Fillmore is a city in Ventura County, California, United States in the Santa Clara River Valley. In an agricultural area with rich, fertile soil, Fillmore has a historic downtown that was established when Southern Pacific built the railroad through the valley in 1887. They also provided a name for the town; J. A. Fillmore was a general superintendent for the company's Pacific system. The population was 15,002 at the 2010 census, up from 13,643 at the 2000 census.HistoryIn 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, came down the valley from the previous night's encampment near today's Rancho Camulos and camped in the vicinity of Fillmore on August 11. Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary travelling with the expedition, had previously named the valley Cañada de Santa Clara. He noted that the party travelled about 9–10 miles and camped near a large native village.Founded in 1887 upon the arrival of the Southern Pacific Rail line, the city voted to incorporate in 1914.In 1985, the city council voted to make English the city's official language. The resolution was repealed in 1999.GeographyFillmore is a small town in the Santa Clara River Valley below San Cayetano Mountain, a peak of the Topatopa Mountains in the Los Padres National Forest. The Sespe Condor Sanctuary, where the critically endangered California condor is recovering, in the Topatopa range to the north.
