Oxnard, California

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

The city is on the edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, where crops like strawberries and lima beans are grown. Oxnard is an important place for travel in Southern California, with 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 oil, industry, and farming, 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

Long ago, the Chumash Native Americans lived where Oxnard is today. In 1542, an explorer named João Rodrigues Cabrilho claimed the land for Spain. During that time, Mission San Buenaventura used the area to raise cattle.

American farmers started to live in the area around 1850, growing barley and lima beans. In 1897, Henry T. Oxnard built a big sugar beet factory nearby. The town of Oxnard grew around this factory and became an official city on June 30, 1903. Over time, Oxnard grew with new homes, businesses, and a harbor called Channel Islands Harbor. During World War II, naval bases were built nearby, which helped grow industries like aerospace and communications.

Geography

Oxnard is located on the Oxnard Plain, an area with rich soil. It has beaches, dunes, wetlands, and creeks. The Santa Clara River helps plants and animals live there. Some special plants, like coastal sage scrub, are found in Oxnard, but many have been lost for farms and buildings. One plant in danger is the Ventura Marsh Milkvetch, and the last large group of these grows in Oxnard.

The Santa Clara River flows between Oxnard and Ventura. It has smaller rivers like Sespe Creek, Piru Creek, and Castaic Creek. Oxnard is near places where the Earth's plates meet, which can cause earthquakes. One fault line, the Oak Ridge Fault, runs through Oxnard. The city has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm summers.

Oxnard is home to small animals like squirrels, raccoons, and skunks. Coyotes hunt these animals. Birds and smaller animals might be hunted by pets. Oxnard has power plants that use ocean water, which can pollute the air and water. The city tries to prevent more power plants from being built. Farms around Oxnard grow strawberries, but the chemicals they use can harm the environment. Old houses in Oxnard have many styles, like Victorian and Carpenter Gothic. The city has areas for homes, businesses, and industries. Near the coast, Ormond Beach is a good place for watching birds, although some of its wetlands have been changed by farming and industry.

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States census counted 202,063 people living in Oxnard. Many people lived with their 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.

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. The annual California Strawberry Festival features vendors and food items based on the fruit.

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. After an initial ban, businesses focusing on manufacturing, testing, and distributing cannabis were allowed to apply for a permit to operate. The city requires dispensaries to be at least 600 feet from schools or daycare centers. 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 where you can learn 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 when 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. 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. The city and the Rams agreed to use River Ridge Playing Fields for their training that year.

River Ridge Golf Course has 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

Oxnard has 54 public schools for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The city and nearby areas 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 has 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 has 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 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 with three places to visit: the Downtown Main Library, the Colonia Branch Library, and the South Oxnard Branch Library. Some of these libraries have a place to help with homework and a nearby daycare center.

Infrastructure

Sanitation

Oxnard helps keep the city clean by collecting and processing trash, recyclables, and green waste. The city has a big treatment plant where wastewater is cleaned. Inside the plant, solids are broken down as the waste moves through.

Transportation

The Ventura Freeway (US 101) is the main highway through Oxnard. It connects the city 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 link Oxnard to nearby towns.

The Port of Hueneme, just south of Oxnard in Port Hueneme, is important for shipping goods such as cars, fruit, and flowers. It is also used by the United States Navy. Nearby, the Channel Islands Harbor supports fishing and boating and is 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 travel around the city and to nearby places.

In popular culture

Oxnard is shown in an episode of The Big Bang Theory. In the show, characters take a cricket to a professor who says he is moving to Oxnard because he lost his funding.

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

Oxnard appears in an episode of Sam & Cat. In this episode, characters try to add a made-up word to a dictionary they think is in Oxnard.

Notable people

Political and cultural

Lucy Hicks Anderson helped her community. Lupe Anguiano worked for women, poor people, and the environment. John L. Canley was a United States Marine and received the Medal of Honor. César Chávez grew up in Oxnard and fought for farm workers. William P. Clark worked in government for President Ronald Reagan. Alicia Cuarón was a teacher and worked for human rights. Jean Harris helped protect beaches and wetlands. Maria Gulovich Liu worked with the OSS during World War II. Armando Xavier Ochoa was a Bishop. Carmen Perez works for civil rights. Alfred V. Rascon also received the Medal of Honor. James Sumner received the Medal of Honor and lived in Oxnard. Nao Takasugi served in the California State Assembly and was mayor of Oxnard.

Authors

Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario Hernandez made the comic Love and Rockets. Joyce La Mers wrote poems. Michele Serros was an author and writer for the George Lopez TV show.

Musicians and singers

DJ Babu was a disc jockey who worked with Beat Junkies and Dilated Peoples. Ritchie Blackmore was the guitarist for Deep Purple. Sonny Bono & Cher were famous singers and actors. Cola Boyy is a musician. Brooke Candy is a rapper. Dave Carter was a folk singer. Down AKA Kilo is a rapper. Dave Grohl is a musician. Ill Repute was a punk band. Kankick is a hip-hop producer. Homer Keller was a composer. Madlib is a musician and record producer. Rich Moore won an Academy Award and worked on The Simpsons. Nails is a band. Oh No is a rapper and producer. Anderson .Paak is a rapper and singer. Dudley Perkins is a rapper and producer. Ryan Seaman is a drummer. Shirley Verrett was an opera singer. The Warriors is a band. Steve Zaragoza is a comedian.

Scholars and scientists

William Bright was a linguist who studied languages. J. Richard Chase was President of Biola University. Robert P. Sharp was a geomorphologist who studied Earth and Mars.

Businesspeople

Martin V. ("Bud") Smith built the Financial Plaza Towers in Oxnard. Charles C. Lynch owned a medical place. Stanley Clark Meston designed the golden arches for McDonald's. Ben Rich worked for Lockheed Skunk Works.

Media professionals

Autumn Durald Arkapaw is a cinematographer. Walter Brennan was an actor. Miles Brown is known for Black-ish. John Carradine lived in Oxnard. Lee Van Cleef was an actor. Jeffrey Combs was born in Oxnard. Brandon Cruz is an 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. Tricia Takasugi is a news reporter. Dan Tullis Jr. was on Married... with Children.

Athletes and sportspeople

Bobby Ayala was a baseball pitcher. Mark Berry coaches baseball. The Bryan brothers play tennis. Lorenzo Booker played football. Graciela Casillas was a boxer. Hugo Centeno Jr. is a boxer. Keary Colbert played football. Jacob Cruz played baseball. Tim Curran is a surfer. Lou Cvijanovich is a coach. Maxim Dadashev trained with a champion. Justin De Fratus played baseball. Charles Dillon played football. Terrance Dotsy was a football player. Justin Dumais competed in the Olympics. Beverly Dustrude played baseball. Tony Ferguson is a mixed martial artist. Scott Fujita played football. Mikey Garcia is a boxer. Robert Garcia was a boxer. 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 an Olympic athlete. Jeremy Jackson is a mixed martial artist. Ronney Jenkins played football. Nicole Johnson is a monster truck driver. Marion Jones was an Olympic athlete. Eric King was a baseball pitcher. Tim Laker played baseball. Dave Laut won an Olympic medal. Whitney Lewis was a football player. Tony Malinosky played baseball. Kristal Marshall was a professional wrestler. Sergio Martínez is a boxer. Paul McAnulty played baseball. Ken McMullen played baseball. Kiara Nowlin was a gymnast. Victor Ortíz is a boxer. Mike Parrott played and coached baseball. Corey Pavin is a golfer. Terry Pendleton was a baseball player. Josh Pinkard played football. Brandon Rios was a boxer. Jacob Rogers played football. Blaine Saipaia played football. Aaron Small was a baseball pitcher. Paul Stankowski is a golfer. Kevin Thomas played football. Josh Towers played baseball. Steve Trachsel played baseball. Fernando Vargas was a boxer. Dmitri Young played baseball. 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 began around 1976, and they showed their connection with a flag.