Why visit El Rio
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 63 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Century RiverPark 16, Carnegie Art Museum and Oxnard Historic Farm Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; December lows average 45°F.
Weather in El Rio
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About El Rio
El Rio ( ; Spanish: El Río, meaning "The River") is a small, rural 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. 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.
From the Wikipedia article El Rio, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Carnegie Art Museum
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Art museum in Oxnard, California
Oxnard Historic Farm Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Farm in Oxnard, California
Saticoy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Railway station in Ventura County, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Restaurants and cafes63
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 1.6 mi
2221 North Rose Avenue, Oxnard
Su-Th 11:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Golden Corral
Restaurant · American, Buffet · 1.6 mi
1901 Lockwood Street, Oxnard
Mo-Fr 10:00-21:00; Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 08:00-20:30
It's Boba Time
Cafe · Bubble Tea · 1.2 mi
2756 Seaglass Way, Oxnard
Mo-Th,Su 12:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:30
Kalaveras
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.4 mi
1740 Ventura Boulevard, Oxnard
Su 09:00-21:00; Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr 11:00-00:00; Sa 10:00-00:00
Lazy Dog
Diner · American · 1.3 mi
598 Town Center Drive, Oxnard
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr 11:00-24:00; Sa 10:00-24:00; Su 10:00-23:00
The Cheesecake Factory
Diner · American · 1.3 mi
600 Town Center Drive, Oxnard
Mo-Th 11:30-22:00; Fr 11:30-23:00; Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 10:00-22:00
Bottle And Pint
Bar and pub · 1.2 mi
550 Collection Boulevard, Ventura
Tu-We 12:00-22:00; Th 12:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-24:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Gen Korean BBQ House
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
2721 Seaglass Way, Oxnard
Mo-Th 11:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:30; Su 11:30-22:00
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream
Ice cream · 1.4 mi
751 Town Center Drive, Oxnard
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30
51 more on the map.
History
Early inhabitants of the area were the Chumash, a Native American tribe who continue to inhabit the area. The Chumash region extends from Point Conception to Santa Monica and back into the foothills as far as the Coast Range. One of their largest settlements was at nearby Saticoy, because of the bubbling springs that were found there.
On May 6, 1837, Juan M. Sanchez (1791–1873), a former Santa Barbara Presidio soldier, was granted the Rancho Santa Clara del Norte, which contained 13,989 acres (57 km2) of land extending from the Santa Clara River south to the northern boundary of present-day Camarillo, and from the present day 101 Freeway east to the west end of South Mountain. Sanchez and his wife, Ines Guevara de Sanchez (1794–1862), had their adobe home built below the western slope of South Mountain, within a heavy group of eucalyptus trees at the east end of present-day Rose Avenue, an avenue that was lined on both sides with tall eucalyptus trees.
From the History section of El Rio, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries49
Architecture Construction & Engineering Charter High (Ace)
School · 5.4 mi
570 Airport Way, Camarillo
Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education
School · 5.7 mi
777 Aileen St., Camarillo
Dr. Manuel M. Lopez Academy of Arts & Sciences
School · 4.3 mi
647 West Hill St., Oxnard
Map of El Rio
155 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°F | 46°F | 3.8 in |
| Feb | 68°F | 46°F | 3.5 in |
| Mar | 69°F | 48°F | 2.3 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 49°F | 0.8 in |
| May | 72°F | 53°F | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 57°F | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 78°F | 60°F | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 59°F | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 58°F | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 54°F | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 73°F | 49°F | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 68°F | 45°F | 2.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oxnard Wfo (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Ventura County has had 34 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-05-18: Sandy Fire (Fire)
- 2024-11-06: Mountain Fire (Fire)
- 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Oxnard Airport (OXR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Saticoy 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Oxnard 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- San Buenaventura (Ventura) 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Port Hueneme 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Camarillo 7 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Channel Islands Beach 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Santa Paula 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Somis 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Casa Conejo 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Thousand Oaks 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Roger Jones Community Center, Fettlemap, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Carneige Art Museum, Oxnard, Los Angeles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saticoy Depot, Fettlemap, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.