Ventucopa, California

Ventucopa is an unincorporated community in the southeastern Cuyama Valley, within eastern Santa Barbara County, California. Ventucopa has a population of 92 people and is located an elevation of 2,896 feet (883 m). It is an agricultural area situated near the Cuyama River. It is located near the intersection of four counties: Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Kern. Ventucopa borders Los Padres National Forest to the east, south and west. When the town was registering a postal office in 1926, local resident Dean Parady came up with Ventucopa, as the community lies between Maricopa and Ventura County.^[1][2]

Ventucopa, California
Unincorporated community
Ventucopa
Coordinates: 34°49′53″N 119°28′8″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Santa Barbara
ZIP code	93252

The ZIP Code is 93252, and the community is inside area code 661.

Geography

The community is on the southern Maricopa Highway section of State Route 33, near an upper southern fork of the seasonally-dry Cuyama River. It is about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Cuyama which is in the western Cuyama Valley.

The name Ventucopa is a portmanteau of the cities of Ventura and Maricopa, which are located along Highway 33 to the south and north, respectively.^[3]

Access

Because of how the county borders were drawn in relation to the valley and the Cuyama River, the community is ground transportation isolated from the rest of Santa Barbara County. Travel to other communities within the county requires crossing through either Ventura County (south) via the southern Maricopa Highway section of State Route 33 and Ojai to 101,^[4] or San Luis Obispo County (north) via the western Cuyama Highway−State Route 166 and Santa Maria to 101. Access from the San Joaquin Valley and Interstate 5 to the north in Kern County is via the eastern Maricopa Highway section of State Route 166.

See also

• Cuyama Valley topics

References

1. Massey, Peter (2006). Backcountry Adventures Southern California: The Ultimate Guide to the Backcountry for Anyone with a Sport Utility Vehicle. Adler Publishing. Page 232. ISBN 9781930193260.
2. Titus, Angela and Peter Massey (2006). California Trails Central Mountains Region. Adler Publishing. Page 190. ISBN 9781930193192.
3. Gudde, Erwin Gustav (2010). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. University of California Press. p. 410. ISBN 9780520266193.
4. Kayes, Natasha (September 19, 2023). "The Best Roadhouse In Southern California Is Hiding Miles Up A Windy Canyon Road, But It's So Worth The Effort". OnlyInYourState. Retrieved September 25, 2023.