Ventura (a shortened version of the Spanish spelling of "Saint Bonaventure") is one of the 58 counties in the state of California. It was created in 1872 from part of Santa Barbara county, in response to the large population growth of the region. As of the 2010 census, the population was 823,318, up from 753,197 in 2000.
The county seat is Ventura, and the largest city is Oxnard. Ventura is bordered on the west by Santa Barbara County, on the north by Kern County, on the east by Los Angeles County and on the south by the Pacific Ocean.