The campus is located about two miles (3 km) south of the city of Camarillo, at the base of Long Grade Canyon. The school is set on rich agricultural land at the edge of the Oxnard Plain and nestled into the base of the Santa Monica Mountains. The flat site is bordered by farms and marked by a lone peak called Round Mountain. The state hospital was built in a remote area so roads were improved to provide for the campus traffic. The university developed a bus transit network to serve the campus with VISTA buses providing access to Gold Coast Transit in Oxnard and the Camarillo train station. Gaining official possession of the land in 1998 and then occupancy in 1999, California State University began classes on the existing campus-style facility, primarily one to two-story buildings organized around three primary quads. In 2007, the campus acquired an additional . Many of the buildings are in the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival architectural styles, although there are a few modern buildings. The campus is split into two primary sections: North Quad and South Quad. In 2012, Del Norte and Madera halls were opened in the North Quad; some of the buildings in the North Quad are still uninhabited and unsafe due to age.