Region

California

Part of United States of America

California is big enough to have its own climate zones, from Death Valley's desert heat to Sierra Nevada snowpack a few hours apart.

Los Angeles runs on entertainment industry money and a beach culture that stretches from Malibu to Long Beach. San Francisco packs steep hills, cable cars, and a serious food and tech scene into a small footprint. Yosemite and the Redwoods cover the natural side of the state, while Highway 1 down the coast connects most of it with cliffside views the whole way.

Traffic is a genuine factor in planning any itinerary here.

20 Cities

US · CA

Cities

Atwater

Atwater sits in California's Central Valley, a few miles north of Merced, and spent decades as…

Corcoran

Dinuba

Dinuba calls itself Raisinland U.S.A., a nod to the fruit-packing and raisin economy that has driven…

Kerman

Livingston

Los Angeles

Los Angeles spreads across dozens of distinct neighborhoods, from Hollywood's studios to Santa Monica's beach pier,…

Modesto

Modesto sits in the middle of California's Central Valley, surrounded by almond and grape farms that…

Napa

Napa anchors a valley of wineries that put California on the map as a serious wine…

Palm Springs

Palm Springs built its identity on midcentury modern architecture and desert resort culture, with Joshua Tree…

Patterson

Patterson calls itself the Apricot Capital of the World, and the claim holds up: the surrounding…

Riverbank

Riverbank sits on the Stanislaus River in Stanislaus County, and started life as a ferry crossing…

Sacramento

Sacramento's Old Sacramento waterfront preserves its Gold Rush-era storefronts along the same river where the rush…

San Diego

San Diego's climate stays mild nearly all year, and its zoo and Balboa Park are both…

San Francisco

San Francisco's hills, cable cars, and the Golden Gate Bridge make it one of the most…

Sanger

Sanger calls itself the Nation's Christmas Tree City, a title it earned in 1926 when the…

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara's red-tile-roofed downtown sits between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific, giving it a…

Selma

Selma calls itself the Raisin Capital of the World, a title it adopted in 1963 after…

Soledad

South Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe sits on the California side of the lake, with ski resorts in winter…

Wasco

Nestled in the heart of California's agricultural Central Valley, Wasco is a charming rural city celebrated…

Guides & Articles