It is bounded by Victoria Avenue to the west, Ralston Street to the north, Johnson Drive to the east, and the Ventura Freeway to the south.
In the late 1880s, the University of Southern California planned to establish a satellite campus, to be known as the "Collegiate Institute", on a grassy knoll in Montalvo.
The town boasted a daily newspaper, a Chinese laundry, a general store and post office that was the center of life along the river.
Development was halted in 1958 when the Ventura County Health Department found the sewage treatment plant to be inadequate.
The consultants proposed making Montalvo the hub of Ventura County government, culture, and transportation, including development of a civic center and a state college.
[8] In 1967, the Ventura Freeway was constructed through Montalvo, resulting in significant financial losses to local merchants.
In 1994, the Ventura Police Department opened a storefront substation in the Montalvo area to attempt to fight the increased crime.
[5][1] Montalvo also was home to a natural dirt mound in the northern part of the community that was rumored to be the work of native Americans.