List of largest California cities by population
This is a list of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. State of California ranked by population, based on estimates for July 1, 2015 by the United States Census Bureau.

List of largest California cities by population

Section Title:
Table Section Text: This is a list of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. State of California ranked by population, based on estimates for July 1, 2015 by the United States Census Bureau.

2015 Rank	City	Population (2015 est.)	County	Image	Description

1	Los Angeles	3,971,883	Los Angeles	-	Los Angeles is one of the world's centers of media, business, and international trade. It is the second most populous city in the United States.

2	San Diego	1,394,928	San Diego	-	San Diego sits in the extreme south of California on the border with Mexico. The city has miles of beaches and a number of U.S.

3	San Jose	1,026,908	Santa Clara	-	San Jose was founded on November 29, 1777, as one of the first towns in the Spanish colony of Nueva California, which later became Alta California.

4	San Francisco	884,521	San Francisco	San Francisco DSC09797.JPG	San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination renowned for its beauty, cosmopolitan flair, steep rolling hills, and eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture.

5	Fresno	527,438	Fresno	-	Fresno is at the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, a leading agricultural area of the United States and the world.

6	Sacramento	501,712	Sacramento	-	Sacramento has been the state capital of California since 1854. Once the state's second largest city, Sacramento was a major distribution center during the California Gold Rush and was the western terminus of the Pony Express.

7	Long Beach	474,140	Los Angeles	-	Long Beach is a coastal city in the Greater Los Angeles area metropolitan area. Long Beach partially borders the city of Los Angeles to its west and is home to the Grand Prix of Long Beach and the RMS Queen Mary, which is docked in Long Beach Harbor.

8	Oakland	417,870	Alameda	-	Oakland is a major West Coast port and is home to several major corporations, including Kaiser Permanente and Clorox, as well as being the corporate headquarters for nationwide businesses like Dreyer's and Cost Plus World Markets.

9	Bakersfield	373,640	Kern	2008-0621-Bakersfield-pan.JPG	Bakersfield sits at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, an especially petroleum-rich area of California. Bakersfield is known for its musical achievements such as its own country genre called the "Bakersfield sound".

10	Anaheim	350,742	Orange	-	Anaheim is the most populous city in Orange County and second largest in terms of land area (after Irvine); it is known for the location of the Disneyland Resort, sports teams (such as the Anaheim Ducks, which is located at the Honda Center), and its convention center.

11	Santa Ana	334,909	Orange	-	Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County and home to the famous Bowers Museum, and Discovery Science Center. (Note: Photo shown is of South Coast arts district located in nearby Costa Mesa, CA.

12	Riverside	322,424	Riverside	-	Riverside is the most populous city of Southern California's Inland Empire region. Riverside is the birthplace of California's citrus industry and home to the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

13	Stockton	305,658	San Joaquin	-	Stockton is at the heart of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is sometimes considered the divider between the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valley.

14	Chula Vista	265,757	San Diego	-	A South Bay suburban city of San Diego, Chula Vista is just 7 miles (11 km) from the Mexican border. It is one of the most economically and culturally diverse cities in Southern California.

15	Irvine	256,927	Orange	-	Irvine is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Irvine is home to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and to a number of corporations, particularly in the technology sector.

16	Fremont	232,206	Alameda	-	Fremont was created as a single city in 1956, from the unification of several unincorporated communities that had historically been small but grew rapidly in the years after World War II.

17	San Bernardino	216,108	San Bernardino	-	San Bernardino is the second largest city in the Inland Empire metropolitan area of California, and the county seat of San Bernardino County, the largest county in geographic area in the 48 contiguous states.

18	Modesto	211,266	Stanislaus	Modesto Arch.JPG	Modesto is in the center of the Central Valley east of San Francisco and south of the capital Sacramento. The city is surrounded by fertile farmland.

19	Fontana	207,460	San Bernardino	Fontana California Overview.JPG	Founded in 1913, Fontana remained rural until a Kaiser Steel mill was built during World War II. The city is now a regional hub of the trucking industry, and home of the California Speedway.

20	Oxnard	207,254	Ventura	Oxnard Skyline.JPG	Oxnard is one of only a handful of cities in the state that is the largest in its county, but not the county seat.

21	Moreno Valley	204,198	Riverside	-	Incorporated in 1984, Moreno Valley lies 65 miles (105 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, just north of Lake Perris. The city is home to the March Air Reserve Base.

22	Huntington Beach	201,899	Orange	HuntingtonHarbor CA Aerialphoto D Ramey Logan.JPG	This Orange County coastal city is best known for its 8.5-mile (13.7 km) beach. Huntington Beach is often referred to as "Surf City" due to its long association with the sport of surfing.

23	Glendale	201,020	Los Angeles	-	Glendale is the focal point of the Verdugo Mountains subregion and is home to a large Armenian-American community.

24	Santa Clarita	182,371	Los Angeles	-	Six Flags Magic Mountain is just outside Santa Clarita. The city was incorporated in 1987 as the union of several previously existing communities, including Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia.

25	Oceanside	175,691	San Diego	-	The largest city in San Diego's North County, Oceanside is home to the longest wooden pier on the West Coast and is directly south of Camp Pendleton, the busiest military base in the United States.

26	Garden Grove	175,393	Orange	-	Garden Grove is home to the second-largest Vietnamese American community, as well as the Crystal Cathedral.

27	Rancho Cucamonga	175,236	San Bernardino	Victoria Gardens American Apparel.JPG	Rancho Cucamonga was incorporated in 1977, as a result of a vote among the residents of the unincorporated communities of Alta Loma, Cucamonga, and Etiwanda.

28	Santa Rosa	175,155	Sonoma	-	Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and the Redwood Empire. The county seat of Sonoma County since 1854, it grew as a center of agriculture, shipping, and industry.

29	Ontario	171,214	San Bernardino	-	Ontario is the third principal city of the Inland Empire area of California, home to Ontario International Airport and the region's largest shopping mall, Ontario Mills.

30	Elk Grove	166,913	Sacramento	-	Elk Grove was a sleepy suburb of Sacramento until the housing boom of the 1990s and 2000s. Between the decades, the population has nearly tripled from around 50,000 to more than 150,000 inhabitants.

31	Corona	164,226	Riverside	-	Corona is one of the cities farthest west in the Inland Empire of Southern California. It is known as the "Circle City" due to Grand Boulevard's 3-mile (5 km) circular layout.

32	Lancaster	161,103	Los Angeles	-	Lancaster started as a stop on the Union Pacific Railroad, and has grown into the fifth largest city in Los Angeles County.

33	Palmdale	158,351	Los Angeles	-	Commonly referred to as the "Aerospace Capital of America", Palmdale is the birthplace of the Space Shuttle, X-15, B-2 Spirit, F-117 Nighthawk, F-35 Lightning II, SR-71 Blackbird, Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, and many other aircraft that have been used in the United States Air Force, NASA and air forces and airlines around the world.

34	Hayward	158,289	Alameda	-	Hayward was an historic salt and agricultural processing center. Sea salt brand produced in Hayward were Oliver Brothers and Leslie Salt.

35	Salinas	157,380	Monterey	-	Salinas is an agricultural center and the hometown of famed writer and Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck.

36	Pomona	153,266	Los Angeles	-	Pomona is located between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. The city is home of the Fairplex, which hosts the Los Angeles County Fair, the largest county fair in the United States, among others.

37	Sunnyvale	151,754	Santa Clara	-	Part of the Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale is home to several large tech company headquarters such as AMD and Yahoo!.

38	Escondido	151,451	San Diego	-	Situated in San Diego's North County region, Escondido is home to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

39	Torrance	148,475	Los Angeles	-	Torrance, 21 square miles (54 km2), is situated 11 miles (18 km) south of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 8 miles (13 km) north of the Port of Los Angeles, 30 miles (48 km) west of Disneyland and bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west with 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of beach.

40	Pasadena	142,250	Los Angeles	Pasadena City Hall 2.JPG	Pasadena is famous for hosting the annual Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl football game. The city is home to many scientific and cultural institutions such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Art Center College of Design, and the California Institute of Technology.

41	Orange	140,992	Orange	-	Unusual for cities in Orange County, Orange preserved many of its homes that were built prior to the 1960s, now located in the city's Old Towne District, whereas many other cities in the region demolished such houses in the 1960s.

42	Fullerton	140,847	Orange	-	Historically, Fullerton was a center of agriculture, petroleum extraction, transportation, and manufacturing. It is home to several educational institutions, notably the California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College.

43	Roseville	130,269	Placer	-	Roseville is a suburb of Sacramento. It is very family oriented with many parks, bike trails, water parks etc., and in 2006 Roseville was named the healthiest city in America.

44	Visalia	130,104	Tulare	Visalia Acequia Ave..JPG	Visalia is the oldest city between Stockton and Los Angeles.

45	Thousand Oaks	129,339	Ventura	-	Named after the many oak trees that grace the area, Thousand Oaks is the largest city in the Conejo Valley area.

46	Concord	128,667	Contra Costa	Don Francisco Galindo House (Concord, CA).JPG	Concord is a major regional suburban East Bay center within the San Francisco Bay Area. The former Concord Naval Weapons Station was located to the north of the city.

47	Simi Valley	126,788	Ventura	-	Simi Valley is a bedroom community located in a valley of the same name. It is the site of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

48	Santa Clara	126,215	Santa Clara	-	Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley and is home to the headquarters of Intel, Applied Materials, Sun Microsystems, NVIDIA, Agilent Technologies, and many other high-tech companies.

49	Victorville	122,225	San Bernardino	-	Victorville is located in the Victor Valley, at the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert. It is the site of the Southern California Logistics Airport, formerly George Air Force Base before it was converted to civilian use.

50	Vallejo	121,253	Solano	-	Vallejo was home of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, one of the most important naval shipyards in the country, from the 1850s until its closure in the 1990s.

51	Berkeley	120,972	Alameda	-	Noted as one of the most politically liberal in the nation, the city is home to the University of California, Berkeley, the oldest of the University of California system.

52	El Monte	116,732	Los Angeles	-	El Monte lies in the San Gabriel Valley region and was formerly a crossroad along the Old Spanish Trail. It is home to Penske Motor Group, one of the largest car dealerships in the world.

53	Downey	114,219	Los Angeles	-	Located southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Downey is the birthplace of the Apollo space program and the site of the oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant.

54	Carlsbad	113,453	San Diego	-	Carlsbad is an affluent, coastal resort city in the North San Diego County region. The city is mainly known for shopping, tourism, a booming high-tech industry, and resort living.

55	Costa Mesa	113,204	Orange	-	Since its incorporation in 1953, Costa Mesa has grown from a semi-rural farming community to a primarily suburban city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing.

56	Fairfield	112,970	Solano	-	Fairfield is the county seat of Solano County, but not the largest city in the county, which is Vallejo. It is the home of Travis Air Force Base and the Jelly Belly jelly bean factory.

57	Temecula	112,011	Riverside	-	Forming the southwestern anchor of the Inland Empire region, Temecula is the heart of the Temecula Valley wine region.

58	Inglewood	111,666	Los Angeles	-	Located southwest of downtown Los Angeles, Inglewood is home to the world-famous The Forum arena, landmark Randy's Donuts and the future Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park, home of the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

59	Antioch	110,542	Contra Costa	-	Located along the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and known as "The Gateway to the Delta", Antioch is a suburb of San Francisco, Oakland, and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area.

60	Murrieta	109,830	Riverside	Murrieta01.JPG	Formerly just a small unincorporated town in the Inland Empire, Murrieta has become one of the fastest growing cities in the state.

61	Richmond	109,708	Contra Costa	-	Richmond is located in western Contra Costa County along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay. It has been called a company town based on its relationship with the Chevron Corporation, and it is the site of the Chevron Richmond Refinery.

62	Ventura	109,708	Ventura	-	Ventura, officially the City of San Buenaventura, is the county seat of Ventura County. Ventura Harbor is home to the headquarters of Channel Islands National Park, and boats to the Channel Islands depart from there daily.

63	West Covina	108,484	Los Angeles	-	West Covina is a mostly middle class suburb located east of downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley.

64	Norwalk	107,140	Los Angeles	-	Norwalk is a Gateway City located southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is home to Cerritos College.

65	Daly City	106,562	San Mateo	-	San Francisco's southern neighbor, Daly City houses the famous Cow Palace (which many people mistakenly believe is in San Francisco), as well as the largest Filipino population outside of the Philippines.

66	Burbank	105,319	Los Angeles	-	Burbank is nicknamed the "Media Capital of the World" for being the home of many media and entertainment production companies, including Warner Bros.

67	Santa Maria	105,093	Santa Barbara	-	Santa Maria, the largest city in Santa Barbara County, is in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley wine region and is known for their famous Santa Maria Style Barbecue.

68	Clovis	104,180	Fresno	Pollasky Ave. Clovis.JPG	Clovis is the second largest city in Fresno County. Lying at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which includes Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia national parks, Clovis has been known as the "Gateway to the Sierras".

69	El Cajon	103,679	San Diego	-	El Cajon is located east of San Diego. Nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains, the city has acquired the nickname of "The Big Box".

70	San Mateo	103,536	San Mateo	-	San Mateo is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula.

71	Rialto	103,132	San Bernardino	-	Rialto is home to three major regional distribution centers: Staples, Inc., which serves stores across the entire West Coast of the United States, FedEx, and Target

72	Vista	100,890	San Diego	-	Vista is located just 7 miles (11 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County. The city has more than 25 educational institutions, and a business park home to over 800 companies.

73	Jurupa Valley	100,314	Riverside	-	Jurupa Valley was incorporated July 1, 2011.

74	Compton	98,462	Los Angeles	-	An inner suburb of Los Angeles, Compton is known for its large African American and Latino communities. The city is home to Richland Farms, one of the last urban farming communities in the Los Angeles metro area, and is also almost universally considered to be the birthplace of gangsta rap.

75	Mission Viejo	97,156	Orange	-	Located in southern Orange County in the Saddleback Valley, Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States.

76	Vacaville	96,803	Solano	-	Vacaville is located nearly halfway between Sacramento and San Francisco. It is home to several biotechnology/pharmaceutical facilities.

77	South Gate	96,401	Los Angeles	Located southeast of downtown Los Angeles, South Gate is part of the Gateway Cities region of Los Angeles County. In 1990, South Gate was one of ten U.S.

78	Hesperia	93,295	San Bernardino	HesperiaCA.JPG	Hesperia is located in the High Desert region of the Mojave Desert 15 miles (24 km) north of San Bernardino.

79	Carson	93,281	Los Angeles	-	Carson is a suburb in the South Bay region of Greater Los Angeles. It is home of California State University, Dominguez Hills, and the Dignity Health Sports Park sports complex, housing one of the two Major League Soccer teams for Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the National Football League's Los Angeles Chargers.

80	Santa Monica	93,220	Los Angeles	-	Santa Monica, a famed beachfront city surrounded on three sides by Los Angeles, is home to a mixture of affluent, single-family neighborhoods, renters, surfers, young professionals, and students.

81	San Marcos	92,931	San Diego	-	San Marcos is a suburb of San Diego and home of California State University, San Marcos.

82	Westminster	92,114	Orange	-	Westminster is known for its Vietnamese American community, one of the largest in the United States.

83	Santa Barbara	91,842	Santa Barbara	-	Santa Barbara is a popular tourist and resort coastal city, known for its downtown Moorish-Spanish style architecture, coastal weather, beautiful mountain backdrops, and numerous sandy beaches.

84	Redding	91,582	Shasta	-	Located on the banks of the Sacramento River, Redding is the largest city in California north of Sacramento. It is the gateway to numerous recreation areas including Shasta Lake, the Trinity Alps, and Mount Shasta.

85	San Leandro	90,712	Alameda	San Leandro Marina 07830.JPG	Historically a town with dozens of huge cherry farms and a Spanish missionary ranch, San Leandro today is a rapidly growing city of worldwide industries and a suburb of Oakland.

86	Chico	90,316	Butte	Bidwell Mansion 2006 11 IMGP0863.JPG	Chico is the retail hub of the mid-Sacramento Valley and is home to institutions such as Bidwell Park, California State University Chico, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

87	Hawthorne	88,451	Los Angeles	-	Hawthorne is a suburb of Los Angeles. It was the home of Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys.

88	Livermore	88,126	Alameda	-	Located on the eastern edge of San Francisco Bay Area, Livermore is home of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Centennial Light.

89	Indio	87,533	Riverside	-	Indio is located in the Coachella Valley region of the Sonoran Desert, 23 miles (37 km) east of Palm Springs and 134 miles (216 km) east of Los Angeles.

90	Whittier	87,438	Los Angeles	Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, Whittier.JPG	Whittier is part of the Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County and is home to Whittier College.

91	Menifee	87,174	Riverside	Menifee is a relatively new city, incorporated in 2008, which includes the communities of Sun City, Quail Valley, Paloma Valley and portions of Romoland in southwestern Riverside County.

92	Newport Beach	87,127	Orange	-	Newport Beach is an affluent coastal city in Orange County, known for its beaches and surfing. Newport Harbor is the largest recreational boat harbor on the West Coast.

93	Tracy	87,075	San Joaquin	-	Tracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County. The city experienced a growth spurt in the 1980s, becoming an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area as more people looked for a more affordable alternative to Bay Area home prices and a less hectic lifestyle.

94	Citrus Heights	87,056	Sacramento	-	Citrus Heights is a suburb located northeast of Sacramento.

95	Chino	85,595	San Bernardino	-	Chino and its surroundings have long been a center of agriculture and dairy farming, serving the considerable demands for milk products in Southern California and much of the southwestern United States.

96	Alhambra	85,551	Los Angeles	-	Alhambra is located in the western San Gabriel Valley region, east of downtown Los Angeles.

97	Redwood City	85,288	San Mateo	-	Redwood City, the county seat of San Mateo County, is a technology center and deepwater port located on the San Francisco Peninsula.

98	Hemet	83,861	Riverside	-	Hemet, in the San Jacinto Valley, is the home of the Ramona Pageant, one of the longest running outdoor plays in the United States.

99	Buena Park	83,270	Orange	-	Buena Park, in northwestern Orange County, is home of Knott's Berry Farm and several other tourist attractions.

100	Lake Forest	82,492	Orange	-	Lake Forest, in inland Orange County is primarily suburban in character.

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