Back Ōhæg ANG أوجي (كاليفورنيا) Arabic اوچاى (كاليفورنيا) ARZ اوجای، کالیفورنیا AZB Ахай BE Охай Bulgarian Ojai Catalan Охай CE Ojai (lungsod sa Tinipong Bansa) CEB Ojai DAG

Ojai, California

"Ojai" redirects here. For the airport in Amman, Jordan with the airport code OJAI, see Queen Alia International Airport. For the 2018 record by Young & Sick, see Ojai (EP).

Ojai, California
City
Top to bottom, left to right: Ojai Valley Museum; U.S. Post Office; Ojai Arcade; aerial view of Ojai
Flag of Ojai, California
Flag
Location in Ventura County and the state of California
Location in Ventura County and the state of California
Ojai is located in southern California
Ojai
Ojai
Location of Ojai in Southern California
Ojai is located in California
Ojai
Ojai
Location of Ojai in California
Ojai is located in the United States
Ojai
Ojai
Location of Ojai in the United States
Coordinates: 34°26′57″N 119°14′48″W / 34.44917°N 119.24667°W / 34.44917; -119.24667
Country United States
State California
CountyVentura
IncorporatedAugust 5, 1921[1]
Named forChumash: 'Awha'y ("Moon")[2]
Government
 • TypeCity Council—City Manager[3]
 • MayorBetsy Stix[4]
 • State senatorMonique Limón (D)[5]
 • Assembly memberGregg Hart (D)[5]
 • U. S. rep.Julia Brownley (D)[6]
Area
[7]
 • Total4.37 sq mi (11.32 km2)
 • Land4.36 sq mi (11.28 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)  0.35%
Elevation
[8]
745 ft (227 m)
Population
 (2020)[9]
 • Total7,637
 • Density1,700/sq mi (670/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
93023 & 93024
Area code805
FIPS code06-53476
GNIS feature IDs1652763, 2411308
Websiteojaicity.org
Ojai Inn, built in 1876. Photo taken in 1880s.
Ojai Arcade, built in 1917 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Post Office tower at right.

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]

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "City Government". City of Ojai. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  4. ^ "City Council". City of Ojai. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  6. ^ "California's 26th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  7. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  8. ^ "Ojai". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  9. ^ "Ojai (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "Chumash Place Names" (PDF).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Tumamait-Stenslie, Julie. "Ojai Means Moon," Ojai Valley Visitors Guide, Winter 2011, pp. 12–13.
  13. ^ Fry, Patricia, Elise DePuydt & Craig Walker, The Ojai Valley: An Illustrated History. Ojai Valley Museum. 2017. pp. 13–14
  14. ^ "Visit Ojai" (Archived July 26, 2015, at the Wayback Machine). City of Ojai official website. Accessed 28 February 2014.[dead link]