List of largest cities in California 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, 2025, by the United States Census Bureau.

Note: The population figures are for the incorporated areas of the listed cities, as opposed to metropolitan areas, urban areas, or counties. Also, the United States Census Bureau and the California Department of Finance use different methods for estimating population, so state estimates will differ from those given here.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!2025 rank The city was ranked #42 in Money's "Best Places to Live in America 2006". It is home to Chaffey College and the Victoria Gardens shopping and civic center.

|29

|Oceanside

|170,483

|San Diego County

|200px

|The largest city in San Diego's North San Diego County subregion, 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. It is also the home of the Mission San Luis Rey.

|30

|Garden Grove

|170,455

|Orange County

| 200px

| Garden Grove is home to the second-largest Vietnamese-American community, as well as Christ Cathedral.

|31

|Lancaster

|170,084

|Los Angeles County

| 200px

| Lancaster started as a stop on the Union Pacific Railroad and has grown into the fifth-largest city in Los Angeles County. It began as a small farming community and has since acquired a large and prosperous technology-driven sub-culture. Located in "Aerospace Valley", it is aiming to become the nation's first net-zero city.

|32

|Roseville

|167,302

|Placer County

|200px

| Roseville is a suburb of Sacramento. The city features many parks, bike trails, and other amenities, and in 2006 it was named the healthiest city in America. Roseville is known for its high-end shopping including the Fountains at Roseville and the Westfield Galleria at Roseville (one of the largest malls in northern California).

|33

|Palmdale

|161,845

|Los Angeles County

| 200px

| 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. It is the sixth-largest city in Los Angeles County.

|34

|Corona

|161,734

|Riverside County

| 200px

| Corona, located in the western part of Southern California's Inland Empire, is known as the "Circle City" due to Grand Boulevard's circular layout. It is the headquarters of companies such as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Monster Beverage Corporation, Watson Pharmaceuticals, and West Coast Customs (featured on MTV's Pimp My Ride).

|35

|Salinas

|159,134

|Monterey County

|200px

| Salinas is the most populous city in the Monterey Bay Area, in the northern part of the Central Coast. It is an agricultural center and the hometown of famed writer and Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck.

|36

|Hayward

|157,113

|Alameda County

|200px

| Hayward was an historic salt and agricultural processing center. Sea salt brands produced in Hayward were Oliver Brothers and Leslie Salt. In food processing, Hunt Brothers' Cannery (later Hunt-Wesson Foods) produced canned and bottled tomato products, as well as canned peaches, apricots, and fruit cocktail. Since 1957, it has been the home of California State University, East Bay.

|37

|Sunnyvale

|156,577

|Santa Clara County

|200px

|Located in Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale is home to several large tech company headquarters such as Yahoo! and previously AMD.

|38

|Pomona

|147,807

|Los Angeles County

|200px

| 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. It is home to the second-largest polytechnic university in the United States, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

|39

|Visalia

|146,541

|Tulare County

|200px

|Visalia is the county seat of Tulare County and the oldest city between Stockton and Los Angeles. It is located at the gateway to Sequoia National Park.

|40

|Escondido

|146,030

|San Diego County

|200px

|Escondido is situated in San Diego's North County region, bordering the cities of San Diego and San Marcos. The city is home to Dixon Lake, Stone Brewing Co., the North County Mall, and the Queen Califia's Magical Circle sculpture garden.

|41

|Victorville

|141,395

|San Bernardino County

| 200px

| 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.

|42

|Fullerton

|138,675

|Orange County

|200px

| 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. It is also home to St. Jude Medical Center.

|43

|Torrance

|138,391

|Los Angeles County

|200px

|Torrance is situated south of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), north of the Port of Los Angeles, west of Disneyland, and bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west with of beach. Incorporated in 1921, it is the eighth-largest city in Los Angeles County.

|44

|Orange

|138,365

|Orange County

|200px

| 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. Orange is the home of Chapman University, Santiago Canyon College, Children's Hospital of Orange County, and The Outlets at Orange.

|45

|Pasadena

|135,804

|Los Angeles County

| 200px

| 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.

|46

|Santa Clara

|133,446

|Santa Clara County

|200px

| Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley and is home to the headquarters of Intel, AMD, Applied Materials, Sun Microsystems, NVIDIA, Agilent Technologies, and many other high-tech companies. It also is home to one of the largest theme parks in northern California, California's Great America, and to Levi's Stadium, a football stadium that currently serves as the home of the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers.

|47

|Clovis

|129,347

|Fresno County

| 200px

| 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".

|48

|Simi Valley

|124,861

|Ventura County

| 200px

| Simi Valley is a bedroom community located in a valley of the same name. It is the site of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The city is also home to the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, and various parks and hiking trails are located in the Simi Hills nearby.

|49

|Vallejo

|123,287

|Solano County

|200px

|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. It was very briefly the capital of California in 1852. It is the largest city in Solano County, and the home of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

|50

|Concord

|123,261

|Contra Costa County

|200px

| 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.

|51

|Fairfield

|122,489

|Solano County

|200px

|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.

|52

|Thousand Oaks

|122,230

|Ventura County

| 200px

| Thousand Oaks is the largest city in the Conejo Valley and an important economic hub for Ventura County. The city was built as a master-planned community with a balance of housing, shopping, businesses, and higher education, all surrounded by thousands of acres of open space. It is home to California Lutheran University. Thousand Oaks has consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America.

|53

|Berkeley

|121,911

|Alameda County

|200px

| Noted as one of the most politically liberal cities in the nation, Berkeley is home to the University of California, Berkeley, the oldest campus of the University of California system.

|54

|Antioch

|118,958

|Contra Costa County

|200px

| 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. The city experienced rapid growth in the last 30 years as real estate prices have pushed families toward the outskirts of the Bay Area. Due to its location, it can also be seen as a suburb of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area.

|55

|Menifee

|118,592

|Riverside County

|200px

| Menifee, a fast-growing city located in southwestern Riverside County, incorporated in 2008. Mostly residential in character, it is home to the Sun City retirement community and also encompasses the communities of Quail Valley, Paloma Valley, and portions of Romoland.

|56

|Temecula

|114,865

|Riverside County

|200px

| Forming the southwestern anchor of the Inland Empire region, Temecula is home to the Pechanga Resort & Casino and the Temecula Valley wine region, featuring nearly 50 wineries.

|57

|Richmond

|114,861

|Contra Costa County

|200px

| 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.

|58

|Murrieta

|114,124

|Riverside County

|200px

|Murrieta is largely a bedroom community, with many of its residents commuting to jobs in the neighboring city of Temecula as well as San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties. The city lies just beneath the Santa Rosa Plateau.

|59

|Carlsbad

|112,260

|San Diego County

| 200px

| 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. It is home to the McClellan-Palomar Airport, the Gemological Institute of America, and the Legoland California theme park.

|60

|Santa Maria

|111,390

|Santa Barbara County

| 200px

| Santa Maria, the largest city in Santa Barbara County, is in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley wine region and is known for its Santa Maria-style barbecue. Notable landmarks in the city include the Santa Maria Public Airport and Allan Hancock College.

|61

|Ventura

|109,914

|Ventura County

|200px

| Ventura, officially the City of San Buenaventura, is the county seat of Ventura County. The city is home to the Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura College, and the Patagonia headquarters. Ventura Harbor is home to the headquarters of Channel Islands National Park, and boats to the Channel Islands depart from there daily.

|62

|Costa Mesa

|108,881

|Orange County

|200px

| 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. Costa Mesa is home to South Coast Plaza, one of the largest shopping malls in the United States, as well as the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

|63

|Downey

|108,468

|Los Angeles County

|200px

| 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.

|64

|Jurupa Valley

|107,311

|Riverside County

| 200px

| Jurupa Valley was incorporated July 1, 2011, formed from several unincorporated communities including Mira Loma, Glen Avon, Pedley, Rubidoux, and Sunnyslope. The city is home to the Jensen Alvarado Ranch historic park and museum.

|65

|Rialto

|106,554

|San Bernardino County

| 200px

| 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.

|66

|West Covina

|105,301

|Los Angeles County

|200px

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

|67

|Chico

|105,081

|Butte County

|200px

|Chico is the largest city north of Sacramento and the retail hub of the mid-Sacramento Valley. It is home to California State University Chico, Bidwell Park, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

|68

|El Monte

|105,075

|Los Angeles County

| 200px

| 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.

|69

|Vacaville

|103,850

|Solano County

| 200px

| Vacaville is located nearly halfway between Sacramento and San Francisco. It is home to several biotechnology/pharmaceutical facilities.

|70

|San Mateo

|103,337

|San Mateo County

|200px

| San Mateo is located about 20 miles south of San Francisco. San Mateo has one of the better-developed suburban downtowns in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to over 800 shops and restaurants. The economy of San Mateo consists of jobs in the tech, healthcare, financial, government, and retail fields. Companies based in San Mateo include Sony Interactive Entertainment, Franklin Templeton Investments, Fisher Investments, Solstice, Guidewire Software, Coupa, Snowflake Inc., Roblox Corporation, Marketo, SurveyMonkey, Devsisters USA, and GoPro.

|71

|Burbank

|102,988

|Los Angeles County

|200px

| Burbank is nicknamed the "Media Capital of the World" for being the home of many media and entertainment production companies, including Warner Bros. Entertainment, Warner Music Group, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company, ABC, Cartoon Network Studios, and Nickelodeon.

|72

|Hesperia

|102,605

|San Bernardino County

| 200px

| Hesperia is a semi-rural suburban community located in the High Desert region of the Mojave Desert, north of San Bernardino.

|73

|Tracy

|101,901

|San Joaquin County

|200px

| Tracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County. The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s, becoming an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area.

|74

|El Cajon

|101,755

|San Diego County

| 200px

| 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". The city is home to Grossmont College and Gillespie Field.

|75

|Inglewood

|101,662

|Los Angeles County

| 200px

|Located southwest of downtown Los Angeles, Inglewood is home to the world-famous The Forum arena, landmark Randy's Donuts, and SoFi Stadium, home of the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

|76

|Daly City

|101,261

|San Mateo County

|200px

|San Francisco's southern neighbor, Daly City houses the famous Cow Palace (which is often believed to be in San Francisco), as well as the largest Filipino population outside of the Philippines.

|77

|Merced

|99,724

|Merced County

|200px

|Merced, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", is located in Central California. The University of California, Merced campus is located northeast of the city.

|78

|Vista

|98,274

|San Diego County

| 200px

| Vista is located just 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.

|79

|Norwalk

|97,104

|Los Angeles County

| 200px

| Norwalk is a Gateway City located southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Norwalk is the home of Cerritos College and the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder.

|80

|Chino

|96,957

|San Bernardino County

| 200px

| 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. Prado Regional Park is located in the southern portion of the city.

|81

|Manteca

|96,693

|San Joaquin County

|200px

| Manteca (Spanish for "lard") is a fast-growing city located about 12 miles south of Stockton and 17 miles northwest of Modesto. Built along the State Route 120 freeway, between Interstate 5 and State Route 99, the city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s as a result of families and commuters moving out of the Bay Area located 30 miles to the west.

|82

|San Marcos

|94,908

|San Diego County

|200px

| San Marcos is a North County suburb of San Diego and home of the two-year Palomar College and the four-year California State University, San Marcos. The Lake San Marcos resort community is surrounded by the city of San Marcos.

|83

|Indio

|94,269

|Riverside County

|200px

| Indio is located in the Coachella Valley region of the Sonoran Desert, east of Palm Springs and east of Los Angeles. Indio and its surrounding communities are regarded as a major agricultural center for Southern California and is the home of the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals.

|84

|Redding

|94,092

|Shasta County

|200px

|Located on the banks of the Sacramento River, Redding is the second-largest city in California north of Sacramento. It is the gateway to numerous recreation areas including Shasta Lake, the Trinity Alps, and Mount Shasta. It is also home to the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay, the world's largest sundial.

|85

|Hemet

|93,649

| Riverside County

| 200px

| Hemet, in the San Jacinto Valley, is the home of the Ramona Pageant, one of the longest running outdoor plays in the United States. Hemet is also the home of the Western Science Center, the Hemet-Ryan Airport, and the Diamond Valley Reservoir.

|86

|Folsom

|91,983

|Sacramento County

|200px

|Located about east of Sacramento, Folsom features a historic downtown and is home to landmarks such as Folsom State Prison and Folsom Lake.

|87

|Carson

|90,808

|Los Angeles County

|200px

|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, the home stadium of the LA Galaxy.

|88

|Compton

|90,500

|Los Angeles County

|200px

|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.

|89

|Mission Viejo

|90,484

|Orange County

| 200px

| 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. The city is home to Saddleback College, Providence Mission Hospital, and a regional shopping mall known as The Shops at Mission Viejo.

|90

|Santa Monica

|90,082

|Los Angeles County

| 200px

| 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. It is the site of the world-famous Santa Monica Pier and the headquarters of several companies such as Universal Music Group, Activision Blizzard, and the RAND Corporation.

|91

|South Gate

|90,071

|Los Angeles County

|200px

| 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. communities to receive the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.

|92

|Westminster

|88,966

|Orange County

| 200px

| Westminster is known for its Vietnamese American community, one of the largest in the United States.

|93

|Rancho Cordova

|87,554

|Sacramento County

|200px

|Located south of the American River, Rancho Cordova is a fast-growing suburb of the greater Sacramento area and is home to major employers in the government and aerospace industries, as well as points of interest such as the Sacramento Children's Museum.

|94

|Santa Barbara

|86,422

|Santa Barbara County

|200px

|Santa Barbara is a popular tourist and resort coastal city, known for its Spanish style architecture, coastal weather, mountain backdrops, and numerous sandy beaches. The University of California, Santa Barbara campus sits west of the city, adjacent to Isla Vista and the Pacific Ocean.

|95

|Citrus Heights

|86,348

|Sacramento County

|200px

| Citrus Heights is a suburb located northeast of Sacramento. It is home to the Sunrise Mall.

|96

|Lake Forest

|86,333

|Orange County

|200px

| Lake Forest, in inland Orange County, is primarily suburban in character. The planned community of Foothill Ranch is located in Lake Forest. The city lies in close proximity to Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park and Limestone Canyon Regional Park.

|97

|San Ramon

|86,209

|Contra Costa County

| 200px

| San Ramon is a city located in the San Ramon Valley, east of San Francisco. It is home to several company headquarters such as Chevron, The Cooper Companies, 24 Hour Fitness, the West Coast headquarters of AT&T, and GE Digital.

|98

|Whittier

|85,815

|Los Angeles County

|200px

| Whittier is part of the Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County and is home to Whittier College.

|99

|Mountain View

|85,438

|Santa Clara County

|200px

|Located in the Silicon Valley technology hub, Mountain View serves as the headquarters for companies such as Google, Alphabet Inc., and Intuit and was the home of the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory.

|100

|San Leandro

|85,353

|Alameda County

| 200px

|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.

List of largest cities in California by population

Map

See also

References