135 articles
Culver City, California
Culver City, California: independent Westside Los Angeles County city incorporated 1917, founded by Harry H. Culver, nicknamed the Heart of Screenland; home to Sony Pictures Studios and The Culver Studios, population 40,779 (2020).
Cypress, California
Cypress, California: charter city in northwestern Orange County, incorporated July 24, 1956 as Dairy City, renamed 1957; dairy-farming origin, 50,151 residents (2020), Cypress College, median home value $913,900.
Dana Point, California
Dana Point is an Orange County, California city incorporated January 1, 1989, named for Richard Henry Dana Jr. Known for its 1971 harbor, whale watching, and first Whale Heritage Area in the Americas.
Del Mar, California
Del Mar is a small coastal city in San Diego County, California, incorporated 1959, population about 4,200 on 2.2 square miles. Founded 1885 by Jacob Taylor; home of the Del Mar Racetrack (1937) and Fairgrounds; known for $3.6 million typical home values, bluff erosion, and rail relocation plans.
Diamond Bar, California
Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, incorporated in 1989 and named for the Diamond Bar cattle ranch brand registered in 1918. Population about 55,000; master-planned by Transamerica from 1956.
Downey, California
Downey, California: a Los Angeles County city of about 108,000 southeast of Los Angeles, incorporated 1956, former aerospace hub where Apollo and space shuttle craft were built, largest employer Kaiser Permanente.
El Cajon, California
El Cajon, California: a city 15 miles east of San Diego in San Diego County, incorporated November 12, 1912, Charter City since 2012. Population about 102,000 (2025 estimate), 14.4 square miles, fifth largest of the county's 18 cities.
El Centro, California
El Centro is the county seat and largest city of Imperial County, California, located in the Imperial Valley near the Mexican border and incorporated in 1908.
El Monte, California
El Monte, California: San Gabriel Valley city about 12 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the I-605/I-10 junction; incorporated 1912, population about 105,000-109,000, historically agricultural, now a diverse retail and transit hub.
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a South Bay city in Los Angeles County, California, named for Standard Oil's second West Coast refinery (1911). Incorporated 1917; 2020 population 17,272; home to the Chevron refinery and aerospace offices near LAX.
Encinitas, California
Encinitas, California: coastal city in northern San Diego County incorporated in 1986 from Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Leucadia, Old and New Encinitas, and Olivenhain; about 60,700 residents, six miles of coastline, surfing, poinsettia-growing heritage, and beach nourishment projects.
Escondido, California
Escondido, California: a city of about 146,000 in northern San Diego County, incorporated October 8, 1888, named from Spanish for "hidden," governed under a council-manager system.
Fontana, California
Fontana, California: a San Bernardino County city about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, founded 1913, incorporated 1952, shaped by Kaiser Steel (1942-1984), now a logistics hub of over 208,000 people.
Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California: city in northwestern Orange County, founded 1887 by the Amerige brothers, incorporated 1904. Population 143,617 (2020), home of Cal State Fullerton, council-manager government.
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove, California: an Orange County city of about 170,000 founded in 1874 by Alonzo Cook and incorporated June 18, 1956, known for the Strawberry Festival, Little Saigon, and Christ Cathedral.
Gardena, California
Gardena, California: South Bay city in Los Angeles County, incorporated September 11, 1930 from Gardena, Moneta, and Strawberry Park. Known as the Freeway City, former berry capital, historic Japanese American community, and home of California's first licensed card club (1936).
Glendale, California
Glendale, known as the "Jewel City," is the fourth-largest city in Los Angeles County, California, incorporated in 1906 and a center of the Armenian diaspora community.
Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne, California: South Bay Los Angeles County city, incorporated 1922, founded 1905 and named for Nathaniel Hawthorne; home of Northrop Aircraft since 1939, Jack Northrop Field airport, and SpaceX headquarters.
Hemet, California
Hemet is a city in Riverside County's San Jacinto Valley, incorporated in 1910, with a 2020 population of 89,833 and home of the Ramona Pageant.
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach is a 1.43-square-mile beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, incorporated January 14, 1907, with about 19,700 residents, a 1,228-foot pier, two miles of Strand beachfront, and high summer visitor attendance.
Hidden Hills, California
Hidden Hills, California: a guard-gated, equestrian city of about 1,900 residents at the western San Fernando Valley's edge, incorporated October 19, 1961 as Los Angeles County's 73rd city, with no commercial services and equestrian zoning on all parcels.
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California (Surf City USA): Orange County coastal city of about 191,000-199,000 residents, famed for surfing, its 1,850-foot pier, a 1920 oil boom, and recent state conflicts over voter ID and housing mandates.
Indian Wells, California
Indian Wells, California: affluent Coachella Valley city in Riverside County, incorporated July 14, 1967 as California's 400th city; named for a Cahuilla well; home of the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.
Indio, California
Indio, California: Coachella Valley city founded 1876 as a Southern Pacific Railroad stop, incorporated 1930 as the valley's first city; date capital and home of the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, population about 94,000.
Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California: Los Angeles County city of about 102,000 near LAX; incorporated 1908, aerospace and aviation history, home of SoFi Stadium, the Forum, and Intuit Dome.
Irvine, California
Irvine, California: master-planned Orange County charter city incorporated December 28, 1971, built on the Irvine Ranch around UC Irvine under William Pereira's plan; population about 318,764 (2025).
La Cañada Flintridge, California
La Cañada Flintridge is a Los Angeles County, California city incorporated December 8, 1976 from La Cañada and Flintridge, population 20,573 (2020), a contract city with council-manager government, home to JPL, and known for its no-hyphen name and single-family housing.
La Quinta, California
La Quinta is a Coachella Valley city in Riverside County, California, incorporated May 1, 1982 and named for the 1926 La Quinta Resort. Population 37,558 (2020 census), 39,440 estimated 2025; 35.26 square miles; median household income $99,250.
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city in Orange County, California, incorporated 1927, known for its art colony, Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters, and fully protected state marine reserves along its coastline.
Lake Elsinore, California
Lake Elsinore is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, on the shore of Southern California's largest natural lake. Incorporated in 1888 as Elsinore, it has about 75,000 residents.