Moving to Conejo Valley: Neighborhoods, Schools, Restaurants, and Things to Do

If you are researching a move to the Conejo Valley, this guide covers what you actually need to know: the neighborhoods, the school boundaries, a few restaurants and landmarks worth knowing, and the numbers behind the market. The Conejo Valley includes Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, and Agoura Hills, all connected by the 101 freeway and framed by the Santa Monica Mountains. It sits about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Every specific fact below (addresses, acreages, dates, rankings) has been checked against a current source. Where I could not confirm something was still accurate as of 2026, I left it out rather than guess.

What Makes Conejo Valley Special

The short answer is the combination of open space and proximity. The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, known locally as COSCA, manages a large network of permanently protected hillside open space woven through Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, and parts of Westlake Village, so many neighborhoods back directly onto trails rather than more houses. At the same time, you are roughly 30 to 40 minutes from the Westside of Los Angeles and a similar drive to Malibu on a normal traffic day.

Safety is also a real part of the draw. SafeWise's 2026 Safest Cities report ranks Thousand Oaks the 10th safest city in California. On the schools side, the Conejo Valley Unified School District and Oak Park Unified School District are both consistently strong performers in Ventura County.

Conejo Valley Neighborhoods, Broken Down

Westlake Village and North Ranch

Westlake Village centers around Westlake Lake, a 125 acre private, artificial lake built in 1969 with about 8 miles of shoreline. The boundary between Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks actually crosses the lake, and over 1,300 houses sit on or near it, including a small residential island. This is the most upscale pocket of the valley. North Ranch, just east of the lake, is known for equestrian trails and custom homes on larger lots, with golf at North Ranch Country Club. Sherwood Country Club sits in the hills above, among the most private and expensive real estate in the area.

Thousand Oaks Central and Lynn Ranch

The center of Thousand Oaks, along Thousand Oaks Boulevard, is home to the Civic Arts Plaza, the Oaks mall, and most of the city's dining and retail corridor. Lynn Ranch and the surrounding older neighborhoods offer ranch style homes from the 1960s and 70s, close to everything the boulevard has to offer.

Wood Ranch and Lang Ranch

Wood Ranch, on the northern edge of Thousand Oaks near the Simi Valley border, is a planned community popular with buyers who want newer construction and direct hillside trail access from the neighborhood. Lang Ranch, on the eastern side near the 23 freeway, offers a similar planned community feel, backing up to open space with immediate trail access.

Newbury Park and Dos Vientos

Newbury Park is the western half of Thousand Oaks and typically offers more home per dollar than areas closer to the 101 corridor. Dos Vientos, a newer master planned community in Newbury Park, has become one of the more searched neighborhoods in the valley. Newbury Park also sits closest to Wildwood Regional Park, one of the valley's signature outdoor spaces.

Agoura Hills

Agoura Hills sits just south of the 101 on the Los Angeles County side of the valley, closer to Malibu Canyon and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It has a genuine small town center around Whizin Market Square, and it tends to attract buyers who want a shorter commute toward the Valley or West LA.

Oak Park

Oak Park sits at the southern edge of the Conejo Valley, in a separate school district but grouped with the valley by most buyers. It is a smaller, quieter community built largely around its schools and surrounding hillside trails.

Conejo Valley Schools

The Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) serves Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, and Westlake Village, with about 16,700 students enrolled as of the most recently reported year. The three comprehensive high schools are:

• Westlake High School, established in 1978, current enrollment around 2,010 students. It has been recognized in past national rankings and posts strong Advanced Placement participation.

• Thousand Oaks High School, established in 1962, current enrollment around 1,728 students.

• Newbury Park High School, also predating district unification, serving the western half of the valley.

Oak Park Unified School District, a separate district just south of Agoura Hills, serves about 4,300 students across seven schools. Oak Park High School has held National Blue Ribbon School status and was ranked 51st nationally and 7th in California in a past Newsweek ranking; that specific ranking is from 2016, so treat it as a historical marker of the school's track record rather than a current-year placement.

If schools are the top priority in your search, always check the exact boundary map for a specific address, since boundary lines do not always follow neighborhood names.

A Few Restaurants and Landmarks

I'm keeping this list short and only including places I could confirm are currently operating, rather than padding it with names I couldn't verify.

• Tuscany il Ristorante (968 S Westlake Blvd #4, Westlake Village) — a longstanding Italian restaurant run by chef/owner Tommaso Barletta, with a loyal local following.

• BASTA (Whizin Market Square, Agoura Hills) — Italian, known for dishes like braised short ribs and wood fired pizza. Note this is in Agoura Hills, not Thousand Oaks.

• The Old Place (Mulholland Highway, Cornell, just outside Agoura Hills) — housed in a former general store and post office building, turned into a restaurant in 1970. Open limited days with a small, reservation-recommended seating.

• Mastro's Steakhouse (139 W Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks) — the national steakhouse chain's Thousand Oaks location.

• Whizin Market Square (Agoura Hills) — a cluster of restaurants, a beer and wine garden, boutiques, and live music that anchors much of the neighborhood's social life. It has hosted a regular farmers market historically; confirm current day and hours before planning around it.

I could not verify current information on a couple of restaurants I'd previously included, including one called Cafe 14, and left them out rather than repeat unconfirmed details.

Things to Do

Hiking and Open Space

• Wildwood Regional Park (Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park) covers 1,765 acres with more than 27 miles of trails, including the popular hike to Paradise Falls, a seasonal waterfall generally described as 40 to 45 feet.

• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area stretches along the valley's southern edge, with access points from Agoura Hills and Westlake Village.

• Malibu Creek State Park, just south of Agoura Hills, includes the site of the old MAS*H television filming location.

Arts and Culture

• The Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks (2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd), opened in 1994, houses the 1,800 seat Fred Kavli Theatre and the 400 seat Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre, and hosts touring shows and concerts.

• Gardens of the World, directly across the street from the Civic Arts Plaza, is a 4.5 acre botanical garden with French, English, Japanese, and Italian themed sections, open to the public since December 2001.

• The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library sits just over the valley's northern edge in Simi Valley.

Entertainment

• The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills books national touring acts and tribute bands in an intimate venue.

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Getting Around

The 101 freeway runs through the entire valley and connects to the 23 freeway, giving access north toward Simi Valley and Moorpark and south toward Calabasas and the San Fernando Valley. Drive times to LA, Malibu, and other nearby areas vary a lot with traffic and time of day, so I'd rather give you an accurate range for your specific commute than a generic estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cities are included in the Conejo Valley? Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, and Agoura Hills. Oak Park, just to the south, is often grouped in as well even though it sits in a separate school district.

Is Conejo Valley a good place to raise a family? Most families relocating here cite strong schools, low crime rates, and open space access as the main draw. Thousand Oaks was ranked 10th safest city in California in SafeWise's 2026 report.

What is the median home price in Thousand Oaks? $1,776,500 as of November 2025 data, the most recent full dataset available. Prices vary significantly by neighborhood and school boundary, so ask for a current pull on any specific area.

What school district serves Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village? The Conejo Valley Unified School District. Oak Park is served by the separate Oak Park Unified School District.

Work With a Local Agent Who Knows Every Street

I work across Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, and Agoura Hills every day. If you want a direct, current answer on which neighborhood and school boundary actually fits your budget and priorities, reach out and I will walk you through it.