. Jungleland closed down in May 1968, in part due to competition from other amusement parks such as Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
and Disneyland. The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center
The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza is a performing arts and administrative center located in Thousand Oaks, California. It was built in 1994 on the former site of Jungleland at a cost of $63.8 million...
today stands on the site of the park.
The City of Thousand Oaks was incorporated on October 7, 1964, the first incorporated city in the Conejo Valley. It is known for being entirely a planned community
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
, as the city is one of few that have actually stayed with the master plan. As a result, the city has fewer of the problems of other cities of similar size, such as traffic congestion and pollution, although increased development in Moorpark and Simi Valley in the late 1990s and early 2000s caused the Moorpark Freeway (Highway 23)
California State Route 23
State Route 23 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route runs roughly from Fillmore to Malibu. This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System.-Route description:...
to become heavily congested during both morning and afternoon rush hours. A major widening project began in 2008 to alleviate most of this congestion. Because of its desirable environment and location, property values have appreciated more than 250% in less than ten years, primarily during the mid-90s to early 2000s.
Newbury Park is located in the westernmost part of the city within the 91320 zip code. This area was once controlled by Ventura County as an unincorporated area, but was later annexed by the city of Thousand Oaks through votes by Newbury Park communities. The only communities that chose to remain county areas are Casa Conejo
Casa Conejo, California
Casa Conejo is a census-designated place in Ventura County, California, United States. It was the first planned community in Newbury Park, built between 1960 and 1965. The community is bordered by Old Conejo Road and the US 101 to the North, Borchard Road to the South, Jenny Dr. to the West, and...
, which was Newbury Park's first planned community built from 1960 to about 1965, and Lynn Ranch, an old neighborhood in the western portion of the city.
Thousand Oaks also annexed the parts of neighboring Westlake Village (then simply known as "Westlake") that were located in Ventura County, in two portions in 1968 and 1972.
Geography
Thousand Oaks is located at 34°11′22"N 118°52′30"W (34.189489, -118.875053). It is situated in the Conejo ValleyConejo Valley
The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 55.2 square miles (143 km²). 55 square miles (142.4 km²) of it is land and 0.15 square mile (0.3884982165 km²) of it (0.27%) is water.
Although Thousand Oaks has a downtown area (focused around the Janss Marketplace mall, The Oaks
The Oaks Shopping Center
The Oaks Shopping Center is a two-level indoor/outdoor, super-regional shopping mall located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is owned and managed by Macerich...
mall, and W. Thousand Oaks Blvd.), a large portion of the city's inhabitants live in suburban communities a distance from the commercial centers of the city. The large housing districts near Lynn Road to the north and west are an example of this sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
, despite attempts by Ventura County planners to reduce it.
Climate
The region has a mild, year-round Mediterranean ClimateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
or Dry-Summer Subtropical zone climate, with warm, sunny, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Vegetation is typical of Mediterranean environments, with chaparral and grasses on the hillsides and numerous western valley oaks. Its elevation ranges from about 500 to 900 feet (excluding the mountains and hills). The area has slightly cooler temperatures than the surrounding areas, as it receives cooler air from the ocean through various hill and mountain passes. On March 10 and 11th of 2006, snow fell on the peak of Boney Mountain, the first snow to fall in the area in about 20 years. Snow also fell on Boney Peak on December 17 and 18th of 2008.
(Temperatures vary by zip code)
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Thousand Oaks had a population of 126,683. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,295.8 people per square mile (886.4/km²). The racial makeup of Thousand Oaks was 101,702 (80.3%) White, 1,674 (1.3%) African American, 497 (0.4%) Native American, 11,043 (8.7%) Asian, 146 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 6,869 (5.4%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4,752 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,341 persons (16.8%).
The Census reported that 124,941 people (98.6% of the population) lived in households, 1,390 (1.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 352 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 45,836 households, out of which 16,439 (35.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 27,206 (59.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4,260 (9.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,925 (4.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,761 (3.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 284 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 9,728 households (21.2%) were made up of individuals and 4,459 (9.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73. There were 33,391 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(72.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.15.
The population was spread out with 30,076 people (23.7%) under the age of 18, 10,226 people (8.1%) aged 18 to 24, 29,853 people (23.6%) aged 25 to 44, 37,964 people (30.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 18,564 people (14.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
There were 47,497 housing units at an average density of 860.8 per square mile (332.3/km²), of which 33,501 (73.1%) were owner-occupied, and 12,335 (26.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%. 92,510 people (73.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 32,431 people (25.6%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
The median income for a household in the city was $96,120, and the median income for a family was $102,207. Males had a median income of $82,815 versus $50,604 for females. The per capita incomePer capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $54,304. About 2.2% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
Crime
Thousand Oaks is among the safest large cities in the nation. The city consistently ranks as the first or second safest large city (population between 100,000 and 499,999) in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in annual surveys, the main competition being nearby Simi Valley
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
, as well as Amherst, New York
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
, which has claimed first place seven times in the last 12 years.
Local government
Thousand Oaks is one of the few cities of over 100,000 that does not directly elect its mayor; rather the council members take turns rotating into the position.According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city’s various funds had $118.1 million in Revenues, $113.5 million in expenditures, $245.0 million in total assets, $63.4 million in total liabilities, and $214.2 million in investments:
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
| Department | Director |
|---|---|
| City Manager | Scott Mitnick |
| City Attorney | Amy Albano |
| Assistant City Manager | Tom Watkins |
| City Clerk | Linda Lawrence |
| Community & Cultural Services | Tom Mitze |
| Community Development | John Prescott |
| Finance | John Adams |
| Fire | Rod Megli |
| Human Resources | Connie Hickman |
| Library Services | Stephen Brogden |
| Police | Jeff Matson |
| Public Works | Jay Spurgin |
Today the city boasts a very active, and historically "slow growth"-minded city council. Along with the ordinances protecting the numerous oak trees, the city's leaders and residents alike boast of the ring of protected land, free from development, that surrounds the city's borders and which may account for the accelerating land values in recent years. More than 15000 acres (60.7 km²) have been preserved as "open space", containing more than 75 miles (120.7 km) of trails.
Economy
The city's economy is based on a small range of businesses, with biotechnology, electronics, automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, healthcare, and financing occupying most of Thousand Oaks' employment sector. AmgenAmgen
Amgen Inc. is an international biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Located in the Conejo Valley, Amgen is the world's largest independent biotech firm. The company employs approximately 17,000 staff members. Its products include Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret,...
, Teledyne Technologies, SAGE Publications
SAGE Publications
SAGE is an independent academic publisher of books, journals, and electronic products in the humanities and social sciences and the scientific, technical, and medical fields. SAGE was founded in 1965 by George McCune and Sara Miller McCune. The company is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California,...
, and Skyworks Solutions
Skyworks Solutions
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. is a semiconductor company headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.The company manufactures semiconductors for use in radio frequency and mobile communications systems...
have corporate headquarters in the city, while Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, Baxter International
Baxter International
Baxter International Inc. , is an American health care company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute medical conditions...
, General Dynamics Corporation, Verizon, Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, Silver Star Automotive Group, and Anthem Blue Cross
Anthem Blue Cross
Anthem Blue Cross is a major US health insurance provider which is a subsidiary of insurance giant Wellpoint. Anthem has about 800,000 customers, and has more individual policyholders in California than any other insurer. It is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association...
manage regional offices. Thousand Oaks also has large employers Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center
Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center
Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center is a hospital in the city of Thousand Oaks, California, USA. It is a 265 bed acute care hospital, and was built in 1968.- External links :*...
, Conejo Valley Unified School District
Conejo Valley Unified School District
Conejo Valley Unified School District or CVUSD is a school district in Ventura County. It serves Thousand Oaks, California and its subsections Newbury Park and Westlake Village.-Members of the CVUSD Board of Education:*President-Peggy Buckles...
, City of Thousand Oaks, Hyatt Hotels, and California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...
headquartered in the city. The city was also the former home to the corporate offices of Wellpoint
WellPoint
WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health plan company in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. It was formed when WellPoint Health Networks, Inc. merged into Anthem, Inc., with the surviving Anthem adopting the name, WellPoint, Inc...
and GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
, which later became Verizon, which relocated in the last decade. J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...
is headquartered in Thousand Oaks. J.D. Power began moving its employees from its former headquarters in Agoura Hills, California
Agoura Hills, California
Agoura Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and has the ZIP code 91301. The population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, down from 20,537 at the 2000 census. It is located in the eastern Conejo Valley between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. This city on the Ventura...
, to its current headquarters in the Westlake section of Thousand Oaks in the weekend after April 11, 2002. The communities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills are served by the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, one of the few in California to receive four-star accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amgen Amgen Amgen Inc. is an international biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Located in the Conejo Valley, Amgen is the world's largest independent biotech firm. The company employs approximately 17,000 staff members. Its products include Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret,... |
6,600 |
| 2 | Anthem Blue Cross Anthem Blue Cross Anthem Blue Cross is a major US health insurance provider which is a subsidiary of insurance giant Wellpoint. Anthem has about 800,000 customers, and has more individual policyholders in California than any other insurer. It is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association... |
3,620 |
| 3 | Conejo Valley Unified School District Conejo Valley Unified School District Conejo Valley Unified School District or CVUSD is a school district in Ventura County. It serves Thousand Oaks, California and its subsections Newbury Park and Westlake Village.-Members of the CVUSD Board of Education:*President-Peggy Buckles... |
1,823 |
| 4 | Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center is a hospital in the city of Thousand Oaks, California, USA. It is a 265 bed acute care hospital, and was built in 1968.- External links :*... |
1,469 |
| 5 | Baxter BioScience Baxter International Baxter International Inc. , is an American health care company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute medical conditions... |
1,050 |
| 6 | Verizon | 717 |
| 7 | City of Thousand Oaks | 623 |
| 8 | Silver Star Automotive Group | 580 |
| 9 | Skyworks Solutions Skyworks Solutions Skyworks Solutions, Inc. is a semiconductor company headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.The company manufactures semiconductors for use in radio frequency and mobile communications systems... |
500 |
| 10 | California Lutheran University California Lutheran University California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:... |
472 |
Education
Thousand Oaks is served by the Conejo Valley Unified School DistrictConejo Valley Unified School District
Conejo Valley Unified School District or CVUSD is a school district in Ventura County. It serves Thousand Oaks, California and its subsections Newbury Park and Westlake Village.-Members of the CVUSD Board of Education:*President-Peggy Buckles...
. It includes numerous elementary schools, Colina Middle School
Colina Middle School
Colina Middle School is a public middle school located in Thousand Oaks, California, United States, part of the Conejo Valley Unified School District. The motto is "Work Hard, Make Friends, and Have Fun." Colina was designated a California Distinguished School in 1989 and in 2000, and as a...
, Redwood Middle School, Los Cerritos Middle School
Los Cerritos Middle School
Los Cerritos Middle School is a public middle school in Thousand Oaks, California. It is one of the five middle schools in Conejo Valley Unified School District. It was named a Blue Ribbon school under the No Child Left Behind Act in 2004, along with Westlake High School, also in the district. The...
. The high schools of the area include Thousand Oaks High School
Thousand Oaks High School
Thousand Oaks High School is a high school established in 1962 and located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is a California Distinguished School, and offers curriculum at all levels for Thousand Oaks students. The mascot is the lancer...
, Newbury Park High School
Newbury Park High School
Newbury Park High School, founded in 1967, is a co-educational public high school located in Newbury Park, California. Newbury Park High School has approximately 2,320 students, 101 faculty, and 62 staff as of the 2006-2007 year...
, and Westlake High School
Westlake High School (California)
Westlake High School, often known simply as Westlake or Westlake High is a public high school in Westlake Village, California, hosting grades 9–12...
. Also part of the school district are Sycamore Canyon Middle School and Sequoia Middle School, located in Newbury Park. Oaks Christian High School
Oaks Christian High School
Oaks Christian High School is a private non-denominational Christian college-preparatory school located on in Westlake Village, California. Oaks Christian is one of several high schools located within the city limits of Westlake Village. The school colors are Cardinal Red and Vegas Gold and the...
, while located immediately outside of Ventura County, matriculates numerous students from the county. La Reina High School
La Reina High School
La Reina High School is a Catholic college preparatory junior and senior high school for girls. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, La Reina is owned and administered by the Sisters of Notre Dame.-History:...
is a private Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, all-girls junior/senior high school. California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...
is located in Thousand Oaks.
The Thousand Oaks Library system is consistently ranked as one of the best public libraries in California. The library consists of the Grant R. Brimhall Library
Grant R. Brimhall Library
The Grant R. Brimhall Library serves as the main library for the city of Thousand Oaks, California. It is controlled by the Thousand Oaks Library System, which also controls the Newbury Park Branch Library. The Grant R. Brimhall Building is located on Janss Rd. near State Route 23. There are in...
in Thousand Oaks and the Newbury Park Branch Library in Newbury Park. A 22000 square feet (2,043.9 m²) children's library was added to the existing 62000 square feet (5,760 m²) main building in June 2006. The children's library expansion resulted in an improved children's services area, a 3800-gallon, salt-water aquarium; quiet study rooms; a technology training room; a children's programming room; and additional seating and shelving capacity for both the children's services area and adult services area. Both the main library and Newbury Park Branch offer free wireless Internet access.
Youth and professional sports
Teenagers are a major focus of the community. AYSO soccer, Club Soccer such as Apex Soccer Club http://www.apexsoccerclub.com/, Newbury Park Soccer Club http://www.newburyparksoccerclub.com/ and Conejo Valley United, Conejo Youth Basketball Association, also known as CYBA, Conejo Valley Thunder WrestlingAmateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
, Pop Warner
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, CYFFA flag football
Flag football
Flag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
, girls' softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, organized swim team leagues, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, and even organized lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
and field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
involve hundreds and even thousands of participants and their parents year in and year out.
In August 1991, a team from Thousand Oaks Little League became the first Little League team in Ventura County to win a World Championship, winning the Championship game 20-3. Two years later in 1996, a Senior Division (ages 14–16) Thousand Oaks Little League team won a National Championship. Two years later in 1998, a Big League Division (ages 17–18) Conejo Valley Little League team won a World Championship, defeating a Venezuelan Team 10-9 and going 26-1 in tournament play. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/23/sports/sp-15787 In 2006, Thousand Oaks won the World Championship in the Big League Division(ages 16–18) of Little League by defeating a team from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
10-0. http://www.littleleague.org/. The Thousand Oaks Big League team were also World Series runner-ups in 2003 and 2005. In 2007, they were United States runner-up. In 2009, they won the United States Championship and appeared on prime time on ESPN. In the summer of 2004, the Little League National Championship team hailed from Thousand Oaks. The Conejo Valley East team of 11 and 12-year-olds went 22-0 in local, regional, and World Series tournaments play claiming the national title at the Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
before losing in the international title game to the team from Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
In professional sports, the city is home to the Sherwood Country Club
Sherwood Country Club
Sherwood Country Club is a private, member owned golf and country club set at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains in Thousand Oaks, California. Sherwood is home to a championship 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, driving range and Georgian architecture golf clubhouse...
, a world-class golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
. The annual Chevron World Challenge golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
takes place at the course.
Ventura County Fusion
Ventura County Fusion
Ventura County Fusion is an American soccer team based in Ventura, California, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.The team plays its home games in...
, a minor league soccer team playing in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, while based in nearby Ventura
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
, has held home games at Newbury Park High School
Newbury Park High School
Newbury Park High School, founded in 1967, is a co-educational public high school located in Newbury Park, California. Newbury Park High School has approximately 2,320 students, 101 faculty, and 62 staff as of the 2006-2007 year...
in Newbury Park.
In the 1970s, California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...
(CLU) served as the training camp location for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. The CLU football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
practice field used by the Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as well as the CLU Kingsmen football team was replaced by a large sports complex in 2006. The Cowboys Clubhouse in Thousand Oaks still stands across from the complex, and is currently a family residence.
Transportation
Thousand Oaks lies in the heart of the Conejo ValleyConejo Valley
The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States...
, with the city of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to the east and the city of Ventura
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
to the west. The city is served by U.S. Route 101 (Ventura Freeway), as well as State Route 23
California State Route 23
State Route 23 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route runs roughly from Fillmore to Malibu. This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System.-Route description:...
. Highway 101 runs through the city and connects it with Los Angeles and Ventura. CA Route 23 connects to the 101 near downtown Thousand Oaks, runs north toward Moorpark
Moorpark, California
Moorpark is a city in Southern California. It was founded in 1900 by Robert Poindexter, presumably named after the moorpark apricots that grew in the area. The city has experienced a great amount of growth since the late 1970s...
and Simi Valley
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
, and essentially divides the city in two. Thousand Oaks is also served by Thousand Oaks Transit
Thousand Oaks Transit
Thousand Oaks Transit is Thousand Oaks, California's transportation service, providing local routes that serve the need of those commuting within the city itself.-Routes:*1 Newbury Park*2 Central Thousand Oaks...
(TOT), which provides public transportation in the form of shuttles and buses. TOT buses provide service to Thousand Oaks as well as some neighboring communities.
The city boasts many amenities that other cities of similar size lack; among these is a regional transportation center. The new facility offers bus and shuttle lines to Los Angeles, Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
via the VISTA
Ventura Intercity Service Transit Authority
Ventura Intercity Service Transit Authority, or VISTA is apublic transit agency providing bus service in Ventura County, California.It is intended to provide an intercity bus service between Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks,...
, Metro
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
, and LADOT Commuter Express bus lines. In addition to being a transfer station from Los Angeles and other nearby cities, it also serves as the primary station for TOT buses.
Commercial air travel is provided primarily by Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
for regular commuters, while the Bob Hope Airport
Bob Hope Airport
Bob Hope Airport is a public airport located 3 miles northwest of the central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
(in Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
) offers an alternative for domestic destinations. Thousand Oaks offers public transportation that runs to both airports, via the VISTA, Metro, and LADOT bus lines. Los Angeles International Airport is approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) southeast of the city, while Burbank Airport is approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) east of the city. The closest commercial airport is Oxnard Airport
Oxnard Airport
Oxnard Airport is a public airport located one mile west of the central business district of Oxnard, a city in Ventura County, California, USA. The airport covers and has one runway. Oxnard Airport is managed by the Ventura County Department of Airports.- History :Ventura County opened Oxnard...
located approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) to the west in nearby Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
; however this airport provides service only to Los Angeles. General aviation airports include Camarillo Airport
Camarillo Airport
Camarillo Airport is a public airport located three miles west of the central business district of Camarillo, a city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is roughly equidistant from Los Angeles, CA and Santa Barbara, CA although it is inland...
, which is approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) to the west of the city, and Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport is a public airport located in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley section of the city limits of Los Angeles, California, United States. No major commercial airlines fly into this airport; it is used by private, chartered, and small commercial aircraft...
, which is 25 miles (40.2 km) east of the city
Economic development
Currently, Thousand Oaks is undergoing numerous renovations and development. State Route 23California State Route 23
State Route 23 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route runs roughly from Fillmore to Malibu. This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System.-Route description:...
is in the process of being expanded to a six-lane highway, U.S. Route 101 is being upgraded, The Oaks Shopping Center
The Oaks Shopping Center
The Oaks Shopping Center is a two-level indoor/outdoor, super-regional shopping mall located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is owned and managed by Macerich...
is being expanded by the Macerich Company, and the city has plans to renovate the old Downtown, near the Civic Arts Plaza on Thousand Oaks Blvd.
New homes are also being built in very few areas of the city. Primary areas of new residential construction are currently in-fill sites within the developed area of the community and not outward expansion.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of the Thousand Oaks area include, in alphabetical order:- Robert AltmanRobert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
, Hollywood director - John AlvinJohn AlvinJohn Henry Alvin was an American cinematic artist and painter who illustrated some of the world's most recognizable movie posters. Alvin created movie posters, which are also known as key art, for over 135 films over the course of his career, beginning with the poster for Mel Brooks' Blazing...
, veteran stage, film, television actor - Sparky AndersonSparky AndersonGeorge Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, Baseball Hall of Fame manager - Eve ArdenEve ArdenEve Arden was an American actress. Her almost 60-year career crossed most media frontiers with supporting and leading roles, but she may be best-remembered for playing the sardonic but engaging title character, a high school teacher, on Our Miss Brooks, and as the Rydell High School principal in...
, actress - Frankie AvalonFrankie AvalonFrankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, playwright, and former teen idol.-Career:By the time he was 12, Avalon was on U.S. television playing his trumpet. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints...
, actor - George BallGeorge BallGeorge Wildman Ball was an American diplomat.-Biography:Ball was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He lived in Evanston, Illinois and graduated from Northwestern University....
, actor, Broadway theatre performer - Dennis BlairDennis Blair (comedian)Dennis Blair is an American stand-up comedian. He is best known for writing and appearing in the 1983 movie Easy Money alongside his mentor, Rodney Dangerfield....
, comedian and longtime opening act for George Carlin - Wayne BradyWayne BradyWayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
, comedian Whose Line is it Anyway?Whose Line Is It Anyway?Whose Line Is It Anyway? is a short-form improvisational comedy TV show. Originally a British radio programme, it moved to television in 1988 as a series made for the UK's Channel 4, for a 10 series run...
, host of Let's Make a DealLet's Make a DealLet's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being... - Walter BrennanWalter BrennanWalter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
, actor - Jonathan Brightman, Grammy nominee and founding member of rock group, BuckcherryBuckcherryBuckcherry is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1995. The band released two albums, Buckcherry and Time Bomb , before partially dissolving in the summer of 2002. In 2005, lead vocalist Josh Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson reformed Buckcherry and released a new album...
- Amanda BynesAmanda BynesAmanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
, actress, What I Like About YouWhat I Like About You (TV series)What I Like About You is an American television sitcom set mainly in New York City, following the lives of two sisters, Valerie Tyler and Holly Tyler . The series ran on The WB Television Network from September 20, 2002, to March 24, 2006, with a total of 86 episodes produced...
, attended La Reina High SchoolLa Reina High SchoolLa Reina High School is a Catholic college preparatory junior and senior high school for girls. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, La Reina is owned and administered by the Sisters of Notre Dame.-History:... - Colbie CaillatColbie CaillatColbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...
, singer, "Bubbly" - Belinda CarlisleBelinda CarlisleBelinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, singer, graduated from Newbury Park High SchoolNewbury Park High SchoolNewbury Park High School, founded in 1967, is a co-educational public high school located in Newbury Park, California. Newbury Park High School has approximately 2,320 students, 101 faculty, and 62 staff as of the 2006-2007 year... - Richard CarpenterRichard Carpenter (musician)Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American pop musician, best known as one half of the brother/sister duo The Carpenters, along with his sister Karen Carpenter. He was a producer, arranger, pianist and keyboardist, and occasional lyricist, as well as joining with Karen on harmony...
, singer and songwriter. In 2004, Carpenter and wife Mary pledged $3 million to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation in memory of Carpenter's late sister Karen CarpenterKaren CarpenterKaren Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
. - Lacey ChabertLacey ChabertLacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
, actress in Party of FiveParty of FiveParty of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
and Lost in SpaceLost in Space (film)Lost in Space is a 1998 American science fiction film starring Gary Oldman and William Hurt. The film was shot in London and Shepperton, and produced by New Line Cinema. The plot is adapted from the 1965–1968 CBS television series Lost In Space... - Iman CrossonIman CrossonIman Crosson is an American actor, impressionist, dancer and singer known on various Internet websites under the pseudonym "Alphacat" and is known for his impersonations of U.S...
, aka "Alphacat" from Youtube, actor/ performer & popular internet personality - Yvonne De CarloYvonne De CarloYvonne De Carlo was a Canadian-born American actress of film and television. During her six-decade career, her most frequent appearances in film came in the 1940s and 1950s and included her best-known film roles, such as of Anna Marie in Salome Where She Danced ; Anna in Criss Cross ; Sephora the...
, actress best known portraying Lily MunsterLily MunsterLily Munster, Countess of Shroudshire , is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Yvonne De Carlo. The matriarch of the Munster household, Lily is an undead vampire. Her character resembles Vampira...
in the television sitcom The MunstersThe MunstersThe Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,... - Frances DeeFrances DeeFrances Marion Dee was an American actress. She starred opposite Maurice Chevalier in the early talkie musical, The Playboy of Paris...
, actress, wife of actor Joel McCrea - Sandra DeeSandra DeeSandra Dee was an American actress. Dee began her career as a model and progressed to film. Best known for her portrayal of ingenues, Dee won a Golden Globe Award in 1959 as one of the year's most promising newcomers, and over several years her films were popular...
, actress - Tony DeFranco, lead singer of "The DeFranco FamilyThe DeFranco FamilyThe DeFranco Family featuring Tony DeFranco was a 1970s pop music group and family from Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. The group, all siblings, consists of Benny DeFranco , the guitarist; Marisa DeFranco , the keyboardist; Nino DeFranco , the second guitarist; Merlina DeFranco , the...
" - Bob DenverBob DenverRobert Osbourne "Bob" Denver was an American comedic actor known for his roles as Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island and the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.-Early life:Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in...
, actor, Gilligan's IslandGilligan's IslandGilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for... - Terry DonahueTerry DonahueTerry Donahue is a former American football, player, coach, and executive and, currently, a football analyst. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1976 to 1995, compiling a record of 151–74–8. From 2001 to 2005, Donahue served as...
, UCLA football coach - Lenny DykstraLenny DykstraLeonard Kyle "Lenny" Dykstra , nicknamed "Nails" and "Dude", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980s before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990s....
, former Major League Baseball player - Giselle FernandezGiselle Fernández-External links:...
, television news anchor, TV co-host, attended Newbury Park High SchoolNewbury Park High SchoolNewbury Park High School, founded in 1967, is a co-educational public high school located in Newbury Park, California. Newbury Park High School has approximately 2,320 students, 101 faculty, and 62 staff as of the 2006-2007 year... - Megan FoxMegan FoxMegan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
, actress, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the FallenTransformers: Revenge of the FallenTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series... - Stephen FurstStephen FurstStephen Furst is an American actor and film and television director. He was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St...
, actor, National Lampoon's Animal HouseNational Lampoon's Animal HouseNational Lampoon's Animal House is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis. The film was a direct spin-off of National Lampoon magazine...
, St. ElsewhereSt. ElsewhereSt. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood... - Gordon GoodwinGordon GoodwinGordon L. Goodwin is a Grammy award-winning American studio pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger and conductor. He now lives in Southern California with his wife Lisa, daughter Madison and two sons, Trevor and Garrison.- Early years :...
, musician/composer - Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
hockey player - HalifaxHalifax (band)Halifax is a four-piece rock band from Thousand Oaks, California. They formed in 2003 and currently are signed with Rocket Science Records. On their Myspace page the band announced that they will not be going with Drive-Thru Records on their 2009 release but are shipping the album off to other labels...
, pop/punk rock band - Scott HamiltonScott Hamilton (figure skater)Scott Scovell Hamilton is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships , four consecutive World Championships and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics....
, OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
ice-skating champion - Mariel HemingwayMariel Hemingway- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
, actress - Phil HendriePhil HendriePhilip Stephen Hendrie is an American radio personality. He is best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network...
, host of The Phil Hendrie ShowThe Phil Hendrie ShowThe Phil Hendrie Show is a comedy talk radio program. The show is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network. It is known for outrageous guests, the majority of whom are fictional and voiced live by the host, Phil Hendrie... - Marion JonesMarion JonesMarion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...
, track and field, graduated from Thousand Oaks High SchoolThousand Oaks High SchoolThousand Oaks High School is a high school established in 1962 and located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is a California Distinguished School, and offers curriculum at all levels for Thousand Oaks students. The mascot is the lancer... - Tom KellyTom Kelly (musician)Thomas F. Kelly is an American musician, best known for his songwriting partnership with Billy Steinberg. Steinberg and Kelly co-wrote numerous hit songs for popular music artists, including five number-one singles on the Billboard Top 100 chart in the 1980s....
, songwriter - Jack KirbyJack KirbyJack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
, comic book artist, creator of the X-Men - Richard KindRichard KindRichard John Kind is an American actor known for his roles in the sitcoms Mad About You and Spin City .- Early life :...
, Voice over artist (Toy Story 3Toy Story 3Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure film, and the third installment in the Toy Story series. It was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film was released worldwide from June through October in Disney Digital...
, The WildThe WildThe Wild is a 2006 computer-animated film directed by Steve "Spaz" Williams, produced by Clint Goldman, assistant produced by Jim Burton and C.O.R.E...
), lives here with his family - Alan LaddAlan Ladd-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
, actor - David LanderDavid LanderDavid L. Lander is an American actor, comedian, composer, musician, and baseball scout. David is also the Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.- Biography :...
, actor, best known for playing "Squiggy" in Laverne & ShirleyLaverne & ShirleyLaverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983... - Lisa LavieLisa LavieLisa Lavie is a Canadian singer and songwriter originally from LaSalle, Québec, Canada.Lavie is known for using the Internet to independently promote her own music and concerts...
, singer, songwriter - Mike LieberthalMike LieberthalMichael Scott "Mike" Lieberthal , nicknamed Lieby, is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He batted and threw right-handed....
, All Star/Gold Glove major league baseball catcher - Anne Lockhart of Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
(daughter of June LockhartJune LockhartJune Lockhart is an American actress, primarily in 1950s and 1960s television, but with memorable performances on stage and in film too. She is remembered as the mother in two TV series, Lassie and Lost in Space. She also portrayed Dr...
and granddaughter of Gene LockhartGene LockhartEugene "Gene" Lockhart was a Canadian character actor, singer, and playwright. He also wrote the lyrics to a number of popular songs.-Early life:...
) lives in the area and is very involved in local community theater groups including the Santa Susana Players. - Heather LocklearHeather LocklearHeather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
, actress in DynastyDynasty (TV series)Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
and Melrose Place, graduated from Newbury Park High SchoolNewbury Park High SchoolNewbury Park High School, founded in 1967, is a co-educational public high school located in Newbury Park, California. Newbury Park High School has approximately 2,320 students, 101 faculty, and 62 staff as of the 2006-2007 year... - Sophia LorenSophia LorenSophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
, actress, once owned a ranch in Hidden Valley - Virginia MadsenVirginia MadsenVirginia Madsen is an American actress and documentary film producer. She came to fame during the 1980s, having appeared in several films aimed at a teenage audience...
, actress who has lived in the Newbury Park area - Matt Malley, Oscar nominated songwriter and founding member of multi-platinum rock group, Counting CrowsCounting CrowsCounting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
- Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, singer, film actor, member of the Rat PackRat PackThe Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean... - Ed Masry, former member of the city's council, attorney and activist. Masry achieved recognition beyond his own community when Albert FinneyAlbert FinneyAlbert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
portrayed him opposite Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
in the 2000 Academy Award-winning film, Erin BrockovichErin Brockovich (film)Erin Brockovich is a 2000 biographical film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film is a dramatization of the story of Erin Brockovich, played by Julia Roberts, who fought against the US West Coast energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Roberts won the Academy Award, Golden Globe,...
. - Virginia MayoVirginia MayoVirginia Mayo was an American film actress.After a short career in vaudeville, Mayo progressed to films and during the 1940s established herself as a supporting player in such films as The Best Years of Our Lives and White Heat .Mayo remained an A-list actress into the mid-'50s, but then went...
, actress - Amanda McBroomAmanda McBroomAmanda McBroom is an American singer, songwriter and cabaret performer. One of the songs she has written is "The Rose", which Bette Midler sang in the film of the same name...
, BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
performer (who wrote Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
's hit single, "The RoseThe Rose (song)"The Rose" is a pop song written by Amanda McBroom and made famous by Bette Midler, who performed it in the 1979 movie, The Rose. Since then it has been covered by a variety of artists.-Bette Midler version:...
") - Tom McClintockTom McClintockThomas Miller McClintock II is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator...
, politician - Joel McCreaJoel McCreaJoel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
, actor, owned 3000 acres (12.1 km²) in the area with wife Frances Dee - Kevin MitnickKevin MitnickKevin David Mitnick is a computer security consultant, author, and hacker. In the late 20th century, he was convicted of various computer- and communications-related crimes. At the time of his arrest, he was the most-wanted computer criminal in the United States.-Personal life:Mitnick grew up in...
, hacker - Jenny MollenJenny MollenJenny Mollen is an American actress known for her portrayal of Nina Ash on the television series Angel.-Personal life:Mollen was born in Phoenix, Arizona...
, lives here with husband Jason BiggsJason BiggsJason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:... - Joe MontanaJoe MontanaJoseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, Hall of Fame NFL quarterback - Colin Mortensen, cast member on MTV's The Real WorldThe Real WorldThe Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
- Heather Morris, actress in hit show GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
- Tahj MowryTahj MowryTahj Dayton Mowry , is an American actor, dancer, and singer, mostly known for his role of T.J. Henderson on the hit sitcom Smart Guy and Wade on Kim Possible.-Personal life:...
, actor, attended Westlake High School - Tia MowryTia MowryTia Dashon Mowry-Hardrict is an American actress. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tia Landry on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister...
, actress - Chance MyersChance MyersChance Myers is an American soccer player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
, professional soccer player with the Kansas City WizardsKansas City WizardsSporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... - Ted L. NancyTed L. NancyTed L. Nancy is the pseudonym used by the comedian Barry Marder, author of a number of prank letters which have been published in a series of bestselling books under the titles Letters from a Nut, More Letters from a Nut, Extra Nutty!: Even More Letters from a Nut, and the new book All New Letters...
, author of the Letters from a Nut series - Terri NunnTerri NunnTerri Kathleen Nunn , is an American singer and actress. She is best known as the lead vocalist of the New Wave band Berlin.-Biography:...
, lead singer of BerlinBerlin (band)Berlin is an American New Wave/Synthpop band. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by John Crawford . The band contained Crawford, Terri Nunn , David Diamond , Ric Olsen , Matt Reid and Rod Learned . Learned left during the first EU tour and was replaced by Rob Brill...
, 1980s BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
top ten group - Trey ParkerTrey ParkerTrey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
, South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
co-creator, lives in Thousand Oaks - Brad PennyBrad PennyBradley Wayne "Brad" Penny is a Major League starting pitcher. Penny has spent portions of his career with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers....
, pitcher for the Major League Baseball team, San Francisco Giants - Slim PickensSlim PickensLouis Burton Lindley, Jr. , better known by the stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor who epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr...
, actor - Pat Priest, actress, aka (Patricia Priest) best known for portraying Marilyn MunsterMarilyn MunsterMarilyn Munster is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Beverley Owen with actress Pat Priest later assuming the role. In the original series she is the daughter of Lily Munster's sister, with Herman alluding to her "plain" looks coming from Lily's side of the...
in the television show The MunstersThe MunstersThe Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
(1964- 1966) - Sam QuerreySam QuerreySam Austin Querrey is a professional American tennis player from Thousand Oaks, California currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of August 2010, he is the fourth-highest ranked American. His career high rank was #17, achieved on January 31, 2011. His height allows him to play with a strong...
, professional tennis player, graduated 2006 from Thousand Oaks High SchoolThousand Oaks High SchoolThousand Oaks High School is a high school established in 1962 and located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is a California Distinguished School, and offers curriculum at all levels for Thousand Oaks students. The mascot is the lancer... - Mel RenfroMel RenfroMelvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:...
, NFL Dallas Cowboys football player - Denise RichardsDenise RichardsDenise Lee Richards is an American actress and former fashion model of Croatian and Welsh descent. She has appeared in films including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough...
, actress - Robert Roldan, dancer and contestant on So You Think You Can DanceSo You Think You Can Dance (season 7)So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season seven premiered on May 27, 2010...
- Mickey RooneyMickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
, actor - Kurt RussellKurt RussellKurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
, actor, son of actor Bing RussellBing RussellBing Russell was an American actor and baseball club owner, and was the father of Golden Globe-nominated actor Kurt Russell.-Personal life:...
, was raised in the conejo valley, graduated from Thousand Oaks High SchoolThousand Oaks High SchoolThousand Oaks High School is a high school established in 1962 and located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is a California Distinguished School, and offers curriculum at all levels for Thousand Oaks students. The mascot is the lancer... - Richie SamboraRichie SamboraRichard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
, musician, songwriter - Mike SciosciaMike SciosciaMichael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball....
, former MLB catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, current MLB manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - George C. ScottGeorge C. ScottGeorge Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
, actor - Tom SelleckTom SelleckThomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
, actor (Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
) - Artie ShawArtie ShawArthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
, composer, bandleader - Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, actor/comedian, Men in BlackMen in Black (film)Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
, Enemy of the State - Jada Pinkett SmithJada Pinkett SmithJada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
, actress, wife of Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood... - Jaden SmithJaden SmithJaden Christopher Syre Smith is an American child actor, rapper, songwriter, dancer, and the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He is the elder brother of singer Willow Smith...
, child actor, singer, son of Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood... - Willow SmithWillow SmithWillow Camille Reign Smith , often known simply as Willow, is an American child actress and singer. She is the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and the younger sister of Jaden Smith. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An...
, singer, daughter of Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood... - Sylvester StalloneSylvester StalloneMichael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, actor - Hailee SteinfeldHailee SteinfeldHailee Steinfeld is an American actress. She rose to fame for her portrayal as Mattie Ross in the 2010 film True Grit, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.-Early life:Steinfeld was born in Tarzana, Los...
, actress - Mabel StarkMabel StarkMabel Stark, whose real name was Mary Haynie was a renowned tiger trainer of the 1920s and she was referred to as the world's first woman tiger trainer/tamer.- Biography :...
, the late "world's only tiger lady trainer" appeared on What's My Line, promoting Jungleland - Donna SummerDonna SummerLaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, singer - Abby SunderlandAbby SunderlandAbigail Jillian "Abby" Sunderland is an American sailor who, in 2010, attempted to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.-Early life:...
, yachtswoman, attempted a solo global circumnavigationCircumnavigationCircumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
, would have been the youngest ever had she been successful - Zac SunderlandZac SunderlandZachary Tristan "Zac" Sunderland is an American sailor who was the first person under the age of 18 to sail solo around the world. Sunderland completed his trip after 13 months and 2 days at sea on July 16, 2009 at age 17...
, yachtsman, at arrival 2009 the youngest sailor to do a solo global circumnavigationCircumnavigationCircumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :... - Frankie ValliFrankie ValliFrankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
, singer - Lyle WaggonerLyle WaggonerLyle Wesley Waggoner is an American actor and former model, best known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman television series from 1975 to 1979...
, actor The Carol Burnett ShowThe Carol Burnett ShowThe Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33... - Robert WagnerRobert WagnerRobert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
, actor - Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
, actor - Richard WidmarkRichard WidmarkRichard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
, actor - Larry WilcoxLarry WilcoxLarry Wilcox is an American actor, best known for his role as Officer Jonathan "Jon" Baker in CHiPs, an American television series.-Military service:...
, actor television series CHiPsCHiPsCHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol... - Cory WilliamsCory WilliamsCory Williams , also known as "Mr. Safety" from SMP Films, is an actor and YouTube personality who lives in Thousand Oaks, California.-Biography:...
, aka "Mr. Safety", popular internet personality / TV show host - Jack Wilson, current MLB shortstop for the Seattle Mariners
- Tiger WoodsTiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
, PGA professional golfer
Points of interest
- Conejo Valley Botanical GardenConejo Valley Botanical GardenThe Conejo Valley Botanic Garden is located in Thousand Oaks, California, USA, in the Conejo Valley 39 miles west of Los Angeles.The Garden contains mostly native species, and displays over 60 types of salvia, of which at least 10 are California native species. The garden also features a rare fruit...
- Dawn's Peak, locally known as Tarantula Hill, the highest point in the Conejo ValleyConejo ValleyThe Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States...
- Thousand Oaks Civic Arts CenterThousand Oaks Civic Arts CenterThe Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza is a performing arts and administrative center located in Thousand Oaks, California. It was built in 1994 on the former site of Jungleland at a cost of $63.8 million...
- American Radio ArchiveAmerican Radio ArchiveThe American Radio Archive, established in 1984 by the Thousand Oaks Library Foundation, contains manuscripts, sound recordings, scripts, books, photographs and other materials that vividly reflect the history of radio and radio broadcasting...
- The Oaks Shopping CenterThe Oaks Shopping CenterThe Oaks Shopping Center is a two-level indoor/outdoor, super-regional shopping mall located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is owned and managed by Macerich...
- Stagecoach InnStagecoach Inn (California)The Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park, California, originally known as the Grand Union Hotel, was used as a resting area for people who traveled from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. It is California Historical Landmark no. 659 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.The Grand Union...
- California Lutheran UniversityCalifornia Lutheran UniversityCalifornia Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Visitor CenterSanta Monica MountainsThe Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
- Wildwood Regional Park / Fort Wildwood
- Muvico TheatersMuvico TheatersMuvico Theaters is a movie theater chain. Its headquarters are in Oakland Park, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale.Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Muvico has seven complexes in Florida. Muvico has also expanded out of the state of Florida to include complexes in the Chicago Metropolitan Area , and...
External links
- City of Thousand Oaks official website
- Thousand Oaks @ The Official Conejo Valley Website, a Web site with local history, events, and community information.
- Chumash Indian Museum
- 2004 T.O. Little League team @ ESPN.com
- The History of Jungleland sponsored by Jungleland Skates
- Thousand Oaks Acorn Newspaper
- - Conejo Post - News, Issues, History and Outdoors in the Conejo Valley, including Thousand Oaks
- Thousand Oaks Library
- Conejo Valley's Community Website
- Conejo Valley Guide - Activities and Events in the Conejo Valley
- Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks - The Oldest and Largest Club in the Conejo