City of Ventura
Government AdministrationCalifornia, United States501-1000 Employees
Located on the Southern California coast, the City of Ventura operates as a full-service municipal government. Founded in 1782 with the establishment of Mission San Buenaventura and later incorporated in 1866, the city sits along the Pacific Ocean between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It serves about 109,000 residents within a 32-square-mile area, supported by a sizeable staff focused on delivering essential services to businesses, residents, and visitors. It hosts more than 12,000 businesses and supports a regional workforce numbering over 53,000, with Patagonia, The Trade Desk, and Petunia Pickle Bottom among the firms headquartered there. The city prioritizes economic development, offering resources to help local firms thrive and expand, and fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem, including a business incubator that has graduated companies such as The Trade Desk, MomentFeed, Connexity, and GiddyUp. Ventura also serves as a regional hub for healthcare and public administration, housing three medical institutions and the county government center.