Located in the eastern Conejo Valley, Agoura Hills is approximately 35 miles west of the downtown Los Angeles civic center. It is a city of Los Angeles County, California incorporated in 1982. According to census 2000 its total population is 20,537. This city straddles the border between the county of Los Angeles to the east, west and south and Ventura County to the north.

History
The Chumash Indians, followed by Spanish Franciscan missionaries, first established Agoura Hills. As the California coast was settled by Spaniards in the 1500s, El Camino Real, a road from Loreto, BCS, and Mexico to Sonoma, California, and connecting the Spanish missions in California, was built through the heart of Agoura Hills.

In 1700s, Spanish tours and explorations resulted in many large Spanish land grants in the area. Under the direction of King Philip V of Spain, it was originally given to Miguel Ortega. Later, grant was filed under the ownership of Dona Maria Antonia Machado del Reyes under the United States flag. Her heirs, Jose Reyes and Maria Altgracia Reyes de Vejar, built a home of adobe, "The Reyes Adobe", This adobe home can still be found today in central Agoura Hills. By 1900, Agoura Hills was being used as a popular stage stop for travelers because of its natural spring at the foothills of Ladyface Mountain.

The community was briefly known as Picture City in 1920s, as Paramount Studios owned a ranch in the area used for filming Westerns. Residents were required to choose a one-word name for their post office, so in 1927 a misspelling of the last name of Pierre Agoure (French immigrant, styled himself Don Pierre Agoure in 1871) His name was chosen for the post because it was the shortest name to be proposed.

Rapid growth in the Agoura Hills area started in 1960s, in the wake of the construction of the Ventura Freeway that isolated northern half of the city from southern. The first housing areas in Agoura were Hill rise, Liberty Canyon and Lake Lindero, and continued at a rapid pace during 1970s, when schools were also built.

In 1978, residents of the Agoura Hills came together to lobby Sacramento to widen the Kanan Bridge. Legislation was passed requiring the State Department of Transportation to award contracts for widening the Kanan Road bridge overpass, from two lanes to four lanes, over the Ventura Freeway.

The people of Agoura Hills voted in favor of city hood by a 68% majority in 1982, and became 83rd City in Los Angeles County. Mayor Fran Pavley, Mayor Pro Tem Carol Sahm, Councilmembers Ernest Dynda, John Hood and Vicky Leary were elected to the first City Council. The 1980s was a period of tremendous development, with large land areas being subdivided into housing tracts and a great wave of migration of people into the city. In the 1990s numerous businesses also set up shops in the city.

In 1996, in Agoura Hills Districts, however, the murders of Jimmy Farris (the infamous Brandon Hein case) shook the city and brought drugs problem and theft crime among its youth. As a result, the city began supporting live music competitions and concerts in local parks

Owned by the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department, The historic Reyes Adobe Museum, built in the mid-2000s is a popular tourist attraction. Agoura Hills is called the "Gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area". The city is unofficially divided into a number of varied districts centered on the modern Downtown area of the city. Agoura Hills, in recent years has become more diverse, both racially and socially and boasts a substantial Hispanic population (6.9%, or 1407 people) and a highly visible Iranian population (1.7%, or 349 people). Jewish population is also present in the city, as regional synagogue is located in southern Lake Lindero.

According to the census 2000, there were 20,537 people, 6,874 households, and 5,588 families residing in the city. There were 6,874 households out of which 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% were married couples, 9.9% had an unmarried female householder, and 18.7% were non-families. 13.8% of all households were of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The per capita income for the city was $39,700. About 2.8% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% under age 18 and 2.9% over age 65. More than half of the population over the age of 15 has a college degree, and 81% of residents qualify as white-collar workers.