The American-Hawaiian Steamship Company bought the 12,000-acre Albertson Ranch on the Los Angeles and Ventura county line in 1963 and hired architects A. C. Martin and Associates to plan a complete new town. Planners dammed the creek running through the property, both to control flooding and to create a lake of about 125 acres, and laid out homes, docks and islands around it. The lake is still the center of the plan and of Westlake Village life.
The homes
Westlake Village started as a single master-planned community in the 1960s, laid out on former ranch land as a "city in the country" around a man-made lake. The heart of it is Westlake Lake, lined with lakefront homes, many with private docks, plus homes on the islands and peninsulas that reach into the water. Away from the shore, the streets are mostly 1960s to 1980s ranch and traditional homes on generous suburban lots, with townhome and condo communities mixed in, many with their own HOAs.
In the hills, the homes get bigger. Gated communities hold custom estates with canyon and mountain views, and North Ranch, on the Ventura County side, is known for large custom homes around the North Ranch Country Club. Newer remodels and rebuilds are common across the area, but the original planned layout, with greenbelts and wide boulevards, still shapes most neighborhoods.
The feel
- Westlake Lake is the centerpiece, with sailboats and electric boats on the water and restaurants and offices along parts of the shore.
- The Promenade at Westlake is an open-air center of shops and restaurants, and the Westlake Village Inn adds a resort-style campus with a spa, restaurants and a small vineyard.
- Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village has restaurants, a spa and a large wellness center on landscaped grounds with waterfalls.
- The mountains are close, with Santa Monica Mountains trails just south, and Lake Sherwood, a private lake community, a short drive west.
Eat, drink, shop
- Coin & Candor (Four Seasons Hotel, Dole Dr). The hotel's main dining room, a California brasserie that cooks much of its menu over a wood fire, with a patio facing the Santa Monica Mountains. The Acorn
- Onyx (Four Seasons Hotel, Dole Dr). The hotel's Japanese room, built around a sushi bar, with nigiri, sashimi and a terrace above the waterfall. The Acorn
- The Stonehaus (Agoura Road). A Tuscan-style wine bar and cafe beside its own small vineyard at the Westlake Village Inn, with coffee in the morning and wine and cheese by an outdoor fireplace later on. The Acorn
- Neighborly (Thousand Oaks Blvd, The Promenade at Westlake). A food hall where one order can pull from several kitchens, including Mini Kabob's Armenian grill and a Sicilian pizza counter from the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. The Infatuation
Getting around
The 101 runs right through Westlake Village, so Calabasas is about 10 minutes east and Warner Center about 15. Santa Monica and the Westside are often 45 minutes to an hour via the 101 and 405, and more at rush hour. To the south, Westlake Boulevard (Decker Canyon) and nearby Kanan Road climb over the mountains to Malibu, often 25 to 35 minutes to the coast. There's no rail line, so this is a driving town.
What's new
- Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The planted bridge over the 101 at Liberty Canyon, about 10 minutes east in Agoura Hills, was in its final construction phase in spring 2026, with opening set for December 2026. (Secret Los Angeles)
- The Commons expansion in Calabasas. A short drive east, construction started in February 2026 on new shops, restaurants and apartments at The Commons at Calabasas, with some stores possibly opening by the end of 2026. (The Acorn, via Caruso)
Good to know
- Check the county. The original planned community straddles the county line. About a third is the City of Westlake Village in LA County, incorporated in 1981, and the rest is part of the City of Thousand Oaks in Ventura County. Many Ventura-side addresses still say "Westlake Village," so confirm the city and county for any home, since permits, fees and transfer taxes differ.
- Lake rules. The lake is private and run by the Westlake Lake Management Association, which controls docks, boat permits and lake access. Boating is generally limited to sailboats and non-gas boats. Ask for the current rules and fees before buying lakefront.
- HOAs. Most neighborhoods have one or more HOAs, plus lake association dues for lake lots. Review the CC&Rs, reserves and architectural rules early.
- Fire zones. Homes near the hills and open space can fall in very high fire hazard severity zones, and the 2018 Woolsey Fire burned nearby. Get insurance quotes early in escrow.