Old Town
Old Town is Simi Valley's first townsite: the grid of numbered streets south of Los Angeles Avenue between First and Fifth streets, reaching down to Ventura Avenue. A group of Chicago investors, the California Mutual Benefit Colony of Chicago, laid it out in 1888, and a "Townsite of Simi" map was recorded with the county in 1892. County records show about 150 parcels inside those lines.
Updated · Sources at the bottom of the page · Corrections: send a correction
Old Town quick facts
| Also called | Simiopolis (1888 name), Townsite of Simi |
|---|---|
| Where | South of Los Angeles Avenue between First and Fifth streets, down to Ventura Avenue (the original 1888 Simi townsite) |
| City / jurisdiction | City of Simi Valley · ZIP 93065 |
| Built | Townsite laid out 1888; county "Townsite of Simi" record map (3-MR-33) recorded October 1892 |
| Builders | California Mutual Benefit Colony of Chicago (townsite) |
| Homes | About 150 parcels within the 1892 townsite lines (county parcel records) |
| Home types | Houses on small grid lots, many still about 0.16 acre, with larger parcels fronting Los Angeles Avenue |
| Gates | Not gated |
| Tracts | 1 named tracts and sub-neighborhoods (list) |
| Parks nearby | Lincoln Park (1215 First St.) |
| School district | Simi Valley Unified School District |
Pins are approximate centers. Outlines are recorded tract maps from county GIS; tap one for its guide.
Living in Old Town
The colony shipped twelve prefabricated kit houses from Chicago in 1888, and for several months that year the new town went by Simiopolis before settling back on Simi. It took shape while the newly formed Simi Land and Water Company was dividing the old Rancho Simí into farms for sale. The town's first public school opened at Third Street and California Avenue in 1890 and served until 1926. The Simi Valley Historical Society counts just two of the colony houses still standing.
Today California, Pacific, Ashland and Ventura avenues cross the numbered streets, and many side-street parcels still measure about 0.16 acre in county records. Tract 1258, 37 lots recorded in 1961, fills the south side of Ventura Avenue and the north side of Ayhens Street. Lincoln Park, a Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District park at 1215 First St., is a short walk south past Royal Avenue, with a walking path, playground, basketball, an adult fitness area and picnic tables.
The lay of the land
Simi Valley's original 1888 townsite: a compact grid of numbered streets and short avenues just south of Los Angeles Avenue
Boundaries on this page follow the original townsite as drawn on the 1892 county record map: First to Fifth streets, Los Angeles Avenue to Ventura Avenue.
Tracts & sub-neighborhoods of Old Town
The named tracts, villages and gated enclaves residents, HOAs and the MLS use inside the neighborhood, each with its own page.
Missing a tract? Tell us its name and we'll research it.
Schools near Old Town
School attendance areas
Simi Valley Unified School District
On SVUSD's attendance-boundary map (elementary map revised December 2023), the recorded tract outlines in this guide fall in:
- Elementary: Madera Elementary School (1 tract)
- Middle: Sinaloa Middle School (1 tract)
- High: Royal High School (1 tract)
These come from the district's own data, not from this site; each tract page has its own answer. Assignment goes by address. Confirm with School Boundary Maps, or check an address here.
Public schools nearby
- Madera Elementary (250 Royal Ave.)
- Sinaloa Middle (601 Royal Ave.)
- Royal High (1402 Royal Ave.)
Being nearby doesn't mean a school is assigned. Attendance goes by address and boundaries change; confirm with the district.
- Simi Valley Unified School District: find the assigned schools for an address
Services, representation & fire safety
These are Simi Valley's area-wide providers; some vary by street.
| Police | Simi Valley Police Department (805) 583-6950 · 3901 Alamo St. Patrols the city. The unincorporated Knolls, Box Canyon, Lake Manor and Sinaloa Lake areas are served by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. |
|---|---|
| Fire and paramedic | Ventura County Fire Department Covers the city and surrounding county land. Simi Valley stations: 41 (1910 Church St.), 43 (5874 E. Los Angeles Ave.), 44 Wood Ranch (1050 Country Club Dr.), 45 West Simi (790 Pacific Ave.), 46 Tapo (3265 Tapo St.) and 47 Big Sky (2901 Erringer Rd.). |
| Water | Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 (managed by the City of Simi Valley) (805) 583-6736 · Serves about 60 percent of the city, with the City Council sitting as its board. Most of its water is imported through Calleguas Municipal Water District, supplemented by two district wells in Tapo Canyon. After-hours emergencies: (805) 504-2708. |
| Water | Golden State Water Company Private utility serving the other 40 percent or so of the city. Your bill, or the district's service-area map, shows which supplier serves your address. |
| Sewer | City of Simi Valley Public Works, Sanitation Services Runs the city sewer system and its Water Quality Control Plant. |
| Electricity | Southern California Edison (delivery) and Clean Power Alliance (default power supply) SCE owns the lines and handles outages. Simi Valley joined Clean Power Alliance in 2019, and its default plan is Lean Power; customers can change plans or opt back to SCE supply. |
| Gas | Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) |
| Trash and recycling | Waste Management (G.I. Industries) (805) 522-9400 · The city's exclusive franchise hauler under an agreement executed October 10, 2022, covering trash, recycling, green and food waste, bulky-item pickup and outreach. The City Council sets rates each year, and collected waste goes to the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center. Unincorporated areas are outside the city franchise; check with the County of Ventura. |
| Parks and recreation | Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District (805) 584-4400 · 4201 Guardian St. Runs neighborhood and community parks, trails, open space, community centers, the Santa Susana Depot and Strathearn Historical Park. |
| Library | Simi Valley Public Library (805) 526-1735 · 2969 Tapo Canyon Rd., next to City Hall. |
| Animal services | Ventura County Animal Services 1-888-223-7387 · Serves Simi Valley by contract. The Simi Valley Animal Shelter at 670 W. Los Angeles Ave. handles strays, adoptions, licensing and lost pets; the main shelter is in Camarillo. |
| Transit | Simi Valley Transit (805) 583-6456 · Routes 10, 20 and 30, Dial-A-Ride and same-day SVT On Demand rides. Route 10 connects with LA Metro buses in Chatsworth, and VCTC Intercity buses stop at Simi Valley Town Center. |
| Hospital | Adventist Health Simi Valley The city's hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department. |
| Emergency alerts | VC Alert (Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services) Free English and Spanish alerts by phone, text and email for any Ventura County address. Sign up at member.everbridge.net, by email at vc.alert@ventura.org or by phone at 888-772-4482. The county also recommends keeping Wireless Emergency Alerts turned on. |
| Neighborhood councils | City of Simi Valley Neighborhood Councils (805) 583-6756 · Four advisory councils; every resident 18 or older is automatically a member. Each usually meets monthly at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Community Room, 2929 Tapo Canyon Rd. |
Who represents you: Mayor Dee Dee Cavanaugh (appointed mayor by the council on January 27, 2025, after Mayor Fred Thomas died in office); Mayor Pro Tem Elaine P. Litster (District 3); Joseph D. Ayala (District 1, appointed February 2025); Mike Judge (District 2); Rocky Rhodes (District 4). · Janice S. Parvin, Ventura County Board of Supervisors District 4, which covers Simi Valley, Moorpark and nearby unincorporated areas including the Knolls, Box Canyon, Bell Canyon and Sinaloa Lake. She won another term outright in the June 2, 2026 primary with about 70 percent of the vote over Ruth Luevanos; the new term begins in January 2027. Office: 980 Enchanted Way #203, Simi Valley, (805) 955-2300. Full list for Simi Valley.
Fire safety: Brush-covered hills ring the city, so neighborhoods along the edges, from Wood Ranch, Long Canyon and Bridle Path in the south to Big Sky, Wild Horse Canyon, Indian Hills and Silverthorne in the north and the Knolls, Box Canyon and Lake Manor in the east, sit… More.
Other neighborhoods in Simi Valley
Homes for sale in and around Old Town
Every MLS listing here, with photos, prices and details, is on Properkey.
Browse homes for sale in Simi Valley on Properkey
Real estate information provided by Properkey (CA DRE #01979718 · NMLS #1438783), which is not the listing broker unless stated.
Where these facts come from
- Simiopolis – Simi Valley Historical Society — simihistory.com
- Simi Valley, California (history: Simiopolis, colony townsite, Simi Land and Water Company) – Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
- Ventura County record maps: Townsite of Simi, 3-MR-33, recorded Oct. 25, 1892 — maps.ventura.org
- Ventura County parcels layer (parcel counts, lot sizes, street addresses) — maps.ventura.org
- Lincoln Park – Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District — rsrpd.org
- Find My School – Simi Valley Unified School District — simivalleyusd.org
- School Boundary Maps – Simi Valley Unified School District — simivalleyusd.org
- Madera Elementary School — madera.simivalleyusd.org
- Sinaloa Middle School — sinaloa.simivalleyusd.org
- Royal High School — rhs.simivalleyusd.org
Something wrong or missing on this page? Residents know their streets best. Send a correction and we'll check it against the records and fix it.