Westlake Village went from Russell Ranch to city in the country

Westlake Village looks polished today, but its older story starts with open land, oaks, and the Chumash people of the Conejo Valley. Later, the area became part of Mexican land-grant country. After that, it became part of a large cattle ranch known as Russell Ranch.

The ranch story has one detail that sticks. In 1881, Andrew Russell secured a large piece of land after racing across thousands of acres in a buckboard. He closed the deal with a $20 gold piece. The land later passed through other owners, including William Randolph Hearst and Fred Albertson. It was also used as a movie ranch.

The modern turn came in 1963. The American-Hawaiian Steamship Company bought the 12,000-acre ranch and worked with Prudential on a plan for a “city in the country.” The plan placed homes, business areas, green space, and a lake into one designed community.

The county line gives Westlake Village an extra twist. The original planned community crossed Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The Ventura County side became part of Thousand Oaks. The Los Angeles County side incorporated as the City of Westlake Village in 1981. On the ground, the place can feel like one community even while the map tells a more complicated story.