Camarillo, CA

Camarillo occupies Ventura County's Pleasant Valley where the land rises toward the Conejo Grade. U.S. 101 and the railroad run east-west across Camarillo, separating some of its most recognizable districts from one another. Old Town follows Ventura Boulevard just south of the freeway between Lewis Road and Carmen Drive, preserving small-lot, mostly one-story buildings from the original commercial corridor. Newer shopping and office areas line the freeway and major cross streets, while row crops remain visible at the city's southern edge. Fields, highway-oriented development, and the older business street appear in close succession, and regional trips by road or Metrolink follow the same east-west axis. At the southwest edge, Camarillo Airport turns a former military base into one of the city's most visible working districts.

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The installation opened in 1942, was reactivated as Oxnard Air Force Base in 1951, and was declared surplus in 1969. Ventura County acquired the property, and Camarillo Airport opened for general aviation in 1976 after a city-county agreement shortened the former 9,000-foot runway to 6,013 feet. The county-owned airport now supports private and charter aircraft, maintenance firms, flight schools, and a general-aviation business park. World War II aircraft and a separate ultralight runway add uses rarely found beside a suburban employment corridor. Aircraft operations also shape nearby land-use and noise planning, keeping the airport present in both the economy and the physical map. The former Camarillo State Hospital grounds followed a separate path from public institution to university.

ATTRFrantik at en.wikipedia / CC BY 3.0

California acquired 1,500 acres in 1932 for the hospital, which became a major institution before closing in 1997. The state transferred the grounds to the California State University system, and CSU Channel Islands opened there in 2002 as Ventura County's only four-year public university. The reuse preserved the hospital's bell tower and adapted former buildings for classrooms, laboratories, a library, and public events. Gateway Hall opened for fall 2025 with a welcome center and laboratories for computer science, mathematics, mechatronics, and game design. Bus service from the Camarillo Metrolink station links this campus at the city's edge with regional rail. The Camarillo family's history remains visible in active civic places. Adolfo Camarillo's 1892 ranch house offers public tours, and the sale of Camarillo Ranch lands helped prompt residents to incorporate in 1964 so the new city could direct its growth.

ATTRCbl62 ( talk ) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Old Town preserves the earlier commercial corridor and hosts community gatherings at a different scale. In July 2026, the five-day Heritage Days Fiesta spread a carnival, local vendors, music, mariachi and folklorico performances, and a car show along Ventura Boulevard and the Arneill Road bridge; designated parking included the Metrolink station. Elsewhere, the Camarillo Community Band gave free summer concerts at the Community Center. Camarillo Grove Park, at the Conejo Grade, occupies a former stagecoach stop. The ranch, Old Town, university grounds, and airport each reuse a different chapter of local history across separate parts of the valley.