[13] With the arrival of Spanish missionaries in 1782, Mission San Buenaventura was established by Junípero Serra, giving the city its name.

The 1920s brought a major oil boom which significantly developed and expanded Ventura, a growth that continued with the post–World War II economic expansion.

[15] Archaeological research demonstrates that the Chumash people have deep roots in central and southern coastal regions of California, and has revealed artifacts from their culture.

Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary traveling with the expedition, noted that "we saw a regular town, the most populous and best laid-out of all that we had seen on the journey up to the present time.

Fernando Tico also received a Mexican land grant for Ojai and a parcel near the river in downtown Ventura.

[31][32] The development of the oil fields in the 1920s, along with the building of better roads to Los Angeles and the affordability of automobiles, enabled a major real estate boom.

[36][34] On March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam, 54 miles (87 km) inland, failed catastrophically, creating a flood that took more than 600 lives as it flowed down the Santa Clara River to the ocean.

From the south, travel by auto was slow and hazardous, until the completion of a four-lane freeway (US Highway 101) over the Conejo Grade in 1959.

Propelled by the Santa Ana Winds, the fire spread into hillside neighborhoods of Ventura and the area above downtown.

[37] Main Street in the downtown was closed to vehicle traffic in June 2020 in an effort to boost business and keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The western portion of the city stretches north along the Ventura River which is characterized by a narrow valley with steeply sloped areas along both sides.

Ventura has a Mediterranean climate, typical of most coastal California cities, with the sea breeze off the Pacific Ocean moderating temperatures.

It is not uncommon for the city to be affected by Santa Ana winds off the Transverse Ranges on occasion, which increase temperatures dramatically.

Ventura is a popular tourist destination in Southern California, owing to its historic landmarks, beaches, and the local leisure economy.

Ventura Ventures Technology Center was created as an economic engine to develop jobs and companies locally, as well as attract entrepreneurs to the area.

[59] The Trade Desk, an industry leader in advertising on streaming services, is the second biggest publicly-traded company in Ventura County by market capitalization.

[60] According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[61] the top employers in the city are: Following the legalization of cannabis in California, local governments can prohibit companies from growing, testing, and selling cannabis within their jurisdiction by licensing none or only some of these activities but may not prohibit adults from growing, using or transporting marijuana for personal use.

[65] Once the appeals process is completed, applicants worked with the city on safety, security, odor control and other issues before being able to open for business.

It has been a venue for concerts such as The Doors, Pearl Jam, Van Halen, X, Ray Charles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Social Distortion, Bad Religion, Fugazi, Incubus, Tom Petty, They Might Be Giants, and Johnny Cash, as well as homegrown artists like KYLE, Cirith Ungol, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Army of Freshmen.

[69][70] The Ventura County Fairgrounds is the home of the annual Ventura County Fair, and over the years has hosted such acts as Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Phish, Smokey Robinson, All American Rejects, Smash Mouth, and Sugar Ray, as well as the Vans Warped Tour.

In Plaza Park (Chestnut and Santa Clara streets, downtown) stands a large Moreton Bay fig tree.

Across the street, the main post office has murals on interior walls commissioned by the Section of Painting and Sculpture of the U.S. Treasury Department as New Deal art.

The Olivas Adobe, one of the early "California Rancho"-styled homes, is operated as a museum and performing arts venue.

A summer music series of performances held in the courtyard features an eclectic assortment of artists from blues to jazz to country.

Ventura is notable for the quality and frequency of the surfing conditions at spots such as Surfer's Point at Seaside Park.

Ventura is located within California's 26th congressional district, with Julia Brownley currently serving as its representative in the U.S. Congress.

[94] The plant, within a former portion of the estuary of the Santa Clara River, has ponds of treated water that attract birds.

The Montalvo Municipal Improvement District had been formed 60 years prior to bringing sewer service to what was then a remote unincorporated area southeast of Ventura.

series of crime novels featuring Doug Selby, the crusading district attorney of a rural California county.

The macOS Ventura operating system was presented at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC2022) on June 6, 2022, after having been named after the city.