Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks is a city in Ventura County in Southern California. It is the largest city in the Conejo Valley, which it shares with Agoura Hills and Westlake Village, nestled within the Santa Monica Mountains. Newbury Park on the west and Oak Park on the east are districts of Thousand Oaks. == Get in == === By car === Due to Thousand Oaks's suburban design like the rest of America and the Southern California region and its individual geography, the car is the best option to access Thousand Oaks. There are several options to get into Thousand Oaks by car: The US 101 freeway running west to east from Camarillo to Agoura Hills, State Route 23 running south to north from Malibu to far north as Fillmore, connecting it to State Route 118 toward Simi Valley toward the east, along with other, smaller and local roads connecting nearby cities in the county, such as Portero Road from California State University Channel Islands and the outskirts of Camarillo, Moorpark Road from Moorpark, and Olsen Road from Simi Valley. === By plane === Even though Thousand Oaks does not have a direct plane connection, there are plenty of options to access Thousand Oaks via plane and another method of transportation. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is your best bet to access Thousand Oaks from plane as it is the closest major airport to Thousand Oaks. Another closer option is Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in Burbank, although it does have limited commercial air service. Alternatively, you could fly in to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) in Santa Barbara and access Thousand Oaks from the west, however, it also does have limited commercial air service like Burbank. Either way, driving from these airports are the best options despite the heavy traffic in the region compared to other options, which are more lacking and limited in quality, although if you are coming from Burbank Airport or Santa Barbara, you could take Metrolink (from Burbank) or Amtrak trains (from Burbank and Santa Barbara). There are nearby airports in Camarillo, Oxnard, and Santa Paula, but they do not provide commercial air service at all and are smaller, general aviation airports for the public. === By train === Although Thousand Oaks is not directly served by Amtrak or by Metrolink's Ventura County Line due to its hilly geography, you can still take Amtrak or Metrolink trains to the two closest stations to Thousand Oaks - Camarillo and Moorpark - before proceeding toward Thousand Oaks from the west in Camarillo and from the north in Moorpark. From there, there are several options to get to Thousand Oaks from the stations - for example, you can take intercity buses operated by VCTC or hail a ride sharing service to get to Thousand Oaks. === By bus === There are several buses that you can take to access Thousand Oaks via bus. The Ventura County Transport Commission (VCTC) operates intercity buses that go directly toward the 1 Thousand Oaks Transit Center, such as the 50-55 buses from Ventura and the San Fernando Valley and the 70-73X buses that come from Simi Valley. Additionally, LA Metro operates the 161 bus from the Canoga Orange Line station. Another option are the LADOT commuter express buses, particularly the 422 and 423 buses, however, these buses timetables' are meant for local commuters, not regular travelers. Take into account that these buses operate infrequently due to the car-dependent nature of Southern California, and plan accordingly. == Get around == === By car === As Thousand Oaks is designed around the car like many other suburbs in Southern California and the United States, the best option to get around town is to drive. There is an extensive network of wide roads across the city, connecting one end of Thousand Oaks to another end. For example, it is possible to drive from Newbury Park to California Lutheran University by continuously driving on Lynn/Olsen Road. Additionally, you can drive on the 101 and the 23 to get to another place quickly compared to city streets, depending on the traffic. Parking your car is usually free and there is plenty of parking just like in many suburban cities across Southern California and America. === By bus === Although Thousand Oaks Transit does operate a few bus lines, keep in mind that they are unreliable as they come only once every hour - even more depending on the schedule for a select few bus stops (Dos Vientos Community Center on Route 40 and all bus stops on Route 44 east of Rancho Road serving Westlake Village). City buses only operates from Monday to Saturday - from Monday to Friday, they operate from 5:00 AM to 8 PM, and on Saturdays, they operate from 7:00 AM to 8 PM. Another option is to use the VCTC intercity buses, as they do operate stops within Thousand Oaks. The Oaks Mall and the Thousand Oaks Transit Center are the main hubs for city buses along with regional buses as all bus routes lead to the mall or to the transportation center, providing convenient access to other buses. Fares are $2 per ride for regular one-way trips, and there are bus passes for as low as $16 for 10 rides and a 7 day bus pass, or $50 for a 31 day bus pass as of January 2025. === By bike === Don't expect Thousand Oaks's bike infrastructure to be comparable to Amsterdam's or Copenhagen's bike infrastructure; at best, you will be protected by paint on a concrete surrounded by cars with speed limits that can go up to 50 miles per hour depending on the road you are biking. As a result, very little residents use the bike to regularly commute or go to destinations. There are a few protected bike paths separate from traffic, particularly around the Oaks Mall and the Conejo Creek South Park, but they are sparse and do not directly connect to each other. It is highly recommended to use an e-bike as it will help you climb the hilly terrain of Thousand Oaks, unless you are bold and daring enough to do a workout on a regular bike. Bike parking here ranges from small, humble bike racks to absolutely no bike parking infrastructure at all, depending on the locations that you are biking to. === By foot === Don't. Thousand Oaks is a sprawling suburb and it is incredibly hilly, which will be incredibly tiring for yourself. This should be a last resort. == See == 1 Gardens of the World, 2001 Thousand Oaks Blvd (across from the Civic Arts Plaza), ☏ +1 805 557-1135, fax: +1 805 777-1006, gardensinfo@hoganfoundation.org. Tu-Su 9AM-5PM; closed Mondays, most national holidays and bad weather. Beautiful gardens including a Japanese and an Italian garden. Special events throughout the year. Docent guided tours available. 2 Chumash Indian Museum (Chumash Village), 3290 Lang Ranch Parkway, ☏ +1 805-492-8076, chumashindianmuseum@verizon.net. Th-Su noon-5PM. Adult $5, family $10 (up to 5 people), senior $3, child $3 (0-12 years old). (updated Feb 2017) 3 Stagecoach Inn Museum, 51 South Ventu Park Rd. It was the first post office in the region in the 1800s. The original building was moved for the 101 freeway to be built, then later it burnt down and the current is a perfect replica. During Fourth of July, locals set up camp here to watch fireworks so be there a couple of hours early if you want a spot. 4 Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 East Thousand Oaks Blvd, ☏ +1 805 449-2787, boxoffice@toaks.org. Multi-theatre complex showing world class entertainment. == Do == 1 Conejo Valley Days (23 Freeway exit Janns Road, follow signs), ☏ +1 805 371-8730. Early May. Annual festival celebrating the heritage of the region with live entertainment, a chili cook-off and a fair. The Santa Monica Mountains south of Newbury Park offer some beautiful hiking trails. Access is located at the end of Lynn Road. Two Winds Ranch on Reino Road offers horseback riding, with both regular lessons and day rides on the trails in the mountains. == Buy == 1 The Oaks Mall, 222 West Hillcrest Dr (Hillcrest Drive west of Moorpark Road), ☏ +1 805 495-4628. M–F 10AM–9PM, Sa 10AM–8PM, Su 11AM–7PM. Shopping mall anchored by Macy's, JC Penny's and Nordstrom. Restaurants include Cheesecake Factory, Sisley Italian Restaurant, Johnny Rockets and smaller food outlets. 2 Janss Marketplace, 275 North Moorpark Rd, Suite E (corner of Moorpark Road and Hillcrest Drive), ☏ +1 805 495-4662. Outdoor shopping center which includes an Old Navy, restaurants and a movie theatre. 3 The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, 2200 East Thousand Oaks Blvd (intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Conejo School Road), ☏ +1 805 497-9861. Outdoor shopping center which includes an Claim Jumper and California Pizza Kitchen. == Eat == 1 Alamo Bar & Grill, 2311 Borchard Rd., ☏ +1 805 498-3115. A Mexican restaurant with an attached bar. Great happy hours; cheap margaritas, well drinks and free appetizers. Go outside and get their $1.25 bean and cheese burritos, they are legendary. 2 Country Harvest, 3345 W. Kimber Dr., ☏ +1 805 375-4598. 3 Letty's Mexican Restaurant, 2454 W. Hillcrest Dr.. Tucked in the corner of a lone mini-mall in an out-of-the-way section of Hillcrest Drive, featuring authentic Mexican fare. Prices are budget-friendly and portion sizes are more than ample. == Drink == == Sleep == 1 Best Western Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 West Thousand Oaks Blvd, ☏ +1 805 497-3701, toll-free: +1-800-600-6878, fax: +1 805 497-1875. 2 Courtyard by Marriott Thousand Oaks, 1710 Newbury Rd, ☏ +1 805-499-3900, fax: +1 805-499-3966. 3 La Quinta Inn & Suites, 1320 Newbury Rd, ☏ +1 805 499-5910. 4 Hampton Inn & Suites, 510 North Ventu Park Rd, ☏ +1 805-375-0376. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Guest rooms and suites with complimentary hot breakfast, WiFi, and parking. Pool and fitness center are also provided. 5 Hyatt Westlake Plaza, 880 S. Westlake Blvd.. 6 Palm Garden Hotel, 495 North Ventu Park Rd, ☏ +1 805-716-4200, toll-free: +1-888-816-0002, fax: +1 805-716-4300. == Go next == Camarillo. A quiet bedroom community living alongside one of the largest factory outlet complexes in the greater Los Angeles area. Los Angeles. Visit the de facto home of the entertainment industry, and the largest city in the western United States. L.A. is an enormous city with an extremely varied geography. Malibu. An exclusive coastal community and home to the rich and famous, and features miles of beautiful public beaches. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Known as "Los Angeles' Backyard" this national park contains both the mountains and the beaches.