California (CA) is located in the west of the country on the Pacific coast, it is the most populous state in the USA. The capital is Sacramento, but by far the most famous is Los Angeles. If California were an independent country, its economy would be among the largest in the world. Major industries include technology, entertainment and agriculture. Major tourist attractions include Hollywood, Universal Studios, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and a number of national parks.
-
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
Name California Abbreviation CA Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles (Population: 3 820 914) Current time 7:51 Time zone PST (UTC-8), the state observes daylight saving time PDT (UTC-7) Population 39,538,212 (#1 most populous US state) Area 163,695 mi² (#3 largest US state) Admitted to the Union September 9, 1850 (#31 state to join) ⭐ Capital of California
The capital of the state of California is Sacramento, which was officially established in 1850. It was declared the capital in 1850, having previously been the Pueblo of San José de Guadalupe, Vallejo and Benicia.
🏙️ Largest City in California
The largest city in California is Los Angeles, with a population of 3,820,914 in 2023. The second largest city is San Diego with 1,388,320 people and the third most populous is San Jose with 969,655 people.
🕒 Time in California
The current time in California is 7:51. The entire state is governed by Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC-8), with the state switching to Daylight Saving Time PDT (UTC-7) from March to November.
🧑🤝🧑 Population of California
According to 2023 data, California had a population of 39,538,212, making it the 1st most populous state in the USA.
📍 Area of California
The total area of California is 163,695 mi², of which 155,958 mi² is land and 7,740 mi² is water. California is the 3rd largest US state in terms of land area.
-
Fun Facts About California
🧩 California Neighboring States
California is bordered by three US states, Oregon to the north, Nevada to the northeast and south, and Arizona to the east. In addition, it has a land border with Mexico and 840 mi a long coastline with the Pacific Ocean.
📅 Date of California Statehood
California entered the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state, following the merger of Mexican territories with previously unorganized land.
📛 Nickname of the State of California
California is nicknamed “The Golden State”, referring to its rich gold deposits and the largest gold rush ever seen in America. Interestingly, neighboring Nevada is nicknamed “The Silver State”.
⛰️ Highest Mountain in California
The tallest mountain in California and the continental United States is with 14,505 ft Mount Whitney, which lies within Sequoia National Park. The mountain was named in honor of American geologist Josiah Dwight Whitney.
🏞️ Rivers in California
The Colorado River is the longest river in California, with the total length of flow in all states 1,448 mi. It is followed by the Sacramento River (447 mi), the San Joaquin River (365 mi), the Klamath River (257 mi), and the Pit River (207 mi).
🎓 Universities in California
The largest university is the University of California campus system, which is attended by a total of 300,000 students. The university was founded in 1868.
The largest campus is the University of California, Los Angeles, with about 48 thousand students, the second largest is Berkeley with about 45 thousand students, and the third largest is San Diego, which is attended by about 43 thousand students.
✉️ California ZIP Codes
California has dedicated ZIP code ranges of 900xx-908xx, 910xx-928xx and 930xx-961xx. You can look up the ZIP code for a specific address on the USPS website, see the ZIP Codes in the USA article for more information on how they work.
-
Weather in California
The best time of year to visit California is spring and fall, when temperatures are comfortable. There are quite significant differences in temperature and climate between different parts of California. The national parks are accessible and the countryside is in beautiful bloom or is colored by the onset of autumn.
Springtime in California brings temperatures around 59°F to 68°F, and the weather tends to be sunny with low rainfall. Nature in the national parks is waking up and beginning to bloom.
Summer in California is hot, in Los Angeles temperatures are around 72°F–79°F due to the Pacific Ocean. Inland, temperatures are significantly higher and can climb to 104°F. Rainfall is minimal.
Autumn in California means a slight cooling, especially in the interior, with pleasant temperatures in Los Angeles of 64°F to 72°F. Due to the dry weather and high winds, there is a high risk of fire in some areas.
Winter in California is varied. In coastal areas around Los Angeles, temperatures are still mild, ranging between 55°F and 63°F. Snow showers are common in the Sierra Nevada and other mountainous areas, with temperatures dropping below freezing.
🌡️ Average Temperatures and Precipitation in California
-
Things to Do in California
1️⃣ Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of the most visited in the USA, known for its massive rock formations, dominated by El Capitan and Half Dome. The park’s main attractions include magnificent waterfalls and massive redwoods.
The park is crisscrossed with a network of hiking trails ranging from easy to very challenging, including 16.0 mi long climb to the summit of Half Dome at an elevation of 8,839 ft. Yosemite Park offers a wide range of camping opportunities, and the magnificent views and beauty of the park can be admired for days.
2️⃣ Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a must-stop and a fun day out for movie lovers. The theme park combines real studios with attractions based on popular movie franchises. The best part of a visit to the park is the tour of the studios and the chance to see behind the scenes of the film production.
If you’re lucky, you’ll witness the filming of an upcoming movie or episode of a TV series. Virtual roller coasters based on the Simpsons, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter are a big part of the attractions.
3️⃣ San Francisco
San Francisco and the surrounding area offers fun for families and groups of friends for several long days. One of the most popular attractions is Alcatraz Prison, located on the island, whose interiors are open to the public on guided tours.
The world-famous symbol of the city is the Golden Gate Bridge, which is accessible on foot for free. You can’t miss a ride on the San Francisco cable car and a tour of Lombard Street, the world’s most twisted street.
While walking around the city, explore Chinatown and Pier 39 with its fairground rides.
4️⃣ Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park, along with the adjacent Kings Canyon National Park, is located in central California. The park is known for its giant sequoias, the most famous of which is the 274.9 ft tall General Sherman, which as of 2002 is considered the world’s largest tree by volume. A popular attraction in the park is the Moro Rock overlook.
5️⃣ Hollywood
The Hollywood district is worth a visit in its own right, although it has been plagued by homelessness and drug problems in recent years. Both major attractions are free.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is dotted with just under 3,000 star tiles that pay tribute to the biggest names in music, film and theatre. Before you visit, I recommend reviewing the list of names and marking the star locations of your favorites on a map.
You don’t even have to go to the second famous landmark, just hold your head up high. On the southern slope of Mount Lee, the 46 ft tall and 361 ft long Hollywood sign, originally erected in 1923 as an advertisement for a development project, stands tall and 361 ft long.
6️⃣ Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is the driest and hottest place in the world, and in 1913 the temperature was measured here 134.0°F. Visitors to Death Valley can admire salt flats, colorful rock formations and sand dunes. Among the park’s main attractions is Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, which at its deepest point extends to 282 ft below sea level.
The park is accessible year-round, but due to the extremely high summer temperatures, spring and autumn are considered the best times to visit.
7️⃣ Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is considered one of the best in the world, with huge tanks of sea otters, octopuses and jellyfish. An interesting attraction is the feeding of sharks and other sea creatures. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located right on the shore of the ocean and focuses on the conservation and research of marine ecosystems. A visit to the aquarium is suitable for families and groups of friends.
8️⃣ Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most photogenic parks in America. This is due to the short-leaved yucca trees that are scattered throughout the park among not very tall rock formations. A number of hiking trails of varying difficulty encourage you to walk among them.
There are several campsites right in the park, which are open all year round. A night spent in the park brings with it another advantage, it is possible to observe the night sky, thanks to the low light pollution the conditions are ideal.
9️⃣ Venice Beach
Venice Beach and neighboring Santa Monica are among the most famous places in Los Angeles, where laid-back beach culture meets street art and, in recent years, unfortunately, homeless tents. Still, the beach is worth a stroll and a tour of three distinctive spots.
The first is Muscle Beach, an open-air gym that has been there since 1934, where the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger built his muscle mass. Right next to the gym is the popular and free skatepark.
A short distance away is the Santa Monica Pier with its amusement park and small roller coaster.
🔟 More National Parks in California
Other national parks deserve the attention of visitors. Redwood National Park in the northwestern part of the state protects a coastline dotted with redwoods that reach heights of up to 377 ft. Massive rock faces, often of a rather strange shape, can be seen in Pinnacles National Park, one of the youngest in the USA.
One of the largest volcanoes in the world can be seen in Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is also known for its hot springs and bubbling mud pools. The Channel Islands National Park off the coast of California is one of the least visited, made up of five islands with unspoiled nature and a diverse ecosystem.
-
Largest Cities in California
The table below shows the ten largest cities in the state of California in 2023, the source of the data is the United States Census Bureau, a federal agency whose main task is the census.
City County Population 1 Los Angeles Los Angeles 3,820,914 Map of Los Angeles 2 San Diego San Diego 1,388,320 Map of San Diego 3 San Jose Santa Clara 969,655 Map of San Jose 4 San Francisco San Francisco 808,988 Map of San Francisco 5 Fresno Fresno 545,716 Map of Fresno 6 Sacramento Sacramento 526,384 Map of Sacramento 7 Long Beach Los Angeles 449,468 Map of Long Beach 8 Oakland Alameda 436,504 Map of Oakland 9 Bakersfield Kern 413,381 Map of Bakersfield 10 Anaheim Orange 340,512 Map of Anaheim -
Sports Teams in California
🏒 Ice Hockey (NHL)
Three teams from California play in the NHL, all belonging to the Pacific Division within the Western Conference.
The oldest club is the Los Angeles Kings, who were founded in 1967 and consider their colors to be black, silver and white. They play their home games at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The second oldest team is the San Jose Sharks, where hockey began to be played in 1991. The club plays its home games at the SAP Center in San Jose. The club colors of the Sharks are teal, white, black and orange.
The youngest California team in the NHL is the Anaheim Ducks, who were formed in 1993. The club plays its home games at the Honda Center in Anaheim, and considers its colors to be orange, metallic gold, black, and white.
🏈 American Football (NFL)
There are three teams from California in the NFL.
The first team to enter the league was the Los Angeles Rams of the NFC West Division in the 1937 season. The club plays its home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, and has chosen royal blue and yellow-orange as its colors.
In the 1950 season, the league was expanded by the San Francisco 49ers, who also belong to the NFC West Division. The team plays its home games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara; the club colors are red, gold, and white.
The last team to enter the NFL was the Los Angeles Chargers of the AFC West Division in the 1970 season. The team colors are blue, gold and white. The club plays its home games with the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
🏀 Basketball (NBA)
California is well represented in the NBA basketball league, with four teams regularly playing the competition, all in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.
The famous Los Angeles Lakers joined the NBA in the 1948 season, playing all their home games at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers’ club colors are purple, gold, and black.
The Sacramento Kings also began NBA play in the same 1948 season. The team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The club colors are black, royal purple, gray, white, and royal blue.
In the 1962 season, the Golden State Warriors, a team that had moved to California from Pennsylvania, where they had operated as the Philadelphia Warriors since 1946, began NBA play. The team plays its home games at the Chase Center in San Francisco; the club colors are royal blue and yellow.
The fourth team from California in the NBA since the 1970 season is the Los Angeles Clippers, who play their home games at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The Clippers list navy blue, red, Pacific blue and silver as their club colors.
⚾ Baseball (MLB)
California is well represented in the baseball league, with five teams participating in the competition, always belonging to the Western Division.
The San Francisco Giants began playing in the National League in the 1883 season, and consider black, orange, metallic gold and cream to be their club colors. The Giants play their home games at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
The Los Angeles Dodgers first participated in the National League in the 1890 season, and now play their home games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The club colors are blue, white and red.
The third team is the Oakland Athletics of the American League, who played their first season in 1901. The club colors are green, gold and white. The team plays its home games at the Oakland Coliseum.
The Los Angeles Angels of the American League have been in the league since the 1961 season. The Angels play their home games at Angel Stadium in Anaheim and use red, navy blue and silver as their club colors.
The San Diego Padres have been part of the National League since the 1969 season, playing their home games at Petco Park in San Diego. The club colors are brown, gold and white.
⚽ Soccer (MLS)
California is well represented in the MLS soccer league, with four teams in the Western Conference.
The LA Galaxy participated in the 1996 season, playing their home games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The club colors are navy blue, gold and white.
The San Jose Earthquakes, whose home stadium is PayPal Park, also participated in the same 1996 season for the first time. The official colors of the San Jose team are blue, black and white.
The third Californian team in MLS is Los Angeles FC, which has participated in the competition since the 2018 season. It plays its home matches at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, and has chosen black, gold, red, asphalt and gray as its club colors.
San Diego FC is a newcomer to the MLS soccer league as of the 2025 season; the primary club colors are chrome and cyan, complemented by blue, red, orange and yellow. All of the team’s home matches will be played at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
-
California State Symbols
California defines a number of state symbols in its laws, here in this article are just a few of them.
State Flag of California
The California flag is one of the most famous in the USA, and has existed in its current form since February 3, 1911. The dominant motif of the flag is a grizzly bear walking on green grass towards the left. The image of the grizzly bear was created by artist Donald Graeme Kelley and the flag was designed by William L. Todd. It is accompanied on the flag by a lower red stripe, a red star in the upper left, and the words “California Republic”.
Great Seal of California
The Great Seal of the State of California has been in use since 1849, although it has undergone several minor modifications since then. The main motif of the seal is the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, which is meant to symbolize the fact that California was “born an adult” and was never a territory. The goddess is accompanied by a grizzly bear, vines, a sheaf of grain, a miner, a gold miner, and a bay with sailing ships.
State Animal
California’s official state animal since 1958 has been the California grizzly bear (Ursus arctos californicus), which is better known by its simpler name, the grizzly bear. Somewhat ironically, the last grizzly bear seen in California was near Yosemite National Park in 1924.
State Colors
California designated blue and gold as its state colors in 1951. Blue represents the sky and gold refers to the precious metal behind the outbreak of the gold rush in the spring of 1848.
State Marine Mammal
The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) became the official marine mammal of California in 1975. The animal, 49 ft long and weighing on average 60 lb, is commonly found off the coast of California.
State Bird
In 1931, legislators passed a law making the California quail (Callipepla californica) the official bird of California. The small, burrowing bird grows to an average length of 26 cm, and is found almost exclusively on the west coast of California and the Mexican state of Baja California.
State Theater
The California Legislature has also designated an official state theater, which since 1937 has been the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. The first performances took place in the Spanish Colonial Revival-style theater in 1924.
State Fruit
In 2013, the unofficial state fruit of California was the avocado. Three thousand farmers in California grow the pear tree.
State Mineral
Gold was officially listed as a state symbol in 1965, but has long been an unofficial symbol. It all started on January 24, 1848, when carpenter and sawmill worker James Wilson Marshall discovered the first gold deposit in the town of Coloma near Sacramento. The news spread quickly, bringing 300,000 gold miners to California from across the United States and abroad.
State Fabric
As of 2016, California has an official state textile, which was chosen to be denim. Denim pants have been the traditional attire of California gold miners, working people, hippies and rock stars. The relevant bill approving this symbol is number 501, referring to the most famous model of jeans, the California brand Levi’s.
Contribute with Your Question or Personal Experience