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- San Francisco. A breathtakingly picturesque setting and charming European-style neighborhoods set San Francisco apart from other cities in the state. For a metropolis with less than a million inhabitants, this cosmopolitan, small-scale city is brimming with attractions.
- Los Angeles. One could argue that Los Angeles is the only real city (that is to say a major metropolitan area) in California, if you consider its size and urban feel.
- San Diego. Balmy weather and beautiful beaches provide the perfect setting for San Diego's active outdoorsy lifestyle. This sunny SoCal city is known for its surfing culture and laid-back vibes, but it also has a quaint historic downtown and top-notch cultural attractions.
- Santa Barbara. Tucked away on a spectacular crescent of Central California's coast, Santa Barbara is a delightful place to visit. This chic seaside town has it all: gorgeous waterfront scenery, fantastic hiking trails, an enchanting downtown, and a gourmet dining scene focused on farm-to-table cuisine.
- One of the country's most popular national parks can be found about 165 miles east of San Francisco. Yosemite offers every adventure activity you can possibly think of, from low-impact activities like fishing and bird-watching to daredevil pursuits, such as rock climbing and rafting.
- San Francisco brims with life everywhere you go. Whether you're zipping around on a cable car, exploring one of the city's many culturally eclectic neighborhoods, admiring towering redwoods near the iconic Golden Gate Bridge or diving fork first into its world-renowned food scene (you'll find more than 30 Michelin-starred restaurants here), San Francisco's energy is always downright electric.
- San Diego is Southern California at its finest (think: warm weather year-round, endless stretches of surf-friendly shorelines and some of the best Mexican food in the USA).
- Regardless of when you visit Lake Tahoe, you'll find ample ways to enjoy the outdoors. In winter, Tahoe becomes a popular ski spot, and when summer hits, locals rent boats in droves as a way to unwind on the lake.
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- San Jose, CA. Nicknamed the capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose is a diverse area with an innovative spirit. While it has a distinct...
- San Francisco, CA. A beautiful region filled with iconic landmarks independently owned businesses and trendsetting residents, San Francisco...
- San Diego, CA. San Diego residents recognize how fortunate they are to live in an area famous for its sunny weather and impressive...
- Santa Barbara, CA. It has been described as the "American Riviera," a "playground for the rich and famous" and, quite simply, "paradise....
County. Image. Description. 1. Los Angeles. 3,822,238. Los Angeles County. Los Angeles is the largest city in California and one of the largest cities in the Americas. Los Angeles is a global city and famed worldwide as home to the Hollywood film industry and for its influence in popular culture.
- Top Cities in California
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- San Diego
- Santa Barbara
- Palm Springs
- San Jose
- Monterey
- Sacramento
- San Luis Obispo
After visiting California multiple times it is difficult to put these cities in any particular order. We love the laid-back feel of places like Monterey but we also love the beautiful and interesting Spanish influences on display in Santa Barbara and San Diego. There is a reason California is one of our favorite places to visit in the United States...
The city of Angels, where people come from far and wide to seek fame and fortune under the warm western sky. It’s a city that blends new-world charm and modern skyscrapers with California’s cool and beach bum culture. Los Angeles is the biggest of the California cities on our list. In fact, it’s the second-biggest metropolis in the US, based on pop...
As you venture out of Los Angeles, it can often feel like a sprawling suburbia. You won’t have that sensation in San Francisco. Its rolling hills simply won’t let you. Across the 50-square mile city, there are 40 tumbling hills, some so steep they become their own attractions. But they’re just one piece to explaining how beautiful the Golden State ...
San Diego is the younger brother that’s now all grown up. Once in the shadow of the two aforementioned cities, San Diego has stepped into the light. It’s slowly changed the once-solid tourist path that linked Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and the national parks. With beautiful weather year-round, San Diego is able to show off its diverse p...
Santa Barbara is tucked away on the Pacific Coast, ninety minutes north of Los Angeles. Known as the Queen of Missions, it just might be the most beautiful city in California. The picturesque city was flatted after a major earthquake in 1925. It was painstakingly rebuilt with Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, heavily influenced by the city’s m...
Many of the best cities in California can be found along the coast. After all, when you picture the Golden State, the mind drifts to endless beaches and west-facing sunsets. But Palm Springs is not like any of the other cities. In the center of Southern California, Palm Springs was once the playground for the rich and famous. But over the years it’...
Many people may connect San Francisco with the tech industry and Silicon Valley. However, San Jose is the heart of the world’s tech capital. San Jose is at the southern end of the Bay Area and connects the local community to an abundance of nearby outdoor adventures. A few minutes from town and you’ll find yourself in Castle Rock State Park. After ...
Once the capital of Spanish California, Monterey is now a historic seaside city. It grew to become the center of the cannery industry, best described in Joseph Steinbeck’s novel, Cannery Row. Today, the row has been revitalized to become the center of Monterey’s mouthwatering dining scene along the city’s beautiful waterfront. Monterey is a wonderf...
Northeast of San Francisco is Sacramento, the capital of California. You may not have the beautiful west coast beaches. But what you will discover is a city teeming with history and culture. The city is placed at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers. The latter stemming from nearby lakes and the Sierras. They combine to offer visito...
With a local population of under 50,000, San Luis Obispo may be small, but it remains one of the best cities in California. So come and discover why it’s known as the happiest city in America. It’s a place where residents are as welcoming as the eternal blue sky. The charming, leafy downtown streets are a pleasure to explore on foot. They lead you ...
The most populated cities in California are Los Angeles with 3,881,041, San Diego at 1,383,987, San Jose with 1,001,176, San Francisco at 851,036, and Fresno with 541,528. You can get the most current Census population data for all 1,573 California cities, sorted from the most populous cities in California to the least, according to the 2022 American Community Survey.
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