Piru, California | unincorporated area / community, CDP - Census Designated Place

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 unincorporated area / community, CDP - Census Designated Place
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Piru is a census-designated place located in Eastern Ventura County, California, near the Santa Clara River and Highway 126. The population was 2,063 at the 2010 census. Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest is the main recreational attraction. The name is derived from the Chumash Indian term "reeds" for the reeds growing along Piru Creek that were used in making baskets. Piru was struck by two major disasters in the twentieth century. On the night of March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam broke, causing the deaths of 400 people, many in Piru. The Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994 destroyed several buildings in the historic downtown area.
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Coordinates:   34°24'52"N   118°47'39"W
This article was last modified 12 years ago