Ventura County

Southern California county of Pacific beaches, Channel Islands access, agricultural valleys, and Ojai sunsets.

Ventura County sits between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and that is precisely why most people drive straight through it. There is no Disneyland, no Sea World, no professional sports team. What there is: sixty miles of coastline, the Channel Islands just offshore, mountains rising behind quiet agricultural valleys, and towns that still feel like themselves rather than extensions of the LA sprawl.

The county rewards travelers who value charm over spectacle. Ojai is a small arts town tucked into a valley famous for its golden sunsets and classical music festival. The city of Ventura has a restored mission, a walkable downtown, and easy access to Channel Islands National Park. Oxnard's strawberry fields stretch to the coast, where uncrowded beaches face the open Pacific.

For the cost-conscious traveler, Ventura County is a real find. Lodging, dining, and shopping all come at a fraction of what you would pay in LA or Santa Barbara, and everything those cities offer is within an easy drive.

Guide

Getting There

The main artery is US Highway 101, which runs roughly east-west through the urban heart of the county. California State Routes 118 and 126 provide additional freeway access. Small regional airports in Oxnard and Camarillo handle commuter jets and private aircraft, and Santa Paula has a private-aircraft-only field. Amtrak and MetroLink trains stop in Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo, Oxnard, and Ventura. The Vista bus system runs along the 101 corridor, and Greyhound serves the Oxnard Transportation Center.

From Los Angeles

The straightforward route is to head west on the 101 (the signs read northbound, but the actual direction of travel is west due to the geography). From Burbank Airport the 101 is a couple of miles south; from LAX, take I-405 north about thirteen miles to the 101 junction.

An alternative: CA 118 runs along the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley into Simi Valley, where it bends south and becomes CA 23, meeting the 101 about five miles later. This route is often much less crowded than the 101 and works well if you are coming from Burbank Airport or driving in from the north on CA 14 through Lancaster and Palmdale.

If you land at LAX on a weekday afternoon, the San Diego Freeway will be gridlocked. Taking I-10 west through Santa Monica to Pacific Coast Highway is slower on paper but far more pleasant. PCH runs along the shore through Malibu, past several state parks and beaches, then past Point Mugu into Oxnard and Ventura.

From the Central Valley

Take CA 126 westward from the junction in Santa Clarita. The road passes produce stands, the tiny community of Piru, and the towns of Fillmore and Santa Paula before ending at the 101 in Ventura.

For a more scenic drive, CA 33 winds south from the Central Valley through the Cuyama Valley and into the mountains of Los Padres National Forest. Past Pine Mountain and Wheeler Gorge, the road drops toward Ojai with stunning views of the ocean and the Channel Islands along the way. The hairpin turns are not for the nervous, but the scenery is some of the best in the county.

Heading North

The 101 exits Ventura County near Carpinteria and continues through Santa Barbara. At Gaviota it turns north; San Francisco is five to six hours beyond. For those coming from anywhere along the Pacific Coast, the 101 is a far more interesting drive than I-5, at least south of the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountains.