Oxnard is the 121st largest city in the United States, 21st largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the strawberry and lima bean capital of California. Founded in 1903, it is the most populous city in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metropolitan area. The population was 170,358 at the 2000 census. The April 2010, California Department of Finance estimates the population at 200,004.

Oxnard is also a major transportation hub in Southern California, with Amtrak, Union Pacific, Metrolink, Greyhound, and Intercalifornia stopping in Oxnard. Oxnard also has a regional airport called Oxnard Airport (OXR).