El Rio, California | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 34°14′21″N 119°9′32″W / 34.23917°N 119.15889°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Ventura |
Town founded | 1875 |
Government | |
• State Senator | Monique Limón (D)[1] |
• CA Assembly | Steve Bennett (D)[1] |
• U. S. Rep. | Julia Brownley (D)[2] |
Area | |
• Total | 2.024 sq mi (5.242 km2) |
• Land | 2.024 sq mi (5.242 km2) |
• Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
Elevation | 92 ft (28 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 7,037 |
• Density | 3,500/sq mi (1,300/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
ZIP code | |
Area code | 805 |
FIPS code | 06-22370 |
GNIS feature IDs | 1652703, 2408061 |
El Rio (/ɛl ˈriːoʊ/ ; Spanish: El Río, meaning "The River") is a small, rural[6] unincorporated town in Ventura County, California, United States, on the northeast side of the 101 Freeway and Oxnard, and south of the Santa Clara River. The town was founded in 1875 and named New Jerusalem by the owner of general store who became the first postmaster in 1882.[6] In 1885, a school and Santa Clara Catholic Church were built. Located near where the coastal railroad line crosses the Santa Clara River, the town's name was changed to El Rio around 1900. The former wagon river crossing route became the Ventura Freeway which separates the community from the commercial developments that grew up on the southwest side of the freeway. That portion of the historic community and sections closer to the river have been annexed to the city of Oxnard. Vineyard Avenue (State Route 232) is the central business district for the largely residential community.
The population was 7,198 at the 2010 census, up from 6,193 at the time the 2000 census was enumerated. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined a portion of the unincorporated area as El Rio census-designated place (CDP) which does not precisely correspond to the historical community that is much larger with significant portions having been annexed to the city of Oxnard.