(from the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce)
The first Spanish explorers came to Ventura County in 1542, but it wasn't until the early 1800s that the area became a legal entity when Spanish soldiers were granted more than 45,000 acres in exchange for their services to the King of Spain.
Since the days of the long forgotten land grants when the valley was named for its first real inhabitants- Los Conejos, Spanish for "the rabbits" -- the area was used primarily for crop and livestock farming.
Today with farming at a minimum, high-tech and modern light industries have found a home here in the Conejo Valley, ranging from major corporate regional and divisional offices to owner-operated shops and services. Located in southwest Ventura County, the modern valley includes the incorporated cities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and the unincorporated areas of Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Hidden Valley, and Lake Sherwood.
Away from the bustle and congestion of Los Angeles and the heat and smog of the San Fernando Valley, the Conejo Valley offers ideal living and working conditions. Close to the beach and other major Southern California attractions, the local communities are proud of the valley's rural aesthetics. In fact, the City of Thousand Oaks maintains over 12,000 acres of open space, miles of hiking and biking trails, and numerous other parks and recreation sites.
Conejo Valley residents have easy access to multiple institutions of higher learning. California Lutheran University, located in Thousand Oaks, offers four-year majors and pre-professional programs, as well as post-graduate degrees. Other universities and community colleges, including Moorpark College, are also within easy commuting distance.
In addition, the valley's cultural life pays tribute to the arts and the areas rich heritage. Each spring residents don western-style costumes for the week-long Conejo Valley Days festival that relives the "good old days" of the American West with a picnic, parade, chile cook-off, carnival and rodeo.
For music and art lovers, the Music in the Park series of concerts offer the best of both local and renowned artists. The city's new Civic Arts Plaza features a 1800-seat auditorium and 40- seat state-of-the-art theater that headline big name shows and performers as well as local talent.
Visitors to the Conejo can horseback ride along rugged equestrian trails, enjoy a trip to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, explore the ethnic villages of the Stagecoach Inn Museum, the new Chumash Interpretative Center, sail across Westlake, shop at The Oaks regional mall, or take a quick 20-minute drive to the beach. (Or better yet ride one of the canyon roads!)
From the time of its conception, the communities of the Conejo Valley have been planned according to a visionary conception of life that ensures prosperity and a quality life to those who live, work and play between the tranquil mountain tops of the Conejo Valley.