Santa Paula is located within Ventura County and the Santa Clara River Valley, about six miles from Fillmore. Easily accessed from State Highway 126, the Santa Clara River Valley offers camping, hiking, water sports, golf, shopping, antiquing, sightseeing, and museum stops. About six miles from Santa Paula is the Sespe Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area of the Los Padres National Forest. 

Santa Paula also counts among its recreational opportunities, an extensive antique airplane collection at the Santa Paula Airport. Many of the planes are on display the first Sunday of each month. Santa Paula is the valley's chief city.

   With a population of approximately 26,000, Santa Paula is known as the Citrus Capital of the world. In fact, the county's first commercial orange groves were planted here in 1872, and agriculture is still the area's most important industry. Santa Paula was originally part of a Spanish land grant. Oil was discovered in the late 1800s, leading to the birth of the Union Oil Company, commemorated at the Santa Paula Union Oil Museum. The city's population grew following the discovery of oil, and prominent families built exquisite homes in their new community, many of which have been preserved or restored.