California County Map

California Counties

The state of California is divided in two regions; Southern California, ‘SoCal,’ with ten counties, and Northern California, ‘NorCal,’ with 48 counties, for a total of 58 counties.

The ten southern counties are: Imperial County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Kern County, Riverside County, and San Luis Obispo County.

For Northern California, the 48 counties in alphabetic order are: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte County, El Dorado, Fresno County, Glenn County, Humboldt, Inyo, Kings, Lake County, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono County, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, and finally, Yuba County.

California County Seats

For each county, there is a county seat, or capital, where the local government is housed. The county seat is in charge of the general administration of the county, and the duties include; tax collection, public health, law enforcement, social services, as well as many other responsibilities.

Two Major Counties and cities

Los Angeles County, is quite well known, and is home to the city of the same name. City of Los Angeles (LA) is popular throughout the world as it is home to the US entertainment industry. The population of the county is more than 10 million people, and nearly half of them live in LA proper.

Many visitors to LA want to see the Hollywood neighborhood that is known to be the center of the motion picture industry. You can also drive through Malibu, the posh beach neighborhood west of downtown, and you'll find yourself surrounded by surf and cliffs.

In Northern California, lies one of the US’s most loved and visited cities, the City by the Bay, San Francisco (SF). Few cities live up to their hype, but SF does. Stunning vistas, cool weather, and home to a diverse and tolerant community, make SF a top US and World visitor destination.

Ride a Cable Car, eat or shop in Chinatown, or visit Fisherman’s Wharf, all in day. But a dive deeper into the city to experience great restaurants, wonderful art, and a vibrant nightlife.

County Sizes

We talked about the big, but when it comes to California you'll actually never find anything small. Even the county with the smallest area has a huge heart. And that is the City and County of San Francisco. Even with an area of 47.9 square miles, this is home to a population of over 800-thousand people. San Francisco is the second most densely populated city in the United States, the first being New York City.

Places to Visit and Things To Do

For many, no trip to SoCal is complete without seeing Disneyland. A top-rated place for a family vacation, visitors can have a blast with the attractions and live the magic of Disney – giving kids of all ages, meaning adults too, memories for life.

Other options include; getting blown away by the magnificent views of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, or enjoying the beauty of nature in Yosemite. Get to know the San Francisco Bay, or visit the stars at the Universal Studios in Hollywood.

History, Geography and Economy

The state of California is known world-wide due to its many points of interest and famous cities. Within US, California state is the most populated, and is the third largest in area. California is bordered by Oregon to the north, Arizona on the southeast, Nevada on the east, and the Mexico, and the state of Baja, California, to the South.

The division of the state into counties began in 1850, when there were only 27 counties. In 1865, 20 new counties were added, and by the end of the century other 10. The last addition was Imperial County, in 1907. The latest population census, puts the population of the state of California at 39,144,818 people.

The economy of California is one of the most relevant in the world, and is larger than many countries around the world. The gross state product (GSP) is about $2.514 trillion, the largest in the United States. California is responsible for 13.9% of the United States gross domestic product (GDP).

Employment in California is mainly focused on trade, financial services, transportation, agriculture, education, health, government and manufacturing. Unemployment rate is at 5.5% of the population.

National Parks

National Parks in California are known for striking landscapes and outdoor activity, as well as a national symbols of the US.

There are 13 National Parks in California to visit:

Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP), Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, and Channel Islands National Park.

The bounty of California parks doesn’t end there. Beyond the world renowned National Parks, California is home the largest State Park system in the world, with over 200 State Parks located throughout the state.

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List of California Counties and their County Seats

County Maps of different States of USA