Oxnard, California is the closest major city to Naval Base Ventura County. Oxnard has about 204,000 people, and is in Ventura County, which has a population of about 825,000 people. Other smaller nearby communities include Camarillo (65,000) Ventura (110,000) and Port Hueneme (22,000).

It is about 9 miles from downtown Oxnard to NB Ventura County; this takes about 18 minutes to commute; Camarillo, Ventura, and Port Hueneme are all within 30 minutes commute or less in good traffic, but the area can have thick traffic and travel times can vary significantly. The average commute in Ventura County is about 25 minutes.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Oxnard area ranges from $850 to $1500 per month, with a median of about $1150 per month. Generally speaking, the closer you get to the beach, the higher rent is.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Oxnard in the last few years was about $477,000, compared to $525,000 for California. The average price for a house in Ventura County in the last few years was about $588,000.

Short Description of the Area: Oxnard is a mid-sized city in coastal southern California, about an hour north of Los Angeles. The area is a river valley mouth, opening the coast between two hilly regions, with regular fresh winds blowing in off the Pacific Ocean.

Climate and Weather: The Ventura County coastal area has a Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Summer temperatures range from the low 70s to mid-50s and winter temperatures from the mid 60s to low 40s. The area has prevailing winds from the Pacific Ocean, and in winter can take some moderate rain, 2"-3" and sometimes heavy rain; summers are generally clear and dry. Mornings can see varying fog rolling off the ocean. Snow is very rare. Overall the area is temperate and moderate.

Earthquake Warning: Southern California is subject to earthquakes, and every home should be ready to last a few days in case of a big shock, and every resident aware of basic earthquake safety.

Trivia: If the area around base looks like it came out of a TV series or movie, it did. Dozens of films and TV shows have used the Oxnard and Ventura County area for shooting locations, often standing in for other places in California or around the world, including Erin Brockovich, Swordfish, Back to the Future III, The Rock, The Aviator, and Little Miss Sunshine, as well as many locations for TV shows.