Life Near Port Hueneme: Five Minutes From the Gate to the Sand

Port Hueneme is the Seabee side of Naval Base Ventura County. The Navy opened it on May 18, 1942 to train its new Construction Battalions and ship them and their gear to the Pacific. It is still the home of the Pacific Seabees.

The site covers more than 1,600 acres, with 29 miles of roads, 10 miles of railroad track and the only deep water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay. The Navy shares one wharf with the commercial Port of Hueneme next door under a joint use agreement.

Who works here:

• Naval Construction Group ONE and Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 3 and 4
• The Naval Construction Training Center
• Underwater Construction Team TWO
• Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division
• The NAVFAC Expeditionary Warfare Center
• Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 14 and Reserve Seabee units, including the First Naval Construction Regiment and NMCB 22 and 25
• Navy Reserve Center Ventura County

Point Mugu, the airfield side, is ten miles down the coast. See living near Point Mugu. The third site is San Nicolas Island.

Many people still call Knott Gate the Sunkist Gate. The visitor center is Building 1183, beside the gate. Details are on the Pass and ID page.

Liberty Military Housing runs three family neighborhoods at Port Hueneme. The leasing office is at 145 34th Avenue, 805-483-2383.

Catalina Heights in Camarillo, with 3 and 4 bedroom townhomes, also serves the base. Its office is at 805-419-4921.

Waitlists are normal. Call the Housing Service Center at 805-982-4321 the day you get orders. The full picture is on the housing page.

Single sailors check in at Building 1518, which is staffed around the clock. The unaccompanied housing office is in Building 1482, 805-982-4551.

Need a room while you look? The Navy Lodge at Port Hueneme is 805-985-2624. See the lodging page.

Port Hueneme has the installation's only commissary and its main Navy Exchange. It also has the Seabee Golf Course, the bowling center, the theater and the main fitness center.

• Commissary and Exchange hours
• MWR and recreation
• Medical, TRICARE West and VA

Two cities touch the fence.

Port Hueneme is a small beach city of about 21,000 people on 4.4 square miles. It has more condos than houses, and the lowest prices near the base. The median sale price is about $538,000. Hueneme Beach Park, the pier and the lighthouse promenade are five minutes from the gate.

Oxnard wraps around the base on the other three sides. It has the most homes for sale, from condos to houses on the harbor. The median sale price is about $789,000.

Three pages to read before you pick:

• VA approved condos by city. Port Hueneme has 17 approved projects, including the Surfside complexes by the beach.
• Neighborhoods near the base
• What your BAH covers

Your address decides the district.

• South of Channel Islands Boulevard, including the City of Port Hueneme and base housing: the Hueneme Elementary School District, kindergarten through eighth grade. Its office is at 805-488-3588.
• North of Channel Islands Boulevard: the Oxnard School District.
• High school, both areas: the Oxnard Union High School District. Hueneme High and Oxnard High are the nearest campuses.

Confirm the school for an exact address with the district. The schools page and the school liaison can help.

The ocean keeps Port Hueneme mild all year. Average highs are about 66 degrees in January and 73 to 74 in August and September. Rain comes in winter, a few inches a month, and summers are dry. Mornings are often gray in May and June.

Hueneme Beach Park is 50 acres with a 1,250 foot pier, open daily from 6 am to 10 pm. Parking is $2 an hour or $8 for the day. Bubbling Springs Park, 21 acres with two dog parks, connects to the beach by a walking path. More is on the things to do page.