Santa Paula is a city within Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 29,321 at the 2010 census, up from 28,598 at the 2000 census. It has been dubbed the "Citrus Capital of the World." As the initial headquarters of the Union Oil Company of California, Santa Paula was one of the early centers of California's enormous petroleum industry.
Santa Paula's economy is primarily agriculturally based, originally focusing on the growing of oranges and lemons. Recently, however, avocados have also been grown, and an avocado was added to the city's official seal (Calavo Growers, Inc. is headquartered here.) Santa Paula's mediterranean climate combined with an estimated 20 feet (6.1 m) of topsoil have made it one of the best locations for growing citrus.
Santa Paula has very few large retail stores, the largest of which are Kmart and Vons. Many residents travel to neighboring cities to purchase hard goods. Santa Paula's Main Street area consists mostly of clothing shops, specialty shops, novelty shops, 99-cent stores, restaurants, service-oriented businesses and office space. The city is home to a smattering of neighborhood stores and small grocery markets. Many of these small shops and markets have a distinct Latin-American flavor, often selling myriad imported items. In addition some markets also have a meat department which sells a variety of beef, poultry, and seafood.
