Piru (/ˈpaɪruː/ ⓘ) is a small unincorporated historic town located in eastern Ventura County, California, in the Santa Clara River Valley near the Santa Clara River and Highway 126, about seven miles (11 km) east of Fillmore and about 13 miles (21 km) west of Interstate 5.

Lake Piru, in the Los Padres National Forest, is the main recreational attraction.

For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Piru as a census-designated place (CDP), which does not precisely correspond to the historical community.

Although the town is located in the traditional homelands of the Tataviam, the name Piru (originally pronounced "Pea-roo") derives from the Chumash word pí idhu-ku,[6] which referred to the tule reeds growing along Piru Creek that were used in making baskets.

[8] The area was originally inhabited by the Tataviam, who often established villages along near permanent water sources at lower elevations, including Piru Creek and the Santa Clara River.

[9] Important plant foods for the Tataviam included yucca stalks and hearts, acorns, sage seeds, juniper and holly leaf cherry berries.

[10] The town was founded in 1887 by David C. Cook from Elgin, Illinois, a wealthy publisher of Sunday School tracts and supplies who bought the Rancho Temescal Mexican land grant from the sons of Ygnacio del Valle.

[11] Wanting to establish a "Second Garden of Eden" in this part of the Santa Clara River Valley, Cook specified, tradition says, that the acreage be planted with fruits identified with the Biblical garden—apricots, dates, figs, grapes, olives and pomegranates.

That same year, he built his first home, a Colonial Revival structure, at the southwest corner of Main and Center Streets.

[13][14]: 194 [note 1] Legend has it that the change in pronunciation was brought about by conductors of Southern Pacific Railroad trains, who would shout out, "Pie-roo!"

A strict Methodist, he provided for construction of a church on the north side of Center Street, just west of Main.

He said, when later caught in Los Angeles, that he conceived of the idea while on location at Piru with the film company Universal and stated he committed the robbery to pay his parents' mortgage.

On the night of March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam, to the east in Los Angeles County, broke, sending a torrent of water through the Santa Clara River Valley and causing the deaths of approximately 400 people, a number of which were in Piru.

[22] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), of which 99.45% of it is land and 0.55% is water.

There were 561 housing units at an average density of 197.9 per square mile (76.4/km2), of which 302 (57.7%) were owner-occupied, and 221 (42.3%) were occupied by renters.

16 provides sewer service to the more densely populated historic town center around the railroad line on the west side of Piru Creek.

Piru has been used for shooting film and television productions over the years, including Desert Fury (1947).

Scenes in The Fugitive, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard, Murder, She Wrote, NCIS and Monk were filmed in Piru.

[11] In Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), the scenes of the rest home in the "Kick the Can" segment were filmed at the historic building that is now the Heritage Valley Inn.

The town served as the fictional San Remos countryside in the movie Cobra, starring Sylvester Stallone, Reni Santoni and Brigitte Nielsen.

The 2005 movie The Amateurs starring Jeff Bridges was largely filmed in Piru – as was much of the television movie The Love War (1970) starring Jeff's father Lloyd Bridges, with Angie Dickinson (with Piru serving as location and setting).

[11] In the Disney movie Race to Witch Mountain (2009) starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, scenes where he and the alien boy and girl go into a small town, Stony Creek, where they have repairs done on his taxi and go to a restaurant/country music club, were actually shot in Piru, which continues to be a popular location with film companies.

[citation needed] Piru Mansion was used as the home of Ellis Wyatt in Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), the first segment in a three-part movie adaptation of the novel by Ayn Rand.

Piru was also used to film the 2011 music video "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" from the band Foster the People and featuring actress Gabourey Sidibe.

Water for Elephants was also filmed in Piru[35] as well as Alicia Keys' Unthinkable music video.