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. Newbury Park on the west and Oak Park on the east are districts of Thousand Oaks.

Get in

Thousand Oaks is best accessible by automobile. It sits at the junction of the California Route 23 and United States Route 101 Freeways. The 101 connects to the San Fernando Valley through Agoura Hills. On the west, it crosses the conejo grade and connects on to western Ventura County and points along the Central Coast. The freeway portion of the 23 travels north to Simi Valley and Moorpark.

The Conejo Valley is also connected to points west and south through several scenic canyon roads through the Santa Monica Mountains. The Oxnard Plain can be reached on Potrero Road, which twists and turns through a steep ravine to emerge near California State University Channel Islands (Formerly Camarillo State Mental Hospital). Visitors can reach Malibu and the Pacific Ocean by Westlake Boulevard (designated as the southern portion of California 23). These roads can provide stunning vistas, and are frequented by bicyclists, motorcycle and car clubs, and the occasional group of joyriding teenagers, so visitors are advised to be aware of their surroundings, share the road, and exercise caution.

Airports in close proximity to Thousand Oaks are Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank. There are also small public airports in Camarillo, Oxnard, and Santa Paula, but these are general aviation only and offer no commercial service.

Public bus service is available from Los Angeles, Oxnard, and other towns in the area, but may not be very frequent.

Get around

Like much of suburban California, Thousand Oaks is designed around travel by car, and walking or biking can be difficult or even hazardous due to traffic. Some of the primary retail and commercial streets do have dedicated bike lanes, however.

Public transit options are minimal, but Thousand Oaks does offer the TOT busline, but service is sporadic and runs only every hour to hour-and-a-half. The western terminus of Los Angeles County's LA Metro bus #161, connects from the Metro Orange Line stop at Warner Center in the San Fernando Valley at the Thousand Oaks Transit center just west of the southbound US-101 Rancho Road exit.

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. 

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.

Routes through Thousand Oaks

Santa Barbara ← Camarillo ←	N  S	→ Agoura Hills → Los Angeles
Fillmore ← Simi Valley ←	N  S	→ Santa Monica Mountains N.R.A. → Malibu