287 articles
Sequim, Washington
Sequim (sxʷčkʷíyəŋ), Washington, a Clallam County city of about 8,200 in the Olympic rain shadow near Dungeness, known for dry climate, lavender farms, and the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley: southern San Francisco Bay Area technology cluster centered on Santa Clara County, named by Don Hoefler in 1971. Grew from Stanford Research Park and Fairchild semiconductors into the world's leading hub for venture capital, software, and AI.
Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, about 37 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Incorporated in 1969, population 126,356 (2020 census), third largest of the county's ten cities.
Solvang, California
Solvang, California: a Santa Ynez Valley city in Santa Barbara County founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, known for Danish-style architecture and about 1 million annual visitors; incorporated 1985, population about 6,000.
Sonoma, California
Sonoma, California: small Sonoma County city (pop. about 10,500) around Mission San Francisco Solano, founded 1823, and site of the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt and the short-lived California Republic.
South Gate, California
South Gate, California, a city in Los Angeles County incorporated January 20, 1923, named for the south gate of the Rancho San Antonio land grant; about 90,000 residents, Council-Manager government, and a twentieth-century industrial base.
South Lake Tahoe, California
South Lake Tahoe is a general law city in El Dorado County, California, incorporated November 30, 1965 on the south shore of Lake Tahoe at 6,237 feet. Population 21,330 (2020); tourism-driven economy with severe housing vacancy and vacation-rental disputes.
Spokane Valley
Spokane Valley, Washington: a city of about 108,000 in Spokane County, incorporated March 31, 2003 as the largest incorporation in state history; a suburban city on I-90 east of Spokane.
Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington: largest city of the Inland Northwest on the Spokane River falls; founded 1873 as Spokan Falls by James N. Glover, incorporated 1881; 228,989 residents (2020); hub for trade, health care, and education.
Stanford, California
Stanford, California is a census-designated place (CDP) in unincorporated Santa Clara County covering Stanford University's campus; 21,150 residents at the 2020 census, median age 22, governed under the county's 1985 Land Use Policy.
Stockton, California
Stockton, California: county seat of San Joaquin County on the San Joaquin River delta, founded 1849 by Charles M. Weber, incorporated 1850, home of the first inland seaport in California (1933), population about 324,600.
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California: a Santa Clara County city in Silicon Valley, incorporated 1912, charter city 1950, population 155,805 (2020), a Bay Area tech and aerospace hub with employers such as Google, Juniper Networks, and Lockheed Martin.
Susanville, California
Susanville, California: the only incorporated city and county seat of Lassen County, founded by Isaac Roop in 1853, incorporated 1900, a former logging town turned prison town whose economy contracted after the 2023 closure of the California Correctional Center.
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington: third-largest city in Washington and seat of Pierce County on Commencement Bay, Puget Sound. Northern Pacific terminus (1873), Port of Tacoma (1918), population 229,816 (2025 estimate).
Tehachapi, California
Tehachapi, California, is a city of about 12,000 in Kern County, set on a ridge between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert, known for the Tehachapi Loop and wind energy.
Temecula, California
Temecula is a city in Riverside County, California, about 60 miles north of San Diego, incorporated December 1, 1989 and named for the Luiseño place 'Éxva Teméeku; known for Old Town and nearly 50 wineries.
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles, Oregon: county seat and largest city of Wasco County on the Columbia River at the east end of the Columbia River Gorge; population 16,010 (2020), historic Oregon Trail terminus, site of The Dalles Dam and Google's first data center.
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks, California: a Ventura County city in the Conejo Valley, incorporated September 29, 1964 and named for its oak trees. Known for 15,000+ acres of open space, entirely imported water, and Janss-family development history.
Torrance, California
Torrance, California: a city in southwest Los Angeles County founded in 1912 by developer Jared Sidney Torrance and the Dominguez Land Company, planned by Olmsted Brothers with architect Irving Gill, incorporated May 1921; 2020 population 147,067.
Tracy, California
Tracy, California is a San Joaquin County city of about 102,000 at the I-580/I-205/I-5 junction, founded in 1878 as a railroad town and now a fast-growing Bay Area suburb and logistics hub.
Truckee, California
Truckee, California: Sierra Nevada charter town in Nevada County, incorporated 1993, population about 17,100. Founded as a Central Pacific Railroad and logging town in 1868, named for Paiute guide Tro-kay; now a snowy tourism and ski hub near Donner Pass.
Turlock, California
Turlock, California: Central Valley city in Stanislaus County, second largest in the county; founded 1871 by John William Mitchell, incorporated 1908, 2020 population 72,740, home of CSU Stanislaus.
Twentynine Palms, California
Twentynine Palms is a Mojave Desert city in San Bernardino County, California, incorporated 1987, gateway to Joshua Tree National Park and home of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center; population about 28,000.
Ukiah, California
Ukiah, California: county seat of Mendocino County, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, population 16,607 (2020). Pomo homeland, incorporated 1876, wine country hub with a municipally owned electric utility.
Upland, California
Upland, California, also historically North Ontario or Town of Magnolia, is an Inland Empire city in San Bernardino County incorporated in 1906, population about 79,000, known for citrus heritage, Euclid Avenue, and nine historic districts.
Vacaville, California
Vacaville is a Solano County, California city on I-80 between San Francisco and Sacramento, founded 1851 and named for Juan Manuel Vaca; incorporated 1892, once the fresh fruit capital, population about 102,000.
Valencia, Santa Clarita, California
Valencia is a master-planned community in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California, begun by Newhall Land in 1965 with a Victor Gruen plan and famed for grade-separated paseos; a separate FivePoint Valencia (formerly Newhall Ranch) expands it west of I-5.
Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California: Solano County city on San Pablo Bay, once state capital and home of Mare Island Naval Shipyard; about 123,000 residents, ferry link to San Francisco, emerged from 2008-2011 bankruptcy.
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington is a Columbia River city in Clark County across from Portland, with about 199,700 residents (2025), Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, a 2026-2045 Comprehensive Plan, and the I-5 Interstate Bridge replacement.
Ventura, California
Ventura (San Buenaventura), California: coastal county seat of 109,000 founded around Mission San Buenaventura in 1782, incorporated 1866, known for its pier, surf point, harbor, and Channel Islands gateway.