Camarillo, California
Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 70,741, an increase of 5,540 from the 65,201 counted in the 2010 Census. Camarillo is named for brothers Juan Camarillo, Jr. and Adolfo Camarillo, prominent Californios who owned Rancho Calleguas and founded the city. California State University Channel Islands, is housed on the former grounds of the Camarillo State Mental Hospital.
History
Chumash era
At the time of European contact in the 18th century, Camarillo had been inhabited by the Chumash people for thousands of years.Present day Camarillo and the larger Oxnard Plain were portions of a paramount Chumash capital at the village of Muwu. Simo'mo, which translates to "the saltbush patch", was a Chumash village located upstream from Mugu Lagoon near the city of Camarillo. Caves with ancient pictographs are located in the area around Conejo Grade including a site used for religious ceremonies dating back to 500 A.D., where two Chumash villages were located: Lalimanux and Kayɨwɨš or Kayiwish . The village of Kayɨwɨš was first encountered by Europeans of the first Portola expedition on August 16, 1795.
Spanish and Mexican era
By the early 1820s, Mexico had gained independence from Spain, and shortly afterward California allied itself with Mexico. The Mexican land grant system was liberalized in 1824, resulting in many large grants in California and the proliferation of Ranchos north of the border. One grant to José Pedro Ruiz created Rancho Calleguas in 1837, in the area that is now Camarillo. The grant was later sold to Juan Camarillo, who had arrived in 1834 as a member of the Híjar-Padrés colony; his sons, Adolfo and Juan, began developing a ranch on the Pleasant Valley area of the vast fertile Oxnard Plain.Early 20th century
Around 1910, the area for the original town site of Camarillo was beginning to be laid out. The town was centered around St. Mary Magdalen Church, which was to serve as the family chapel for Adolfo Camarillo. In 1927 Don Juan Camarillo, brother of Adolfo, donated to be used as a seminary to be named in honor of Saint John the Evangelist. The Roman Catholic seminary was opened in 1939 as St. John's Seminary.Camarillo's growth was slow from founding through World War II. In the late 1940s, building lots on Ventura Boulevard, the main downtown street, were being offered for $450 and home lots on the adjoining streets were $250, with few buyers. Travel to and from Los Angeles was difficult, owing to the narrow, tortuous road climbing the Conejo Grade to the east of the city.
The main industry during this period was agriculture, and the area surrounding the small town was blanketed with orange, lemon and walnut groves. The State Mental hospital, that was built south of the town, was the largest employer. A few houses had sprung up to the north and south of town center. The Oxnard Army Air Field, built during World War II to the west of town, the Naval Air Facility at Point Mugu and the Seabee base at Port Hueneme brought many military personnel to the area, but there was little private industry or other source of non-agricultural employment.
Oxnard AAF closed at the end of World War II, but the Navy facilities remained open, with the airfield upgraded to Naval Air Station Point Mugu and the Seabee base becoming Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme and Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme. With the Korean War and associated Cold War tensions, the former Oxnard AAF was reactivated in 1951 as Oxnard Air Force Base, an Air Defense Command / Aerospace Defense Command fighter-interceptor base, that closed again in 1970 and became the present-day Camarillo Airport.
In the mid-1950s, the Ventura Freeway was completed from Los Angeles to points north, making it an easy one-hour trip to Camarillo. The Old Town was bisected by the Ventura Freeway. On the southern side of the freeway contains a strip of businesses, churches, schools, and parks. The freeway was originally planned to follow the path of Potrero Road, south of Camarillo, which would have completely by-passed the soon-to-be city. However, after much debate, city officials persuaded Caltrans to lay the freeway parallel to Ventura Boulevard, creating the infamously steep descent from the Santa Monica Mountains, known as the Conejo Grade. The grade is about and posted as a 7% grade—which translates as about one thousand feet of elevation change in less than three miles. There is a California Highway Patrol brake inspection station at the top of the grade and a stop is mandatory for all 18-wheel trucks. The completion of the freeway facilitated the growth that followed. In 1962, the population was 7,500 and 3M began construction for the Mincom and Magnetic Tape Divisions, which would ultimately employ 900 people, becoming the largest local employer. That plant briefly housed a factory for 3M spinoff Imation before being closed in 2008.
Incorporation
Plans were made for the incorporation of the city to control the rapid expansion. Camarillo became a city in 1964 and soon put into place a General Plan and building codes. In 1964 the closest traffic signal was from the city center on the road to Point Mugu, and the first shopping center and supermarket were under construction.Many of the home buyers during the 1960s were military veterans, who had been stationed at one of the local bases. The temperate climate and the living conditions lured them back. With the establishment of both the Pacific Missile Range at NAS Point Mugu and the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory at Port Hueneme, many found employment that utilized their military training. Other newcomers were those who worked and lived in the San Fernando Valley and were willing to endure the commute for the opportunity to raise their families in a smog-free, semirural environment. Others moved to Camarillo to retire in communities such as Leisure Village, which opened in 1973. Still others relocated here with their employers, like 3M and Harbor Freight Tools, who built facilities in and around the city to take advantage of the large workforce. Technicolor Video Services Inc. was the largest DVD duplicator in the world.
In 2014, the council voted against an that would have extended development on agricultural lands east towards the Conejo Grade.
; Camarillo Springs Fire
Beginning 7:02 am. on Thursday, May 2, 2013, a major brush fire began in the Camarillo Springs area and burned throughout the area. The community of Dos Vientos and CSUCI were evacuated due to the proximity of the fire. Approximately 15 houses were damaged, with none fully destroyed. 28,000 acres of land was burned by the fire. On Sunday, May 5, 2013, rain in the area during the night helped firefighters bring the fire under full control.
; 2025 Immigration raid
On July 10, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and National Guard units used chemical munitions against protesters as they carried out immigration raids on a farm on the Oxnard Plain near Camarillo.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of. of the area is water.Camarillo is located in Pleasant Valley at the eastern end of the Oxnard Plain, with the Santa Susana Mountains to the north, the Camarillo Hills to the northwest, the Conejo Valley to the east, and the western reaches of the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.
Climate
This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Camarillo has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.Demographics
2020 census
The 2020 United States census reported that Camarillo had a population of 70,741. The population density was. The racial makeup of Camarillo was 59.6% White, 2.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 11.3% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 10.0% from other races, and 15.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.4% of the population.The census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized.
There were 26,727 households, out of which 29.7% included children under the age of 18, 53.1% were married-couple households, 5.5% were cohabiting couple households, 26.8% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 24.5% of households were one person, and 14.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63. There were 18,476 families.
The age distribution was 20.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% aged 18 to 24, 24.1% aged 25 to 44, 25.9% aged 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 42.8years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males.
There were 27,828 housing units at an average density of, of which 26,727 were occupied. Of these, 65.8% were owner-occupied, and 34.2% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $109,390, and the per capita income was $56,144. About 5.8% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census reported that Camarillo had a population of 65,201. The population density was. The racial makeup of Camarillo was 48,947 White, 1,216 African American, 397 Native American, 6,633 Asian, 116 Pacific Islander, 4,774 from other races, and 3,118 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14,958 persons.The Census reported that 64,705 people lived in households, 155 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 341 were institutionalized.
There were 24,504 households, out of which 8,103 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13,565 were traditional married couples living together, 2,386 had a female householder with no husband present, 1,078 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,257 non-traditional couples or partnerships. 5,986 households were made up of individuals, and 3,231 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64. There were 17,029 families ; the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out, with 15,115 people under the age of 18, 5,164 people aged 18 to 24, 15,895 people aged 25 to 44, 17,825 people aged 45 to 64, and 11,202 people who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
There were 25,702 housing units at an average density of, of which 17,059 were owner-occupied, and 7,445 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 45,522 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,183 people lived in rental housing units.