- Agoura Hills, California
-
For the unincorporated community, see Agoura, California.
Agoura Hills — City — View of Agoura Hills looking from southern edge of the Historic Quarter.
Location of Agoura Hills in California
Location of Agoura Hills in California
Agoura HillsCoordinates: 34°9′12″N 118°45′42″W / 34.15333°N 118.76167°WCoordinates: 34°9′12″N 118°45′42″W / 34.15333°N 118.76167°W Country 
United StatesState 
CaliforniaCounty Los Angeles Settled by Spanish 1700s Incorporated (city) December 8, 1982[1] Government – Mayor Harry Schwarz [2] – Mayor Pro Tem Dan Kuperberg [2] Area[3] – Total 7.822 sq mi (20.260 km2) – Land 7.793 sq mi (20.184 km2) – Water 0.029 sq mi (0.076 km2) 0.37% Elevation 922 ft (281 m) Population (2010) – Total 20,330 – Density 2,599.1/sq mi (1,003.5/km2) Time zone PST (UTC-8) – Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7) ZIP Code 91301, 91376, 91377[4] Area code(s) 818[5] FIPS code 06-00394 GNIS feature ID 1667896 Website http://www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/ Agoura Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and has the ZIP code 91301. The population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, down from 20,537 at the 2000 census. It is located in the eastern Conejo Valley between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. This city on the Ventura Freeway (U.S. Route 101) straddles the border between the county of Los Angeles to the east, west and south and Ventura County to the north. It is approximately 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and less than 10 miles (16 km) west of the Los Angeles City limits (Woodland Hills). Agoura Hills and unincorporated Agoura are also situated next to Calabasas, Malibu, Oak Park, and Westlake Village.
Contents
History
The area was first settled by the Chumash Native Americans around 10,000 years before present.[6] As the Alta California (Upper California) coast was settled by Spanish Franciscan missionaries in the late 18th century, the El Camino Real (the Royal Road or King's Highway), a road from Loreto, Baja California, Mexico to Sonoma, California, and connecting the Spanish missions in California, was established through the heart of what would later be known as Agoura Hills.
In about 1800, Miguel Ortega was granted a Spanish grazing concession called Rancho Las Virgenes or El Rancho de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Las Virgenes. The grant was abandoned after Ortega's death in 1810, and José Maria Dominguez was given Rancho Las Virgenes as a Mexican land grant in 1834. Maria Antonia Machado de Reyes purchased the rancho from Dominguez in 1845. The "Reyes Adobe" ranch headquarters can still be found today in a museum along Reyes Adobe Rd. in central Agoura Hills. The historic Reyes Adobe Museum, owned by the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department, was built in the mid-first decade of the 21st century around the site of the old adobe.[7]
By 1900, Agoura Hills was being used as a popular stage stop for travelers along the Camino Real because of its natural spring at the foothills of Ladyface Mountain, one of Agoura Hills' defining geographic features.
In the 1920s, the community was briefly known as Picture City, as Paramount Pictures owned a ranch in the area used for filming Westerns. To obtain a post office of its own the residents were required to choose a one word name, and in 1927 chose a misspelling of the last name of Pierre Agoure, a local Basque man and French immigrant who had settled in the area in 1871 to live the lifestyle of the Mexican rancher and styled himself Don Pierre Agoure,[8] accordingly. Agoure was a successful sheep herder and had a reputation as a swashbuckler. His name was chosen for the post office as it was the shortest name proposed.[9]
An estate in Old Agoura
Rapid growth occurred in the Agoura Hills area starting in the late 1960s, in the wake of the construction of the Ventura Freeway section of U.S. Route 101 through the city's heart, an action that isolated the northern half of the city from the south. The first housing tracts started in Agoura were Hillrise, Liberty Canyon and Lake Lindero. Growth continued at a rapid pace during the 1970s. Schools were built and much of downtown was erected.
In 1978, residents of the Agoura Hills area banded together to lobby Sacramento to widen the Kanan Bridge. Legislation was introduced and passed requiring the State Department of Transportation to award contracts for widening of the Kanan Road bridge overpass, over the Ventura Freeway, from two lanes to four lanes.
In 1982, the residents of the City of Agoura Hills voted in favor of cityhood by a 68% majority. Agoura Hills became the 83rd City in Los Angeles County. Elected to the first City Council were Mayor Fran Pavley, Mayor Pro Tem Carol Sahm, Councilmembers Ernest Dynda, John Hood and Vicky Leary.[10] Incorporating a year after neighboring Westlake Village, the drive for cityhood in the region was largely based on public discontent with the county's failure to limit residential development of the area, motives that influenced Malibu and Calabasas to follow suit in 1991.[11]
The 1980s was a period of tremendous growth, with large land areas being subdivided into housing tracts and a great wave of migration of people into the city. In the 1990s numerous businesses also set up shop in the city, and the downtown area was filled with shops and restaurants.
Map showing Agoura Hills DistrictsIn 1996, however, the murder of Jimmy Farris (the infamous Brandon Hein case) shook the city and awakened it to a rising drug problem and petty theft crime wave among its young. As a result, the city began sponsoring live music competitions and concerts in local parks (see Music).
Geography
Main article: Neighborhoods of Agoura Hills, CaliforniaAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21 km2). 8.2 square miles (21 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.37%) is water
Agoura Hills has a mountain called Ballard Mountain named after pioneer settler and freed slave John Ballard. The name of the mountain was officially changed from Negrohead to Ballard in a ceremony on February 20, 2010.[12]
Panorama of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village with Ballard Mountain prominent as the leftmost peak in the image.
Agoura Hills is called the "Gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area"[citation needed]. The city is unofficially divided into a number of varied districts centered on the modern Downtown area of the city. The most notable of these districts include Downtown, Forest Cove, South End, Malibu Junction, East Agoura, and Old Agoura.
Environment
Further information: Santa Monica MountainsNatural areas of Agoura Hills are part of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion and are covered by hundreds of local plant species, some of which are very rare, and others of which have become popular ornamentals. The range is host to an immense variety of wildlife, from mountain lions to the endangered steelhead. The Mountain lion population within the Santa Monica Mountains (which includes the Simi Hills & Santa Susana Pass) is severely depleted with only seven known living adult individuals. The primary cause of the decline is due to a combination of traffic related mortality (three from the area were killed within a matter of months,) anti-coagulants ingested from human poisoned prey (two individuals within the Simi Hills) and attacks by other, more dominant mountain lions (an elder male, known as P1, killed both his son and his mate, this is though to be due to a lack of space available.) Snakes are common but only occasionally seen- the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (the only venomous species), Mountain Kingsnake, California Kingsnake, Gopher snake, and Garter snake. The mountains are also home to the Western fence lizard.
Invasive species
In 2010, the Los Angeles Times reported that the New Zealand mud snail had infested watersheds in the Santa Monica Mountains, posing serious threats to native species and complicating efforts to improve stream-water quality for the endangered steelhead trout. According to the article, the snails have expanded "from the first confirmed sample in Medea Creek in Agoura Hills to nearly 30 other stream sites in four years." Researchers at the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission believe that the snails' expansion may have been expedited after the mollusks traveled from stream to stream on the gear of contractors and volunteers.[13]
Music
Agoura Hills is known regionally for its live music scene and originality in the nu metal scene, a fame that has given rise to such acts as Linkin Park, Incubus, Hoobastank, Dead By Sunrise, and Fort Minor.
This music scene was born amid the coming of age of the children of the first wave of migration into Agoura Hills, those that settled in the 1960s. The 1980s was the first boom in the music scene, but by the late 1980s, as many of these original rockers moved off to college or aged, the scene quietly began to slip away.
Western Agoura Hills from the hills north of Morrison RanchHowever, in the mid-1990s the music scene began to take off again, energized by the coming of age of the children of those who had settled in the early 1980s. The 1996 Jimmy Farris murder case (popularized by defendant Brandon Hein) spurred many city leaders to action in promoting the arts among teenagers, hoping to ward off a rising crime wave. This patronage helped re-popularize live music among teenagers, and created the fertile ground that led to the take off of Linkin Park and Hoobastank.
However, by the first decade of the 21st century, much of this wave of teenagers had aged or gone to college, leaving the scene with only a shell of the energy it once had. Although the scene lives on, pushed forward by various Battle of the Bands competitions and garage concerts, the lack of a third major wave of migration to Agoura Hills (construction having been relatively maxed out in the second migration) makes a major renaissance seem doubtful as of early 2007. Demographic data suggests a possible resurgence within the coming years, but current data shows that the majority of young people in the city are in the 10 to 14 years old age group, leaving a comeback to some years in the future. With mean house prices in Agoura at $1.03 million, families with younger children (age 0-9) are probably not expected for a generation.[14]
As a result of this decline, it has become equally common to hear alt-rock blaring from stereos in Agoura as to hear reggaeton, a fact evidenced by radio station Latino 96.3's advertising campaign and runaway popularity in Agoura Hills.
Agoura Hills is home to The Canyon Club, a highly regarded concert venue that hosts national and regional touring acts such as Peter Frampton, Pat Benetar, Cyndi Lauper, REO Speedwagon, X, Steel Pulse, The New Cars, Asia, Boyz II Men, Alan Parsons, and The Smithereens.
Demographics
"The Gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area"2010
The 2010 United States Census[15] reported that Agoura Hills had a population of 20,330. The population density was 2,599.0 people per square mile (1,003.5/km²). The racial makeup of Agoura Hills was 17,147 (84.3%) White, 267 (1.3%) African American, 51 (0.3%) Native American, 1,521 (7.5%) Asian, 24 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 590 (2.9%) from other races, and 730 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,936 persons (9.5%).
The Census reported that 20,242 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 15 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 73 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 7,327 households, out of which 2,799 (38.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,565 (62.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 726 (9.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 302 (4.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 263 (3.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 36 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,346 households (18.4%) were made up of individuals and 438 (6.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76. There were 5,593 families (76.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.15.
The population was spread out with 4,904 people (24.1%) under the age of 18, 1,582 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 4,465 people (22.0%) aged 25 to 44, 7,089 people (34.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,290 people (11.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.4 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
There were 7,585 housing units at an average density of 969.7 per square mile (374.4/km²), of which 5,715 (78.0%) were owner-occupied, and 1,612 (22.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 16,111 people (79.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,131 people (20.3%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 20,537 people, 6,874 households, and 5,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,511.8 inhabitants per square mile (969.4/km2). There were 6,993 housing units at an average density of 855.3 per square mile (330.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.96% White, 1.32% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 6.50% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.09% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. 6.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,874 households out of which 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.7% were non-families. 13.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
A ranch in Old AgouraEconomy
There are 14,899 people at least 16 years old, of which 10,645 are in the Civilian Labor Group and 11 are in the Armed Forces. 360 are unemployed.
Of 7,660 females that are at least 16 years old, 4,865 are in the Civilian Labor Group and 0 are in the Armed Forces. 4,715 are employed, and 150 are unemployed.
Of 10,166 out of the 10,285 workers 16 years or older, 8,454 drive to work alone in a motor vehicle, 793 carpool, 90 use public transportation (including taxicabs), 76 walk, and 82 use other means of transportation to commute to work. 671 workers work at home.
The mean time to commute to work (one-way) is 30.5 minutes.
Of the 10,285 workers, 7,900 are privately employed, 1,124 are government workers, 1,211 are self-employed, and 50 are unpaid family workers.
Gaming company NovaLogic has their headquarters in Agoura Hills.
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[17] the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees 1 Bank of America 755 2 THQ 505 3 Las Virgenes Unified School District 503 4 TouchCommerce 256 5 Teradyne 205 6 PacificComp 211 7 Farmers Financial Solutions 200 8 Community Medical Group Of The West Valley 160 9 Renaissance Hotel 120 10 DTS 130 11 Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill 100 12 Vons 86 Government and infrastructure
Agoura Hills is governed by a City Council/City Manager form of government. A five-member City Council is elected by the residents to oversee city operations and guide the development of the community. Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms.[18] The terms are staggered so that a measure of continuity is maintained from one Council to the next. The role of Mayor rotates among the Councilmembers. The Mayor is chosen by the City Councilmembers to serve a one-year term.[18] The City Manager is appointed by the City Council to supervise the administrative personnel and contract services.[19] As of August 2010, the Agoura Hills City Council consists of William D. Koehler (Mayor), Harry Schwarz (Mayor Pro Tem) and councilmembers John M. Edelston, Dan Kuperberg and Denis Weber. The City Manager is Greg Ramirez and the city attorney is Craig Steele.
In the state legislature Agoura Hills is located in the 23rd Senate District, represented by Democrat Fran Pavley, and in the 41st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Julia Brownley. Federally, Agoura Hills is located in California's 30th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +20[20] and is represented by Democrat Henry Waxman.
In the 2004 presidential election John Kerry won 52% of the vote, whereas George W. Bush won 46% of the vote. In the 2006 state governor election, Arnold Schwarzenegger got just over 62% of the vote, while Democratic opponent Phil Angelides got over 34%.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the Malibu/Lost Hills Station in Calabasas, serving Agoura Hills.[21][22]
The United States Postal Service Agoura Hills Post Office is located at 5158 Clareton Drive.[23]
Education
The Las Virgenes Unified School District serves Agoura Hills.
- Lupin Hill Elementary School
- Sumac Elementary School
- Willow Elementary School
- Yerba Buena Elementary School
- A.E. Wright Middle School
- Lindero Canyon Middle School
- Agoura High School
- John Robert Powers Children Acting/Modeling School
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Agoura Hills include:
- Ron Goldman, waiter and deceased friend of Nicole Brown Simpson
- Rainn Wilson, actor
- Erin Brockovich, environmental activist
- Mike Shinoda, musician
- Doug Robb, singer
- Heather Graham, actress
- Todd Steussie
- Brad Garrett, actor/comedian
- Clay Matthews, NFL Linebacker for the Green Bay Packers
- Casey Matthews, NFL Linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles
- Guillermo del Toro, Mexican film director
- Rob Paulsen, American voice actor
References
- ^ "Incorporation Dates of California Cities". http://www.cacities.org/resource_files/20457.IncorpDateLO.doc. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
- ^ a b "City of Agoura Hills : Council Members". http://www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/index.aspx?page=24. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ U.S. Census
- ^ "USPS - ZIP Code Lookup - Find a ZIP+ 4 Code By City Results". http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/zcl_1_results.jsp?visited=1&pagenumber=0&state=ca&city=Agoura%20Hills. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ "Number Administration System - NPA and City/Town Search Results". http://www.nanpa.com/nas/public/npa_city_query_step2.do?method=displayData&cityToNpaModel.stateAbbr=CA&cityToNpaModel.city=Agoura%20Hills. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
- ^ C. M. Hogan, 2008
- ^ Reyes Adobe
- ^ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=9332&GRid=14344192& findagrave.com
- ^ http://www.colapublib.org/history/agourahills/faq.html colapublib.org
- ^ http://www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/history.html ci.agoura-hills.ca.us
- ^ http://desperado.scvnet.com/~philh/scope/articles/inthenews/lat-smm-1.html desperado.scvnet.com
- ^ Associated Press (February 20, 2010). "Calif.'s Negrohead Mountain renamed for pioneer". Newsvine. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2010/02/20/3927658-califs-negrohead-mountain-renamed-for-pioneer. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ Hard-to-kill snails infest Santa Monica Mountain watersheds Even Formula 409 has proven ineffective at destroying the New Zealand mudsnail, an asexually reproducing invasive species that poses a threat to steelhead restoration efforts and native creatures.
- ^ [1] ww4.onboardnavigator.com
- ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ City of Agoura Hills CAFR
- ^ a b City of Agoura Hills Website: Local Election Information. http://ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6913
- ^ City of Agoura Hills Website. http://ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=24
- ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Malibu/Lost Hills Station." Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Retrieved on January 21, 2010.
- ^ "Calabasas city, California." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on January 21, 2010.
- ^ "Post Office Location - AGOURA HILLS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
External links
- Agoura Hills official website
- Local Guide of City
- Agoura area chamber of commerce
- Agoura Hills community History LA County library
- The Acorn local newspaper
- - Conejo Post - News, Issues, History and Outdoors in the Conejo Valley, including Agoura Hills
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