California, United States: List of the Largest Cities by Population

Image of Muir Beach California with a wide sandy shoreline and people enjoying picnics.
✓ Accommodations✓ Flights✓ Rental Cars✓ Tours & Activities

1. Los Angeles – 3,878,704
Home of Hollywood; global entertainment and business powerhouse.


2. San Diego – 1,404,452
Coastal city with beaches, naval bases, biotech, and tourism.


3. San Jose – 997,368
Heart of Silicon Valley; high-tech hub.


4. San Francisco – 827,526
Iconic Bay Area city known for culture, tech, and landmarks.


5. Fresno – 550,105
Central Valley agricultural center and gateway to national parks.


6. Sacramento – 535,798
State capital with government, riverfront life, and education.


7. Long Beach – 450,901
Major port city with diverse economy and waterfront attractions.


8. Oakland – 443,554
East Bay hub with port, arts, and multicultural community.


9. Bakersfield – 417,468
Key energy and agricultural hub in the southern Central Valley.


10. Anaheim – 344,561
Disneyland and tourism anchor in Orange County.


11. Stockton – 324,975
Inland port city in the Central Valley with a growing logistics sector.


12. Riverside – 323,757
Historic city in the Inland Empire, center of citrus industry origins.


13. Irvine – 318,683
Master-planned city known for education, tech, and safety.


14. Santa Ana – 316,184
County seat of Orange County with vibrant cultural scene.


15. Chula Vista – 275,487
Rapidly growing city in San Diego County, known for family living.


16. Fremont – 228,192
East Bay city with major tech firms and diverse communities.


17. Santa Clarita – 229,159
Suburban city near LA known for Six Flags Magic Mountain.


18. San Bernardino – 224,775
Key city in the Inland Empire with historic Route 66 links.


19. Modesto – 218,915
Agricultural hub in the Central Valley.


20. Fontana – 215,465
Industrial and trucking city in San Bernardino County.


21. Moreno Valley – 212,392
Growing Inland Empire community with military and logistics sectors.


22. Oxnard – 200,616
Coastal city with agriculture and naval presence.


23. Huntington Beach – 193,151
Surf City USA, known for beaches and events.


24. Glendale – 187,823
Suburban LA city with strong Armenian-American community.


25. Ontario – 185,285
Inland Empire city with an international airport and business parks.


26. Elk Grove – 182,797
Suburb of Sacramento with rapid population growth.


27. Santa Rosa – 177,524
Heart of Sonoma County wine country.


28. Rancho Cucamonga – 176,675
San Bernardino County city with retail and residential development.


29. Garden Grove – 172,361
Home to one of the largest Vietnamese-American communities.


30. Oceanside – 170,941
North San Diego County coastal city with a large military presence.


31. Lancaster – 167,426
High desert city known for aerospace and suburban growth.


32. Roseville – 163,304
Sacramento-area city with strong retail and job growth.


33. Palmdale – 162,536
Neighbor to Lancaster, key aerospace and commuter city.


34. Corona – 161,540
Fast-growing Inland Empire city with historic charm.


35. Salinas – 160,783
Agricultural center known as the Salad Bowl of the World.


36. Hayward – 158,440
East Bay city with manufacturing and diverse culture.


37. Sunnyvale – 156,792
Silicon Valley hub, home to tech firms and residential areas.


38. Escondido – 148,847
North San Diego County city with wineries and cultural assets.


39. Pomona – 147,966
Eastern LA County city, home to Cal Poly Pomona.


40. Visalia – 146,271
Central Valley city and gateway to Sequoia National Park.


41. Victorville – 140,721
High desert city along I-15 corridor to Las Vegas.


42. Fullerton – 140,054
OC city with Cal State Fullerton and historic downtown.


43. Torrance – 139,576
South Bay city near LA with beaches and industry.


44. Orange – 137,941
Orange County city known for Old Towne and Chapman University.


45. Santa Clara – 127,922
Heart of Silicon Valley, home to tech giants and Levi’s Stadium.


46. Clovis – 127,993
Fresno suburb with strong community feel and rapid growth.


47. Simi Valley – 125,778
Ventura County suburb with the Ronald Reagan Library.


48. Thousand Oaks – 124,229
Conejo Valley city noted for affluence and open space.


49. Concord – 124,016
East Bay city with shopping and transit hubs.


50. Vallejo – 123,475
Ferry-access city near Napa Valley and former naval base.


51. Fairfield – 122,646
Home to Jelly Belly factory and Travis AFB.


52. Berkeley – 121,363
University town with historic activism and UC Berkeley.


53. Antioch – 120,817
Affordable East Bay city with Delta river access.


54. Menifee – 118,635
One of Inland Empire’s fastest-growing residential areas.


55. Richmond – 115,282
Industrial city in East Bay with Rosie the Riveter heritage.


56. Carlsbad – 114,746
Coastal North San Diego city with tech and tourism.


57. Murrieta – 113,894
Suburban Inland Empire city with family-friendly growth.


58. Temecula – 112,011
Southern Riverside County city known for wine country.


59. Santa Maria – 110,838
Central Coast city with strawberry fields and airbase.


60. Ventura – 109,868
Seaside city with surf, mission history, and art scene.


61. Downey – 109,249
LA suburb with aerospace roots and cultural diversity.


62. Costa Mesa – 108,391
OC city with South Coast Plaza and performing arts.


63. Jurupa Valley – 107,984
Riverside County city focused on logistics and housing.


64. West Covina – 107,637
San Gabriel Valley suburb known for shopping and schools.


65. Rialto – 106,937
Logistics and warehouse city in San Bernardino County.


66. El Monte – 106,236
Heavily urbanized city east of LA with industrial economy.


67. Vacaville – 105,618
I-80 city between SF and Sacramento, home to retail centers.


68. Burbank – 104,837
Media city with Warner Bros., Disney, and production studios.


69. El Cajon – 104,246
East San Diego city known for diversity and retail.


70. San Mateo – 104,124
Bay Area city with strong tech employment and bayfront.


71. Chico – 103,301
University city in Northern California, home to CSU Chico.


72. Inglewood – 102,911
LA County city with SoFi Stadium and revitalization projects.


73. Hesperia – 101,976
High desert city along I-15 with commuter population.


74. Daly City – 101,125
Densely populated SF suburb with Filipino-American community.


75. Tracy – 100,850
San Joaquin Valley city with growing residential development.


76. Vista – 100,120
North County San Diego city known for business parks.


77. Norwalk – 99,290
Southeast LA County city with courts and public services.


78. San Marcos – 98,790
North County SD city with education and retail growth.


79. Merced – 97,990
Central Valley city, home to UC Merced.


80. Manteca – 97,496
Central Valley city growing rapidly due to affordability.


81. Indio – 96,490
Coachella Valley city known for festivals and agriculture.


82. Chino – 95,892
Inland Empire city with dairy roots and suburban growth.


83. Redding – 95,103
Northern California city near Shasta Lake and outdoor recreation.


84. Hemet – 94,245
San Jacinto Valley city with retirees and suburban housing.


85. Folsom – 93,457
Historic Gold Rush town now a growing Sacramento suburb.


86. Mission Viejo – 92,690
Master-planned OC city centered around Lake Mission Viejo.


87. Carson – 91,771
South LA city with industry and Cal State Dominguez Hills.


88. Compton – 91,396
Historic LA city with music roots and revitalization efforts.


89. South Gate – 90,636
Densely populated southeast LA suburb with working-class heritage.


90. Santa Monica – 90,123
Beachfront city known for tourism, tech, and the pier.


91. Westminster – 89,672
OC city with large Vietnamese-American community.


92. Mountain View – 89,120
Silicon Valley city home to Google and NASA Ames.


93. Santa Barbara – 88,815
Coastal city with Mediterranean charm and UC campus.


94. Lake Forest – 88,276
OC residential city with parks and tech offices.


95. Citrus Heights – 87,829
Sacramento suburb with shopping and suburban appeal.


96. San Leandro – 87,071
East Bay city with industrial roots and growing housing.


97. San Ramon – 86,178
Affluent Tri-Valley city with corporate HQs like Chevron.


98. Whittier – 85,324
Historic LA suburb with Quaker roots and a growing arts scene.


99. Livermore – 84,936
Wine country and science city with national labs.


100. Rancho Cordova – 84,321
Sacramento-area city with business parks and river access.

The above is subject to change.

Check back often to TRAVEL.COM for the latest travel tips and deals.

Related Posts