Simi Valley, California - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

was 2,940.8 people per square mile (1,135.4/km²). The racial makeup of Simi Valley was 93,597 (75.3%) White, 1,739 (1.4%) African American, 761 (0.6%) Native American, 11,555 (9.3%) Asian (2.7% Indian, 2.2% Filipino, 1.2% Chinese, 1.0% Vietnamese, 0.7% Korean, 0.5% Japanese, 0.2% Thai, 0.1% Pakistani), 178 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 10,685 (8.6%) from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 5,722 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28,938 persons (23.3%); 16.7% of Simi Valley is Mexican, 1.2% Salvadoran, 0.9% Guatemalan, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.6% Peruvian, 0.3% Cuban, 0.3% Argentinean, 0.2% Honduran, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Ecuadorian.

The Census reported that 123,577 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 482 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 178 (0.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 41,237 households, out of which 16,765 (40.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 24,824 (60.2%) were opposite-sex married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

living together, 4,659 (11.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,214 (5.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,975 (4.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships

POSSLQ

POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....

, and 291 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 7,087 households (17.2%) were made up of individuals and 3,013 (7.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00. There were 31,697 families

Family (U.S. Census)

A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...

(76.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.33.

The population was spread out with 31,036 people (25.0%) under the age of 18, 11,088 people (8.9%) aged 18 to 24, 33,890 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 35,046 people (28.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 13,177 people (10.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

There were 42,506 housing units at an average density of 1,006.1 per square mile (388.5/km²), of which 30,560 (74.1%) were owner-occupied, and 10,677 (25.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 93,181 people (75.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 30,396 people (24.5%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there are 111,351 people, 36,421 households, and 28,954 families
residing in the city. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

is 1,097.3/km²
(2,841.9/mi²). There are 37,272 housing units at an average density of
367.3/km² (951.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is
81.33% White, 1.26% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 6.33% Asian, 0.14%
Pacific Islander, 6.50% from other races, and 3.74% from two or more races. 16.82% of the population
are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 36,421 households out of which 42.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% are married couples

Marriage

living together, 10.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% are non-families. 14.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.04 and the average family size is 3.33.

In the city the population is spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.6 males.

Income

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city is $88,406, and the median income for a family is $91,658. 10.2% of the population and 7.4% of families are below the poverty line.

Local government

Simi Valley's government uses the "Council-Manager

Council-manager government

The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...

" form of government. This means that the city council is composed of one mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

, elected every two years, and four council members elected for four year terms. The city council appoints both the city attorney and city manager

City manager

A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...

, who heads the executive branch of the city government. The city manager appoints the various department heads for the city, and acts as the city clerk and city treasurer.

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city’s various funds had $89.3 million in Revenues, $86.3 million in expenditures, $139.9 million in total assets, $26.1 million in total liabilities, and $158.5 million in investments.

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:

Department	Director
City Manager	Mike Sedell
Administrative Services Director	James Purtee
Community Services Director	Debbie Solomon
Environmental Services Director	Peter Lyons
Public Works Director	Ron Fuchiwaki
Police Chief	Mike Lewis
City Attorney	Tracy Noonan

The city operates its own police department

Simi Valley Police Department

The Simi Valley Police Department is the police department of the city of Simi Valley, California. The department currently has over 121 sworn officers, and more than 65 support personnel...

, and contracts with the Ventura County Fire Department

Ventura County Fire Department

The Ventura County Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, and for six other cities within the county. Together, these areas compose the Ventura County Fire Protection District in the state of California,...

to provide fire protection services. There are five fire stations within Simi Valley, and the city recently built a state-of-the-art police station. American Medical Response, in conjunction with Ventura County Fire Dept, provide Emergency Medical Services at the ALS level.

State government

In the state legislature

California State Legislature

The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...

Simi Valley is located in the 19th Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

District, represented by Republican Tony Strickland

Tony Strickland

Anthony A. "Tony" Strickland is a California State Senator, representing the 19th District. Strickland is a member of the Republican Party and a former Assemblyman, representing the 37th District from 1998 to 2004.-Early life:...

, and it is located in the 37th and 38th Assembly

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

Districts, represented by Republicans Audra Strickland

Audra Strickland

Audra Strickland is a Republican who served as a member of the 37th district of the California State Assembly from December 2004 to November 2010. She succeeded her husband, Tony Strickland, who was term-limited. Prior to serving in the Assembly, she was a junior high school teacher for a year at...

and Cameron Smyth

Cameron Smyth

Cameron Smyth is a Republican who has represented California's 38th Assembly district since December 2006. He succeeded Keith Richman who was term-limited...

Federal government

Simi Valley is located in California's 24th congressional district

California's 24th congressional district

California's 24th congressional district covers most of Ventura and inland Santa Barbara counties.The district is currently represented by Republican Elton Gallegly.-Voting:-List of representatives:-Election results:-1952:...

, which is represented by Republican Elton Gallegly

Elton Gallegly

Elton William Gallegly is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 23rd and 21st, serving in Congress since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and pre-congressional career:...

and has a Cook PVI

Cook Partisan Voting Index

The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...

of R+5.
In the 2004 presidential election George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

won nearly 61% of the vote, compared to 44% statewide, while John Kerry

John Kerry

John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

won 38% of the vote. In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

won 47% of Simi Valley, while John McCain

John McCain

John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

52% of the vote.

Simi Valley was ranked the 18th most conservative city in the country in 2005 by GovPro.com.

Climate

Humidity (%)
	High	Low
Jan.	70	50
Apr	50	35
Jul.	50	38
Oct.	75	45
Year	61	42

Prevailing Wind Direction: SW

Average Wind Speed: 7-11 mi/h (11–18 km/h)

Pre-colonial period

Simi Valley was once inhabited by Chumash Indians, who also settled much of the region from the Salinas Valley to the Santa Monica Mountains, with their presence dating back 10,000-12,000 years. Around 5,000 years ago these tribes began processing acorns, and harvesting local marshland plants. Roughly 2,000 years later, as hunting and fishing techniques improved, the population increased significantly. Shortly after this sharp increase a precious stone money system arose, increasing the viability of the region by offsetting fluctuations in available resources relating to climate changes.
Simi Valley's name is said to originate from the Chumash word Shimiyi, which refers to the stringy, thread-like clouds that typify the region.

Colonial rancho and town

Rancho Simi

Rancho Simi, also known as Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi, was a Spanish land grant in eastern Ventura and western Los Angeles counties given in 1795 to Francisco Javier Pico and his two brothers, Patricio Pico and Miguel Pico by Governor Diego de Borica...

, also known as Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi, was a 113009 acres (457 km²) Spanish land grant

Ranchos of California

The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...

in eastern Ventura

Ventura County, California

Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...

and western Los Angeles

Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...

counties given in 1795 to Francisco Javier Pico and his two brothers, Patricio Pico and Miguel Pico by Governor Diego de Borica

Diego de Borica

Diego de Borica was a Spanish explorer and the seventh Governor of Las Californias from 1794 to 1800, and is credited with defining Alta- and Baja-California's official borders.-Biography:...

. Rancho Simi

Rancho Simi

was the earliest Spanish colonial land grant within Ventura and Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...

Counties. The name derives from Shimiji, the name of the Chumash Native American village here before the Spanish. It was one of the largest lands, but later when Mexico became independent from Spain, land was handed out much more freely. The Simi Adobe-Strathearn House

Simi Adobe-Strathearn House

The historic Simi Adobe-Strathearn House served as the headquarters of Rancho Simi, also known as Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi, one of the land grants in Alta California by the Spanish government. The name derives from Shimiji, the name of the Chumash village here before...

, later the home of Robert P. Strathearn, served as the headquarters of the rancho.

José de la Guerra y Noriega

José de la Guerra y Noriega

José Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega was a soldier and early settler of California.-Biography:José de la Guerra was born 1779 at Novales, Cantabria, Spain. As a boy he wished to be a friar...

, a Captain of the Santa Barbara Presidio

Presidio of Santa Barbara

The El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara, also known as the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara, was a military installation in Santa Barbara, California. It was built by Spain in 1782, with the mission of defending the Second Military District in California...

, who had begun to acquire large amounts of land in California to raise cattle, purchased Rancho Simi from the Pico family in 1842. A few years after Jose de la Guerra’s death in 1858, the rancho was sold to the Philadelphia and California Petroleum Company headed by Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

president, Thomas A. Scott

Thomas Alexander Scott

Thomas Alexander Scott was an American businessman. He was the 4th president of what was the largest corporation in the world, the Pennsylvania Railroad, during the middle of the 19th century...

. When no great amount of oil was discovered, Scott began to sell the rancho. In 1887, a portion of the rancho was bought by a newly formed company, the Simi Land and Water Company.
The small colonial town known as "Santa Susana del Rancho Simi" thrived in the late 19th century and had a Spanish-speaking majority, but many Anglo-Americans arrived to settle lands into farms, orchards and groves dominated the valley's landscape until the 1970s.

For a brief time, its postal address was known as Simiopolis, though it was soon shortened again to Simi by 1910. The first public school was built in 1890 in the northeast but was torn down in 1926. There was also a great deal of destruction caused by a flood in 1952. The city incorporated as Simi Valley in 1969, when the area had only 10,000 residents. In 1972, Boys Town West was founded in the eastern end of Simi Valley. The youth camp/home facility is based on an older larger one in Boys Town

Boys Town, Nebraska

Boys Town is a village in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 818 at the 2000 census. Boys Town is a suburb of Omaha.The village of Boys Town was established as the headquarters of the Boys Town organization, also known as "Father Flanagan's Boys' Home", founded by Father...

, Nebraska.

Nuclear accident at SSFL

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory

Santa Susana Field Laboratory

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory is a complex of industrial research and development facilities located on a 2,668 acre portion of the Southern California Simi Hills in Simi Valley, California, used mainly for the testing and development of Liquid-propellant rocket engines for the United States...

operated in the Simi Hills beginning in 1948, conducting both nuclear development and rocket development. For nearly forty-seven years, the Santa Susana Field Laboratory was operated by Atomics International

Atomics International

Atomics International was a division of the North American Aviation company which engaged principally in the early development of nuclear technology and nuclear reactors for both commercial and government applications...

and Rocketdyne

Rocketdyne

Rocketdyne was a Rocket engine design and production company headquartered in Canoga Park, California, United States. The company was related to North American Aviation for most of its history. NAA merged with Rockwell International, which was then bought by Boeing in December, 1996...

(originally both divisions of North American Aviation

North American Aviation

North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...

). The Rocketdyne division developed a variety of liquid rocket engines, and the site conducted rocket engine tests that were frequently heard in Simi Valley. The Atomics International division of North American Aviation operated a section of the Field Laboratory where they built the Sodium Reactor Experiment, the first United States nuclear reactor

Nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...

to supply electricity to a public power system in 1957. The Sodium Reactor Experiment operated until the 1959 reactor core breach incident, then was restarted in 1960 and operated until 1964.

In July 1959, the Sodium Reactor Experiment located at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory suffered a serious incident causing damage to the reactor and the controlled release of radioactive gas to the atmosphere. The reactor was repaired and returned to operation in September, 1960. The incident at the Sodium Reactor Experiment has been a source of controversy in the community. Technical analysis of the incident intended to support a lawsuit against the current landowner (The Boeing Company) asserts the incident caused the much greater release of radioactivity than the accident at Three Mile Island. Boeing's technical response concludes the monitoring conducted at the time of the incident shows only the allowable amount of radioactive gasses were released, and a Three Mile Island-scale release was not possible. The case was settled, it is reported, with a large payment by Boeing. In September 2009, The U.S. Department of Energy sponsored a public workshop where three nuclear reactor experts shared their independent analysis of the July, 1959 incident. The last nuclear reactor operated at SSFL in 1980.

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory includes sites identified as historic by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...

and by the American Nuclear Society

American Nuclear Society

The American Nuclear Society is an international, not-for-profit 501 scientific and educational organization with a membership of approximately 11,000 scientists, engineers, educators, students, and other associate members. Approximately 900 members live outside the United States in 40 countries....

.

The Santa Susana Field Laboratory also hosted the Energy Technology Engineering Center

Energy Technology Engineering Center

The Energy Technology Engineering Center , was a government-owned, contractor-operated complex of industrial facilities located within the Santa Susana Field Laboratory , Ventura County, California. The ETEC specialized in non-nuclear testing of components which were designed to transfer heat...

. The center performed research and development of liquid metal reactor components for the United States Department of Energy

United States Department of Energy

The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...

from 1965 until 1998. The Field Laboratory and Engineering Center have been closed since the 1990s, and have been undergoing the decontamination and decommissioning of the nuclear facilities, site cleanup of soil and groundwater, and site restoration by the Department of Energy.

The National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

listed Burro Flats Painted Cave

Burro Flats Painted Cave

Burro Flats Painted Cave is in the Burro Flats area of the Simi Hills, located between the Simi Valley, and West Hills and Bell Canyon, in Ventura County of Southern California, United States. It is a Cave containing Chumash Native American pictographs...

is located within the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, on a portion of the site owned by the U.S. Government. The drawings within the cave have been termed "the best preserved Indian pictograph in Southern California."

Rodney King trial

On November 27, 1991, Judge Stanley Weisberg of the California Court of Appeals selected Simi Valley as the venue for the case against four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department

Los Angeles Police Department

The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...

. The officers (Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, and Theodore Brisenio) were accused of using unnecessary force in a March 3, 1991 beating of an African-American motorist "Rodney" Glen King. The case known as the Rodney King

Rodney King

Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...

Trial was based on footage recorded on home video by a bystander (George Holliday). The now-famous video was broadcast nationally and caused tremendous response because the beating was believed to be racially motivated. Selecting Simi Valley as a venue for the trial is believed to be motivated by the predominantly white ethnic make-up of the city at the time.

On April 29, 1992, a Ventura County jury acquitted three of the four officers (Koon, Wind, and Brisenio) and did not reach a verdict on one (Powell). Many believed that the unexpected outcome was a result of the racial and social make-up of the jury, which, reflecting the area's population demographic, included ten whites, one Filipino, and one Hispanic. None were Simi Valley residents. Among the jury were three who had been security guards or in military service. The acquittal led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots

1992 Los Angeles riots

The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...

and mass protest around the country.

Landmarks

Simi Valley is home to two California Historical Landmarks:

NO. 939 Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments (Thematic) - Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village
Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village
Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village, also known as Bottle Village, is a folk art piece, located in Simi Valley, California.This assemblage is one of California's Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments...

http://www.bottlevillage.com - This fantastic assemblage is one of California's remarkable Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments. In 1956, Tressa Prisbrey, then nearly sixty years old, started building a fanciful 'village' of shrines, walkways, sculptures, and buildings from recycled items and discards from the local dump. She worked for 25 years creating one structure after another to house her collections. The Mosaic Walkway is embedded with thousands of treasures—tiles, shells, doorknobs, irons, car ornaments, jewelry, dishware, scissors, guns, toys — everything imaginable that creates a timestamp of 1950s post-consumer waste. Bottle Village originally had more than 13 buildings and 20 sculptures. Although severely damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

in 1996. It is located at 4595 Cochran St, Simi Valley.

NO. 979 Rancho Simi
Simi Adobe-Strathearn House
The historic Simi Adobe-Strathearn House served as the headquarters of Rancho Simi, also known as Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi, one of the land grants in Alta California by the Spanish government. The name derives from Shimiji, the name of the Chumash village here before...

- This is the site of the headquarters of the Spanish Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi. The name derives from 'Shimiji,' the name of the Chumash village here before the Spanish. At 113,000 acres (457 km²), Rancho Simi was one of the state's largest land grants. Two prominent Spanish and Mexican family names are connected with the Rancho: Santiago Pico who first received the grant, and José de la Guerra who purchased the Rancho in 1842. Two rooms of original adobe remain, part of the Strathearn home built in The Strathearn Historical Park and Museum, an open-air park that is owned and maintained by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, and is operated jointly with the Simi Valley Historical Society. The house is maintained as a historic house museum with typical period furniture and household displays. In addition to the Simi Adobe-Strathearn House, there are various historic buildings and structures that have been moved from their original site to the park, including the a 1924 children's playhouse with toys, the 1902 St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, the original Simi Valley Library and two barns with farm tools and equipment. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-78000825. Location: Robert P Strathearn Historical Park, 137 Strathearn Place, Simi Valley.

Simi Valley is also home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the presidential library and final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Designed by Hugh Stubbins and Associates, the library is located in Simi Valley, California, about northwest of...

, which has been visited by more than 1 million people since it opened. After a major state funeral

Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan

On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, died after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade. His seven-day state funeral followed, spanning June 5–11...

in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, President Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

was buried at the library in June 2004. The library adjoins a hangar in which the Boeing 707 SAM 27000 (Air Force One), which served presidents Nixon through G.W. Bush, is housed and available for tours. In the pavilion are various automobiles used to transport the president, as well as Marine One, the presidential helicopter.

Infrastructure

The Montalvo Cutoff, a railroad line opened by the Southern Pacific Railroad on March 20, 1904, to improve the alignment of its Coast Line, runs east-west through the valley. In 1905, the longest train tunnel in the United States at that time was completed at the east end of Simi Valley. Tunnel #26 still stands today linking Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley

San Fernando Valley

The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...

. http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/980/files/sspshp%20archaeology%20resources%20inventory.pdf http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/980/files/sspshp%20historic%20resources.pdf http://www.americassuburb.com/dates.html The area was originally served by the Santa Susana Depot

Santa Susana Depot

Santa Susana Depot is a train station building located in Simi Valley, California. The depot was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was opened in 1903. The depot was originally located on Los Angeles Avenue at Tapo Street and was part of the completion of the Coast Route linking...

which was also opened in 1904 as a combination passenger and freight depot built by the Southern Pacific and located on Los Angeles Avenue near Tapo Street. The station remained in use for the following 60 years until changes in the business model for railroads evolved that rendered the depot useless to the railroad.

Simi Valley Station

Simi Valley (Amtrak station)

The Simi Valley Amtrak/Metrolink Station is an Amtrak and Metrolink rail station in the city of Simi Valley. It is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, Amtrak's Coast Starlight from Los Angeles Union Station to Seattle, and Metrolink's Ventura County Line from Los...

is used by Amtrak and Metrolink

Metrolink (Southern California)

Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....

on the railroad's Ventura County Line, after the line was purchased from Southern Pacific. The station is located at 5000 Los Angeles Avenue, west of Stearns Street. Simi Valley Transit buses stop on Los Angeles Avenue in front of the station. There are connections from Simi Valley north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and south to Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties.
These trains, as well as the buses, run 7 days a week and stop in Simi Valley several times each day. The Simi Valley station is unstaffed; however, tickets are available from automated ticket dispensers, conductors onboard the trains, travel agents, by telephone, or from the Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

and Metrolink

Metrolink (Southern California)

Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....

websites.

The United States Postal Service

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

operates the Simi Valley Post Office at 2511 Galena Avenue, the Kopy King Post Office at 2157 Tapo Street, and the Mount McCoy Post Office at 225 Simi Village Drive.

Economy

In Simi Valley there are two main areas of industry — one in the eastern part of the city and the other one in the west.
The primary industry is machinery and tools with 69 firms, and the secondary is the metal Industry with 51 firms, both situated in the eastern and western industrial areas.
Other industries such as Lumber/Wood Products, Food, Plastic Products, Apparel/Textiles and Minerals, are also concentrated largely in these industrial areas.

The largest division of Countrywide Home Loans

Countrywide Financial

Bank of America Home Loans is the mortgage unit of Bank of America. Bank of America Home Loans is composed of:*Mortgage Banking, which originates purchases, securitizes, and services mortgages. In 2008, Bank of America purchased the failing Countrywide Financial for $4.1 billion...

, now Bank of America, Loan Administration, has been headquartered in the city since the mid 1990s. Operating off of Madera Road in a building that once housed the apparel company Bugle Boy, the company also has facilities on Tapo Canyon, and First Street. At its height, Countrywide had approximately 10,000 employees in the city.

The Volkswagen

Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...

of America Design Center was once in an industrial complex across from the Costco

Costco

Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...

wholesale club near Madera and Cochran. The VW Design Center California or DCC, moved to Santa Monica

Santa Mônica

Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

in the spring of 2006. Such notable automotive designers as Jay Mays, now (2007) VP Design for Ford and Freeman Thomas

Freeman Thomas

Freeman Thomas, born , is an American automobile and industrial designer who has worked for Porsche, Volkswagen Group, DaimlerChrysler and Ford.-Background:...

, co designer with Jay Mays of the original Audi TT

Audi TT

The Audi TT is a two-door sports car manufactured by the German automaker and Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi since 1998.The Audi TT has been produced in two generations. Both generations have been available in two car body styles; as a 2+2 Coupé, or two-seater Roadster...

, once called the DCC in Simi Valley

Simi Valley

Simi Valley is a synclinal valley in Southern California in the United States. It is an enclosed or hidden valley surrounded by mountains and hills. It is connected to the San Fernando Valley to the east by the Santa Susana Pass & 118 freeway, and in the west the narrows of the Arroyo Simi and 118...

their place of work. The original concept for the New Beetle from Jay Mays, had its genesis there.

Top employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Simi Valley Unified School District Simi Valley Unified School District Simi Valley Unified School District is a school district in Ventura County, California. It enrolls students from the city of Simi Valley...	3,207
2	Farmers Insurance Group	1,200
3	Simi Valley Hospital Simi Valley Hospital Simi Valley Hospital is a Seventh-day Adventist hospital located located in Simi Valley, California. SVH is a member of Adventist Health.-External links:**...	927
4	City of Simi Valley	568
5	AeroVironment AeroVironment AeroVironment Inc. is a technology company in Monrovia, California, and Simi Valley, California, that is primarily involved in energy systems, electric vehicle systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles . Paul B. MacCready, Jr., a famous designer of human powered aircraft, founded the company in 1971...	480
6	Rancho Simi Parks & Recreation District	383
7	Vons Vons Vons is a southern California and southern Nevada supermarket chain and a division of Safeway Inc. It is headquartered in Arcadia, California, and operates stores under the Vons and Pavilions banners.-Beginning:...	369
8	Meggitt Safety Systems Meggitt Meggitt PLC is a leading British-based engineering business specialising in aerospace equipment. It has its headquarters at Bournemouth Airport in Dorset. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...	323
9	Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...	250
10	Milgard Manufacturing	245

Hazards

An aspect of Simi Valley's location, situated beside the Simi Hills, is that it lies in a high-risk area for the wildfires that sweep through Southern California's mountain ranges every few years.

Simi Valley is also at risk for earthquakes. The valley is surrounded by earthquake faults; the closest ones being the Santa Rosa Fault to the Northwest, the Northridge Hills Fault to the Northeast, and the Chatsworth Fault to the South. In 1994, portions of Simi Valley received significant damage from the Northridge earthquake

Northridge earthquake

The Northridge earthquake was a massive earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about 10–20 seconds...

.

See Nuclear Accident at SSFL for information on the accident and associated risk(s) to residents.

Wildfires

Southern California has a high fire risk, due to hot weather and high winds.

A 2005 fire started on September 28 and burned an estimated 7,000 acres (28 km²). On September 29, the fire was estimated to be 17,000 acres (69 km²). More than 1,000 firefighters worked against the tricky combination of dry brush, low humidity and temperatures in the high 90s along the line that divides Los Angeles and Ventura counties. About 45 evacuees gathered at Canoga Park High School in the San Fernando Valley where the Red Cross had set up cots and provided meals. One firefighter was struck on the head by a 40-pound boulder and was taken to a hospital, officials said. The fire was later brought under control and extinguished, without serious injury. Three homes were lost in outlying areas, but none within the city limits.

Education

Simi Valley is served by the Simi Valley Unified School District

Simi Valley Unified School District

Simi Valley Unified School District is a school district in Ventura County, California. It enrolls students from the city of Simi Valley...

(SVUSD).

Simi Valley High School

Simi Valley High School

Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California, nestling in the shadow of the Santa Susana Mountains, adjacent to the San Fernando Valley. It was established in 1920 as the valley's first high school. Simi Valley High School has undergone several configurations...

was ranked as the 546th best high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

according to MSNBC

MSNBC

MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

's Top 1000 High Schools.

Schools of higher education located nearby include Moorpark College

Moorpark College

Moorpark College is a California state college located on a property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. It was established in 1967 and as of 2006, had an enrollment of 16,580 students and 175 full-time faculty members....

, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Channel Islands, California Lutheran University

California Lutheran University

California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...

, University of LaVerne, University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Ventura College

Ventura College

Ventura College is a California-state funded community college located in Ventura, California, USA. Established in 1925, the college has a campus with an enrollment of 14,456 students. The college is part of the Ventura County Community College District....

, Oxnard College

Oxnard College

Oxnard College is a California-state funded community college located in Oxnard, California. It was established in 1975. It serves the Oxnard Plain cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, and the town of Port Hueneme. The college offers two year degrees, as well as career and technical education programs to...

, Eternity Bible College

Eternity Bible College

Eternity Bible College was founded by Francis Chan in 2004. The school is located in Simi Valley, California, USA and shares a campus with Cornerstone Community Church where Chan previously served as the teaching pastor...

, Louis Brandeis Institute of Justice, Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...

, University of Southern California

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

(USC), Caltech, Valley College, American Jewish University, and UCLA.

There are five high schools located in Simi Valley: Royal High School

Royal High School (California)

Royal High School is one of three public high schools in Simi Valley, California. Royal is part of the Simi Valley Unified School District and is located on Simi Valley's west side....

, Grace Brethren High School, Santa Susana High School

Santa Susana High School

Santa Susana High School is one of four high schools located in Simi Valley, California. Built in 1970 the school campus was originally designed as a junior high campus formerly known as Sequoia Junior High School...

, Simi Valley High School, and Apollo High School.

Libraries

Public Libraries: Ventura County Library

Ventura County Library

is a public library system of 13 libraries in Ventura County, California. Ventura County Library may be found online at http://www.vencolibrary.org/....

- 14 locations with one branch in Simi Valley: Simi Valley Library.

Recreation

Simi Valley has 20 city parks and five county parks to preserve large swaths of open space in the nearby Santa Susana Mountains

Santa Susana Mountains

The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west separating the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley on its south, from Santa Clara River Valley to the north, and Santa Clarita...

, locally known as the "foothills." The city boasts six golf courses and the Kanan Ranch home development has nature trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians to enjoy. Two collegiate baseball teams: The Simi Valley Senators and the California Oaks of the California Collegiate League

California Collegiate League

The California Collegiate League, founded in 1994, is a collegiate summer baseball league headquartered in Carpinteria, California. It is associated with the National Baseball Congress.-Current teams 2010:Ten to 14 teams will play in the CCL....

in Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks, California

Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak....

, provide sports action to local fans.

To the East, Rocky Peak has a trail system for Mountain Biking, Hiking and Equestrian activities. The trail is accessed just off the 118 freeway at Kuehner Road, Yosemite Road (about 1 miles (1.6 km) North) or Rocky Peak. Trailheads are: The Hummingbird Trail, Rocky Peak Fire Road or The Chumash Trail. These trails are not recommended for beginners, due to fairly steep grades and some technical sections on the trail. A technical downhill mountain bike run known as the G Spot can be accessed via Rocky Peak Fire Road.

To the West, numerous trails are accessible for Mountain Biking, Hiking and Equestrian activities. The main access point is at the intersection of Wood Ranch Parkway and Long Canyon Parkway. The trail system travels as far west as highway 23, as far east as the Rocketdyne facility and connects to the Lang Ranch trail system (Westlake Village) and Chesebro trail system, which begins in Agoura Hills. Simi Peak (the highest peak in Simi Valley) is accessible from this trail system via China Flats in the Chesebro trail system. Ahmundson Ranch connects to this trail system, again via the Chesebro trail system. Bridlepath, a private trail system also connects to the main fire road.

In film

Being located so near to Hollywood, Simi Valley has long been a convenient location for the film industry. Simi Valley and the surrounding hills have been the site of several television series, including the long running television series Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....

and M*A*S*H.

Established in 1937 and opened to the public in 1949, the Corriganville Movie Ranch
Corriganville Movie Ranch
Corriganville Movie Ranch was a working film studio and movie ranch for outdoor location shooting, as well as a Western-themed tourist attraction...

, established by Ray "Crash" Corrigan, is located at the extreme Eastern end of Simi Valley and was the production site for many movies and television shows. Today the site is open to the public as Corriganville Park, just off the Santa Susana Pass Road.

The 1982 film Poltergeist was filmed in Roxbury Street, Simi Valley. At the time, the homes were new and the land behind the street was free, allowing plenty of access for the studio trucks. The Freeling house as used in the film (4267 Roxbury Street) received substantial earthquake damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake
Northridge earthquake
The Northridge earthquake was a massive earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about 10–20 seconds...

.

The popular 1970s television show Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...

was filmed at extensive sets built up in the hilly landscapes of the Big Sky Ranch
Big Sky Ranch
Big Sky Ranch is a movie ranch located in Simi Valley, California. It has been widely used for the filming of Western television and film productions....

in the Tapo Canyon hills north of Simi Valley and Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...

, California. In addition to the Little House itself, the entire set for the town of Walnut Grove was built atop the hills. After finishing his work on the series, Michael Landon
Michael Landon
Michael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is widely known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza , Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie , and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven...

blew up the town, which became part of the final movie but the Little House itself was left intact. In July 2004, the house was destroyed in the 2004 wildfire.

The 1973 film, The Doberman Gang
The Doberman Gang
The Doberman Gang is a 1972 film about a talented animal trainer who uses a pack of Dobermans to commit a bank robbery. The six dogs were all named after famous bank robbers...

was filmed entirely in Simi Valley, with the actual Bank of A. Levy as the backdrop for the robbery scenes.

In 1983, Colleen McCullough
Colleen McCullough
Colleen McCullough-Robinson, , is an internationally acclaimed Australian author.-Life:McCullough was born in Wellington, in outback central west New South Wales, in 1937 to James and Laurie McCullough. Her mother was a New Zealander of part-Māori descent. During her childhood, her family moved...

's TV mini-series, The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds is a 1977 best-selling novel by Colleen McCullough, an Australian author.In 1983 it was adapted as a television mini-series that, during its television run 27–30 March, became the United States' second highest rated mini-series of all time behind Roots; both series were produced by...

, was brought to life in a remote corner of the Simi Valley. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

proved to have too many obstacles for the producers to handle, including that there could be only two American actors in any movie filmed there. All the rest had to be Australian. Location scouts were sent out, and Simi Valley, which looks very similar in parts to the Australian countryside, was chosen to build the set of the famous Cleary ranch and sheep station, Drogheda.

In the 1984 film "Bachelor Party
Bachelor party
A bachelor party , also known as a stag party, stag night or stag do , a bull's party , or a buck's party or buck's night , is a party held for a man shortly before he enters marriage, to celebrate his "last night of freedom" or merely to spend...

" starring Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...

, the MANN 6 Movie Theater formerly located within the Sycamore Shopping Center was used for the movie theater scene.

The 1986 western comedy film ¡Three Amigos!
¡Three Amigos!
Three Amigos is a 1986 American adventure musical comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, and Randy Newman...

was partially filmed here.

The Brandeis-Bardin Institute
Brandeis-Bardin Institute
The Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University is a Jewish retreat located in Simi Valley, California, USA. Formerly known as the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, it is used for nondenominational summer programs for children, teens and young adults....

's House of the Book is the location of the original Power Ranger Power Chamber
Power Chamber
The Command Center, later called the Power Chamber, is the fictional headquarters for the Power Rangers in the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and its sequels up to Power Rangers Turbo....

.

The Playtronics Toy company and its car park scenes from Sneakers
Sneakers (film)
Sneakers is a 1992 caper film directed by Phil Alden Robinson, written by Robinson, Walter F. Parkes, and Lawrence Lasker and starring Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier and David Strathairn...

were filmed at the Countrywide Loans Data Processing - Admin Plant at 400 Countrywide Way.

The delivery of the ransom money in The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...

shows a highway sign naming Simi Valley.

The video for Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the lead single from the band's 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. This song was the band's first Top 40...

by The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...

was filmed in Simi Valley.

In the 1999 comedy Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt is a 2001 American comedy film starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly, Erik Per Sullivan, Adam Beach and Kid Rock. The film was written by Spade and Fred Wolf.-Plot:...

, the character found his long-lost parents in a trailer home park in Simi Valley (but on some versions, it was changed to Yucca Valley
Yucca Valley, California
Yucca Valley is an incorporated town located in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 20,700 at the 2010 census, up from 16,865 at the 2000 census...

, California).

The 1992 children's comedy "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid is the 1992 sequel to the 1989 film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Directed by Randal Kleiser and released by Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars Rick Moranis, Marcia Strassman, Robert Oliveri and Amy O'Neill, who reprise their roles as Wayne, Diane, Nick, and Amy Szalinski...

" was filmed in and around 676 Coldbrook Pl.

In the 1992 film Forever Young
Forever Young (film)
Forever Young is a 1992 film, directed by Steve Miner, starring Mel Gibson, Elijah Wood and Jamie Lee Curtis. The screenplay was written by J.J. Abrams from an original story, "The Rest of Daniel". The original music score is composed by Jerry Goldsmith...

starring Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...

the test airstrip scenes and the highway chase scene were filmed on the west end of Simi Valley bordering Moorpark.

Most of the 2003 film adaptation of The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...

starring Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...

and Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...

was filmed in Simi Valley. The elaborate faux suburb where most of the film takes place was built on vacant land in a hilly area in West Simi Valley.

Parts of Viva Rock Vegas, the sequel to the original Flintstones movie, was filmed at Rocky Peak.

The video for "Hexagram
Hexagram (song)
"Hexagram" is a song by alternative metal band Deftones and the second single from their eponymous fourth album. The song failed to chart on the Modern and Mainstream rock charts in America and charted at a low #68 in the UK, which could be seen as a testament to its non-commercial sound...

," by The Deftones was filmed with fans watching the band play the song in an indoor skatepark in Simi Valley.

The skatepark in the 2005 movie Bad News Bears is in Simi Valley.

The "Retail Rodeo" scenes from the Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...

movie The Good Girl
The Good Girl
The Good Girl is a 2002 black comedy-drama film directed by Miguel Arteta from a script by Mike White, and stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.-Plot:...

were filmed in the Ralph's shopping center on L.A. Ave. The set was constructed inside a vacant retail space.

Nu-metal band Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...

filmed the music video for the single "Break Stuff
Break Stuff
"Break Stuff" is a song by the nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Break Stuff is the band's fourth and final single that resulted from their studio album Significant Other. The single was released alongside "N 2 Gether Now".-Music video:...

" at Skatelab, a skate park in Simi Valley.

The 2006 comedy The Benchwarmers
The Benchwarmers
The Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Rob Schneider, Jon Heder, and David Spade. It is produced by Revolution Studios and Happy Madison Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:...

was filmed on location in Knolls park and Santa Susana park, both located in Simi Valley.

In March 2008, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra starting filming in the northern hills above Simi Valley, near the Little House on the Prairie site.

The Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...

movie "Three Wishes
Three Wishes (film)
Three Wishes is a 1995 drama-fantasy film directed by Martha Coolidge and starring Patrick Swayze, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Joseph Mazzello.-Plot:...

" used a baseball field in Simi Valley, near the Santa Susana Pass.

In 2009, the rock band AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...

filmed their music video for Beautiful Thieves, the second single off of their album Crash Love
Crash Love
Crash Love is the eighth studio album by the rock band AFI. Produced by Joe McGrath and Jacknife Lee, it was released on September 29, 2009 through Interscope Records.- Background and recording :...

, in a mansion in Simi Valley.

The 2009 Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...

movie "Always and Forever" was filmed in various locations throughout Simi Valley and Moorpark
Moorpark, California
Moorpark is a city in Southern California. It was founded in 1900 by Robert Poindexter, presumably named after the moorpark apricots that grew in the area. The city has experienced a great amount of growth since the late 1970s...

, California.

In 2009 Gavin Rossdale
Gavin Rossdale
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...

filmed part of his music video "Forever May You Run
Forever May You Run
"Forever May You Run" is the second single from Gavin Rossdale's 2008 album WANDERlust. The single was released in April 2009, almost one year after Rossdale's previous single, "Love Remains the Same", which was released in May 2008....

" in an office building on 555 E. Easy Street in Simi Valley.

The fictional "Atmospheric Research Institute" from the 2009 NBC TV miniseries, The Storm
The Storm (TV miniseries)
The Storm is a 2009 American science fiction disaster miniseries directed by Bradford May. Based on a previous teleplay by Matthew Chernov and David Rosiak, it was written by David Abramowitz and Dennis A. Pratt and revolves around a weather creation system developed by the Atmospheric Research...

, was filmed in an office building on 555 E. Easy Street in Simi Valley.

External links

Official Website
Simi Valley @ The Official Conejo Valley Website, a Web site with local history, events, and community information.
Simi Valley Historical Society
Simi Valley Hospital
Safest Cities in America
Simi Valley Yellow Pages
Simi Valley Acorn Newspaper
Simi Central(.com) - Simi's Online Community
Simi Valley Classifieds (free)
Simi Valley CA Local business and event directory with user ratings and reviews.
Vote Simi Valley Online forum regarding Simi Valley election issues.
The Simi Show Video interviews and stories related to the Simi Valley community.
California State Parks Dept. - Santa Susana State Historic Park
LAMountains.com - Santa Susana Pass Park
LAMountains.com - Rocky Peak Park
LAMountains.com - Corriganville Park

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