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Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a
Within Southern California are two major cities, 
The counties of
Southern California is generally considered the area of California south of the latitude 35°45'N, approximately one-third of the state, formed by the northern boundaries of 
Subsequently, southern Californians dissatisfied with inequitable taxes and land laws attempted several times in the 1850s to achieve a separate statehood or territorial status Partition and secession in California, separate from northern California. The only successful proposal, the Pico Act of 1859, was passed by the California State Legislature and signed by State Governor John B. Weller. It was approved overwhelmingly by nearly 75 percent of southern California voters to form the proposed Territory of Colorado (California), Territory of Colorado. The Pico Act bisected California starting at a latitude of six standard parallels south of the Mount Diablo meridian, then ducking southward around part of the Central Valley (California), Central Valley before cutting northeast to the California border. Six standard parallels is 144 miles south of Mount Diablo—which corresponds to the current northern border of San Luis Obispo County, at the latitude 35°45'N. The proposal was sent to Washington, D.C., with a strong advocate in Senator Milton Latham. However, the secession crisis following the U.S. presidential election, 1860, election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the subsequent American Civil War led to the proposal never coming to a vote.
In 1900, the ''Los Angeles Times'' defined Southern California as including "the seven counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, and Santa Barbara." This definition left out San Luis Obispo and Kern counties.
Southern California was the name of a Cal 3, proposed new state which failed to get on the 2018 California ballot. The ballot measure proposed splitting the existing state into three parts.
In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government led by Governor Gavin Newsom divided the state into five regions for the purpose of issuing stay-at-home orders. The Southern California region consisted of the following counties: Imperial, Inyo County, California, Inyo,
Southern California consists of a heavily developed urban environment, home to some of the largest List of urbanized areas in California (by population), urban areas in the state, along with the Deserts of California (part of which was even High Desert County, California, proposed to become a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of the more urban region) that have been left undeveloped. It is the third most populated
Southern California consists of one of the more varied collections of geologic, topographic, and natural ecosystem landscapes in a diversity outnumbering other major regions in the state and country. The region spans from Pacific Ocean Channel Islands of California, islands, shorelines, beaches, and coastal plains, through the Transverse Ranges, Transverse and Peninsular Ranges with their peaks, and into the large and small interior valleys, to the vast deserts of California.
:Introductory categories include:
*: Beaches of Southern California
*:Mountain ranges of Southern California, Mountain ranges of Southern California
*:Rivers of Southern California, Rivers of Southern California
*:Deserts of California, Deserts of California
*:Parks in Southern California, Parks in Southern California
* Algodones Dunes (Imperial County)
* Angeles National Forest (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, & Ventura Counties)
* Antelope Hills, California, Antelope Hills (Kern County)
* Antelope Valley (Los Angeles & Kern Counties)
* Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County), Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)
* Bacon Hills (Kern County)
* Baldwin Hills (mountain range), Baldwin Hills (Los Angeles County)
* Ballona Wetlands (Los Angeles County)
* Big Bear Lake (San Bernardino County)
* Bissell Hills (Kern County)
* Black Hills (Kern County), Black Hills (Kern County)
* Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Bolsa Chica Estuary (Orange County)
* Buena Vista Hills (Kern County), Buena Vista Hills (Kern County)
* Buena Vista Lake (Kern County)
* Cajon Pass (San Bernardino County)
* Calico Mountains (California), Calico Mountains (San Bernardino County)
* Channel Islands of California, Channel Islands (Santa Barbara, Ventura & Los Angeles Counties)
* Castaic Lake (Los Angeles County)
* Chino Hills (Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
*
As of the 2020 United States census, Southern California has a population of 23,762,904. Despite a reputation for high growth rates, Southern California's population has grown slower than the state average since the 2000s. This is due to California's growth becoming concentrated in the northern part of the state as result of a stronger, tech-oriented economy in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area and an emerging Greater Sacramento region.
Southern California consists of one Combined Statistical Area, eight Metropolitan Statistical Areas, one international metropolitan area, and multiple metropolitan divisions. The region is home to two extended metropolitan areas that exceed five million in population. These are the Greater Los Angeles Area at 17,786,419, and San Diego–Tijuana at 5,105,768. Of these metropolitan areas, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metropolitan area form Greater Los Angeles; while the El Centro metropolitan area and San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area form the Southern Border Region. North of Greater Los Angeles are the Santa Barbara,
Southern California is home to many major business districts. Central business districts (CBD) include Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown Riverside, Downtown San Bernardino, downtown San Diego, and the South Coast Metro. Within the Los Angeles Area are the major business districts of Pasadena, California, Downtown Pasadena, Burbank, California, Downtown Burbank, Santa Monica, California, Downtown Santa Monica, Glendale, California, Downtown Glendale and Downtown Long Beach. Los Angeles proper has many business districts, such as Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown LA and those lining Wilshire Boulevard, including Mid-Wilshire, the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, Miracle Mile, Downtown Beverly Hills, and Westwood, Los Angeles, Westwood; others include Century City, Los Angeles, Century City and Warner Center, Los Angeles, Warner Center in the San Fernando Valley. The area of Santa Monica and Venice (and perhaps some of Culver City) is informally referred to as "Silicon Beach" because of the concentration of financial and marketing technology-centric firms located in the region.
The San Bernardino-Riverside Area maintains the business districts of Downtown San Bernardino, Hospitality Lane District, San Bernardino, California, Hospitality Business/Financial Centre, University District, San Bernardino, University District which are in the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside.
In Orange County, has highly developed suburban business centers (also known as edge cities) including the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city along I-5; and another, the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city that stretches from the South Coast Metro to the Irvine Business Complex; Newport Center, Newport Beach, California, Newport Center; and Irvine Spectrum. Downtown Santa Ana is an important government, arts and entertainment, and retail district.
Downtown San Diego is the CBD of San Diego, though the city is filled with business districts. These include Carmel Valley, San Diego, Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, San Diego, Del Mar Heights, Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo, Sorrento Mesa, and University City, San Diego, University City. Most of these districts are located in Northern San Diego and some within North County regions.
Los Angeles
* Dry Town Water Park
* Pacific Park
* Raging Waters San Dimas
* Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
* Six Flags Magic Mountain
* Universal Studios Hollywood
Orange County
* Adventure City
* Disneyland
* Disney California Adventure
* Knott's Berry Farm
* Knott's Soak City
* Wild Rivers (water park), Wild Rivers
Riverside & San Bernardino
* Castle Park (amusement park), Castle Park
* SkyPark at Santa's Village
* Wet'n'Wild Palm Springs
San Diego
* Sesame Place San Diego
* Belmont Park (San Diego), Belmont Park
* Legoland California
* Legoland Waterpark
* San Diego Zoo
* San Diego Zoo Safari Park
* SeaWorld San Diego
Sections of the Southern California freeway system are often referred to by names rather than by the official numbers.
Public institutions in the region include:
University of California (10 campuses total; 5 within the SoCal region)
* University of California, Irvine, Irvine
* University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
* University of California, Riverside, Riverside
* University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara
* University of California, San Diego, San Diego
California State University (23 campuses total; 12 within the SoCal region)
* California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield
* California State University Channel Islands, Channel Islands
* California State University, Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills
* California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton
* California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
* California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach
* California State University, Northridge, Northridge
* California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona
* California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino
* San Diego State University, San Diego
* California State University, San Marcos, San Marcos
* California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Private institutions include:
* California Institute of Technology (Pasadena)
* Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, California, Azusa)
* Chapman University (Orange, California, Orange)
* Claremont Colleges (all in Claremont, California, Claremont)
** Claremont McKenna College
** Harvey Mudd College
** Pitzer College
** Pomona College
** Scripps College
** Claremont Graduate University
** Keck Graduate Institute
* Loma Linda University (Loma Linda, California, Loma Linda)
* Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles)
* Occidental College (Los Angeles)
* Pepperdine University (Los Angeles)
* University of Redlands (Redlands, California, Redlands)
* University of San Diego
* University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
online
*
excerpt and text search
covers military and industrial roles. *
* * * , a historical geography *
in JSTOR
* , covers 1880s–1940 * *
California Historical Society Collection, 1860–1960
– University of Southern California Libraries, USC Libraries Digital Collections * {{coord, 34, 00, N, 117, 00, W, region:US-CA_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Southern California, Megapolitan areas of California Regions of California
geographic
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
and cultural
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Its densely populated coastal region includes Greater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the eas ...
(the second-most populous urban agglomeration
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
in the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
) and San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its border with Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634; it is the second-most populous ...
(the second-most populous county in California). The region generally contains ten of California's 58 counties: Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
** Orange juice
*Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
, Riverside, San Bernardino
San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
, Kern
Kern or KERN may refer to:
People
* Kern (surname), includes a list of people with the name
* Kern (soldier), a light infantry unit in Medieval Irish armies
Places
* Kern, Alaska, a ghost town in Alaska
* Kern, Austria, see Sankt Marienkir ...
, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
, and Imperial counties.
Although geographically smaller than Northern California
Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
in land area, Southern California has a higher population, with 23.76 million residents as of the 2020 census. The sparsely populated desert region of California occupies a significant portion (part of which has even been proposed to be split into a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of the more urban region) of the area: the Colorado Desert
The Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert located in California, United States, and Baja California, Mexico. It encompasses approximately , including the heavily irrigated Coachella, Imperial and Mexicali valleys. It is home to ...
, along with the Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
, is located on Southern California's eastern border with Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, and the Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...
shares a border with Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
to the northeast. Southern California's southern border with Baja California
Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
is part of the Mexico–United States border
The international border separating Mexico and the United States extends from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. It is the List of ...
.
Constituent metropolitan areas
Southern California encompasses eight metropolitan areas (MSAs), three of which together form theGreater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the eas ...
Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with over 18 million people, the second-biggest CSA after the New York CSA. These three MSAs are the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the east, ...
(Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
** Orange juice
*Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
counties, with 13.3 million people), the Inland Empire
The Inland Empire (commonly abbreviated as the IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County and Or ...
( Riverside and San Bernardino
San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
counties, including the Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...
cities, with 4.3 million people), and the Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura metropolitan area (0.8 million people). In addition, Southern California contains the San Diego metropolitan area
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its border with Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634; it is the second-most populous ...
with 3.3 million people, Bakersfield
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield's population as of the ...
metro area with 0.9 million, and the Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
, and El Centro (Imperial County) metropolitan areas.
The Southern California Megaregion
A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enough ...
(or megalopolis
A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enough ...
) is larger still, extending northeast into Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
and south across the Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
border into Tijuana
Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...
.
Significance
Within Southern California are two major cities, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, as well as three of the country's largest metropolitan areas. With a population of approximately 4 million, Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States. South of Los Angeles and with a population of approximately 1.4 million is San Diego, the second most populous city in the state and the eighth most populous in the nation.
The counties of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
** Orange juice
*Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
, Riverside, and San Bernardino
San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
are the five most populous in the state, and are among the top 15 most populous counties in the United States.
The motion picture
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...
, television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
and music industry
The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
are centered in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
, a district of Los Angeles, gives its name to the American motion picture industry, which is synonymous with the neighborhood name. Headquartered in Southern California are The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
(which owns ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
), Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
, Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
, MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
, Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, and Warner Bros
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...
. Universal, Warner Bros., and Sony also run major record companies.
Southern California is also home to a large surf and skateboard culture. Companies such as Vans
Vans (originally called the Van Doren Rubber Company) is an American apparel, accessories, and skateboarding shoes brand, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and ...
, Volcom
Volcom was an American lifestyle brand that designed, marketed, and distributed boardsports-oriented products. Volcom is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. The brand was known for its trademark ''stone'' logo, its slogan ''True to This'', ...
, Quiksilver
Quiksilver is a brand of surf-inspired apparel and accessories that was founded in 1969 in Torquay, Victoria, but is now based in Huntington Beach, California. It is one of the world's largest brands of surfwear and boardsport-related equip ...
, No Fear
No Fear is an American lifestyle clothing brand that was created in 1989 by Mark Simo, Brian Simo and Marty Moates. No Fear Inc. products are sold at various retail stores and company-owned stores. There are also energy drinks under the same ...
, Stüssy
Stüssy () is an American Privately held company, privately held fashion house founded in the early 1980s by Shawn Stussy. It benefited from the surfwear trend originating in Orange County, California, but was later adopted by the skateboard and ...
, RVCA
RVCA is a New York, New York–based clothing company owned by Authentic Brands Group.
Etymology
The logotype for RVCA portrays the letter A without a crossbar, resembling an uppercase lambda (Λ). The name resembles the Greek ''ρούχα'' ( ...
, and Body Glove
Body Glove is an American brand of watersports apparel and accessories that was founded in 1953 by twin brothers Bill and Bob Meistrell. The brothers are often credited with inventing the first practical wetsuit in the early 1950s at the back o ...
are all headquartered there. Skateboarder Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first docume ...
; surfers Rob Machado
Robert Edward Machado (born October 16, 1973) is an Australian born American professional surfer. Rob competed on the World Surf League Championship Tour from 1993-2001. Since then he has become a professional free surfer.
Early life
Macha ...
, Timmy Curran, Bobby Martinez
Bobby Martinez (born May 26, 1982) is an American professional surfer from Santa Barbara, California.
Career
Martinez began surfing at age 6. When he was old enough, he joined the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) where he went o ...
, Pat O'Connell, Dane Reynolds, and Chris Ward live in Southern California. Some of the most famous surf locations are in Southern California as well, including Trestles, Rincon, The Wedge
A wedge is a triangular-shaped simple machine.
Wedge, The Wedge, or Wedges may also refer to:
Common meanings
* Wedge (footwear), a type of shoe
* Wedge (golf), a type of golf club
Culture Fictional characters
* Wedge (''Transformers''), an ...
, Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as o ...
, and Malibu. Some of the world's largest action sports
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...
events, including the X Games
The X Games are a series of action sports events founded by ESPN Inc. and aired on ESPN networks and ABC. In late 2022, ESPN sold the long-running property to MSP Sports Capital, a private equity firm co-founded by Jahm Najafi and Jeff Mo ...
, Boost Mobile Pro, and the U.S. Open of Surfing, are held in Southern California. The region is also important to the world of yachting
Yachting is recreational boating activities using medium/large-sized boats or small ships collectively called yachts. Yachting is distinguished from other forms of boating mainly by the priority focus on comfort and luxury, the dependence on ma ...
with premier events including the annual Transpacific Yacht Race
The Transpacific Yacht Race (Transpac) is a biennial offshore yacht race held in odd-numbered years starting off the Pt. Fermin buoy in San Pedro, California and ending off Diamond Head in Hawaii, a distance of around . In even-numbered years the ...
, or ''Transpac'', from Los Angeles to Hawaii. San Diego Yacht Club
San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) is a private yacht club in San Diego, California. Founded in 1886, it is one of the oldest in the United States. The club won the America's Cup in 1987, 1988, and 1992.
History
In June 1886, local boating enthusi ...
hosted the three America's Cup
The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...
races from 1988 to 1995. The first modern-era triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...
was held in San Diego's Mission Bay in 1974. Since then, Southern California, and San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
in particular, have become a mecca for triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...
and multi-sport racing, products, and culture.
Southern California has multiple sports franchises and networks, such as Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by the Walt Disney Company on Mar ...
.
Many of these locals and tourists frequent the Southern California coast for its beaches. Some of Southern California's most popular beaches are Malibu, Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Located in Southern California along the Pacific Ocean, this seaside resort city has a mild year-round climate, scenic coves, and environ ...
, La Jolla
La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood in San Diego, California, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. The climate is mild, with an average daily temperature o ...
, Manhattan Beach, and Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach (, Spanish language, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Ba ...
. Southern California is also known for its mountain resort communities, such as Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the Western United States, western United States, located in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California. It is a snow and rain-fed lake, having no other m ...
, Lake Arrowhead, and Wrightwood
Wrightwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California. It sits at an elevation of . The population was 4,720 at the 2020 census, up from 4,525 at the 2010 census. Wrightwood is located northeast of Los Angeles. It is o ...
, and their ski resorts, like Bear Mountain, Snow Summit
Snow Summit is a ski resort that was established in 1952 and is in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. It is located by Big Bear Lake along with its sister resort Bear Mountain; these two resorts which operate under the same ma ...
, Snow Valley Mountain Resort
Snow Valley Mountain Resort is a ski resort located in Running Springs, California, United States. Snow Valley is the longest continually operating ski resort in Southern California and is also one of three ski resorts in the San Bernardino Nat ...
, and Mountain High
Mountain High resort is a winter resort in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, California. Mountain High is one of the most-visited resorts in Southern California. The resort is located along State Route 2 west of Wrightwood, Cali ...
. The inland desert city of Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
is also popular.
Northern boundary
Southern California is generally considered the area of California south of the latitude 35°45'N, approximately one-third of the state, formed by the northern boundaries of San Luis Obispo
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
, Kern
Kern or KERN may refer to:
People
* Kern (surname), includes a list of people with the name
* Kern (soldier), a light infantry unit in Medieval Irish armies
Places
* Kern, Alaska, a ghost town in Alaska
* Kern, Austria, see Sankt Marienkir ...
, and San Bernardino
San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
counties, which are not exactly a straight line. Another definition for Southern California uses Point Conception
Point Conception (Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Humqaq'') is a headland along the Gaviota Coast in southwestern Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is the point where the Santa Barbara Channel meets the Pacific Ocean, and as ...
and the Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains (; Kawaiisu: ''Tihachipia'', meaning "hard climb") are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States. The range extends for approximately in southern Kern County and northwe ...
as the northern geographical barriers, especially when defining California's bioregion
A bioregion is a geographical area, on land or at sea, defined not by administrative boundaries, but by distinct characteristics such as plant and animal species, ecological systems, soils and landforms, Human settlement, human settlements, and ...
s. In this definition, Owens Valley
Owens Valley (Mono language (California), Mono: ''Payahǖǖnadǖ'', meaning "place of flowing water") is an arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States. It is located to the east of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra ...
and Death Valley are part of the Southern California desert system. Because of the barrier formed by the Tehachapi and Sierra Nevada ranges, cartographer George Wheeler (explorer), George Wheeler observed in 1876 that Northern California was better connected to Oregon and Nevada than it was to Southern California.
Following the acquisition of the territory of California by the United States, several pro-slavery politicians attempted to arrange the division of Alta California at 36 degrees, 30 minutes, the Missouri Compromise line, line of the Missouri Compromise. Instead, the passing of the Compromise of 1850 enabled California to be admitted to the Union as a Slave and free states, free state, preventing the southern half of California from becoming its own separate slave state.
Subsequently, southern Californians dissatisfied with inequitable taxes and land laws attempted several times in the 1850s to achieve a separate statehood or territorial status Partition and secession in California, separate from northern California. The only successful proposal, the Pico Act of 1859, was passed by the California State Legislature and signed by State Governor John B. Weller. It was approved overwhelmingly by nearly 75 percent of southern California voters to form the proposed Territory of Colorado (California), Territory of Colorado. The Pico Act bisected California starting at a latitude of six standard parallels south of the Mount Diablo meridian, then ducking southward around part of the Central Valley (California), Central Valley before cutting northeast to the California border. Six standard parallels is 144 miles south of Mount Diablo—which corresponds to the current northern border of San Luis Obispo County, at the latitude 35°45'N. The proposal was sent to Washington, D.C., with a strong advocate in Senator Milton Latham. However, the secession crisis following the U.S. presidential election, 1860, election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the subsequent American Civil War led to the proposal never coming to a vote.
In 1900, the ''Los Angeles Times'' defined Southern California as including "the seven counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, and Santa Barbara." This definition left out San Luis Obispo and Kern counties.
Southern California was the name of a Cal 3, proposed new state which failed to get on the 2018 California ballot. The ballot measure proposed splitting the existing state into three parts.
In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government led by Governor Gavin Newsom divided the state into five regions for the purpose of issuing stay-at-home orders. The Southern California region consisted of the following counties: Imperial, Inyo County, California, Inyo, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, Mono County, California, Mono, Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
** Orange juice
*Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
, Riverside, San Bernardino
San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
, San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, San Luis Obispo
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. However, Kern County was grouped with other counties of the San Joaquin Valley, California's central agricultural valley.
Urban landscape
Southern California consists of a heavily developed urban environment, home to some of the largest List of urbanized areas in California (by population), urban areas in the state, along with the Deserts of California (part of which was even High Desert County, California, proposed to become a new county due to cultural, economic and geographic differences relative to the rest of the more urban region) that have been left undeveloped. It is the third most populated megalopolis
A megalopolis () or a supercity, also called a megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas which are perceived as a continuous urban area through common systems of transport, economy, resources, ecology, and so on. They are integrated enough ...
in the United States, after the Great Lakes megalopolis and the Northeast megalopolis. Much of Southern California is famous for its large, spread-out, suburban communities and use of automobiles and highways. The dominant areas are Los Angeles, Orange County, California, Orange County, San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, and Riverside, California, Riverside–San Bernardino, each of which are the centers of their respective metropolitan areas, composed of numerous smaller cities and communities. The urban area is also host to an international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan region, created by the urban area spilling over into Baja California
Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
.
The main barrier to urbanization along the Interstate 5 in California, Interstate 5 corridor is Camp Pendleton. The cities and communities along Interstate 15 in California, Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 (California), Interstate 215 are so interrelated that Temecula and Murrieta have as much connection with the San Diego metropolitan area
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its border with Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634; it is the second-most populous ...
as they do with the Inland Empire
The Inland Empire (commonly abbreviated as the IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County and Or ...
. To the east, the United States Census Bureau considers the San Bernardino and Riverside County areas, Riverside-San Bernardino area as a separate metropolitan area from Los Angeles County. Newly developed exurbs formed in the Antelope Valley, north of Los Angeles, the Victor Valley, and the Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...
with the Imperial Valley. Also, population growth was high in the Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield-Kern County, Santa Maria, California, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo areas.
Climate
Most of Southern California has a Mediterranean climate, Mediterranean-like climate, with warm and dry summers, mild and wet winters, where cool weather and freezing temperatures are rare. Southern California contains other types of climates, including semi-arid, desert climate, desert and mountain climate, mountain, with infrequent rain and many sunny days. Summers are hot or warm, and dry, while winters are mild, and rainfall is low to moderate depending on the area. Rain is infrequent, but is often heavy when it does occur, making flash floods an aspect of living in Southern California. This climatic pattern was alluded to in the hit song "It Never Rains (In Southern California)". While snow is very rare in lower elevations, mountains above receive plentiful snowfall in the winter. Since the first decade of the 21st century, Droughts in California, droughts and List of California wildfires, wildfires have increased in frequency as a result of climate change.Natural landscape
Southern California consists of one of the more varied collections of geologic, topographic, and natural ecosystem landscapes in a diversity outnumbering other major regions in the state and country. The region spans from Pacific Ocean Channel Islands of California, islands, shorelines, beaches, and coastal plains, through the Transverse Ranges, Transverse and Peninsular Ranges with their peaks, and into the large and small interior valleys, to the vast deserts of California.
:Introductory categories include:
*: Beaches of Southern California
*:Mountain ranges of Southern California, Mountain ranges of Southern California
*:Rivers of Southern California, Rivers of Southern California
*:Deserts of California, Deserts of California
*:Parks in Southern California, Parks in Southern California
Geography
Geographic features
* Algodones Dunes (Imperial County)
* Angeles National Forest (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, & Ventura Counties)
* Antelope Hills, California, Antelope Hills (Kern County)
* Antelope Valley (Los Angeles & Kern Counties)
* Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County), Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)
* Bacon Hills (Kern County)
* Baldwin Hills (mountain range), Baldwin Hills (Los Angeles County)
* Ballona Wetlands (Los Angeles County)
* Big Bear Lake (San Bernardino County)
* Bissell Hills (Kern County)
* Black Hills (Kern County), Black Hills (Kern County)
* Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Bolsa Chica Estuary (Orange County)
* Buena Vista Hills (Kern County), Buena Vista Hills (Kern County)
* Buena Vista Lake (Kern County)
* Cajon Pass (San Bernardino County)
* Calico Mountains (California), Calico Mountains (San Bernardino County)
* Channel Islands of California, Channel Islands (Santa Barbara, Ventura & Los Angeles Counties)
* Castaic Lake (Los Angeles County)
* Chino Hills (Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...
(Riverside County)
* Colorado Desert
The Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert located in California, United States, and Baja California, Mexico. It encompasses approximately , including the heavily irrigated Coachella, Imperial and Mexicali valleys. It is home to ...
(San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, & San Diego Counties)
* Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
(San Bernardino, Riverside & Imperial Counties, Baja California & Sonora)
* Conejo Valley (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* Cucamonga Valley (San Bernardino & Riverside Counties)
* Cuyamaca Mountains (San Diego County)
* Death Valley (San Bernardino & Inyo Counties)
* Diablo Range (Kern County)
* Diamond Valley Lake (Riverside County)
* Elk Hills (Kern County)
* Elkhorn Hills (San Luis Obispo County)
* El Mirage Lake (San Bernardino County)
* El Paso Mountains (Kern County)
* Gaviota Coast (Santa Barbara County)
* Greenhorn Mountains (Kern County)
* High Desert (California), High Desert (Los Angeles, Kern, Inyo, & San Bernardino Counties)
* Horned Toad Hills (Kern County)
* Imperial Valley (Imperial County)
* Irish Hills (California), Irish Hills (San Luis Obispo County)
* In-Ko-Pah Mountains (San Diego County)
* Inland Empire (CA), Inland Empire (Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* Jacumba Mountains (San Diego County)
* Jawbone Canyon (Kern County)
* Kern River (Kern County)
* La Jolla Cove (San Diego County)
* Laguna Mountains (San Diego County)
* Lake Arrowhead (San Bernardino County)
* Lake Casitas (Ventura County)
* Lake Elsinore (Riverside County)
* Lake Isabella (Kern County)
* Lake Perris (Riverside County)
* Lake Piru (Ventura County)
* Lakeview Mountains (Riverside County)
* Lake Webb (Kern County)
* Little San Bernardino Mountains (Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* Little Signal Hills (Kern County)
* Los Angeles Basin (Los Angeles & Orange Counties)
* Los Angeles River (Los Angeles County)
* Los Padres National Forest (Kern, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, & Ventura Counties)
* Lost Hills (Kern County)
* Low Desert (Imperial, San Diego, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...
(Los Angeles, Kern, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* Mojave River (San Bernardino County)
* Mount San Antonio (Los Angeles County)
* New River (Mexico–United States), New River (Imperial County, Mexicali Municipality)
* Nine Sisters (San Luis Obispo County)
* Ojai Valley (Ventura County)
* Orange Coast (Orange County)
* Oxnard Plain (Ventura County)
* Palomar Mountain (San Diego County)
* Palo Verde Valley (Riverside & Imperial Counties)
* Palos Verdes Hills, Palos Verdes Peninsula (Los Angeles County)
* Panamint Range (Inyo County)
* Peninsular Ranges (San Diego, Riverside, & Orange Counties)
* Pleito Hills (Kern County)
* Point Loma (San Diego County)
* Point Mugu (Ventura County)
* Point of Rocks (Kern County, California), Point of Rocks (Kern County)
* Pomona Valley (Los Angeles & San Bernardino Counties)
* Providence Mountains (San Bernardino County)
* Puente Hills (Los Angeles County)
* Pyramid Lake (Los Angeles County, California), Pyramid Lake (Los Angeles County)
* Rand Mountains (Kern County)
* Rio Hondo (California), Rio Hondo (Los Angeles County)
* Rosamond Hills (Kern County)
* Saddleback Valley (Orange County)
* Salton Sea (Imperial & Riverside Counties)
* San Andreas Fault (All Counties)
* San Bernardino Mountains (San Bernardino County)
* San Bernardino National Forest (Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* San Bernardino Valley (San Bernardino County)
* San Diego Bay (San Diego County)
* San Diego River (San Diego County)
* San Emigdio Mountains (Los Angeles, Ventura, & Kern Counties)
* San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles County)
* San Gabriel Mountains (Los Angeles & San Bernardino Counties)
* San Gabriel River (California), San Gabriel River (Los Angeles County)
* San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles County)
* San Jacinto Mountains (Riverside County)
* San Jacinto River (California), San Jacinto River (Riverside County)
* San Joaquin Valley (Kern County)
* San Luis Rey River (San Diego County)
* San Pedro Bay (California), San Pedro Bay (Los Angeles County)
* San Rafael Mountains (Santa Barbara County)
* Santa Ana Mountains (Orange & Riverside Counties)
* Santa Ana River (San Bernardino, Riverside & Orange Counties)
* Santa Ana Valley (Orange County)
* Santa Catalina Island, California, Santa Catalina Island (Los Angeles County)
* Santa Clara River (California), Santa Clara River (Ventura County)
* Santa Clara River Valley (Ventura County)
* Santa Clarita Valley (Los Angeles County)
* Santa Margarita River (Riverside, Orange & San Diego Counties)
* Santa Monica Bay (Los Angeles County)
* Santa Monica Mountains (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* Santa Rosa Mountains (California), Santa Rosa Mountains (Riverside, Imperial & San Diego Counties)
* Santa Susana Mountains (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* Santa Ynez Mountains (Santa Barbara & Ventura Counties)
* Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County)
* Scodie Mountains (Kern County)
* Sequoia National Forest (Kern County)
* Shale Hills (Kern County)
* Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada (Kern County)
* Sierra Pelona Mountains (Los Angeles & Kern Counties)
* Simi Hills (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* Simi Valley (valley), Simi Valley (Ventura County)
* Sweetwater River (California), Sweetwater River (San Diego County)
* Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains (; Kawaiisu: ''Tihachipia'', meaning "hard climb") are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States. The range extends for approximately in southern Kern County and northwe ...
(Kern & Los Angeles Counties)
* Tejon Hills (Kern County)
* Temescal Mountains (Riverside County)
* Telephone Hills (Kern County)
* Temblor Range (Kern & San Luis Obispo Counties)
* Tijuana River (San Diego County)
* Topatopa Mountains (Ventura County)
* Turtle Mountains (California), Turtle Mountains (San Bernardino County)
* Ventura River (Ventura County)
* Verdugo Mountains (Los Angeles County)
* Victor Valley (San Bernardino County)
Geology
List of major fault zones
Note: Plate boundary faults are indicated with a (#) symbol. * Brawley Seismic Zone * Chino Fault * Elsinore Fault Zone * Elysian Park Fault * Garlock Fault * Hosgri Fault * Imperial Fault Zone * Laguna Salada Fault * Newport–Inglewood Fault * Peninsular Ranges * Puente Hills Fault * Raymond Fault * Rose Canyon Fault * Salton Trough * Salinian Block * San Andreas Fault # * San Cayetano Fault * San Felipe Fault Zone * San Gabriel Fault * San Jacinto Fault Zone * Santa Maria River Fault * Santa Ynez Fault * Shoreline Fault * Ventura Fault * White Wolf Fault * Whittier Fault * Yorba Linda Fault
Earthquakes
Each year, Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes. Nearly all of them are too small to be felt. Only several hundred have been greater than Moment magnitude scale, magnitude () 3.0, and only about 15–20 have been greater than 4.0. California as a whole enacted the Alquist Priolo Special Studies Zone Act in the wake of the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. The act prohibits new construction of residential buildings closer than from a surface rupturing active fault zone. In addition, the act improved safety by requiring new structures (both residential and commercial) to be seismically retrofitted. It also required existing infrastructure to comply. Since 1972, numerous large magnitude earthquakes have struck Southern California with little widespread damage in part due to the act. However, exceptions can be noted for epicenters that lie directly on top of densely populated regions such as the 6.7 1994 Northridge Earthquake and, to a lesser extent, the smaller 5.5 2008 Chino Hills earthquake. The Northridge earthquake occurred on a blind-thrust fault directly underneath the San Fernando Valley, which until the earthquake was previously undiscovered. Seismic retrofitting of existing and new construction is aimed to prevent damage and save lives in the aftermath of a major quake, but it cannot guarantee that buildings will be unscathed if the epicenter is relatively close by. The 1994 Northridge earthquake was particularly destructive, causing a substantial number of deaths, injuries, and structural collapses. The quake caused the most property damage of any earthquake in U.S. history at an estimated $20 billion. Many Southern California Fault (geology), faults are able to produce a 6.7 earthquake or greater, such as the San Andreas Fault, which can produce 8.0 or greater. The largest known earthquake in California was the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake that ruptured 200+ miles (320+ kilometers) of the San Andreas Fault from Parkfield, California, Parkfield to Wrightwood, California, Wrightwood. With a recurrence interval of roughly 150 years, this part of the San Andreas fault is well within its window to produce another large earthquake. Along with the southern section of the San Andreas (in the Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs region, which has not ruptured in ~400 years), the entire Southern California portion of the San Andreas Fault is ready to produce a powerful earthquake in the near future. Notable faults capable of large magnitude events include the San Jacinto Fault Zone, San Jacinto Fault (a splay of the San Andreas that runs directly under the I-10 & I-215 interchange), the Newport–Inglewood Fault, Newport–Inglewood-Rose Canyon Fault (located adjacent to SoFi Stadium and responsible for Signal Hill, California, Signal Hill), the Elsinore Fault Zone, Elsinore Fault (created Lake Elsinore), the Garlock Fault (which marks boundary between of the Sierra Nevada and theMojave Desert
The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...
), and the Hollywood fault (which is within feet of Capitol Records and is roughly parallel to Hollywood Boulevard).
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has released a California earthquake forecast, which models earthquake occurrence in California.
=List of earthquakes
= This is a partial list of earthquakes in Southern California. For a full list, see List of earthquakes in California. Note: Earthquakes with epicenters in the Los Angeles Metro Area are marked with the (#) symbol. Other earthquakes mentioned indicates shaking was felt in the region. * 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake # * 1812 Ventura earthquake * 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake * 1892 Laguna Salada earthquake * 1899 San Jacinto earthquake * 1918 San Jacinto earthquake * 1933 Long Beach earthquake # * 1940 El Centro earthquake * 1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake * 1971 San Fernando earthquake # * 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake * 1968 Borrego Mountain earthquake * 1986 North Palm Springs earthquake * 1987 Superstition Hills earthquakes * 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake # * 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake # * 1992 Big Bear earthquake # * 1992 Landers earthquake * 1994 Northridge earthquake # * 2008 Chino Hills earthquake # * 2010 Baja California earthquake * 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakesPopulation
As of the 2020 United States census, Southern California has a population of 23,762,904. Despite a reputation for high growth rates, Southern California's population has grown slower than the state average since the 2000s. This is due to California's growth becoming concentrated in the northern part of the state as result of a stronger, tech-oriented economy in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area and an emerging Greater Sacramento region.
Southern California consists of one Combined Statistical Area, eight Metropolitan Statistical Areas, one international metropolitan area, and multiple metropolitan divisions. The region is home to two extended metropolitan areas that exceed five million in population. These are the Greater Los Angeles Area at 17,786,419, and San Diego–Tijuana at 5,105,768. Of these metropolitan areas, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metropolitan area form Greater Los Angeles; while the El Centro metropolitan area and San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area form the Southern Border Region. North of Greater Los Angeles are the Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
, and Bakersfield
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield's population as of the ...
metropolitan areas.
Cities
Los Angeles (with a population of approximately 3.9 million people) and San Diego (at nearly 1.4 million people) are the two largest cities in all of California, and are among the top eight largest cities in the United States. In Southern California, there are also 14 cities with more than 200,000 residents and 48 cities over 100,000 residents. Many of Southern California's most developed cities lie along or in close proximity to the coast, with the exception of San Bernardino and Riverside.Counties
* Imperial *Kern
Kern or KERN may refer to:
People
* Kern (surname), includes a list of people with the name
* Kern (soldier), a light infantry unit in Medieval Irish armies
Places
* Kern, Alaska, a ghost town in Alaska
* Kern, Austria, see Sankt Marienkir ...
*Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
*Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
** Orange juice
*Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
* Riverside
*San Bernardino
San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...
*San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
*San Luis Obispo
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
* Santa Barbara
* Ventura
Economy
Industries
Southern California is one of the largest economies in the United States. It is dominated by, and heavily dependent upon, the abundance of petroleum, as opposed to other regions where automobiles are not nearly as dominant, due to the vast majority of transport that runs on this fuel. Southern California is famous for tourism and the entertainment industry. Other industries include software, automotive, aerospace, finance, biomedical, ports and regional logistics. The region was a leader in the housing bubble from 2001 to 2007, and has been heavily impacted by the housing crash. Since the 1920s, motion pictures, petroleum, and aircraft manufacturing have been major industries. In one of the richest agricultural regions in the U.S., cattle and citrus were major industries until farmlands were turned into suburbs. Although military spending cutbacks have had an impact, aerospace continues to be a major factor.Major central business districts
Southern California is home to many major business districts. Central business districts (CBD) include Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown Riverside, Downtown San Bernardino, downtown San Diego, and the South Coast Metro. Within the Los Angeles Area are the major business districts of Pasadena, California, Downtown Pasadena, Burbank, California, Downtown Burbank, Santa Monica, California, Downtown Santa Monica, Glendale, California, Downtown Glendale and Downtown Long Beach. Los Angeles proper has many business districts, such as Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown LA and those lining Wilshire Boulevard, including Mid-Wilshire, the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, Miracle Mile, Downtown Beverly Hills, and Westwood, Los Angeles, Westwood; others include Century City, Los Angeles, Century City and Warner Center, Los Angeles, Warner Center in the San Fernando Valley. The area of Santa Monica and Venice (and perhaps some of Culver City) is informally referred to as "Silicon Beach" because of the concentration of financial and marketing technology-centric firms located in the region.
The San Bernardino-Riverside Area maintains the business districts of Downtown San Bernardino, Hospitality Lane District, San Bernardino, California, Hospitality Business/Financial Centre, University District, San Bernardino, University District which are in the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside.
In Orange County, has highly developed suburban business centers (also known as edge cities) including the Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city along I-5; and another, the South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city that stretches from the South Coast Metro to the Irvine Business Complex; Newport Center, Newport Beach, California, Newport Center; and Irvine Spectrum. Downtown Santa Ana is an important government, arts and entertainment, and retail district.
Downtown San Diego is the CBD of San Diego, though the city is filled with business districts. These include Carmel Valley, San Diego, Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, San Diego, Del Mar Heights, Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo, Sorrento Mesa, and University City, San Diego, University City. Most of these districts are located in Northern San Diego and some within North County regions.
Theme parks and Water parks
Los Angeles
* Dry Town Water Park
* Pacific Park
* Raging Waters San Dimas
* Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
* Six Flags Magic Mountain
* Universal Studios Hollywood
Orange County
* Adventure City
* Disneyland
* Disney California Adventure
* Knott's Berry Farm
* Knott's Soak City
* Wild Rivers (water park), Wild Rivers
Riverside & San Bernardino
* Castle Park (amusement park), Castle Park
* SkyPark at Santa's Village
* Wet'n'Wild Palm Springs
San Diego
* Sesame Place San Diego
* Belmont Park (San Diego), Belmont Park
* Legoland California
* Legoland Waterpark
* San Diego Zoo
* San Diego Zoo Safari Park
* SeaWorld San Diego
Vineyard-Winery American Viticultural Area (AVA) districts
:California wine AVA-American Viticultural Areas in southern California: *South Coast AVA **Cucamonga Valley AVA **Malibu-Newton Canyon AVA **Ramona Valley AVA **Saddle Rock-Malibu AVA **Temecula Valley AVA *Leona Valley AVA *Central Coast AVA **San Luis Obispo Coast AVA ***Arroyo Grande Valley AVA ***Edna Valley AVA **San Pasqual Valley AVA **Santa Maria Valley AVA **Santa Ynez Valley AVA **Sta. Rita Hills AVA **York Mountain AVATransportation
Southern California is home to Los Angeles International Airport, the second-busiest airport in the United States by passenger volume (see World's busiest airports by passenger traffic) and the third-busiest by international passenger volume (see Busiest airports in the United States by international passenger traffic); San Diego International Airport, the busiest single-runway airport in the United States; Van Nuys Airport, the world's busiest general aviation airport; major commercial airports at San Bernardino International Airport, San Bernardino, John Wayne Airport, Orange County, Meadows Field, Bakersfield, LA/Ontario International Airport, Ontario, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Burbank, and Long Beach Airport, Long Beach; and numerous smaller commercial and general aviation airports. Six of the seven lines of the commuter rail system, Metrolink (California), Metrolink, run out of downtown Los Angeles, connecting Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties with the other line connecting San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties directly. Southern California is also home to the Port of Los Angeles, the country's busiest commercial port; the adjacent Port of Long Beach, the country's second busiest container port; and the Port of San Diego.Airports
The following table shows all airports listed by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) as a hub airport:Freeways and highways
Sections of the Southern California freeway system are often referred to by names rather than by the official numbers.
Public transportation
*Antelope Valley Transit Authority *Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica) *Gold Coast Transit (Ventura County) *Golden Empire Transit (Bakersfield) *Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority *Metrolink (California), Metrolink *North County Transit District (northern San Diego County) *Omnitrans (southwestern San Bernardino County) *Orange County Transportation Authority *Riverside Transit Agency (western Riverside County) *Coaster (rail service), Coaster (Oceanside to San Diego) *San Diego Metropolitan Transit System *San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority *Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara MTDCommunication
Telephone area codes
*Area code 213, 213 – Central Los Angeles *Area code 310, 310 – Westside (Los Angeles County), West Los Angeles, Inglewood, California, Inglewood, Santa Monica, South Bay, Los Angeles, South Bay and Santa Catalina Island, California, Catalina Island *Area code 323, 323 – Overlay with 213 *Area code 424, 424 – Overlay with 310 *Area code 442, 442 – Overlay with 760 *Area code 562, 562 – Long Beach, Gateway Cities, and parts of northern Orange County, California, Orange County *Area code 619, 619 – most ofSan Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its border with Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634; it is the second-most populous ...
including San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
*Area code 626, 626 – most of San Gabriel Valley including Pasadena
*Area code 657, 657 – Overlay with 714
*Area code 661, 661 – Bakersfield, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valley
*Area code 714, 714 – Northern Orange County (including Anaheim, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana, and Huntington Beach)
*Area code 760, 760 – Northern San Diego County (including Oceanside, California, Oceanside and Escondido, California, Escondido), Imperial County, Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...
, Blythe, California, Blythe, Twentynine Palms, Victor Valley, Barstow, California, Barstow, and Ridgecrest, California, Ridgecrest
*Area code 805, 805 – Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
Counties
*Area code 818, 818 – Eastern Conejo Valley, Crescenta Valley, San Fernando Valley including Glendale, California, Glendale and Burbank, California, Burbank
*Area code 820, 820 – Overlay with 805
*Area code 840, 840 – Overlay with 909
*Area code 858, 858 – Overlay with 619
*Area code 909, 909 – Southwestern San Bernardino County, eastern Los Angeles County, and portions of northwestern Riverside County
*Area code 949, 949 – Southern Orange County, California, Orange County (including Irvine, California, Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, and San Clemente)
*Area code 951, 951 – Western Riverside County including Riverside, California, Riverside and Temecula
Colleges and universities
Public institutions in the region include:
University of California (10 campuses total; 5 within the SoCal region)
* University of California, Irvine, Irvine
* University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
* University of California, Riverside, Riverside
* University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara
* University of California, San Diego, San Diego
California State University (23 campuses total; 12 within the SoCal region)
* California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield
* California State University Channel Islands, Channel Islands
* California State University, Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills
* California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton
* California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
* California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach
* California State University, Northridge, Northridge
* California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona
* California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino
* San Diego State University, San Diego
* California State University, San Marcos, San Marcos
* California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Private institutions include:
* California Institute of Technology (Pasadena)
* Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, California, Azusa)
* Chapman University (Orange, California, Orange)
* Claremont Colleges (all in Claremont, California, Claremont)
** Claremont McKenna College
** Harvey Mudd College
** Pitzer College
** Pomona College
** Scripps College
** Claremont Graduate University
** Keck Graduate Institute
* Loma Linda University (Loma Linda, California, Loma Linda)
* Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles)
* Occidental College (Los Angeles)
* Pepperdine University (Los Angeles)
* University of Redlands (Redlands, California, Redlands)
* University of San Diego
* University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
Parks and recreation areas
Numerous parks provide recreation opportunities and open space. Locations include: *National Park Service **Cabrillo National Monument **Carrizo Plain National Monument **Castle Mountains National Monument **Cesar E. Chavez National Monument **Channel Islands National Park **Death Valley National Park **Joshua Tree National Park **Mojave National Preserve **Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area *Major State park, State Parks – ''including:'' **Anza-Borrego Desert State Park **Crystal Cove State Park **Cuyamaca Rancho State Park **Chino Hills State Park **Fort Tejon State Historic Park **Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area **Mount San Jacinto State Park **Malibu Creek State Park **Red Rock Canyon State Park (California) **Topanga State Park *Major State Historic Parks – ''including:'' **California Citrus State Historic Park **Presidio of Santa Barbara, El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park **La Purísima Mission State Historic Park **Los Encinos State Historic Park **Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa **Old Town San Diego State Historic Park **Rancho Los Encinos **Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park **Tule Elk State Natural Reserve **Watts Towers **Will Rogers State Historic ParkSports
Major professional sports teams in Southern California include: *NFL (American football) Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers *NBA (Basketball) Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers *MLB (Baseball) Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres *NHL (Ice hockey) Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks *MLS (Soccer) LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, San Diego FC *NWSL(Soccer) Angel City FC, San Diego Wave FC *WNBA(Basketball) Los Angeles Sparks Southern California also is home to a number of popular NCAA sports programs such as the UCLA Bruins, the USC Trojans, and the San Diego State Aztecs. The Bruins and the Trojans both field football teams in NCAA Division I in the Big Ten Conference, and there is a longtime UCLA–USC rivalry, rivalry between the schools.See also
*:History of Southern California, History of Southern California *:Ranchos of California, Ranchos of California – ''Southern California Counties categories'' *:Public transportation in Southern California, Public transportation in Southern California *California earthquake forecast *California megapolitan areas *Geography of Southern California *Largest cities in Southern California *List of regions of California#Southern California *Megaregions of the United States *San Angeles *South Coast (California), South Coast *Southern California Association of GovernmentsReferences
Further reading
* * * , focus on planning, infrastructure, water and business. * , on Henry Edwards Huntington (1850–1927), railroad executive and collector, who helped build LA and southern California through the Southern Pacific railroad and trolleys. * *online
*
excerpt and text search
covers military and industrial roles. *
* * * , a historical geography *
in JSTOR
* , covers 1880s–1940 * *
External links
California Historical Society Collection, 1860–1960
– University of Southern California Libraries, USC Libraries Digital Collections * {{coord, 34, 00, N, 117, 00, W, region:US-CA_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Southern California, Megapolitan areas of California Regions of California