Ventura County Cities & Towns
Source: Wikipedia
Simi Valley
Simi Valley is an incorporated city located in a valley of the same name in the
southeast corner of Ventura County, California, bordering the San Fernando
Valley of Los Angeles in the Greater Los Angeles Area. According to the United
States Bureau of the Census estimate, the city had a total population of 118,687
in 2005.
Simi Valley is presently known as the home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential
Library. The city received media attention as the location of the 1992 trial
resulting in the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police officers accused of
assaulting Rodney King, triggering riots in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
The city of Simi Valley is surrounded by the Santa Susana Mountain range and the
Simi Hills, west of the San Fernando Valley and east of the Conejo Valley. It is
largely a commuter bedroom community feeding the larger cities in Ventura County
to the west and the Los Angeles area and the San Fernando Valley to the east.
Simi Valley repeatedly appears on Safest Cities in America lists.
~~~~~
Geography
Simi Valley is located at 34°16'16" North, 118°44'22" West with an
elevation of 700 - 1,000 feet above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.4
mi. 39.2 mi. of it is land and 0.2 mi. of it is water. The total area is 0.63%
water.
Simi Valley is located 3 mi north of the city of Los Angeles' Border community
of Chatsworth and 40 miles from Downtown Los Angeles, 380 miles south of San
Francisco, 160 miles north of San Diego, and 350 miles south of Sacramento.
Commutes to Los Angeles are usually via the Ronald Reagan Freeway (Highway 118)
or the Southern California Metrolink commuter train, which makes several daily
trips from Simi Valley.
Simi Valley borders the Santa Susana Mountains to the north, Simi Hills to the
east and south. Simi Valley is connected to the nearby San Fernando Valley by
the Santa Susana Pass in the extreme east of Simi Valley.
~~~~~
Demographics
Historical populations
Census - Pop. - %±
1960 8,000 —
1970 56,676 608.5%
1980 77,500 36.7%
1990 100,217 29.3%
2000 111,351 11.1%
Est. 2006 124,653 11.9%
As of the census of 2000, there are 111,351 people, 36,421 households, and
28,954 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,841.9/mi.
There are 37,272 housing units at an average density of 951.3/mi. The racial
makeup of the city is 75.0% White, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.6% Native
American, 7.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 12.9% from other races, and 2.4%
from two or more races. 28.7% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any
race. (2005–2007)
There are 36,421 households out of which 42.5% have children under the age of 18
living with them, 63.9% are married couples living together, 10.7% have a female
householder with no husband present, and 20.5% are non-families. 14.7% of all
households are made up of individuals and 4.9% have someone living alone who is
65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.04 and the average
family size is 3.33. Many families of young children moved to Simi Valley in the
1970s and 1980s for affordable housing than in the nearby San Fernando Valley
and across Los Angeles.
The city's population is spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 14.0% from
15 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who are 65 years of
age or older. The median age is 36.4 years. For every 100 females there are 97.9
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.6 males.
~~~~~
Income
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city is
$88,406, and the median income for a family is $91,658. 10.2% of the population
and 7.4% of families are below the poverty line.
~~~~~
Government and Infrastructure
Local Government
Simi Valley's government uses the "Council-Manager" form of
government. This means that the city council is composed of one mayor, elected
every two years, and four council members elected for four year terms. The city
council appoints both the city attorney and city manager, who heads the
executive branch of the city government. The city manager appoints the various
department heads for the city, and acts as the city clerk and city treasurer.
The city operates its own police department, and contracts with the Ventura
County Fire Department to provide fire protection services. There are five fire
stations within Simi Valley, and the city recently built a state-of-the-art
police station. American Medical Response, in conjunction with Ventura County
Fire Dept, provide Emergency Medical Services at the ALS level.
~~~~~
History
Pre-Colonial Period
Simi Valley was once inhabited by Chumash Indians, who also settled much of the
region from the Salinas Valley to the Santa Monica Mountains, with their
presence dating back 10,000-12,000 years. Around 5,000 years ago these tribes
began processing acorns, and harvesting local marshland plants. Roughly 2,000
years later, as hunting and fishing techniques improved, the population
increased significantly. Shortly after this sharp increase a precious stone
money system arouse, increasing the viability of the region by offsetting
fluctuations in available resources relating to climate changes. Simi Valley's
name is said to originate from the Chumash word Shimiyi, which refers to the
stringy, thread-like clouds that typify the region.
Colonial Town
Rancho Simi was the earliest Spanish colonial land grant within Ventura and
Santa Barbara Counties. It was one of the largest lands, but later when Mexico
became independent from Spain, land was handed out much more freely. The small
colonial town known as "Santa Susana del Rancho Simi" thrived in the
late 19th century and had a Spanish-speaking majority, but many Anglo-Americans
arrived to settle lands into farms, orchards and groves dominated the valley's
landscape until the 1970s.
For a brief time, its postal address was known as Simiopolis, though it was soon
shortened again to Simi by 1910. The first public school was built in 1890 in
the northeast but was torn down in 1926. There was also a great deal of
destruction caused by a flood in 1952. The city incorporated as Simi Valley in
1969, when the area had only 10,000 residents. In 1972, Boys Town West was
founded in the eastern end of Simi Valley. The youth camp/home facility is based
on an older larger one in Boys Town, Nebraska.
~~~~~
Wildfires
Southern California has a high fire risk, due to hot weather and high winds.
A 2005 fire started on September 28 and burned an estimated 7,000 acres. On
September 29, the fire was estimated to be 17,000 acres. More than 1,000
firefighters worked against the tricky combination of dry brush, low humidity
and temperatures in the high 90s along the line that divides Los Angeles and
Ventura counties. About 45 evacuees gathered at Canoga Park High School in the
San Fernando Valley where the Red Cross had set up cots and provided meals. One
firefighter was struck on the head by a 40-pound boulder and was taken to a
hospital, officials said. The fire was later brought under control and
extinguished, without serious injury. Three homes were lost in outlying areas,
but none within the city limits.
~~~~~
Landmarks
Simi Valley is home to two California Historical Landmarks:
NO. 939 Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments (Thematic) - Grandma Prisbrey's
Bottle Village - This fantastic assemblage is one of California's remarkable
Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments. In 1956, Tressa Prisbrey, then nearly
sixty years old, started building a fanciful 'village' of shrines, walkways,
sculptures, and buildings from recycled items and discards from the local dump.
She worked for 25 years creating one structure after another to house her
collections. The Mosaic Walkway is embedded with thousands of treasures—tiles,
shells, doorknobs, irons, car ornaments, jewelry, dishware, scissors, guns,
toys—everything imaginable that creates a timestamp of 1950s post consumer
waste. Originally, Bottle Village had more than 13 buildings and 20 sculptures.
Although severely damaged during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, it was placed
on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is located at 4595
Cochran St, Simi Valley.
NO. 979 Rancho Simi - This is the site of the headquarters of the Spanish Rancho
San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi. The name derives from
'Shimiji,' the name of the Chumash village here before the Spanish. At 113,000
acres (457 km²), Rancho Simi was one of the state's largest land grants. Two
prominent Spanish and Mexican family names are connected with the Rancho:
Santiago Pico who first received the grant, and José de la Guerra who purchased
the Rancho in 1842. Two rooms of original adobe remain, part of the Strathearn
home built in. Location: Robert P Strathearn Historical Park, 137 Strathearn
Place, Simi Valley. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
NPS-78000825
Simi Valley is also home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which has
been visited by more than 1 million people since it opened. After a major state
funeral in Washington, D.C., President Reagan was buried at the library in June
2004.
~~~~~
Infrastructure
The Montalvo Cutoff, a railroad line opened by the Southern Pacific Company on
March 20, 1904, to improve the alignment of its Coast Line, runs east-west
through the valley. In 1905, the longest train tunnel in the United States at
that time was completed at the east end of Simi Valley. Tunnel #26 still stands
today linking Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley. Simi Valley Station is
used by Amtrak and Metrolink, after Metrolink purchased the line from Southern
Pacific, and is located at 5000 Los Angeles Avenue, west of Stearns Street. Simi
Valley Transit buses stop on Los Angeles Avenue in front of the station. There
are connections from Simi Valley north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and
south to Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties. These trains, as well as
the buses, run 7 days a week and stop in Simi Valley several times each day. The
Simi Valley station is unstaffed; however, tickets are available from automated
ticket dispensers, conductors onboard the trains, travel agents, by telephone,
or from the Amtrak and Metrolink websites.
The United States Postal Service operates the Simi Valley Post Office at 2511
Galena Avenue, the Kopy King Post Office at 2157 Tapo Street, and the Mount
McCoy Post Office at 225 Simi Village Drive.
~~~~~
Industry
In Simi Valley there are two main areas of industry — one in the eastern part
of the city and the other one in the west. The primary industry is machinery and
tools with 69 firms, and the secondary is the metal Industry with 51 firms, both
situated in the eastern and western industrial areas. Other industries such as
Lumber/Wood Products, Food, Plastic Products, Apparel/Textiles and Minerals, are
also largely concentrated in these industrial areas.
The largest division of Countrywide Home Loans, Loan Administration, has been
headquartered in the city since the mid 1990's. Operating off of Madera Road in
a building that once housed the apparel company Bugle Boy, the company also has
facilities on Tapo Canyon, and First Street. At its height, Countrywide had
approximately 10,000 employees in the city.
The Volkswagen of America Design Center was once in an industrial complex across
from the Costco wholesale club near Madera and Cochran. The VW Design Center
California or DCC, moved to Santa Monica, California in the spring of 2006. Such
notable automotive designers as Jay Mays, now (2007) VP Design for Ford and
Freeman Thomas, co designer with Jay Mays of the original Audi TT, once called
the DCC in Simi Valley their place of work. The original concept for the New
Beetle from Jay Mays, had its genesis there.
The Santa Susana Field Laboratory operated in the Simi Hills beginning in 1949.
The site conducted rocket engine tests which were frequently heard in Simi
Valley. The Atomics International division of North American Aviation operated a
section of the Field Laboratory where they built the Sodium Reactor Experiment,
the first United States nuclear reactor to supply electricity to a public power
system in 1957. The Sodium Reactor Experiment operated until 1964 and has since
been removed. Atomics International also designed, tested and developed compact
nuclear reactors intended to supply electricity in outer space. In 1965, the
SNAP-10A became the only nuclear reactor to be launched and operated in space by
the United States. The last nuclear reactor operated at SSFL in 1980. The Santa
Susana Field Laboratory has been closed and rocket testing is no longer
conducted. The remaining facilities are being demolished and site restoration is
underway.
The Santa Susana Field Laboratory also hosted the Energy Technology Engineering
Center. The center performed the development and non-nuclear testing of liquid
metal reactor components. for the U.S. Department of Energy from 1965 until
1998. The Energy Technology Engineering Center has been closed and is undergoing
demolition and restoration by the Department of Energy.
~~~~~
Hazards
An aspect of Simi Valley's location, situated beside the Simi Hills, is that it
lies in a high-risk area for the wildfires that sweep through Southern
California's mountain ranges every few years.
Simi Valley is also at risk for earthquakes. The valley is surrounded by
earthquake faults; the closest ones being the Santa Rosa Fault to the Northwest,
the Northridge Hills Fault to the Northeast, and the Chatsworth Fault to the
South. In 1994, portions of Simi Valley received significant damage from the
Northridge earthquake.
In July 1959, the Sodium Reactor Experiment located at the Santa Susana Field
Laboratory suffered a serious incident causing damage to the reactor and the
controlled release of radioactive gas to the atmosphere. The reactor was
repaired and returned to operation in September, 1960. The incident at the
Sodium Reactor Experiment has been a source of controversy in the community.
Technical analysis of the incident intended to support a lawsuit against the
current landowner (The Boeing Company) argues the incident caused the release of
radioactivity much greater than the accident at Three Mile Island. Boeing's
technical response concludes the monitoring conducted at the time of the
incident shows only the allowable amount of radioactive gasses were released,
and a Three Mile Island-scale release was not possible. The case was settled,
reportedly with a large payment by Boeing.
~~~~~
Education
Simi Valley is served by the Simi Valley Unified School District (SVUSD).
Simi Valley High School was ranked as the 546th best high school according to
MSNBC's Top 1000 High Schools.
Schools of higher education located nearby include Moorpark College, Cal State
Channel Islands, California Lutheran University, Eternity Bible College, Louis
Brandeis Institute of Justice, Pepperdine University, American Jewish
University, Cal State Northridge and UCLA.
There are five high schools located in Simi Valley: Royal High School, Grace
Brethren High School, Santa Susana High School, Simi Valley High School, and
Apollo High School.
~~~~~
Recreation
Simi Valley has 20 city parks and five county parks to preserve large swaths of
open space in the nearby Santa Susana Mountains, locally known as the
"foothills." The city boasts six golf courses and the Kanan Ranch home
development has nature trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians to enjoy.
Two collegiate baseball teams: The Simi Valley Senators and the California Oaks
of the California Collegiate League in Thousand Oaks, provide sports action to
local fans.
To the East, Rocky Peak has a trail system for Mountain Biking, Hiking and
Equestrian activities. The trail is accessed at Kuehner Road - The Hummingbird
Trail, Rocky Peak Road - the main fire road or by the Chumash Trail. A technical
downhill mountain bike run known as the G Spot can be accessed via the main fire
road.
To the West, numerous trails are accessible for Mountain Biking, Hiking and
Equestrian activities. The main access point is at the intersection of Wood
Ranch Parkway and Long Canyon Parkway. The trail system travels as far west as
highway 23, as far east as the Rocketdyne facility and connects to the Lang
Ranch trail system (Westlake Village) and Chesebro trail system which begins in
Agoura Hills. Simi Peak is accessible from this trail system via China Flats in
the Chesebro trail system. Ahmundson Ranch also connects to this trail system.
~~~~~
In Film
Being located so near to Hollywood, Simi Valley has long been a convenient
location for the film industry. Simi Valley and the surrounding hills have been
the site of several television series, including the long running television
series Gunsmoke and M*A*S*H.
The 1982 film Poltergeist was filmed in Roxbury Street, Simi Valley. At the
time, the homes were new and the land behind the street was free, allowing
plenty of access for the studio trucks. The Freeling house as used in the film
(4267 Roxbury Street) received substantial earthquake damage in the 1994
Northridge earthquake.
The popular 70s television show Little House on the Prairie was filmed at
extensive sets built up in the hilly landscapes of the Big Sky Ranch in the Tapo
Canyon hills north of Simi Valley and Santa Clarita, California. In addition to
the Little House itself, the entire set for the town of Walnut Grove was built
atop the hills. After finishing his work on the series, Michael Landon blew up
the town which became part of the final movie but the Little House itself was
left and could be seen on its place up to July 2004 when it was burnt in a big
fire that occurred in this area.
The 1973 film The Doberman Gang was filmed entirely in Simi Valley, with the
actual Bank of A. Levy as the backdrop for the robbery scenes.
In 1983, Colleen McCullough's TV mini-series, The Thorn Birds, was brought to
life in a remote corner of the Simi Valley. Australia proved to have too many
obstacles for the producers to handle, including that there could only be two
American actors in any movie filmed there. All the rest had to be Australian.
Location scouts were sent out, and Simi Valley, which looks very similar in
parts to the Australian countryside, was chosen to build the set of the famous
Cleary ranch and sheep station, Drogheda.
In the 1984 film "Bachelor Party" starring Tom Hanks, the Mann 6 Movie
Theater formerly located within the Sycamore Shopping Center was used for the
movie theater scene.
The 1986 western comedy film ¡Three Amigos! was partially filmed here.
The Brandeis-Bardin Institute's House of the Book is the location of the
original Power Ranger Power Chamber.
The Playtronics Toy company and its car park scenes from Sneakers were filmed at
the Countrywide Loans Data Processing - Admin Plant at 400 Countrywide
Way.
The delivery of the ransom money in The Big Lebowski shows a highway sign naming
Simi Valley.
The video for Bullet with Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins was filmed in
Simi Valley.
In the 1999 comedy Joe Dirt, the character found his long-lost parents in a
trailer home park in Simi Valley (but on some versions, it was changed to Yucca
Valley, California).
In the 1991 "Honey I Blew Up the Kid" was filmed in and around 676
Coldbrook Pl.
In the 1992 film Forever Young starring Mel Gibson the test airstrip scenes and
the highway chase scene were filmed on the west end of Simi Valley bordering
Moorpark.
Most of the 2003 film adaptation of The Cat in the Hat starring Mike Myers and
Dakota Fanning was filmed in Simi Valley. The elaborate faux suburb where most
of the film takes place was built on vacant land in a hilly area in West Simi
Valley.
The video for "Hexagram" by The Deftones was filmed with fans watching
the band play the song in an indoor skatepark in Simi Valley.
The skatepark in the 2005 movie Bad News Bears is in Simi Valley.
The "Retail Rodeo" scenes from the Jennifer Aniston movie The Good
Girl were filmed in the Ralph's shopping center on L.A. Ave. The set was
constructed inside a vacant retail space.
Nu-Metal band Limp Bizkit filmed the music video for the single "Break
Stuff" at Skatelab, a skate park in Simi Valley.
The 2006 comedy The Benchwarmers was filmed on location in Knolls Park and Santa
Susana Park, both located in Simi Valley.
In March 2008, GI Joe started filming in the northern hills above Simi Valley,
near the Little House on the Prairie site.
The Patrick Swayze movie "Three Wishes" used a baseball field in Simi
Valley, near the Santa Susana Pass.
This page was last updated January 22, 2010.