In the early 1960's most of the Conejo Valley consisted of large ranches. One of them was owned by the Janss family and another was acquired by Daniel K. Ludwig of American Hawaiian Steamship Corp. Both experienced development companies with a desire to create a "city in the country" which would avoid the haphazard, chaotic urban sprawl typical of much of Southern California.

Their vision included a balanced mix of residential housing, commercial services, clean industry and diverse recreation where people could live, work and play. The City of Thousand Oaks incorporated in 1964, and continued to oversee development according to a general plan that incorporates controlled growth and a balanced mix of residential areas, modern shopping centers, excellent schools, business and industrial centers, while preserving more than 12,000 acres designated “open space”. In 40 years the Conejo had grown from a handful of ranches to a thriving community with a population of approximately 150,000.

This early vision created a remarkable mix of residential housing, including apartments and affordable condos to multi-million dollar estates and ranches, all co-existing in harmony with clean commercial/industrial centers.  Homes are available with golf course or lakeside frontage, equestrian facilities, hiking trails and recreation centers nearby.

Major employers such as Amgen, Wellpoint, J.D. Powers, State Farm, Baxter Pharmaceuticals, Blue Cross, Verizon, Rockwell Science Center and others have significant facilities within the community.

Recreational opportunities abound. Locally, there are 4 private lakes, 5 golf courses, numerous swim, tennis and equestrian facilities, all surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains National recreation Area. The beaches of Malibu and Ventura are within a 20 minute drive and mountain or desert resort areas, one to three hours. Thousand Oak offers attractive, supervised centers for teens and seniors while the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza attracts world class entertainment for everyone.

The City of Thousand Oaks has been consistently rated by the FBI as one of the two safest cities in the United Sates (population of over 100,000). Services are provided through contract with Ventura & Los Angeles County.

Local police services include: patrol, investigation, traffic enforcement, youth services, computer crime analysis, narcotics and an active crime prevention program. Fire protection is excellent, with stations strategically located to cover all areas of the valley within a minimum response time. A mutual aid agreement is maintained between the Ventura and Los Angeles County departments.

Today, the Conejo is one of the most desirable places in California to live, work and play and the remarkable vision and planning of our early developers and City fathers insure that it will remain so far into the future.