Calabasas

Calabasas, California

Calabasas, city, Los Angeles county, southern California, U.S. It is located where the San Fernando Valley meets the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Calabaza is the Spanish word for pumpkin or gourd, but the city name is also said to mean “where the wild geese fly” in the local Native American language. The original inhabitants were affiliated with the Chumash nation. The area was explored by the Spanish in the 18th century and settled early in the 1800s. In the second half of the 19th century, Calabasas became part of the estate of the Basque immigrant Miguel Leonis, the so-called “king of Calabasas,” and his Native American wife, Espiritu. After his death in 1889, several sites were developed as tourist facilities.

The area later became an affluent Los Angeles suburb. Popularly associated with Calabasas is its northerly neighbour Hidden Hills, a smaller municipality that functions as a gated community and has attracted many celebrities as residents. True to its name, Calabasas hosts an annual pumpkin festival in October. Inc. 1991. Pop. (2000) 20,033; (2010) 23,058.