Largest Cities in California

Top 100 cities ranked by largest cities

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All Countries · United States · California

Largest Cities — California

1 Los Angeles 3,857,897

2 San Diego 1,385,061

3 San Jose 990,054

4 San Francisco 836,321

5 Fresno 543,615

6 Sacramento 524,802

7 Long Beach 458,491

8 Oakland 438,072

9 Bakersfield 408,366

10 Anaheim 344,553

11 Stockton 320,470

12 Riverside 316,241

13 Santa Ana 311,639

14 Irvine 308,160

15 Chula Vista 275,030

16 Santa Clarita 229,021

17 Fremont 228,518

18 San Bernardino 221,774

19 Modesto 218,614

20 Fontana 211,921

21 Moreno Valley 210,378

22 Oxnard 201,014

23 Huntington Beach 196,010

24 Glendale 192,270

25 Ontario 178,347

26 Elk Grove 177,221

27 Santa Rosa 177,216

28 Rancho Cucamonga 174,693

29 Oceanside 172,542

30 Garden Grove 170,603

31 Lancaster 170,013

32 Palmdale 165,487

33 Salinas 161,993

34 Hayward 159,201

35 Corona 158,839

36 Sunnyvale 153,455

37 Roseville 152,438

38 Escondido 149,913

39 Pomona 148,391

40 Torrance 143,499

41 Visalia 142,649

42 Fullerton 141,278

43 Orange 138,723

44 Pasadena 136,462

45 Victorville 135,983

46 Santa Clara 129,239

47 Simi Valley 125,769

48 Thousand Oaks 125,676

49 Vallejo 124,637

50 Concord 124,260

51 Clovis 122,719

52 Berkeley 120,223

53 Fairfield 119,985

54 Antioch 115,759

55 Richmond 115,396

56 East Los Angeles 114,617

57 Carlsbad 114,500

58 Downey 111,793

59 Murrieta 111,621

60 Costa Mesa 110,538

61 Temecula 110,404

62 San Buenaventura (Ventura) 109,900

63 Santa Maria 109,880

64 West Covina 107,436

65 El Monte 107,066

66 Menifee 107,020

67 Jurupa Valley 106,244

68 Inglewood 105,575

69 El Cajon 104,909

70 Rialto 103,866

71 San Mateo 103,555

72 Daly City 102,560

73 Vacaville 102,085

74 Chico 102,032

75 Norwalk 100,713

76 Hesperia 100,141

77 Vista 98,646

78 Arden-Arcade 96,319

79 Tracy 95,358

80 San Marcos 94,078

81 Compton 93,525

82 Carson 93,523

83 Redding 93,268

84 Mission Viejo 92,415

85 South Gate 91,836

86 Chino 91,775

87 Santa Monica 91,535

88 Indio 90,669

89 Hemet 90,646

90 Westminster 90,147

91 Merced 89,766

92 San Leandro 88,531

93 Santa Barbara 88,024

94 Citrus Heights 87,036

95 Manteca 86,521

96 Hawthorne 85,933

97 Whittier 85,925

98 Livermore 85,870

99 Lake Forest 85,846

100 San Ramon 85,734

The largest cities in California represent major centers of economic activity, cultural influence, and population growth. Los Angeles leads with a population of 3,857,897, followed by San Diego and San Jose. These cities serve as hubs for employment, education, and innovation, attracting residents from across the country and around the world.

Population size is a key indicator of a city's economic influence and infrastructure capacity. Larger cities typically offer more diverse job markets, extensive public transit systems, and a wider range of cultural amenities. CA dominates the top 10 with 10 cities on the list, reflecting the state's strong economic pull and quality of life.

While large populations bring economic advantages, they also present challenges including higher costs of living, traffic congestion, and housing affordability concerns. Many of these cities have experienced significant growth over the past decade, driven by job opportunities in technology, healthcare, and professional services.

Did You Know?

1. Los Angeles's population is larger than that of several U.S. states.
2. CA has 10 cities in the top 10, more than any other state.
3. The 50th largest city still has a population of 124,260 — larger than most cities worldwide.
4. The top 5 cities combined have a population of 7,612,948.

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