Ojai, California | |
|---|---|
 .jpg) _(cropped).jpg) _(cropped).jpg) Top to bottom, left to right: Ojai Valley Museum; U.S. Post Office; Ojai Arcade; aerial view of Ojai | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location in Ventura County and the state of California | |
  Ojai Location of Ojai in Southern California  Ojai Location of Ojai in California  Ojai Location of Ojai in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 34°26′57″N 119°14′48″W / 34.44917°N 119.24667°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Ventura |
| Incorporated | August 5, 1921[1] |
| Named for | Chumash: 'Awha'y ("Moon")[2] |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Council—City Manager[3] |
| • Mayor | Betsy Stix[4] |
| • State senator | Monique Limón (D)[5] |
| • Assembly member | Gregg Hart (D)[5] |
| • U. S. rep. | Julia Brownley (D)[6] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.37 sq mi (11.32 km2) |
| • Land | 4.36 sq mi (11.28 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) 0.35% |
| Elevation | 745 ft (227 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 7,637 |
| • Density | 1,700/sq mi (670/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 93023 & 93024 |
| Area code | 805 |
| FIPS code | 06-53476 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652763, 2411308 |
| Website | ojaicity |
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Ojai (/ˈoʊhaɪ/ OH-hy; Chumash: ’Awhaỳ)[10] is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and is about 10 miles (16 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide and divided into a lower and an upper valley, each of similar size, surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,637 at the 2020 census, up from 7,461 at the 2010 census.
Ojai is known for its boutique hotels, recreation opportunities, hiking, and farmers' market of local organic agriculture. It has small businesses specializing in local and ecologically friendly art, design, and home improvement. Chain stores are prohibited by city ordinance to encourage local small business development and retain the town's character.
The name Ojai is derived from the Mexican-era Rancho Ojai, which in turn took its name from the Ventureño Chumash word 'Awha'y, meaning "Moon".[11][12][13] The city's self-styled nickname is "Shangri-La" referencing the natural environment of this health and spirituality-focused region as well as the mystical sanctuary of the 1937 film adaptation of James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon.[14]
- ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ McCall, Lynne; Perry, Rosalind (2002). California's Chumash Indians: A Project of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Education Center (Revised ed.). San Luis Obispo, Calif: EZ Nature Books. ISBN 978-0936784151.
- ^ "City Government". City of Ojai. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ "City Council". City of Ojai. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- ^ "California's 26th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ "Ojai". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Ojai (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "Chumash Place Names" (PDF).
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Tumamait-Stenslie, Julie. "Ojai Means Moon," Ojai Valley Visitors Guide, Winter 2011, pp. 12–13.
- ^ Fry, Patricia, Elise DePuydt & Craig Walker, The Ojai Valley: An Illustrated History. Ojai Valley Museum. 2017. pp. 13–14
- ^ "Visit Ojai" (Archived July 26, 2015, at the Wayback Machine). City of Ojai official website. Accessed February 28, 2014.[dead link]