Agoura’s Name and Early Identity
The community’s name comes from Don Pierre Agoure, a French Basque rancher who settled here in 1871 and ran sheep and cattle across the valley. When local residents sought a one-word name for their new post office in 1927, they adopted his surname—with a slight spelling change—as Agoura. For decades, this was the community’s name, referring to a small ranching settlement along the old Coast Road.
Even today, if you ask an Agoura Hills Real Estate Agent, they’ll tell you that this origin story is a major part of the area’s identity. Buyers often want to understand not just the homes, but the roots of the community they’re investing in.
From Ranch Town to Cityhood
The quiet ranchland character began to change with the construction of the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) in the 1960s. Suburban developments—Hillrise, Liberty Canyon, and Lake Lindero—sprang up around the freeway interchanges. By the late 1970s, Agoura was no longer a sleepy ranch town but a fast-growing suburb on Los Angeles’ fringe.
In 1982, residents voted to incorporate the City of Agoura Hills. The new city took on a modern suburban identity, complete with schools, shopping centers, and tract housing. But not all of the community wanted that change. The original, horse-zoned ranchlands north of the freeway retained their rural zoning and low-density lifestyle.
It was in this period that locals began referring to this enclave as “Old Agoura”—the historic core that remained distinct from the newer suburban “Hills.” If you were working as a Realtor in Agoura Hills at that time, it became essential to explain the difference between Old Agoura and the more suburban neighborhoods that were rapidly expanding.
Preserving a Rural Way of Life
Old Agoura isn’t just older in years; it’s intentionally older in spirit. In the 1980s, as suburban growth accelerated, city officials codified special protections for the area. The Old Agoura Overlay District was created to “preserve the unique character of Old Agoura” through zoning and design guidelines.
The rules are unusually strict for Los Angeles County:
- Large lots: Homes must sit on half-acre parcels or larger.
- Equestrian zoning: Residents may keep horses and livestock, with up to eight horses per acre permitted.
- Rustic design: New construction must use natural materials like stone, wood, or stucco in earth tones. Large, modern “stucco boxes” are explicitly discouraged.
- Minimal infrastructure: Most homes rely on septic tanks instead of city sewers. Roads are narrow and uncurbed, maintaining a rural feel.
These measures ensure Old Agoura looks and functions like ranch country rather than a tract neighborhood. A Realtor Agoura Hills CA today might emphasize these points to buyers who value privacy, space, and the ability to keep horses—all things that make Old Agoura stand apart from typical suburban communities.
The Old Agoura Rangers
Community pride also played a role. In 1984, two residents founded the Old Agoura Rangers, a volunteer posse devoted to defending the neighborhood’s Western identity. The group—eventually over 60 members strong—patrolled nearby trails on horseback, removed litter, and acted as stewards of open space.
But their most visible role was political. Rangers often rode horses to city council meetings, where they lobbied for equestrian rights, fought oversized developments, and demanded that new homes be built with room for corrals and paddocks. Their activism directly shaped planning codes, embedding the rustic aesthetic and open-space requirements that still govern Old Agoura today.
Even now, the Best Real Estate Agent Agoura Hills CA will point to the Rangers’ legacy as a reason why Old Agoura homes remain so unique: every property is tied to a sense of place and history that newer neighborhoods can’t replicate.
A Name That Stuck
By the late 20th century, the term “Old Agoura” had stuck. The “Old” doesn’t imply that the neighborhood is outdated; it signifies that this area represents the original Agoura—the ranchlands that predate freeway suburbs and incorporation.
Today, wooden gateway signs mark the entrances to Old Agoura. Horses graze behind split-rail fences, oak-studded trails connect to the Santa Monica Mountains, and zoning still prioritizes livestock over sidewalks. In a city that has grown into modern suburbia, Old Agoura proudly holds onto its heritage.
Old Agoura is called “Old” because it is both the geographic and cultural root of Agoura itself. It distinguishes the original horse ranching community from the newer suburban Agoura Hills and signals the community’s conscious choice to preserve its rural, equestrian identity. Thanks to strict zoning and decades of grassroots activism, the “Old” in Old Agoura remains a living legacy rather than a relic of the past.