Oxnard, California

Oxnard is a city in Ventura County, California, United States, located along California's Central Coast. It is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Oxnard was officially created, or "incorporated," in 1903 and lies about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The city sits on the edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, where many crops such as strawberries and lima beans are grown. Oxnard is also an important place for transportation in Southern California, with many travel services like Amtrak, Union Pacific, Metrolink, Greyhound, and Intercalifornias stopping there. There is also a small airport called Oxnard Airport (OXR).

Oxnard has connections to oil fields like the Oxnard Oil Field and the West Montalvo Oil Field. Because of the many oil, industry, and farming activities nearby, the area has faced some environmental issues. In 2020, Oxnard had a population of 202,063, and many of its residents are Latino. The city is the largest in the Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Before Europeans arrived, the area now known as Oxnard was home to the Chumash Native Americans. In 1542, explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho claimed the land for Spain. During the mission period, Mission San Buenaventura used the area for raising cattle.

American farmers began settling in the area around 1850, growing barley and lima beans. In 1897, Henry T. Oxnard built a large sugar beet factory nearby. The town of Oxnard grew up around this factory and was officially incorporated as a city on June 30, 1903. Over the years, Oxnard expanded with new homes, businesses, and a harbor named Channel Islands Harbor. During World War II, naval bases were established nearby, which helped grow industries such as aerospace and communications.

Geography

Oxnard is found on the Oxnard Plain, a place with rich soil. The area has beaches, dunes, wetlands, creeks, and the Santa Clara River, which helps support many plants and animals. Some native plants in Oxnard include coastal sage scrub and Coastal Dune Scrub, but many have been lost to make space for farms and buildings. One special plant that is in danger of disappearing is the Ventura Marsh Milkvetch, and the last big group of these plants is in Oxnard, even though there is a housing plan nearby.

The Santa Clara River runs between Oxnard and Ventura, and it has smaller rivers that flow into it, like Sespe Creek, Piru Creek, and Castaic Creek. Oxnard sits near the edges of the Earth’s plates, which can cause earthquakes. One such fault line, the Oak Ridge Fault, goes right through Oxnard. This fault was linked to a big earthquake in 1994. Oxnard has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, meaning it has mild, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. The city usually has around 300 sunny days a year and gets about 15 inches of rain each year.

The area around Oxnard is home to many small animals like squirrels, raccoons, and skunks. Coyotes hunt these smaller animals, and birds and smaller animals might become food for stray or pet dogs and cats. Oxnard has several power plants that use ocean water to cool down, and these plants create pollution that affects the air and water. The city has tried to stop more power plants from being built. The land around Oxnard is also used for farming, especially for growing strawberries, which need chemicals that can also harm the environment. Old houses in Oxnard show many different styles of building, like Victorian and Carpenter Gothic. The city has areas for homes, businesses, and industries, and its tallest buildings are in the northern part of the city. Near the coast, Ormond Beach is a popular spot for watching birds, though much of its natural wetlands has been changed by farming and industry.

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States census counted 202,063 people living in Oxnard. Many people lived in homes with families, and some lived alone. Most people were from different racial backgrounds, with many being of Hispanic or Latino heritage.

2010

The 2010 United States census found 197,899 people in Oxnard. The city had many families, and people of many different races lived there. A large part of the population was of Hispanic or Latino heritage.

Economy

The economy of Oxnard includes defense, international trade, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. Oxnard is a manufacturing center in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The Port of Hueneme is the only deep-harbor commercial port between Los Angeles and San Francisco and moves trade within the Pacific Rim economies. Companies using the Port include Del Monte Foods, Chiquita, BMW, Land Rover, and Jaguar. Other industries include finance, transportation, the high tech industry, and energy, particularly petroleum. Two large oil fields underlie the city and nearby areas: the Oxnard Oil Field, east of the city along 5th Street, and the West Montalvo Oil Field along the coast west of town. Tenby Inc.'s Oxnard Refinery, on 5th Street east of Del Norte Avenue, processes oil from both fields.

According to the city's 2024/25 Budget, the top employers in the city are:

Some major companies headquartered in Oxnard are Haas Automation, Seminis, Raypak, Drum Workshop, Borla Performance, Boss Audio, Seed Beauty, and Robbins Auto Tops. Procter & Gamble and Sysco maintain their West Coast operations in Oxnard.

In October 2020, city officials announced that once a large area of agricultural land is fully developed into a business park by late 2021, it is estimated that up to 8,700 jobs will be created in the area. An Amazon fulfillment center opened in 2022 that serves Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties.

Agriculture

The Oxnard Plain has high-quality agricultural soils and a favorable climate, making it one of the most fertile areas in the world. In 1995, SOAR (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources) was started to keep land in the Oxnard Plain from being developed.

Strawberries

The Oxnard Plain is well known for its strawberries. Oxnard is California's largest strawberry producer, supplying about one-third of the state's annual strawberry volume. From the end of September through the end of October, strawberries are planted and harvesting occurs from mid-December through mid-July in Oxnard. The peak harvesting season in California runs from April through June when up to 10 million pint baskets of strawberries are shipped daily. California supplies over 85 percent of U.S. strawberries, and the U.S. supplies a quarter of the world's strawberry production.

The annual California Strawberry Festival features vendors and food items based on the fruit such as strawberry nachos, strawberry pizza, strawberry funnel cake, strawberry sundaes, and strawberry champagne.

Pests that attack this crop can be economically harmful in this town. Much research and effort is focused here and in Watsonville and Salinas.

Cannabis

Further information: Cannabis in California

In 2018, 80% of voters approved a cannabis tax. The city council took a careful approach when recreational cannabis became legal in California. Companies must be licensed by the local agency and the state to grow, test, or sell cannabis and the city may allow none or only some of these activities. After an initial ban, businesses focusing on manufacturing, testing, and distributing cannabis were allowed to apply for a permit to operate in July 2019. An initial process in May 2020 to select retail proposals was challenged by unsuccessful applicants. After revising the city ordinance, the council decided in September 2020 to allow ten retail licenses to be issued. The city requires dispensaries to be at least 600 feet from schools or daycare centers. A special-use permit was approved for a retail store in an Oxnard Shores neighborhood shopping center in February 2022. The first dispensary in the city opened in the downtown area in December 2022.

Oil fields

Oxnard

West Montalvo

Arts and culture

Oxnard has many places for learning about art and history. You can visit the Carnegie Art Museum, which opened in 1907 as a library thanks to a kind man named Andrew Carnegie. There is also the Chandler Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife, started by Otis Chandler, who used to publish the Los Angeles Times. The Channel Islands Maritime Museum shows you about life near the ocean.

In the city center, you’ll find Heritage Square with old, beautiful houses from the time Oxnard was first built. It has a little theater called the Petit Playhouse and another called the Elite Theatre Company. The Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center is where the New West Symphony plays music. There is also a farm park called the Gottfried Maulhardt/Albert Pfeiler Farm.

Oxnard holds fun events too, like the Oxnard Independent Film Festival and the Channel Islands Tall Ships Festival. You can visit the Herzog Winery and enjoy other wine tasting rooms. Every late July, the Salsa Festival happens in downtown Oxnard with dancing, music, and tasty foods. Since 1994, the Reggae Jam on the Coast has been held at College Park, and it attracts many visitors.

Sports

The Dallas Cowboys hold their pre-season training camp at River Ridge Field in Oxnard. They have trained there in many years, including 2001, 2004–06, 2008–10, and 2012–16. Other teams like the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Raiders also trained in Oxnard during different years.

In 2016, the Los Angeles Rams chose Oxnard for their team activities and minicamp. The city and the Rams agreed to use River Ridge Playing Fields for their training from April to June that year.

River Ridge Golf Course features two full courses surrounded by homes.

Government

Oxnard is part of the 26th congressional district. This district is represented by a Democrat named Julia Brownley.

See also: List of mayors of Oxnard, California

Education

The city of Oxnard has 54 public schools that teach more than 53,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Oxnard and nearby places are served by four school districts for younger students. These include the Hueneme School District, Oxnard School District, Ocean View Elementary School District, and Rio School District. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles also runs three private schools for grades K–8 and one Roman Catholic high school.

All public high schools in Oxnard are part of the Oxnard Union High School District. This district teaches about 20,000 students at ten schools in Oxnard, Camarillo, and Port Hueneme, plus some nearby areas. The high schools include Channel Islands High School, Hueneme High School, Oxnard High School, Pacifica High School, Oxnard Middle College High School, Rio Mesa High School, and Del Sol High School. There is also a private Roman Catholic high school called Santa Clara High School.

For college, Oxnard has Oxnard College and is close to California State University Channel Islands. Other universities with campuses nearby include California Lutheran University, California State University, Northridge, University of Phoenix, University of California, Santa Barbara, National University, and Azusa Pacific University.

Library

Main article: Oxnard Public Library

Oxnard has a free public library system with three locations: the Downtown Main Library, the Colonia Branch Library, and the South Oxnard Branch Library. Some of these libraries have a Homework Center and a nearby daycare center.

Infrastructure

Sanitation

Oxnard helps keep the city clean by collecting and processing trash, recyclables, and green waste for people and businesses. The city also has a big treatment plant where wastewater from the sewer system is cleaned. Inside the plant, an anaerobic digester breaks down solids as the waste moves through.

Transportation

The Ventura Freeway (US 101) is the main highway through Oxnard, linking it to Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. The Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) runs along the coast toward Malibu. Other roads like Highway 34 and State Route 232 connect Oxnard to nearby towns.

The Port of Hueneme, just south of Oxnard in Port Hueneme, is an important place for shipping goods like cars, fruit, and flowers. It is also used by the United States Navy. Nearby, the Channel Islands Harbor supports fishing and boating and is known as a gateway to the Channel Islands. Oxnard Airport serves private planes but does not have commercial flights.

The Oxnard Transit Center is a key spot for public transportation. Trains like the Ventura County Line and Pacific Surfliners connect Oxnard to Los Angeles and San Diego. Local buses operated by Gold Coast Transit and VCTC Intercity help people get around the city and to nearby places.

In popular culture

Oxnard appears in an episode of The Big Bang Theory where characters take a cricket to a professor who mentions moving to Oxnard due to losing his funding.

Oxnard is also the title of Anderson .Paak's third studio album.

The city shows up in a Sam & Cat episode where characters try to add a made-up word to a dictionary they believe is kept in Oxnard.

Notable people

Political and cultural

Lucy Hicks Anderson was known for her work in the community. Lupe Anguiano was a civil rights activist focused on helping women, the poor, and the environment. John L. Canley was a retired United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor. César Chávez grew up in Oxnard and worked for farm workers' rights. William P. Clark served in important roles in government under President Ronald Reagan. Alicia Cuarón was a Mexican-American educator and human rights activist. Jean Harris helped protect local beaches and wetlands. Maria Gulovich Liu was a real estate agent and worked with the OSS during World War II. Armando Xavier Ochoa was a Bishop in the Fresno and El Paso areas. Carmen Perez works on civil rights and community issues. Alfred V. Rascon also received the Medal of Honor. James Sumner was another Medal of Honor recipient who lived in Oxnard. Nao Takasugi served in the California State Assembly and as mayor of Oxnard.

Authors

Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario Hernandez created the comic Love and Rockets. Joyce La Mers wrote light poetry. Michele Serros was an author and writer for the George Lopez TV series.

Musicians and singers

DJ Babu was a disc jockey known for his work with Beat Junkies and Dilated Peoples. Ritchie Blackmore was the guitarist for Deep Purple and founder of Rainbow. Sonny Bono & Cher were famous singers and actors. Cola Boyy is a musician and activist. Brooke Candy is a rapper. Dave Carter was a folk singer-songwriter. Down AKA Kilo is a rapper. Dave Grohl is a musician. Ill Repute was a hardcore punk band. Kankick is a hip-hop producer. Homer Keller was a composer. Madlib is a record producer and musician. Rich Moore won an Academy Award and worked on The Simpsons. Nails is a powerviolence band. Oh No is a hip-hop rapper and producer. Anderson .Paak is a rapper and singer known for West Coast soul and R&B. Dudley Perkins is a rapper and producer. Ryan Seaman is a drummer. Shirley Verrett was an operatic mezzo-soprano. The Warriors is a hardcore band. Steve Zaragoza is an internet personality and comedian.

Scholars and scientists

William Bright was a linguist who studied Native American and South Asian languages. J. Richard Chase was President of Biola University and Wheaton College. Robert P. Sharp was a geomorphologist who studied Earth and Mars.

Businesspeople

Martin V. ("Bud") Smith_Smith "Martin V. ("Bud") Smith") was a major developer in Oxnard and built the Financial Plaza Towers. Charles C. Lynch owned a medical dispensary in Morro Bay. Stanley Clark Meston designed the original golden arches for McDonald's. Ben Rich was director of Lockheed Skunk Works.

Media professionals

Autumn Durald Arkapaw is an American cinematographer. Walter Brennan was a three-time Academy Award-winning actor. Miles Brown is known for his role on Black-ish. John Carradine lived in Oxnard for many years. Lee Van Cleef was an actor who passed away in Oxnard. Jeffrey Combs was born in Oxnard. Brandon Cruz is a child actor and musician. Brad Garrett was born in Oxnard. Isiah Mustafa is known as the "Old Spice Guy." Jamal Mixon is an actor. Bob Stephenson was an actor and film producer. Tricia Takasugi is a reporter for KTTV Fox 11 News. Dan Tullis Jr. is known for his role on Married... with Children.

Athletes and sportspeople

Bobby Ayala was a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mark Berry coaches for the Cincinnati Reds. The Bryan brothers are professional tennis players. Lorenzo Booker played NFL football. Graciela Casillas was a boxer and kickboxer. Hugo Centeno Jr. is a middleweight boxer. Keary Colbert played football for the Seattle Seahawks. Jacob Cruz played baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. Tim Curran is a professional surfer. Lou Cvijanovich is a successful high school coach. Maxim Dadashev trained with a world champion. Justin De Fratus played baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies. Charles Dillon played football for the Green Bay Packers. Terrance Dotsy was a football player. Justin Dumais competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Beverly Dustrude played baseball in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Tony Ferguson is a mixed martial artist. Scott Fujita played NFL football for the Cleveland Browns. Mikey Garcia is a boxer. Robert Garcia was a boxer and champion. Phil Giebler is a race car driver. Herculez Gomez is a soccer player. Jim Hall is a race car driver. Lemuel Clarence "Bud" Houser was a track athlete and Olympic gold medalist. Jeremy Jackson is a mixed martial artist. Ronney Jenkins played NFL football for the San Diego Chargers. Nicole Johnson is a monster truck driver. Marion Jones was an Olympic athlete. Eric King was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Tim Laker played baseball. Dave Laut won an Olympic bronze medal. Whitney Lewis was a football player. Tony Malinosky played baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Kristal Marshall was a professional wrestler. Sergio Martínez is a boxer. Paul McAnulty played baseball for the San Diego Padres. Ken McMullen played baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kiara Nowlin was a gymnast. Victor Ortíz is a professional boxer. Mike Parrott played and coached baseball. Corey Pavin is a professional golfer. Terry Pendleton was a baseball MVP. Josh Pinkard played football for USC. Brandon Rios was a boxer and champion. Jacob Rogers played football for the Denver Broncos. Blaine Saipaia played football for the St. Louis Rams. Aaron Small was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Paul Stankowski is a professional golfer. Kevin Thomas played NFL football for the Buffalo Bills. Josh Towers played baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays. Steve Trachsel played baseball for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. Fernando Vargas was a boxer and champion. Dmitri Young played baseball for the Washington Nationals. Blake Wingle played football. Cierre Wood played football. David Ochoa is a soccer player. Jeremiah Valoaga plays football. Darius Vines is a baseball pitcher.

Sister city

Oxnard has a special friendship with a city named Ocotlán in Mexico. This friendship started around 1976, and they showed their connection with a flag.