At the time of European contact in the 18th century, Camarillo had been inhabited by the Chumash Indians for thousands of years.

[9] Present day Camarillo and the larger Oxnard Plain were portions of a paramount Chumash capital at the village of Muwu (today's Point Mugu).

Simo'mo (CA-VEN-24), which translates to "the saltbush patch", was a Chumash village located upstream from Mugu Lagoon near the city of Camarillo.

The town was centered around St. Mary Magdalen Church, which was to serve as the family chapel for Adolfo Camarillo.

[17] In 1927 Don Juan Camarillo, brother of Adolfo, donated 100 acres (0.40 km2) to be used as a seminary to be named in honor of Saint John the Evangelist.

Travel to and from Los Angeles was difficult, owing to the narrow, tortuous road climbing the Conejo Grade to the east of the city.

[20] The main industry during this period was agriculture, and the area surrounding the small town was blanketed with orange, lemon and walnut groves.

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.

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.

[21] 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.

[citation needed] 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.

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.

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.

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.

[23] In 2014, the council voted against an 895-acre project (362 ha) that would have extended development on agricultural lands east towards the Conejo Grade.

Finally, on Sunday, May 5, 2013, rain in the area during the night helped firefighters bring the fire under full control.

[citation needed] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.5 square miles (51 km2).

Camarillo is located in Pleasant Valley[26] 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.

Jazzman Charlie Parker's "Relaxin' at Camarillo," written while he was detoxing from heroin addiction, is a tribute to the facility.

[citation needed] The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District has hosted the Camarillo Christmas Parade since 1962.

Notable Grand Marshals have included Jessica Mendoza, Lisa Guerrero, Jack Wilson, Fernando Vargas, and Walter Brennan.

[51] The council is responsible for establishing policy, enacting laws and making legal and financial decisions for the city.

Services such as water, sewer, trash collection, street maintenance and traffic engineering are provided by a combination of contractors and city employees.

Under the partnership agreement, the library will remain in the public trust, managed by the City of Camarillo and operated by LSSI.

[58] VCTC Intercity operates buses between Camarillo and several nearby cities, including the Conejo Express to the Warner Center area of Los Angeles.

The airport has one runway and serves privately operated general aviation and executive aircraft, with no scheduled commercial service.

[67] The Camrosa Water District serves nearly 30,000 people in Camarillo and the Santa Rosa Valley along with agricultural customers.