Agoura Hills, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Agoura Hills, California
City
View of Agoura Hills looking from southern edge of the Historic Quarter in December 2006
Logo
Motto(s):  "The Gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains"
Location of Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County
Agoura Hills, California Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Agoura Hills, California Location in California Show map of California Agoura Hills, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles
Region	Conejo Valley
Settled (by the Spanish)	1700s
Incorporated	December 8, 1982
Named for	Don Pierre Agoure
Government
• Type	City Council/City Manager
Area
• Total	7.82 sq mi (20.25 km2)
• Land	7.80 sq mi (20.19 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)  0.37%
Elevation	922 ft (281 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	20,299
• Density	2,603.77/sq mi (1,005.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes	91301, 91376–91377
Area code	747/818
FIPS code	06-00394
GNIS feature IDs	1733436, 2409666

Agoura Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It's located in the Santa Monica Mountains area. In 2020, about 20,299 people lived there.

Agoura Hills is in the eastern Conejo Valley. It sits between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. The city is about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. It's also less than 10 miles (16 km) west of Woodland Hills. Nearby communities include Calabasas, Oak Park, and Westlake Village.

History of Agoura Hills

Early Settlements and Spanish Influence

The Chumash people were the first to settle this area. They lived here about 10,000 years ago. In the late 1700s, Spanish missionaries came to the California coast. They created a road called El Camino Real. This "Royal Road" connected the Spanish missions in California. It passed right through what is now Agoura Hills.

Around 1800, a Spanish grazing area was granted to Miguel Ortega. It was called Rancho Las Virgenes. After Ortega died in 1810, the land was given to José Maria Dominguez in 1834. Later, in 1845, Maria Antonia Machado de Reyes bought the rancho. Today, the "Reyes Adobe" ranch headquarters is part of the Reyes Adobe Museum. It was built around 2004 and is owned by Los Angeles County.

By 1900, Agoura Hills was a popular stop for travelers. It had a natural spring at the base of Ladyface Mountain. This mountain is a key landmark in the area.

Picture City and Naming Agoura

In the 1920s, the community was briefly known as Picture City. This was because Paramount Pictures owned a ranch there. The Paramount Ranch was used for filming Western movies.

To get their own post office, residents needed a one-word name. In 1927, they chose "Agoura." This name was a misspelled version of Pierre Agoure's last name. He was a local man from France who settled in the area in 1871. He was a successful sheep herder.

An estate in Old Agoura

Growth and Cityhood

Agoura Hills started to grow a lot in the late 1960s. This happened after the Ventura Freeway (U.S. Route 101) was built. The freeway cut through the city, separating its northern and southern parts. The first housing areas built were Hillrise, Liberty Canyon, and Lake Lindero. Growth continued quickly in the 1970s. Many schools were built, and the downtown area grew.

In 1978, people in Agoura Hills worked together to get the Kanan Bridge widened. This bridge goes over the Ventura Freeway. Laws were passed to make the bridge bigger, from two lanes to four.

In 1982, the people of Agoura Hills voted to become a city. About 68% of voters said yes. Agoura Hills became the 83rd city in Los Angeles County. The first City Council included Mayor Fran Pavley. Becoming a city helped residents control new building projects. This also influenced nearby cities like Malibu and Calabasas to become cities later.

The 1980s saw huge growth. Many large areas were divided into housing tracts. Lots of people moved into the city. In the 1990s, many businesses opened. The downtown area filled with shops and restaurants.

Map showing Agoura Hills Districts

Geography of Agoura Hills

Agoura Hills covers about 8.2 square miles (20.25 km2). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

The city has a mountain called Ballard Mountain. It was named after John Ballard, an early settler. Ladyface Mountain is another important mountain. It is 2,031 feet high.

Panorama of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village with Ballard Mountain prominent as the leftmost peak in the image.

Agoura Hills is known as the "Gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area". The city has several different areas or districts. These include Morrison Ranch, Downtown, Forest Cove, South End, Malibu Junction, East Agoura, and Old Agoura.

Population of Agoura Hills

Strawberry Hill Apartments, in the Forest Grove neighborhood

Population in 2010

In 2010, Agoura Hills had a population of 20,330 people. Most residents (84.3%) were White. About 7.5% were Asian, and 2.9% were from other races. About 9.5% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 7,327 households. About 38.2% of these households had children under 18. The average household had 2.76 people. Most people (79.2%) lived in homes they owned. The median household income was $107,885.

Population in 2000

In 2000, there were 20,537 people living in Agoura Hills. The racial makeup was similar to 2010. About 86.96% were White, and 6.50% were Asian. About 6.85% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

A ranch in Old Agoura

Economy

Top Employers

Here are some of the biggest employers in Agoura Hills as of 2020:

City Services

The Las Virgenes Water District provides water to Agoura Hills. This water comes from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) has a station nearby. It serves Agoura Hills and other areas.

The United States Postal Service has an Agoura Hills Post Office on Clareton Drive.

Education

Agoura High School

The Las Virgenes Unified School District serves schools in Agoura Hills.

• Sumac Elementary School
• Willow Elementary School
• Yerba Buena Elementary School
• Lindero Canyon Middle School
• Agoura High School
• Indian Hills High School

Sports and Events

Agoura Hills is the main office for the Los Angeles Rams football team since 2016.

Events

The Great Race of Agoura Hills is an annual running event. It happens every March at Chumash Park. The race started in 1986. It includes different races like a half-marathon, a 10K, a 5K, and a Kids 1 Mile run. In 2011, the Chesebro Half-Marathon was voted the best half-marathon in the U.S.

Notable People

See also

In Spanish: Agoura Hills para niños