Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, and the largest community in the Conejo Valley, a suburban region bounded by the Santa Monica Mountains to the south and the Simi Hills to the north. It lies along the U.S. 101 corridor roughly forty miles west of downtown Los Angeles and about a dozen miles inland from the Pacific coast at Malibu. Incorporated in 1964, the city grew through the annexation of surrounding unincorporated land, most notably Newbury Park on its western side, which joined the city through the late 1960s and 1970s. The city is perhaps best known nationally for two things: its reputation as one of the safest large cities in the United States and its role as a hub for the biotechnology industry. Amgen, one of the world's largest biotech companies, is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, anchoring a life-sciences employment base that shapes the city's professional character. The local economy also benefits from the broader Conejo Valley's technology, finance, and services sectors. Education and open space are central to the community's identity. Students attend the Conejo Valley Unified School District, and California Lutheran University, a private liberal arts university, is located within the city. The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, a partnership between the city and the Conejo Recreation and Park District, protects extensive open space that wraps around the developed areas. Wildwood Regional Park, a 1,765-acre preserve, offers trails to Paradise Falls and Lizard Rock, while the surrounding hills and the Santa Monica Mountains provide a nearly continuous natural backdrop. With a population of roughly 127,000, Thousand Oaks is a mature, fully developed suburb that prizes order, safety, and quality of life. It suits families seeking strong schools and open space, professionals working in biotech or commuting to Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley, and those who want a calm, well-planned community with easy access to both the city and the coast.