List of largest cities in California by population

This is a list of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. state of California ranked by population, based on estimates for July 1, 2023, by the United States Census Bureau.^[1]

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

More information 2023 rank, City ...

2023 rank^[1]	City	Population (2023 est.)^[1]	County	Description
1	Los Angeles	3,820,914	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. LA is the largest economic hub on the West Coast and a global center for international trade and finance. Los Angeles is home to world famous institutions such as UCLA, USC, the Getty Center, and the Oscars, among numerous others.
2	San Diego	1,388,320	San Diego County	San Diego is California's second largest city and its southernmost major city. It is the hub of the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area, the largest transborder agglomeration in the Californias. Known as the "birthplace of California", San Diego comprises various historical landmarks such as Mission San Diego de Alcalá and Balboa Park. It is home to several universities, including UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and the University of San Diego. The city is also home of Naval Base San Diego and the San Diego Zoo.
3	San Jose	969,655	Santa Clara County	San Jose is the largest city in Northern California. San Jose is known as a global hub for the high-tech industry of Silicon Valley, for hosting the annual conferences, such as Facebook F8 and the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, and as home to organizations like the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and San Jose State University.
4	San Francisco	808,988	San Francisco County	San Francisco is a major economic, political, and cultural hub for Northern California, located in the Bay Area. One of the most visited cities in the world, it is famous for landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Transamerica Pyramid. SF is known as a bastion for liberal politics and for its diverse communities like Japantown, the Mission District, and The Castro. It is the second most densely populated major city in the country, after New York City.
5	Fresno	545,716	Fresno County	Fresno, located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, is the most populous city in Central California. Fresno is an important economic hub for one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. It is the closest major city to Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park, as well as the home of California State University, Fresno.
6	Sacramento	526,384	Sacramento County	Sacramento is the capital of California, as home to the Government of California. The city grew as an important hub for the California Gold Rush. The city is the center of the Sacramento Valley metropolitan area and the northernmost large city in California. Apart from government, Sacramento is home to notable institutions like the NBA's Sacramento Kings, University of California, Davis (in nearby Davis, CA) and California State University, Sacramento.
7	Long Beach	449,468	Los Angeles County	Long Beach is a coastal city in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Port of Long Beach is one of the largest in the world. Long Beach is home to the Grand Prix of Long Beach, the RMS Queen Mary docked in Long Beach Harbor, and California State University, Long Beach, as well as the headquarters of the California State University System.
8	Oakland	436,504	Alameda County	Oakland is the third-largest city in the Bay Area and one of the largest ports on the West Coast. It is the political, cultural, and economic hub of the East Bay and home to notable institutions like the Oakland Museum of California, the Chabot Space and Science Center, the Oakland Athletics, and the headquarters of Kaiser Permanente and Clorox, among others.
9	Bakersfield	413,381	Kern County	Bakersfield is an important economic, political, and cultural hub for the southern San Joaquin Valley, as home to institutions like the California Living Museum, the Bakersfield Museum of Art, and California State University, Bakersfield. Bakersfield is the origin of the Bakersfield sound genre of country music and in close proximity to the Sequoia National Forest.
10	Anaheim	340,512	Orange County	Anaheim is the most populous city in Orange County and second-largest in terms of land area. It is known for the Disneyland Resort, sports teams (such as the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), the Honda Center and the Anaheim Convention Center.
11	Stockton	319,543	San Joaquin County	Stockton is at the heart of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is sometimes considered the boundary between the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valley. With a sea port on the San Joaquin River, it is an important agricultural and shipping center. Stockton is the home of the University of the Pacific.
12	Riverside	318,858	Riverside County	Riverside is the most populous city of Southern California's Inland Empire region and the county seat of Riverside County. Riverside is the birthplace of California's citrus industry and home to California Baptist University and the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Its downtown is home to the Mission Inn, one of two historic landmark hotels in California.
13	Irvine	314,621	Orange County	Irvine is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Irvine is home to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and other educational institutions as well as several corporations, particularly in the technology sector.
14	Santa Ana	310,539	Orange County	Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County and home to the famous Bowers Museum, MainPlace Mall, and Discovery Science Center.
15	Chula Vista	274,333	San Diego County	A South Bay suburb of San Diego, Chula Vista is located 7 miles (11 km) north of the Mexican border. It is one of the most economically and culturally diverse cities in Southern California. It is home to institutions and attractions such as Southwestern College, the Sesame Place San Diego theme park, and the Living Coast Discovery Center.
16	Fremont	226,208	Alameda County	Fremont was created as a single city in 1956, from the unification of several unincorporated communities that had historically been small but grew rapidly in the years after World War II. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just north of San Jose in the East Bay. Fremont is home to the Tesla Factory, producing electric cars.
17	Santa Clarita	224,028	Los Angeles County	Santa Clarita was incorporated in 1987 as the union of the unincorporated communities of Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia. The city is home to places of higher education such as California Institute of the Arts, The Master's University and College of the Canyons, and the corporate headquarters of Princess Cruises. Six Flags Magic Mountain lies immediately west of the city.
18	San Bernardino	223,728	San Bernardino County	San Bernardino is the second-largest city in the Inland Empire metropolitan area of California, and the county seat of San Bernardino County, the largest county in geographic area in the 48 contiguous states. San Bernardino is home to California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and a number of corporations in addition to the San Bernardino International Airport. San Bernardino is the gateway to the San Bernardino Mountains, including its ski resorts and numerous lakes.
19	Modesto	218,915	Stanislaus County	Modesto is in the center of the Central Valley east of San Francisco and south of the capital Sacramento. The city is surrounded by fertile farmland. The city is growing rapidly due to affordable housing in the area and is quickly becoming a bedroom community for commuters to Sacramento, Fresno, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
20	Fontana	215,465	San Bernardino County	Founded in 1913, Fontana remained rural until a Kaiser Steel mill was built during World War II. The city is now a regional hub of the trucking industry, and home of the California Speedway.
21	Moreno Valley	212,392	Riverside County	Incorporated in 1984, Moreno Valley lies 65 miles (105 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, just north of Lake Perris. The city is adjacent to the March Air Reserve Base and is a regional center for the warehousing and distribution industries.
22	Oxnard	202,726	Ventura County	Oxnard is one of only a few cities in the state that is the largest in its county, but not the county seat. It is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the strawberry and lima bean capital of California. Oxnard has a scenic, relatively uncrowded coastline.
23	Huntington Beach	192,129	Orange County	Huntington Beach is an Orange County coastal city best known for its 8.5-mile (13.7 km) beach. It is often referred to as "Surf City" due to its long association with the sport of surfing.
24	Glendale	187,050	Los Angeles County	Glendale is the focal point of the Verdugo Mountains subregion and has a large Armenian-American community. Glendale is home to institutions such as DreamWorks Animation, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, and Glendale Community College, as well as two large shopping centers: the Americana at Brand and the Glendale Galleria.
25	Ontario	182,457	San Bernardino County	Ontario is a principal city of the Inland Empire area of California, home to Ontario International Airport and the region's largest shopping mall, Ontario Mills. It is also home to Toyota Arena, the largest indoor arena in the Inland Empire.
26	Elk Grove	179,069	Sacramento County	Elk Grove was a small rural suburb of Sacramento until the housing boom of the 1990s and 2000s. Between the decades, the population has increased from around 50,000 to more than 175,000 residents, resulting in the city becoming the most populous suburb of the Sacramento region. About 15 miles (24 km) south of downtown Sacramento, Elk Grove has emerged as a popular place for young families to live and commute to the job centers of the area.
27	Santa Rosa	175,845	Sonoma County	Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and the Redwood Empire. The county seat of Sonoma County since 1854, it grew as a center of agriculture, shipping, and industry. It is still an important local center of business and tourism. The city actually suffered the most destruction of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which destroyed Santa Rosa's entire downtown. Notable residents have included famed horticulturalist Luther Burbank and Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz.
28	Rancho Cucamonga	174,405	San Bernardino County	Rancho Cucamonga was incorporated in 1977, as a result of a vote among the residents of the unincorporated communities of Alta Loma, Cucamonga, and Etiwanda.^[2] The city was ranked #42 in Money's "Best Places to Live in America 2006".^[3] It is home to Chaffey College and the Victoria Gardens shopping and civic center.
29	Oceanside	170,020	San Diego County	The largest city in San Diego's North San Diego County subregion, Oceanside is home to the longest wooden pier on the West Coast and is directly south of Camp Pendleton, the busiest military base in the United States. It is also the home of the Mission San Luis Rey.
30	Garden Grove	168,234	Orange County	Garden Grove is home to the second-largest Vietnamese-American community, as well as the Crystal Cathedral.
31	Lancaster	166,236	Los Angeles County	Lancaster started as a stop on the Union Pacific Railroad, and has grown into the fifth-largest city in Los Angeles County. It began as a small farming community, and has since acquired a large and prosperous technology-driven sub-culture. Located in "Aerospace Valley", it has always been on the cutting edge of technology, and is now aiming to become the nation's first net-zero city.^{[citation needed]}
32	Roseville	162,674	Placer County	Roseville is a suburb of Sacramento. It is very family oriented with many parks, bike trails, and water parks, and in 2006 it was named the healthiest city in America. Roseville is known for its high-end shopping including the Fountains at Roseville and the Westfield Galleria at Roseville (one of the biggest malls in northern California).
33	Palmdale	161,404	Los Angeles County	Commonly referred to as the "Aerospace Capital of America", Palmdale is the birthplace of the Space Shuttle, X-15, B-2 Spirit, F-117 Nighthawk, F-35 Lightning II, SR-71 Blackbird, Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, and many other aircraft that have been used in the United States Air Force, NASA and air forces and airlines around the world. It is the sixth-largest city in Los Angeles County and one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
34	Corona	160,238	Riverside County	Corona, located in the western part of Southern California's Inland Empire, is known as the "Circle City" due to Grand Boulevard's 3-mile (5 km) circular layout. It is primarily residential and commercial, but also has a large industrial portion on the northern half. It is the headquarters of companies such as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Monster Beverage Corporation, Watson Pharmaceuticals, and West Coast Customs (featured on MTV's Pimp My Ride).
35	Salinas	159,506	Monterey County	Salinas is the most populous city in the Monterey Bay Area, in the northern part of the Central Coast. It is an agricultural center and the hometown of famed writer and Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck.
36	Hayward	155,675	Alameda County	Hayward was an historic salt and agricultural processing center. Sea salt brands produced in Hayward were Oliver Brothers and Leslie Salt. In food processing, Hunt Brothers' Cannery (later Hunt-Wesson Foods) produced canned and bottled tomato products, as well as canned peaches, apricots, and fruit cocktail. Since 1957, it has been the home of California State University, East Bay.
37	Sunnyvale	151,967	Santa Clara County	Part of Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale is home to several large tech company headquarters such as AMD and Yahoo!.
38	Escondido	148,122	San Diego County	Escondido is situated in San Diego's North County region, bordering the cities of San Diego and San Marcos. The city is home to Dixon Lake, Stone Brewing Co., the North County Mall, and the Queen Califia's Magical Circle sculpture garden.
39	Pomona	145,502	Los Angeles County	Pomona is located between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. The city is home of the Fairplex, which hosts the Los Angeles County Fair, the largest county fair in the United States. It is home to the second-largest polytechnic university in the United States, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
40	Visalia	144,998	Tulare County	Visalia is the county seat of Tulare County and the oldest city between Stockton and Los Angeles. It is located at the gateway to Sequoia National Park.
41	Fullerton	139,250	Orange County	Historically, Fullerton was a center of agriculture, petroleum extraction, transportation, and manufacturing. It is home to several educational institutions, notably the California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College. It is also home to St. Jude Medical Center.
42	Torrance	139,224	Los Angeles County	Torrance is situated 11 miles (18 km) south of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 8 miles (13 km) north of the Port of Los Angeles, 30 miles (48 km) west of Disneyland and bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west with 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of beach. Incorporated in 1921, it is the eighth-largest city in Los Angeles County.^[4]
43	Victorville	138,869	San Bernardino County	Victorville is located in the Victor Valley, at the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert. It is the site of the Southern California Logistics Airport, formerly George Air Force Base before it was converted to civilian use.
44	Orange	138,337	Orange County	Unusual for cities in Orange County, Orange preserved many of its homes that were built prior to the 1960s, now located in the city's Old Towne District. Orange is the home of Chapman University. It is also the home of Children's Hospital of Orange County, Santiago Canyon College, and The Outlets at Orange.
45	Pasadena	133,560	Los Angeles County	Pasadena is famous for hosting the annual Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl football game. The city is home to many scientific and cultural institutions such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Art Center College of Design, and the California Institute of Technology.
46	Santa Clara	131,062	Santa Clara County	Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley and is home to the headquarters of Intel, Applied Materials, Sun Microsystems, NVIDIA, Agilent Technologies, and many other high-tech companies. It also is home to one of the largest theme parks in northern California, California's Great America, and to Levi's Stadium, a football stadium that currently serves as the home of the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers.
47	Clovis	125,826	Fresno County	Clovis is the second-largest city in Fresno County. Lying at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which includes Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia national parks, Clovis has been known as the "Gateway to the Sierras".
48	Simi Valley	125,113	Ventura County	Simi Valley is a bedroom community located in a valley of the same name. It is the site of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The city is also home to the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, and various parks and hiking trails are located in the Simi Hills nearby.
49	Thousand Oaks	123,463	Ventura County	Thousand Oaks is the largest city in the Conejo Valley and an important economic hub for Ventura County. The city was built as a master-planned community with balance of housing, shopping, businesses, and higher education, all surrounded by thousands of acres of open space. It is home to California Lutheran University. Thousand Oaks has consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America.^[5]
50	Vallejo	122,807	Solano County	Vallejo was home of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, one of the most important naval shipyards in the country, from the 1850s until its closure in the 1990s. It was very briefly the capital of California in 1852. It is the largest city in Solano County, and the home of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
51	Concord	122,315	Contra Costa County	Concord is a major regional suburban East Bay center within the San Francisco Bay Area. The former Concord Naval Weapons Station was located to the north of the city.
52	Fairfield	120,768	Solano County	Fairfield is the county seat of Solano County, but not the largest city in the county, which is Vallejo. It is the home of Travis Air Force Base and the Jelly Belly jelly bean factory.
53	Berkeley	118,962	Alameda County	Noted as one of the most politically liberal cities in the nation, Berkeley is home to the University of California, Berkeley, the oldest campus of the University of California system.
54	Antioch	117,096	Contra Costa County	Located along the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and known as "The Gateway to the Delta", Antioch is a suburb of San Francisco, Oakland, and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area. The town has experienced rapid growth in the last 30 years as real estate prices have forced families to move towards the outskirts of the Bay Area. It is located close enough to the Sacramento Metropolitan area that it can be seen to serve as a suburb of both Sacramento and the Bay Area.
55	Richmond	114,106	Contra Costa County	Richmond is located in western Contra Costa County along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay. It has been called a company town based on its relationship with the Chevron Corporation, and it is the site of the Chevron Richmond Refinery.
56	Carlsbad	113,495	San Diego County	Carlsbad is an affluent, coastal resort city in the North San Diego County region. The city is mainly known for shopping, tourism, a booming high-tech industry, and resort living. It is home to the McClellan-Palomar Airport, the Gemological Institute of America, and the Legoland California theme park.
57	Menifee	113,433	Riverside County	Menifee, located in southwestern Riverside County, incorporated in 2008. Largely residential in character, it is home to the Sun City retirement community and also encompasses the communities of Quail Valley, Paloma Valley, and portions of Romoland.
58	Murrieta	111,878	Riverside County	Murrieta has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the Inland Empire. It is largely a bedroom community, with many of its residents commuting to jobs in the neighboring city of Temecula as well as San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties. The city lies just beneath the Santa Rosa Plateau.
59	Temecula	110,682	Riverside County	Forming the southwestern anchor of the Inland Empire region, Temecula is home to the Pechanga Resort & Casino and the Temecula Valley wine region, featuring nearly 50 wineries.
60	Santa Maria	109,987	Santa Barbara County	Santa Maria, the largest city in Santa Barbara County, is in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley wine region and is known for its Santa Maria-style barbecue. The Santa Maria Inn and the Santa Maria Public Airport are landmarks found in the city. Allan Hancock College is a public community college located in the city.
61	Ventura	109,058	Ventura County	Ventura, officially the City of San Buenaventura, is the county seat of Ventura County. The city is home to the Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura College, and the Patagonia headquarters. Ventura Harbor is home to the headquarters of Channel Islands National Park, and boats to the Channel Islands depart from there daily.
62	Downey	108,816	Los Angeles County	Located southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Downey is the birthplace of the Apollo space program and the site of the oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant.
63	Costa Mesa	108,354	Orange County	Since its incorporation in 1953, Costa Mesa has grown from a semi-rural farming community to a primarily suburban city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing. Costa Mesa is home to South Coast Plaza, one of the largest shopping malls in the United States, as well as the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
64	Jurupa Valley	107,321	Riverside County	Jurupa Valley was incorporated July 1, 2011, formed from several unincorporated communities including Mira Loma, Glen Avon, Pedley, Rubidoux, and Sunnyslope. The city is home to the Jensen Alvarado Ranch historic park and museum.
65	West Covina	105,617	Los Angeles County	West Covina is a mostly middle-class suburb located east of downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley.
66	El Monte	103,794	Los Angeles County	El Monte lies in the San Gabriel Valley region and was formerly a crossroad along the Old Spanish Trail. It is home to Penske Motor Group, one of the largest car dealerships in the world.
67	Rialto	103,391	San Bernardino County	Rialto is home to three major regional distribution centers: Staples, Inc., which serves stores across the entire West Coast of the United States, FedEx, and Target.
68	El Cajon	102,991	San Diego County	El Cajon is located east of San Diego. Nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains, the city has acquired the nickname of "The Big Box".^[6] The city is home to Grossmont College and Gillespie Field.
69	Inglewood	102,865	Los Angeles County	Located southwest of downtown Los Angeles, Inglewood is home to the world-famous The Forum arena, landmark Randy's Donuts and SoFi Stadium, home of the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
70	Burbank	102,755	Los Angeles County	Burbank is nicknamed the "Media Capital of the World"^[7] for being the home of many media and entertainment production companies, including Warner Bros. Entertainment, Warner Music Group, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company, ABC, Cartoon Network Studios, and Nickelodeon.
71	Vacaville	102,526	Solano County	Vacaville is located nearly halfway between Sacramento and San Francisco. It is home to several biotechnology/pharmaceutical facilities.
72	San Mateo	101,327	San Mateo County	San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. San Mateo has one of the better-developed suburban downtowns in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to over 800 shops and restaurants. The economy of San Mateo is very diverse with jobs in the tech, healthcare, financial, government, and retail fields. Companies based in San Mateo include Sony Interactive Entertainment, Franklin Templeton Investments, Fisher Investments, Solstice, Guidewire Software, Coupa, Snowflake Inc., Roblox Corporation, Marketo, SurveyMonkey, Devsisters USA, and GoPro.
73	Chico	101,301	Butte County	Chico is the largest city north of Sacramento and the retail hub of the mid-Sacramento Valley. It is home to Bidwell Park, California State University Chico, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
74	Hesperia	100,633	San Bernardino County	Hesperia is located in the High Desert region of the Mojave Desert, 25 miles (40 km) north of San Bernardino.
75	Daly City	99,833	San Mateo County	San Francisco's southern neighbor, Daly City houses the famous Cow Palace (which is often believed to be in San Francisco), as well as the largest Filipino population outside of the Philippines.
76	Vista	98,344	San Diego County	Vista is located just 7 miles (11 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County. The city has more than 25 educational institutions, and a business park home to over 800 companies.
77	Norwalk	98,078	Los Angeles County	Norwalk is a Gateway City located southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Norwalk is the home of Cerritos College and the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder.
78	Tracy	98,010	San Joaquin County	Tracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County. The city experienced a growth spurt in the 1980s, becoming an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area as more people looked for a more affordable alternative to Bay Area home prices and a less hectic lifestyle.
79	San Marcos	94,188	San Diego County	San Marcos is a North County suburb of San Diego and home of the two-year Palomar College and the four-year California State University, San Marcos. The Lake San Marcos resort community is surrounded by the city of San Marcos.
80	Merced	93,692	Merced County	Merced, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", is located in Central California. The University of California, Merced campus is located northeast of the city.
81	Chino	93,114	San Bernardino County	Chino and its surroundings have long been a center of agriculture and dairy farming, serving the considerable demands for milk products in Southern California and much of the southwestern United States. Prado Regional Park is located in the southern portion of the city.
82	Indio	93,057	Riverside County	Indio is located in the Coachella Valley region of the Sonoran Desert, 23 miles (37 km) east of Palm Springs and 128 miles (206 km) east of Los Angeles. Indio and its surrounding communities are regarded as a major agricultural center for Southern California and is the home of the world-renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
83	Redding	92,727	Shasta County	Located on the banks of the Sacramento River, Redding is the second-largest city in California north of Sacramento (having been surpassed by Chico). It is the gateway to numerous recreation areas including Shasta Lake, the Trinity Alps, and Mount Shasta. It is also home to the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay, the world's largest sundial.
84	Hemet	92,368	Riverside County	Hemet, in the San Jacinto Valley, is the home of the Ramona Pageant, one of the longest running outdoor plays in the United States. Hemet is also the home of the Western Science Center, the Hemet-Ryan Airport, and the Diamond Valley Reservoir.
85	Carson	91,139	Los Angeles County	Carson is a suburb in the South Bay region of Greater Los Angeles. It is home of California State University, Dominguez Hills, and the Dignity Health Sports Park sports complex, the home stadium of the LA Galaxy
86	Manteca	76,967	San Joaquin County	Manteca (Spanish for "lard") is a fast-growing city located about 12 miles south of Stockton and 17 miles northwest of Modesto. Built along the State Route 120 freeway, between Interstate 5 and State Route 99, the city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s as a result of families and commuters moving out of the Bay Area located 30 miles to the west.
87	Compton	90,986	Los Angeles County	An inner suburb of Los Angeles, Compton is known for its large African American and Latino communities. The city is home to Richland Farms, one of the last urban farming communities in the Los Angeles metro area, and is also almost universally considered to be the birthplace of gangsta rap.
88	Mission Viejo	90,624	Orange County	Located in southern Orange County in the Saddleback Valley, Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States. The city is mainly residential, although there are a number of offices and businesses within its city limits, as well as a shopping mall known as The Shops at Mission Viejo.
89	South Gate	90,070	Los Angeles County	Located southeast of downtown Los Angeles, South Gate is part of the Gateway Cities region of Los Angeles County. In 1990, South Gate was one of ten U.S. communities to receive the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.^[8]
90	Santa Monica	89,922	Los Angeles County	Santa Monica, a famed beachfront city surrounded on three sides by Los Angeles, is home to a mixture of affluent, single-family neighborhoods, renters, surfers, young professionals, and students. It is the site of the world-famous Santa Monica Pier and the headquarters of several companies such as Universal Music Group, Activision Blizzard, and the RAND Corporation.
91	Westminster	88,729	Orange County	Westminster is known for its Vietnamese American community, one of the largest in the United States.
92	Santa Barbara	86,499	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara is a popular tourist and resort coastal city, known for its Spanish style architecture, coastal weather, beautiful mountain backdrops, and numerous sandy beaches. The University of California, Santa Barbara campus sits west of the city, adjacent to Isla Vista and the Pacific Ocean.
93	Citrus Heights	86,239	Sacramento County	Citrus Heights is a suburb located northeast of Sacramento. It is home to the Sunrise Mall.
94	Lake Forest	85,840	Orange County	Lake Forest, in inland Orange County, is primarily suburban in character. The community of Foothill Ranch is located in Lake Forest.
95	San Leandro	85,784	Alameda County	Historically a town with dozens of huge cherry farms and a Spanish missionary ranch, San Leandro today is a rapidly growing city of worldwide industries and a suburb of Oakland.
96	San Ramon	84,929	Contra Costa County	San Ramon is a city located in the San Ramon Valley, 34 miles (55 km) east of San Francisco. It is home to several company headquarters such as Chevron, The Cooper Companies, 24 Hour Fitness, the West Coast headquarters of AT&T, and GE Digital.
97	Folsom	84,782	Sacramento County	Located about 25 miles (40 km) east of Sacramento, Folsom features a historic downtown and is home to landmarks such as Folsom State Prison and Folsom Lake.
98	Whittier	84,143	Los Angeles County	Whittier is part of the Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County and is home to Whittier College.
99	Hawthorne	83,364	Los Angeles County	Hawthorne is a suburb of Los Angeles. It was the home of Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. Their boyhood home was demolished in the late 1980s during the construction of the Century Freeway, although it was honored by the dedication of the Beach Boys Historic Landmark (California Landmark 1041) in May 2005.
100	Livermore	82,908	Alameda County	Located on the eastern edge of San Francisco Bay Area, Livermore is home of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Centennial Light. It is the largest city in the Tri-Valley area.