California is the most populous state in the United States, located in the western part of the country along the Pacific coast. Most of the state experiences hot, dry summers and rainy winters. In northern California, fog is common in the area around San Francisco, and earthquakes and fires plague the state quite frequently. From a tourism perspective, Los Angeles and Hollywood are significant.
Table of Contents
Basic Information about California
- State Name: California
- State Abbreviation: CA
- Capital: Sacramento
- Largest City: Los Angeles
- Area: 423,970 km2 (3rd largest U.S. state)
- Population: 39,512,223 (1st highest in the U.S.)
- Time Zone: PST (UTC-8), PDT (UTC-7) in summer)
- Other Information:Speed Limits in California, Current Time in California, Minimum Wage in California
What to See in the State of California
- Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
- Historic Streetcar Ride in San Francisco
- Hollywood sign in Los Angeles
- Chinatown in San Francisco
- Pier 39 in San Francisco
- Lombard Street and Vermont Street in San Francisco
- Universal Studios in Los Angeles
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Death Valley National Park
- Channel Islands National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Redwood National Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Yosemite National Park
You can post tips for other sights and places of interest in California in the discussion.
California
Fun Facts about California
California’s date of entry into the Union
September 9, 1850 (31st in order)
State of California nickname
The Golden State
The Highest Mountain in California
Mount Whitney (4,421 metres)
California Rivers
- Colorado River (2,330 km)
- Sacramento River (719 km)
- San Joaquin River (587 km)
- Klamath River (423 km)
- Pit River (333 km)
Airports in California
- Los Angeles International Airport
- San Francisco International Airport
- San Diego International Airport
- Oakland International Airport
- Santa Ana – John Wayne Airport
California Sports Teams
- NFL (American football): Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers
- MLB (baseball): Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants
- MLS (soccer): LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, Sacramento Republic FC, San Jose Earthquakes
- NHL (ice hockey): Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks
- NBA (basketball): Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings
Universities in California
- Stanford University
- California Institute of Technology
- University of California (Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Irvine)
- University of Southern California
ZIP Codes
90001-96162
California Weather
California is a large state, and so the climate in this state ranges from warm, Mediterranean to cool, subarctic.
Most of California experiences cool, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. Inland, the weather tends to be variable, with harsh winters and sultry summers. Snow cover regularly turns the Sierra Nevada white.
In eastern California lies Death Valley, where the highest temperature in the US (57 °C) has been measured.
Current Forecasts:
Largest Cities in California
| # | City | Population | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 3,979,576 | Show on Map |
| 2 | San Diego | 1,423,851 | Show on Map |
| 3 | San Jose | 1,021,795 | Show on Map |
| 4 | San Francisco | 881,549 | Show on Map |
| 5 | Fresno | 531,576 | Show on Map |
| 6 | Sacramento | 513,624 | Show on Map |
| 7 | Long Beach | 462,628 | Show on Map |
| 8 | Oakland | 433 031 | Show on Map |
| 9 | Bakersfield | 384 145 | Show on Map |
| 10 | Anaheim | 350,365 | Show on Map |
Food Prices in California
- McDonalds Restaurant McMeal prices: $9.00
- Restaurant draft beer (0.5L): $6.50
- Cappuccino in restaurant: $4.69
- Coca-Cola in restaurant (0.33 l): $2.25
- Milk (1 l): $1.03
- Bread (500 g): $3.75
- Rice (1 kg): $6.03
- Egg (12 pcs): $3.43
- Cheese (1 kg): $12.31
- Boneless chicken breast (1 kg): $12.61
- Beef Loin (1 kg): $14.54
- Apples (1 kg): $3.95
- Bananas (1 kg): $1.85
- Oranges (1 kg): $2.97
- Tomatoes (1 kg): $4.22
- Potatoes (1 kg): $2.48
- Water (1.5 l bottle): $2.18
- Bottle beer (0.5 l bottle): $2.68
- Pack of Marlboro cigarettes: $10.00
Los Angeles grocery prices effective January 2021. Take these as a guide, they vary widely from store to store. Tax is included in the price.
State Symbols of California
- Color: blue and gold
- Theater: Pasadena Playhouse
- Flower: California sunflower
- Mineral: gold
- Marine mammal: gray whale
- Song: I Love You, California by Diana Fritillary
- Snake: Desert Jelly
- Bird: California quail
- Fish: golden trout
- Tree: Evergreen Sequoia
- Dance: west coast swing
- Animal: grizzly bear
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