View source for Southern California

{{Redirects here|SoCal|3=SoCal (disambiguation)}}{{Short description|American geographic and cultural region}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Southern California
|image_skyline= {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 300
| perrow = 2/1/1/2/2
| image1 = Los Angeles downtown p1000070.jpg
| image2 = San Diego panoramic skyline at night.jpg
| image3 = LaJollaSkyline.jpg
| image4 = Santamonicapierandbeachpanorama.jpg
| image5 = Blacks surfer (cropped).jpg
| image6 = Hollywood Sign PB050006.jpg
| image7 = Sleepingbeautycastle50.jpg
| image8 = Hermosa Beach Pier I (262176665) (cropped).jpeg
}}
|image_caption = '''Southern California'''<br />Images top to bottom, left to right: [[Downtown Los Angeles]], [[List of tallest buildings in San Diego|San Diego Skyline]], [[Village of La Jolla]], [[Santa Monica Pier]], [[Black's Beach|Surfer at Black's Beach]], [[Hollywood Sign]], [[Disneyland]], [[Hermosa Beach Pier]]
|image_map = Southern California counties in red noshade.png
|mapsize= 275px
|map_caption= Red: The ten counties of Southern California
|subdivision_type       = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name       = United States
|subdivision_type1      = State
|subdivision_type2      = [[List of counties in California|Counties]]
|subdivision_type3      = 
|subdivision_name1      = [[California]]
|subdivision_name2      = [[Imperial County, California|Imperial]]<br />[[Kern County, California|Kern]]<br />[[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]]<br />[[Orange County, California|Orange]]<br />[[Riverside County, California|Riverside]]<br />[[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]]<br />[[San Diego County, California|San Diego]]<br />[[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]]<br />[[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]]<br />[[Ventura County, California|Ventura]]
|subdivision_name3      = 
|population_as_of       = 2020
|seat_type              = Largest city
|seat                   = [[Los Angeles]]
|population             = 23,762,904<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-state-total.html|title=State Population Totals and Components of Change: 2010-2019|website=Census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=8 February 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126071436/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-state-total.html|archive-date=January 26, 2020}}</ref>
|area_total_sq_mi = 56505
|area_footnotes = (10-county)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.counties.org/pod/square-mileage-county|title=Square Mileage by County|website=counties.org|publisher=[[California State Association of Counties]] (CSAC)|access-date=March 2, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227233117/http://www.counties.org/pod/square-mileage-county|archive-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>
}}
'''Southern California''' (commonly shortened to '''SoCal''') is a geographic and [[Cultural area|cultural region]] that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of [[California]]. It includes the [[Los Angeles metropolitan area]], the second most populous [[urban agglomeration]] in the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite journal|url={{googlebooks|p04zAQAAMAAJ|page=PA38|plainurl=y}}|title=Figures Show California's Motoring Supremacy|journal=Touring Topics|date=March 1916|publisher=Automobile Club of Southern California|location=Los Angeles, California|volume=8|number=2|pages=38–39}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Cooley|first=Timothy J.|year=2014|title=Surfing about Music|publisher=University of California Press|url={{googlebooks|EXdAAQAAQBAJ|page=46|plainurl=y}}|isbn=978-0-52095-721-3|page=46}}</ref> The region generally contains ten of California's 58 counties: [[Imperial County, California|Imperial]], [[Kern County, California|Kern]], [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]], [[Orange County, California|Orange]], [[Riverside County, California|Riverside]], [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]], [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]], [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]], [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]] and [[Ventura County, California|Ventura]] counties.

The [[Colorado Desert]] and the [[Colorado River]] are located on Southern California's eastern border with [[Arizona]], and San Bernardino County shares a border with [[Nevada]] to the northeast. Southern California's southern border with [[Baja California]] is part of the [[Mexico–United States border]].

==Constituent metropolitan areas==
Southern California includes the heavily built-up urban area which stretches along the Pacific coast from [[Ventura, California|Ventura]] through [[Greater Los Angeles]] down to [[Greater San Diego]] (the contiguous urban area in fact continuing into [[Tijuana, Mexico]]), and inland to the [[Inland Empire]] and [[Coachella Valley]] ([[Palm Springs]] area). It encompasses eight metropolitan areas (MSAs), three of which together form the Greater Los Angeles [[List of Combined Statistical Areas|Combined Statistical Area]] (CSA) with over 18 million people, the second-biggest CSA after [[New York metropolitan area|the New York CSA]]. These three MSAs are: the [[Los Angeles metropolitan area]] ([[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]] and [[Orange County, California|Orange]] counties, with 13.3 million people), the [[Inland Empire]] ([[Riverside County, California|(Riverside]] and [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]] counties, including the [[Coachella Valley]] cities, with 4.3 million people), and the [[Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura metropolitan area]] (0.8 million people). In addition, southern California contains the [[San Diego metropolitan area]] with 3.3 million people, [[Kern County, California|Bakersfield]] metro area with 0.9 million, and the [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]], [[San Luis Obispo County|San Luis Obispo]], and [[Imperial County, California|El Centro (Imperial County)]] metropolitan areas.

The '''Southern California''' '''[[Megaregions of the United States|Megaregion]]''' (or [[megalopolis]]) is larger still, extending northeast into [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]] and south across the [[Mexico|Mexican]] border into [[Tijuana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.america2050.org/megaregions.html|title=Megaregions|access-date=October 1, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516142109/http://www.america2050.org/megaregions.html|archive-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref>

==Significance==
[[File:Sdmarina.JPG|upright=0.8|thumb|left|[[Marina, San Diego, California|San Diego Marina district]]]]
[[File:Venice, California Beach.jpg|upright=0.9|thumb|right|Sunset in [[Venice, California|Venice]], a neighborhood in Los Angeles]]
Within Southern California are two major cities, [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Diego]], as well as three of the [[List of United States metropolitan areas|country's largest metropolitan areas]].<ref>The three metropolitan areas are:

# [[Los Angeles Metropolitan Area|Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana]]'' (the second largest in the US)'',
# Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario '' (the [[Inland Empire (California)|Inland Empire]])'' and
# San Diego–Carlsbad–San Marcos – see: [[Metropolitan Statistical Area|United States metropolitan areas]]</ref> With a population of approximately 4 million, Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States. South of Los Angeles and with a population of approximately 1.4 million is San Diego, the second most populous city in the state and the eighth most populous in the nation.
[[File:Three Arch Bay Photo Taken by pilot D Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|[[Three Arch Bay]] in [[Laguna Beach]]]]
The counties of [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]], [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]], [[Orange County, California|Orange]], [[Riverside County, California|Riverside]], and [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]] are the five most populous in the state, and are among the top 15 most populous counties in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csac.counties.org/images/users/1/2008population.pdf|title=California County Population Estimates|publisher=[[California Department of Finance]]|date=January 7, 2009|access-date=October 17, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329114501/http://www.csac.counties.org/images/users/1/2008population.pdf|archive-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>

The [[cinema of the United States|motion picture]], [[television in the United States|television]] and [[music of the United States|music industry]] are centered in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], a district of Los Angeles, gives its name to the American motion picture industry, which is synonymous with the neighborhood name. Headquartered in Southern California are [[The Walt Disney Company]] (which owns [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]), [[Sony Pictures]], [[Universal Pictures]], [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]], [[Paramount Pictures]] and [[Warner Bros]]. Universal, Warner Bros. and Sony also run major record companies.

Southern California is also home to a large homegrown surf and skateboard culture. Companies such as [[Vans]], [[Volcom]], [[Quiksilver]], [[No Fear]], [[Stüssy]], [[RVCA]] and [[Body Glove]] are all headquartered here. Skateboarder [[Tony Hawk]]; surfers [[Rob Machado]], [[Timmy Curran]], [[Bobby Martinez]], [[Pat O'Connell (surfer)|Pat O'Connell]], [[Dane Reynolds]], and [[Chris Ward (surfer)|Chris Ward]] live in Southern California. Some of the most famous surf locations are in Southern California as well, including [[Trestles (surfing)|Trestles]], [[Rincon (surfspot)|Rincon]], [[The Wedge (surfing)|The Wedge]], [[Huntington Beach, California|Huntington Beach]] and [[Malibu, California|Malibu]]. Some of the world's largest [[action sports]] events, including the [[X Games]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-xgames7aug07,0,5636019.story?coll=la-home-headlines|title=X Games Take a Turn for the Better|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 7, 2006|first=Peter|last=Yoon|access-date=May 23, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210190856/http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-xgames7aug07,0,5636019.story?coll=la-home-headlines|archive-date=December 10, 2008}}</ref> [[ASP World Tour|Boost Mobile Pro]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Construction Stirs Debate on Effects on 'Perfect Wave'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/sports/othersports/13surfing.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 13, 2006|first=Matt|last=Higgins|access-date=September 13, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430024343/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/sports/othersports/13surfing.html|archive-date=April 30, 2011}}</ref> and the [[U.S. Open of Surfing]], are held in Southern California. The region is also important to the world of [[yachting]] with premier events including the annual [[Transpacific Yacht Race]], or ''Transpac'', from Los Angeles to Hawaii. The [[San Diego Yacht Club]] held the [[America's Cup]], the most prestigious prize in yachting, from 1988 to 1995 and hosted three America's Cup races during that time. The first modern-era [[triathlon]] was held in San Diego's [[Mission Bay, San Diego, California|Mission Bay]] in 1974. Since then, Southern California, and [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]] in particular, have become a mecca for [[triathlon]] and multi-sport racing, products, and culture.

Southern California is home to many sports franchises and networks such as [[Fox Sports Net]].

Many locals and tourists frequent the [[South Coast (California)|Southern California coast]] for its beaches. Some of southern California's most popular beaches are [[Malibu, California|Malibu]], [[Laguna Beach]], [[La Jolla]], [[Manhattan Beach, California|Manhattan Beach]], and [[Hermosa Beach]]. Southern California is also known for its mountain resort communities, such as [[Big Bear Lake, California|Big Bear Lake]], [[Lake Arrowhead, California|Lake Arrowhead]], and [[Wrightwood]], and their ski resorts, like [[Bear Mountain (ski area)|Bear Mountain]], [[Snow Summit]], [[Snow Valley Mountain Resort]], and [[Mountain High]]. The inland desert city of [[Palm Springs]] is also popular.

==Northern boundary==
[[File:Southern California.png|thumb|upright=1.35|right|California counties below the 36th [[standard parallel]]]]

Southern California is not a formal geographic designation, and definitions of what constitutes Southern California vary. Geographically, California's north–south midway point lies at exactly 37° 9' 58.23" [[latitude]], around {{convert|11|mi|km}} south of San Jose; however, this does not coincide with the popular use of the term. When the state is divided into two areas (Northern and Southern California), the term ''Southern California'' usually refers to the 10 southernmost counties of the state. This definition coincides neatly with the county lines at 35° 47′ 28″ North latitude, which form the northern borders of [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]], [[Kern County, California|Kern]], and [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]] counties. That closely matches the lower one-third of California's span of latitude. Another definition for Southern California uses [[Point Conception]] and the [[Tehachapi Mountains]] as geographical landmarks for the northern boundary.

[[File:Wpdms shdrlfi020l tehachapi mountains.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Topography of the border region]]

Though there is no official definition for the northern boundary of Southern California, such a division has existed from the time when Mexico ruled California and political disputes raged between the [[Californios]] of [[Monterey, California|Monterey]] in the upper part and [[Los Angeles]] in the lower part of [[Alta California]]. Following the acquisition of California by the United States, the division continued as part of the attempt by several pro-slavery politicians to arrange the division of Alta California at 36 degrees, 30 minutes, the [[Missouri Compromise line|line of the Missouri Compromise]]. Instead, the passing of the [[Compromise of 1850]] enabled California to be admitted to the Union as a [[Slave and free states|free state]], preventing the southern half California from becoming its own separate [[slave state]].

Subsequently, Californians (dissatisfied with inequitable taxes and land laws) and pro-slavery Southerners in the lightly populated "cow counties" of southern California attempted three times in the 1850s to achieve a separate statehood or territorial status [[Partition and secession in California|separate from Northern California]]. The last attempt, the Pico Act of 1859, was passed by the [[California State Legislature]] and signed by [[Governor of California|State Governor]] [[John B. Weller]]. It was approved overwhelmingly by nearly 75 percent of voters in the proposed [[Territory of Colorado (California)|Territory of Colorado]]. This territory was to include all the counties up to the then much larger [[Tulare County]] (that included what is now [[Kings County, California|Kings]], most of Kern, and part of [[Inyo County, California|Inyo]] counties) and [[San Luis Obispo County]]. The proposal was sent to [[Washington, D.C.]] with a strong advocate in Senator [[Milton Latham]]. However, the secession crisis following the [[U.S. presidential election, 1860|election]] of [[Abraham Lincoln]] in 1860 and the subsequent [[American Civil War]] led to the proposal never coming to a vote.<ref>{{cite book|last1=DiLeo|first1=Michael|last2=Smith|first2=Eleanor|year=1983|title=Two Californias: The Myths And Realities of a State Divided Against Itself|publisher=Island Press|location=Covelo, California|url={{googlebooks|OEqiYRm-ohMC|page=27|plainurl=y}}|isbn=978-0-93328-016-8|page=30}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=California|first=Historical Society of Southern|year=1901|title=The Quarterly, Volumes 5-6|publisher=Historical Society of Southern California|url={{googlebooks|WCMLAAAAIAAJ|pg=PA223|plainurl=y}}|page=223}}</ref>

In 1900, the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' defined Southern California as including "the seven counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura and Santa Barbara." In 1999, the ''Times'' added a newer county, Imperial, to that list.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1999/dec/31/news/cl-49174|title=L.A. Then AND NOW|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 31, 1999|last=Bernstein|first=Leilah|access-date=February 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170227180649/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/dec/31/news/cl-49174|archive-date=February 27, 2017}}</ref>

Southern California was the name of a [[Cal 3|proposed new state]] which failed to get on the 2018 California ballot. The ballot measure proposed splitting the existing state into three parts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-split-three-states-20180612-story.html|title=Radical plan to split California into three states earns spot on November ballot|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 13, 2018|last=Myers|first=John|access-date=June 14, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225170640/https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-split-three-states-20180612-story.html|archive-date=February 25, 2020}}</ref>

The state is most commonly divided and promoted by its regional tourism groups, consisting of northern, central, and southern California regions. The two [[American Automobile Association|American Automobile Association (AAA) Auto Clubs]] of the state, the [[California State Automobile Association]], and the [[Automobile Club of Southern California]], choose to simplify matters by dividing the state along the lines where their jurisdictions for membership apply, as either Northern or Southern California, in contrast to the three-region point of view. Another influence is the geographical phrase ''South of the Tehachapis'', which would split the southern region off at the crest of that transverse range, but in that definition, the desert portions of north Los Angeles County and eastern Kern and San Bernardino Counties would be included in the Southern California region due to their remoteness from the central valley and interior desert landscape.

In December 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the state government led by Governor [[Gavin Newsom]] divided the state into five regions for the purpose of issuing stay-at-home orders. The Southern California region consists of the following counties: [[Imperial County, California|Imperial]], [[Inyo County, California|Inyo]], [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]], [[Mono County, California|Mono]], [[Orange County, California|Orange]], [[Riverside County, California|Riverside]], [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]], [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]], [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]], [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]] and [[Ventura County, California|Ventura]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/12/03/california-health-officials-announce-a-regional-stay-at-home-order-triggered-by-icu-capacity/|title=California Health Officials Announce a Regional Stay at Home Order Triggered by ICU Capacity|publisher=State of California|date=2020-12-03|access-date=2020-12-30}}</ref>

{| style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" class="wikitable sortable"
|+Population, land area & population density (2020)'''
!County<br /><small>[[#References|Ref.]]</small>
!Population
!Land<br />mi{{sup|2}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Counties |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.2020.html |website=2020 U.S. Census Gazetteer Files |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
!Land<br />km{{sup|2}}
!Pop.<br />/mi{{sup|2}}
!Pop.<br />/km{{sup|2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Los Angeles County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/losangelescountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=Los Angeles County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|10014009}}||{{convert|4059.28|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|2466.94|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[San Diego County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sandiegocountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=San Diego County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|3298634}}||{{convert|4210.23|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|783.48|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[Orange County, California|Orange County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/orangecountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=Orange County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|3186989}}||{{convert|792.84|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|4019.71|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[Riverside County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/riversidecountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=Riverside County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|2418185}}||{{convert|7209.27|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|335.43|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[San Bernardino County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanbernardinocountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=San Bernardino County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|2181654}}||{{convert|20068.01|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|108.71|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[Kern County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/kerncountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=Kern County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|909235}}||{{convert|8134.65|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|111.77|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[Ventura County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/venturacountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=Ventura County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|843843}}||{{convert|1840.79|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|458.41|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[Santa Barbara County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/santabarbaracountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=Santa Barbara County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|448229}}||{{convert|2733.94|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|163.95|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[San Luis Obispo County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanluisobispocountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=San Luis Obispo County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|282424}}||{{convert|3300.85|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|85.56|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|[[Imperial County]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/imperialcountycalifornia,US/PST045219|title=Imperial County QuickFacts|date=April 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref>
|{{Nts|179702}}||{{convert|4175.54|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}|| {{convert|43.04|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|Southern California||{{Nts|23762904}}||{{convert|56525.40|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|420.39|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|align=left|California||{{Nts|39538223}}||{{convert|155959.34|sqmi|km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}||{{convert|253.52|/sqmi|/km2|2|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|}

==Urban landscape==
{{More citations needed|date=July 2011}}
[[File:Distribution of high income households across LA County.png|thumb|Percent of households with incomes above $150k across LA County census tracts.]]
Southern California consists of a heavily developed urban environment, home to some of the largest [[List of urbanized areas in California (by population)|urban areas]] in the state, along with vast areas that have been left undeveloped. It is the third most populated megalopolis in the United States, after the [[Great Lakes Megalopolis]] and the [[Northeast Megalopolis]]. Much of Southern California is famous for its large, spread-out, suburban communities and use of automobiles and highways. The dominant areas are Los Angeles, [[Orange County, California|Orange County]], [[San Diego]], and [[Riverside, California|Riverside]]-[[San Bernardino]], each of which are the centers of their respective metropolitan areas, composed of numerous smaller cities and communities. The urban area is also host to an international [[San Diego–Tijuana]] metropolitan region, created by the urban area spilling over into [[Baja California]].

Travelling south on [[Interstate 5 in California|Interstate 5]], the main barrier to continued urbanization is [[Camp Pendleton]]. The cities and communities along [[Interstate 15 in California|Interstate 15]] and [[Interstate 215 (California)|Interstate 215]] are so interrelated that [[Temecula]] and [[Murrieta]] have as much connection with the [[San Diego metropolitan area]] as they do with the [[Inland Empire]]. To the east, the [[United States Census Bureau]] considers the San Bernardino and Riverside County areas, [[Riverside-San Bernardino area]] as a separate [[metropolitan area]] from Los Angeles County. Newly developed [[exurbs]] formed in the [[Antelope Valley]], north of Los Angeles, the [[Victor Valley]], and the [[Coachella Valley]] with the [[Imperial Valley]]. Also, population growth was high in the [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield-Kern County]], [[Santa Maria, California|Santa Maria]] and [[San Luis Obispo]] areas.

{{Wide image|Los Angeles downtown sunset cityscape.jpg|1000px|The [[Downtown Los Angeles]] skyline seen at sunset on an October day. At {{convert|1018|ft|m|0}}, 73 floors, the [[U.S. Bank Tower (Los Angeles)|U.S. Bank Tower]] was the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]]'s tallest building when it was built in 1989.}}

==Climate==
[[File:Southern California Köppen.png|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of southern California]]

Most of Southern California has a [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]]-like climate, with warm and dry summers, mild and wet winters, where cool weather and freezing temperatures are rare. Southern California contains other types of climates, including [[semi-arid]], [[desert climate|desert]] and [[mountain climate|mountain]], with infrequent rain and many sunny days. Summers are hot or warm, and dry, while winters are mild, and rainfall is low to moderate depending on the area. Although heavy rain can occur, it is unusual. This climatic pattern was alluded to in the hit song "[[It Never Rains (In Southern California)]]". While snow is very rare in lower elevations, mountains above {{convert|5,000|ft}} receive plentiful snowfall in the winter.

Since the first decade of the 21st century, [[Droughts in California|droughts]] and [[List of California wildfires|wildfires]] have increased in frequency as a result of [[climate change]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Boxall |first1=Bettina |last2=St. John |first2=Paige |date=November 10, 2018 |title=California's most destructive wildfire should not have come as a surprise |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-camp-fire-science-20181110-story.html |access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Advancing Drought Science and Preparedness across the Nation |url=https://www.drought.gov/drought/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111042024/https://www.drought.gov/drought/ |archive-date=November 11, 2018 |access-date=November 11, 2018 |publisher=National Integrated Drought Information System}}</ref>

==Natural landscape==
[[File:Proctorvalleylake.jpg|thumb|right|[[Proctor Valley]] in [[Chula Vista]]]]
[[File:San Gabriel Mountains (2972839468).jpg|thumb|right|Autumn of 2008 in Southern California.]]

{{Main|Geography of Southern California}}

Southern California consists of one of the more varied collections of geologic, topographic, and natural ecosystem landscapes in a diversity outnumbering other major regions in the state and country. The region spans from Pacific Ocean [[Channel Islands of California|islands]], [[shoreline]]s, beaches, and [[coastal plain]]s, through the [[Transverse Ranges|Transverse]] and [[Peninsular Ranges]] with their peaks, and into the large and small interior valleys, to the vast [[deserts of California]].
:Introductory categories include:
*[[:Category:Beaches of Southern California|Category: Beaches of southern California]]
*[[:Category:Mountain ranges of Southern California|Category: Mountain ranges of Southern California]]
*[[:Category:Rivers of Southern California|Category: Rivers of Southern California]]
*[[:Category:Deserts of California|Category: Deserts of California]]
*[[:Category:Parks in Southern California|Category: Parks in Southern California]]

==Geography==
[[File:Channelislandsca.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|Satellite view of southern California, including the [[Channel Islands (California)|Channel Islands]]]]
Southern California is divided into:
*The '''[[South Coast (California)|Coastal Region]],''' which is densely populated and includes the coastal interior valleys west of the coastal mountains with all of Orange County and portions of San Diego, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.
*A related [[Phytochorion|florist province]] term is the [[California Floristic Province#Cismontane region|Cismontane Region]] on the coastal side of the [[Transverse Ranges|Transverse]] and [[Peninsular Ranges|Peninsular]] mountain ranges, with the term "southern California" popularly referring to this more populated and visited zone.
*The '''Desert Region,''' which is larger and sparsely populated with portions of Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, and San Diego counties. The division between the Coastal Region and the Inland Empire/Imperial Valley winds along the backs of coastal mountain ranges such as the [[Santa Ana Mountains]].
[[File:Blooming roses at Huntington Library in Pasadena, California. April 2022 20220418 160140.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|Blooming Roses at [[Huntington Library]] in [[San Marino, California|San Marino]], [[Los Angeles County]], April 2022]]
*A related floristic province term is the [[California Floristic Province#Transmontane region|Transmontane Region]] on the [[rain shadow]] side of the same mountain ranges, with the term ''southern California'' including this zone geographically and when distinguishing all the 'southland' from [[northern California]].

===Geographic features===
[[File:LaJolla California.JPG|upright=0.8|thumb|right| View from [[La Jolla Cove]] in [[San Diego]].]]
[[File:Telegraph Cucamonga and Ontario Peaks.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|Peaks in the eastern [[San Gabriel Mountains]], [[Angeles National Forest]], San Bernardino County.]]
[[File:Yucca_Valley_California_2017.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|[[Yucca Valley]] with Visitor Center in Background in June 2017.]]
[[File:Sunset pier.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|[[Ocean Beach, San Diego|Ocean Beach]] Sunset in San Diego.]]
{{Colbegin}}
* [[Angeles National Forest]] (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, & Ventura Counties)
* [[Antelope Hills, California|Antelope Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Antelope Valley]] (Los Angeles & Kern Counties)
* [[Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)|Arroyo Seco]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Bacon Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Baldwin Hills (mountain range)|Baldwin Hills]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Ballona Wetlands]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Big Bear Lake]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[Bissell Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Black Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve|Bolsa Chica Estuary]] (Orange County)
* [[Buena Vista Hills (Kern County)|Buena Vista Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Buena Vista Lake]] (Kern County)
* [[Cajon Pass]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[Calico Mountains (California)|Calico Mountains]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[Channel Islands of California|Channel Islands]] (Santa Barbara, Ventura & Los Angeles Counties)
* [[Castaic Lake]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Chino Hills]] (Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[Coachella Valley]] (Riverside County)
* [[Colorado Desert]] (San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, & San Diego Counties)
* [[Colorado River]] (San Bernardino, Riverside & Imperial Counties, Baja California & Sonora)
* [[Conejo Valley]] (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* [[Cucamonga Valley]] (San Bernardino & Riverside Counties)
* [[Cuyamaca Mountains]] (San Diego County)
* [[Death Valley]] (San Bernardino & Inyo Counties)
* [[Diablo Range]] (Kern County)
* [[Elk Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Elkhorn Hills]] (San Luis Obispo County)
* [[El Mirage Lake]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[El Paso Mountains]] (Kern County)
* [[Greenhorn Mountains]] (Kern County)
* [[High Desert (California)|High Desert]] (Los Angeles, Kern, Inyo, & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[Horned Toad Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Imperial Valley]] (Imperial County)
* [[Irish Hills (California)|Irish Hills]] (San Luis Obispo County)
* [[In-Ko-Pah Mountains]] (San Diego County)
* [[Inland Empire (CA)|Inland Empire]] (Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[Jacumba Mountains]] (San Diego County)
* [[Jawbone Canyon]] (Kern County)
* [[Kern River]] (Kern County)
* [[La Jolla Cove]] (San Diego County)
* [[Laguna Mountains]] (San Diego County)
* [[Lake Arrowhead, California|Lake Arrowhead]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[Lake Casitas]] (Ventura County)
* [[Lake Elsinore]] (Riverside County)
* [[Lake Isabella]] (Kern County)
* [[Lake Perris]] (Riverside County)
* [[Lake Piru]] (Ventura County)
* [[Lakeview Mountains]] (Riverside County)
* [[Lake Webb]] (Kern County)
* [[Little San Bernardino Mountains]] (Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[Little Signal Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Los Angeles Basin]] (Los Angeles & Orange Counties)
* [[Los Angeles River]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Los Padres National Forest]] (Kern, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, & Ventura Counties)
* [[Lost Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Low Desert]] (Imperial, San Diego, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[Mojave Desert]] (Los Angeles, Kern & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[Mojave River]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[Mount San Antonio]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[New River (Mexico–United States)|New River]] (Imperial County, Mexicali Municipality)
* [[Nine Sisters]] (San Luis Obispo County)
* [[Ojai Valley]] (Ventura County)
* [[Orange Coast]] (Orange County)
* [[Oxnard Plain]] (Ventura County)
* [[Palomar Mountain]] (San Diego County)
* [[Palo Verde Valley]] (Riverside & Imperial Counties)
* [[Palos Verdes Hills|Palos Verdes Peninsula]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Panamint Range]] (Inyo County)
* [[Peninsular Ranges]] (San Diego, Riverside, & Orange Counties)
* [[Pleito Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Point Loma]] (San Diego County)
* [[Point Mugu]] (Ventura County)
* [[Point of Rocks (Kern County, California)|Point of Rocks]] (Kern County)
* [[Pomona Valley]] (Los Angeles & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[Providence Mountains]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[Puente Hills]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Pyramid Lake (Los Angeles County, California)|Pyramid Lake]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Rand Mountains]] (Kern County)
* [[Rio Hondo (California)|Rio Hondo]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Rosamond Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Saddleback Valley]] (Orange County)
* [[Salton Sea]] (Imperial & Riverside Counties)
* [[San Andreas Fault]] (All Counties)
* [[San Bernardino Mountains]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[San Bernardino National Forest]] (Riverside & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[San Bernardino Valley]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[San Diego Bay]] (San Diego County)
* [[San Diego River]] (San Diego County)
* [[San Emigdio Mountains]] (Los Angeles, Ventura, & Kern Counties)
* [[San Fernando Valley]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[San Gabriel Mountains]] (Los Angeles & San Bernardino Counties)
* [[San Gabriel River (California)|San Gabriel River]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[San Gabriel Valley]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[San Jacinto Mountains]] (Riverside County)
* [[San Jacinto River (California)|San Jacinto River]] (Riverside County)
* [[San Joaquin Valley]] (Kern County)
* [[San Luis Rey River]] (San Diego County)
* [[San Pedro Bay (California)|San Pedro Bay]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[San Rafael Mountains]] (Santa Barbara County)
* [[Santa Ana Mountains]] (Orange & Riverside Counties)
* [[Santa Ana River]] (San Bernardino, Riverside & Orange Counties)
* [[Santa Ana Valley]] (Orange County)
* [[Santa Catalina Island, California|Santa Catalina Island]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]] (Ventura County)
* [[Santa Clara River Valley]] (Ventura County)
* [[Santa Clarita Valley]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Santa Margarita River]] (Riverside, Orange & San Diego Counties)
* [[Santa Monica Bay]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Santa Monica Mountains]] (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* [[Santa Rosa Mountains (California)|Santa Rosa Mountains]] (Riverside, Imperial & San Diego Counties)
* [[Santa Susana Mountains]] (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* [[Santa Ynez Mountains]] (Santa Barbara & Ventura Counties)
* [[Santa Ynez Valley]] (Santa Barbara County)
* [[Scodie Mountains]] (Kern County)
* [[Sequoia National Forest]] (Kern County)
* [[Shale Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] (Kern County)
* [[Sierra Pelona Mountains]] (Los Angeles & Kern Counties)
* [[Simi Hills]] (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties)
* [[Simi Valley (valley)|Simi Valley]] (Ventura County)
* [[Sweetwater River (California)|Sweetwater River]] (San Diego County)
* [[Tehachapi Mountains]] (Kern & Los Angeles Counties)
* [[Tejon Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Temescal Mountains]] (Riverside County)
* [[Telephone Hills]] (Kern County)
* [[Temblor Range]] (Kern & San Luis Obispo Counties)
* [[Tijuana River]] (San Diego County)
* [[Topatopa Mountains]] (Ventura County)
* [[Turtle Mountains (California)|Turtle Mountains]] (San Bernardino County)
* [[Ventura River]] (Ventura County)
* [[Verdugo Mountains]] (Los Angeles County)
* [[Victor Valley]] (San Bernardino County)
{{Colend}}

===Geology===

====List of major fault zones====

Note: Plate boundary faults are indicated with a (#) symbol.

{{Colbegin}}
* [[Brawley Seismic Zone]]
* [[Chino Fault]]
* [[Elsinore Fault Zone]]
* [[Elysian Park Fault]]
* [[Garlock Fault]]
* [[Hosgri Fault]]
* [[Imperial Fault Zone]]
* [[Laguna Salada Fault]]
* [[Newport–Inglewood Fault]]
* [[Peninsular Ranges]]
* [[Puente Hills Fault]]
* [[Raymond Fault]]
* [[Rose Canyon Fault]]
* [[Salton Trough]]
* [[Salinian Block]]
* [[San Andreas Fault]] #
* [[San Cayetano Fault]]
* [[San Felipe Fault Zone]]
* [[San Gabriel Fault]]
* [[San Jacinto Fault Zone]]
* [[Santa Maria River Fault]]
* [[Santa Ynez Fault]]
* [[Shoreline Fault]]
* [[Ventura Fault]]
* [[White Wolf Fault]]
* [[Whittier Fault]]
* [[Yorba Linda Fault]]
{{Colend}}
[[File:Shake Map Northridge 1994.jpg|thumb|Northridge earthquake shake map]]

====Earthquakes====
Each year, Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes. Nearly all of them are so small that they are not felt. Only several hundred have been greater than [[Moment magnitude scale|magnitude]] 3.0, and only about 15–20 have been greater than magnitude 4.0.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/facts.php|title=USGS facts|work=data from southern California Earthquake Center|access-date=March 18, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226130258/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/facts.php|archive-date=February 26, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The magnitude 6.7 [[1994 Northridge earthquake]] was particularly destructive, causing a substantial number of deaths, injuries, and structural collapses as well as the most property damage of any earthquake in U.S. history at an estimated $20 billion.<ref>{{cite web|title= Northridge Earthquake|year= 2005|url= http://nisee.berkeley.edu/northridge/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060712031622/http://nisee.berkeley.edu/northridge/|url-status= dead|archive-date= July 12, 2006|access-date= December 11, 2013|df= mdy-all}}</ref>

Many [[Fault (geology)|faults]] are able to produce a magnitude greater than 6.7 earthquake, such as the [[San Andreas Fault]], which can produce a magnitude 8.0 event. Other faults include the [[San Jacinto Fault]], the [[Puente Hills Fault]], and the [[Elsinore Fault Zone]]. The [[United States Geological Survey]] (USGS) has released a California earthquake forecast,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2015/3009/pdf/fs2015-3009.pdf|title=UCERF3: A New Earthquake Forecast for California's Complex Fault System|publisher=USGS|date=March 3, 2015|access-date=October 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208032142/https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2015/3009/pdf/fs2015-3009.pdf|archive-date=February 8, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> which models earthquake occurrence in California.

=====List of earthquakes=====
This is a partial list of earthquakes in Southern California. For a full list, see [[List of earthquakes in California]].
Note: Earthquakes with epicenters in the Los Angeles Metro Area are marked with the (#) symbol. Other earthquakes mentioned means shaking was felt.

{{Colbegin}}
* [[1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake]]
* [[1812 Ventura earthquake]]
* [[1857 Fort Tejon earthquake]]
* [[1892 Laguna Salada earthquake]]
* [[1899 San Jacinto earthquake]]
* [[1918 San Jacinto earthquake]]
* [[1933 Long Beach earthquake]] #
* [[1940 El Centro earthquake]]
* [[1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake]]
* [[1971 San Fernando earthquake]] #
* [[1979 Imperial Valley earthquake]]
* [[1968 Borrego Mountain earthquake]]
* [[1986 North Palm Springs earthquake]]
* [[1987 Superstition Hills earthquakes]]
* [[1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake]] #
* [[1991 Sierra Madre earthquake]] #
* [[1992 Big Bear earthquake]] #
* [[1992 Landers earthquake]]
* [[1994 Northridge earthquake]] #
* [[2008 Chino Hills earthquake]] #
* [[2010 Baja California earthquake]]
* [[2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes]]
{{Colend}}

==Regions==
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2010}}
[[File:Salton Sea Reflection.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|[[Salton Sea]] in the [[Coachella Valley]]]]
[[File:Oceansidepier.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|The [[Oceanside Pier]] on the [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]] coast]]

Southern California is divided culturally, politically, and economically into distinct regions, each containing its own culture and atmosphere, anchored usually by a city with both national and sometimes global recognition, which is often the hub of economic activity for its respective region and being home to many tourist destinations. Each region is further divided into many culturally distinct areas but as a whole, combine to create the southern California atmosphere.
{{colbegin}}
*[[Coastal Southern California]]
*[[Central Coast (California)|Southern Central Coast]]
*[[Ventura County]]
*[[Oxnard Plain]]
*[[Los Angeles Basin]]
*[[Orange County, California|Orange County]]
*[[San Diego County]]
*Inland southern California
*[[Kern County]]
*[[Imperial Valley]]
*[[Inland Empire]]
*[[San Bernardino County]]
*[[High Desert (California)|High Desert]] (Section)*
*[[Morongo Basin]]*
*[[San Bernardino Valley]]
*[[Riverside County]]
*[[San Jacinto Valley]]
*[[Coachella Valley]]*
*[[Low Desert]] (Section)*
*Deserts of California
*[[High Desert (California)|High Desert]]*
*[[Antelope Valley]]*
*[[Morongo Basin]]*
*[[Low Desert]]*
*[[Coachella Valley]]*
*[[Lower Colorado River Valley]]
*[[Imperial County]]
*[[Imperial Valley]]
*[[Palo Verde Valley]]
{{colend}}
''*Part of multiple regions''

==Population==
{{See also|Greater Los Angeles#Demographics}}
{{US Census population
|1850=6492
|1860=33280
|1870=44158
|1880=91916
|1890=251770
|1900=337328
|1910=808408
|1920=1423786
|1930=3044978
|1940=3840733
|1950=5931975
|1960=9398722
|1970=12103559
|1980=14308742
|1990=18269095
|2000=20637512
|2010=22680010
|2020=23762904
|estyear=
|estimate=
|footnote=Sources: 1790–1990, 2000, 2010, 2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Counties |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.2020.html |website=2020 U.S. Census Gazetteer Files |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-1-1.pdf|title=1990 Census of Population and Housing Unit Counts, Population Estimates 1790–1990 CPH-2-1, pages 26–27|publisher=United States Census Bureau, [[United States Department of Commerce]] (DOC) [[Economics and Statistics Administration]] (ESA)|date=August 20, 1993|access-date=January 1, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html|title=California QuickFacts|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 26, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228054319/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html|archive-date=December 28, 2009}}</ref><br />Chart does not include Indigenous population figures.<br />Studies indicate that the Native American<br />population in California in 1850 was close to 150,000<br />before declining to 15,000 by 1900.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americanindiantah.com/lesson_plans/ml_indians_in_northern_california.html|title=Indians of Northern California: A Case Study of Federal, State, and Local Policies, 1850-1860|website=AmericanIndianTAH.com|access-date=March 21, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317041607/http://americanindiantah.com/lesson_plans/ml_indians_in_northern_california.html|archive-date=March 17, 2012}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Downtown San Bernardino.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.15|[[Downtown San Bernardino]]]]
As of the [[2020 United States Census]], Southern California has a population of 23,762,904. Despite a reputation for high growth rates, Southern California's population has grown slower than the state average since the 2000s. This is due to California's growth becoming concentrated in the northern part of the state as result of a stronger, tech-oriented economy in the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] and an emerging [[Greater Sacramento]] region.

Southern California consists of one [[Combined Statistical Area]], eight [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]]s, one international [[metropolitan area]], and multiple metropolitan divisions. The region is home to two extended metropolitan areas that exceed five million in population. These are the [[Greater Los Angeles Area]] at 17,786,419, and [[San Diego–Tijuana]] at 5,105,768.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/files/2009/CSA-EST2009-alldata.csv|title=Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009|format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]]|work=2009 Population Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau, Population Division|date=March 23, 2010|access-date=March 29, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327135257/http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/files/2009/CSA-EST2009-alldata.csv|archive-date=March 27, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-223&srt=pnan&col=aohdq&pt=a&va=&geo=-1049427|title=World Gazetteer; San Diego-Tijuana|publisher=World Gazetteer|access-date=March 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001005330/http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-223&srt=pnan&col=aohdq&pt=a&va=&geo=-1049427|archive-date=October 1, 2007}}</ref> Of these metropolitan areas, the [[Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area]], [[Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area]], and [[Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metropolitan area]] form Greater Los Angeles;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/files/2008/CSA-EST2008-alldata.csv|title=Population Estimates|access-date=December 7, 2017|format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117092845/http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/files/2008/CSA-EST2008-alldata.csv|archive-date=November 17, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> while the [[El Centro metropolitan area]] and [[San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area]] form the [[Southern Border Region]].<ref>{{cite web|title=California Coast, Los Angeles to San Diego Bay|url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=36155|date=December 15, 2008|access-date=April 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525054533/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=36155|archive-date=May 25, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Loucky|editor-first=James|year=2008|title=Transboundary policy challenges in the Pacific border regions of North America|publisher=University of Calgary Press|url={{googlebooks|KDc2r0SC5PIC|page=8|plainurl=y}}|isbn=978-1-55238-223-3|page=8}}</ref> North of Greater Los Angeles are the [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]], [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]], and [[Kern County, California|Bakersfield]] metropolitan areas.

===Cities===
{{see also|List of largest cities in California by population}}
Los Angeles (with a population of approximately 3.9 million people) and San Diego (at nearly 1.4 million people) are the two largest cities in all of California and are among the top eight largest cities in the United States. In Southern California, there are also 14 cities with more than 200,000 residents and 48 cities over 100,000 residents. Many of Southern California's most developed cities lie along or in close proximity to the coast, with the exception of San Bernardino and Riverside.

===Counties===
*[[Imperial County, California|Imperial]]
*[[Kern County, California|Kern]]
*[[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]]
*[[Orange County, California|Orange]]
*[[Riverside County, California|Riverside]]
*[[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]]
*[[San Diego County, California|San Diego]]
*[[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]]
*[[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]]
*[[Ventura County, California|Ventura]]

== Literature ==
Southern California is home to most popular and famous literature in the region. These books include California by Kevin Starr, Malibu Farm Cookbook by Helene Henderson, L.A. Noir by John Buntin, The Mountains of California by John Muir, The New California Wine by Jon Bonné, and My Hollywood by Mona Simpson. Most of them are well received and nominated for rewards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-26 |title=A Literary Road Trip through Southern California |url=https://electricliterature.com/a-literary-road-trip-through-southern-california/ |access-date=2022-05-26 |website=Electric Literature |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=27 Books To Read If You're California Dreamin' {{!}} Penguin Random House |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/california-books/ |access-date=2022-05-26 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Economy==

===Industries===
Southern California has a diverse economy and is one of the largest economies in the United States. It is dominated by and heavily dependent upon the abundance of petroleum, as opposed to other regions where automobiles are not nearly as dominant, due to the vast majority of transport that runs on this fuel. Southern California is famous for tourism and the [[entertainment industry]]. Other industries include software, automotive, ports, finance, biomedical, and regional logistics. The region was a leader in the housing bubble from 2001 to 2007 and has been heavily impacted by the housing crash.

Since the 1920s, motion pictures, petroleum, and aircraft manufacturing have been major industries. In one of the richest agricultural regions in the U.S., cattle and citrus were major industries until farmlands were turned into suburbs. Although military spending cutbacks have had an impact, aerospace continues to be a major factor.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Westwick|editor-first=Peter J.|date=June 4, 2012|title=Blue Sky Metropolis|location=[[Huntington Library]]|publisher=University of California Press|url={{googlebooks|O5IkDQAAQBAJ|plainurl=y}}|isbn=978-0-52028-906-2}}</ref>

===Major central business districts===
[[File:Taco Bell Headquarters Irvine.jpg|thumb|left|[[Taco Bell]] Headquarters in [[Irvine, California|Irvine]]]]
Southern California is home to many major business districts. Central business districts (CBD) include [[Downtown Los Angeles]], [[Downtown Riverside]], [[Downtown San Bernardino]], [[Downtown San Diego]], and the [[South Coast Metro]]. Within the Los Angeles Area are the major business districts of [[Pasadena, California|Downtown Pasadena]], [[Burbank, California|Downtown Burbank]], [[Santa Monica, California|Downtown Santa Monica]], [[Glendale, California|Downtown Glendale]] and [[Downtown Long Beach]]. Los Angeles itself has many business districts, such as [[Downtown Los Angeles]] and those lining [[Wilshire Boulevard]] including [[Mid-Wilshire]], the [[Miracle Mile, Los Angeles|Miracle Mile]], [[Downtown Beverly Hills]] and [[Westwood, Los Angeles|Westwood]]; others include [[Century City, Los Angeles|Century City]] and [[Warner Center, Los Angeles|Warner Center]] in the [[San Fernando Valley]]. The area of Santa Monica and Venice (and perhaps some of Culver City) is informally referred to as "Silicon Beach" because of the concentration of financial and marketing technology-centric firms located in the region.

The [[San Bernardino-Riverside Area]] maintains the business districts of [[Downtown San Bernardino]], [[Hospitality Lane District, San Bernardino, California|Hospitality Business/Financial Centre]], [[University District, San Bernardino|University District]] which are in the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside.

In Orange County, has highly developed suburban business centers (also known as [[edge cities]]) including the [[Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city]] along I-5; and another, the [[South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city]] that stretches from the [[South Coast Metro]] to the [[Irvine Business Complex]]; [[Newport Center, Newport Beach, California|Newport Center]]; and [[Irvine Spectrum]]. [[Downtown Santa Ana]] is an important government, arts and entertainment, and retail district.

[[Downtown San Diego]] is the CBD of San Diego, though the city is filled with business districts. These include [[Carmel Valley, San Diego|Carmel Valley]], [[Del Mar Heights, San Diego|Del Mar Heights]], [[Mission Valley]], [[Rancho Bernardo]], [[Sorrento Mesa]], and [[University City, San Diego|University City]]. Most of these districts are located in Northern San Diego and some within [[North County]] regions.

===Theme parks and waterparks===
[[File:Sleepingbeautycastle50.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Disneyland]] in [[Anaheim]]]]
{{Colbegin}}
'''Los Angeles'''
* [[Dry Town Water Park]]
* [[Pacific Park]]
* [[Raging Waters San Dimas]]
* [[Six Flags Hurricane Harbor]]
* [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]]
* [[Universal Studios Hollywood]]

'''Orange County'''
* [[Disney California Adventure]]
* [[Disneyland Park]]
* [[Knott's Berry Farm]]
* [[Knott's Soak City]]
* [[Wild Rivers (water park)]]

'''Riverside & San Bernardino'''
* [[Castle Park (amusement park)|Castle Park]]
* [[Wet'n'Wild Palm Springs]]

'''San Diego'''
* [[Sesame Place San Diego]]
* [[Belmont Park (San Diego)|Belmont Park]]
* [[Legoland California]]
* Legoland Waterpark
* [[San Diego Zoo]]
* [[San Diego Zoo Safari Park]]
* [[SeaWorld San Diego]]
{{Colend}}

===Vineyard-Winery American Viticultural Area (AVA) districts===
:[[California wine]] AVA-[[American Viticultural Area]]s in southern California:
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
*[[South Coast AVA]]
**[[Cucamonga Valley AVA]]
**[[Malibu-Newton Canyon AVA]]
**[[Ramona Valley AVA]]
**[[Saddle Rock-Malibu AVA]]
**[[Temecula Valley AVA]]
*[[Leona Valley AVA]]
{{Col-2}}
*[[Central Coast AVA]]
**[[Arroyo Grande Valley AVA]]
**[[Edna Valley AVA]]
**[[San Pasqual Valley AVA]]
**[[Santa Maria Valley AVA]]
**[[Santa Ynez Valley AVA]]
**[[Sta. Rita Hills AVA]]
**[[York Mountain AVA]]
{{Col-end}}

=== Shopping Malls ===
{{Incomplete list|date=May 2022}}
* [[South Coast Plaza]]
* [[Westfield Century City]]
* [[Citadel Outlets]]
* [[Fashion Valley Mall|Fashion Valley]]
* [[Westfield Topanga & The Village]]
* [[Ontario Mills]]
* [[Glendale Galleria]]
* [[FIGat7th]]

==Transportation==
{{more citations needed section|date = March 2016}}
:''See: [[:Category:Transportation in Southern California|Category: Transportation in Southern California]]

Southern California is home to [[Los Angeles International Airport]], the second-busiest airport in the United States by passenger volume (see [[World's busiest airports by passenger traffic]]) and the third-busiest by international passenger volume (see [[Busiest airports in the United States by international passenger traffic]]); [[San Diego International Airport]], the busiest single-runway airport in the world; [[Van Nuys Airport]], the world's busiest [[general aviation]] airport; major commercial airports at [[San Bernardino International Airport|San Bernardino]], [[John Wayne Airport|Orange County]], [[Meadows Field|Bakersfield]], [[LA/Ontario International Airport|Ontario]], [[Hollywood Burbank Airport|Burbank]] and [[Long Beach Airport|Long Beach]]; and numerous smaller commercial and general aviation airports.

Six of the seven lines of the [[commuter rail]] system, [[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]], run out of [[Downtown Los Angeles]], connecting Los Angeles, [[Ventura County, California|Ventura]], San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties with the other line connecting San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties directly.

Southern California is also home to the [[Port of Los Angeles]], the country's busiest commercial port; the adjacent [[Port of Long Beach]], the country's second busiest container port; and the [[Port of San Diego]].

===Airports===
The following table shows all airports listed by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) as a hub airport:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy11_primary_enplanements.pdf|title=Calendar Year 2011 Primary Airports|date=September 27, 2012|access-date=October 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208001604/https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy11_primary_enplanements.pdf|archive-date=February 8, 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Airport !! style="width:40px;"| ID !! width=100 | City <br /> (Metro area) !! width=80 | Category !! Enplanements <br /> (2011) (mil)
|-
| [[Los Angeles International Airport]] || LAX || Los Angeles  || Large Hub ||  30.5m
|-
| [[San Diego International Airport]] || SAN || San Diego  || Large Hub || 8.5m 
|-
| [[John Wayne Airport]]  || SNA || Orange County  || Medium Hub ||  4.2m
|-
| [[Ontario International Airport]] || ONT || San Bernardino, Riverside  || Medium hub ||  2.3m
|-
| [[Hollywood Burbank Airport]] || BUR || Burbank (LA) || Medium Hub ||  2.1m
|-
| [[Long Beach Airport]] || LGB || Long Beach (LA) || Small Hub ||  1.5m
|-
| [[Palm Springs International Airport]] || PSP || Palm Springs  || Small Hub ||  0.8m
|-
| [[Santa Barbara Municipal Airport]] || SBA || Santa Barbara  || Small Hub ||  0.7m
|-
| [[San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport|San Luis Obispo Regional Airport]] || SBP || San Luis Obispo  || Small Hub ||  0.5m
|-
| [[San Bernardino International Airport]] || SBD || San Bernardino, Riverside  || Small Hub ||  NA
|}

===Freeways and highways===
[[File:SocalfreewaysystemWIKI.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Interstate and state highway system of Southern California]]
{{Main|Southern California freeways}}

Sections of the Southern California freeway system are often referred to by names rather than by the official numbers.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|+ [[Interstate Highways]]
|-
! Sign
! Interstate
! Freeway name
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-5 (CA).svg|20px]]
| [[Interstate 5 in California|Interstate 5]]
| [[Golden State Freeway]]<br />[[Santa Ana Freeway]]<br />[[San Diego Freeway]]<br />Montgomery Freeway
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-8 (CA).svg|20px]]
| [[Interstate 8]]
| [[Ocean Beach Freeway]]<br />[[Mission Valley Freeway]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-10 (CA).svg|20px]]
| [[Interstate 10 in California|Interstate 10]]
| [[Santa Monica Freeway|Santa Monica (Rosa Parks) Freeway]]<br />[[Golden State Freeway]]<br />[[San Bernardino Freeway]]<br />Indio (Dr. [[June McCarroll]]) Freeway<br />Blythe Freeway
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-15 (CA).svg|20px]]
| [[Interstate 15 in California|Interstate 15]]
| [[Mojave Freeway]]<br />[[Barstow Freeway]]<br />[[Ontario Freeway]]<br />[[Corona Freeway]]<br />[[Temecula Valley Freeway]]<br />[[Escondido Freeway]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-40 (CA).svg|20px]]
| [[Interstate 40 in California|Interstate 40]]
| [[Needles Freeway]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-105 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 105 (California)|Interstate 105]]
| Century ([[Glenn M. Anderson|Glenn Anderson]]) Freeway
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-110 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 110 (California)|Interstate 110]]
| [[Harbor Freeway]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-210 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 210 (California)|Interstate 210]]
| [[Foothill Freeway]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-215 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 215 (California)|Interstate 215]]
| [[Barstow Freeway]]<br />[[San Bernardino Freeway]]<br />[[Moreno Valley Freeway]]<br />[[Escondido Freeway]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-405 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 405 (California)|Interstate 405]]
| San Diego Freeway
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-605 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 605]]
| San Gabriel River Freeway
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-710 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 710]]
| Long Beach Freeway
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-805 (CA).svg|24px]]
| [[Interstate 805]]
| Jacob Dekema Freeway
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:I-905 (CA).svg|24px]]
| Future [[Interstate 905]]
|
|}

<div style="width:40%; float: left;">
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
|+ [[U.S. Highway system]]
|-
! Sign
! U.S. Route
! Freeway name
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:US 95 (1961 cutout).svg|23px]]
| [[U.S. Route 95 in California|U.S. Route 95]]
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:US 101 (1961 cutout).svg|23px]]
| [[U.S. Route 101 in California|U.S. Route 101]]
| [[Ventura Freeway]]<br />[[Hollywood Freeway]]<br />[[Santa Ana Freeway]]<br />[[El Camino Real (California)|El Camino Real]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:US 395 (1961 cutout).svg|23px]]
| [[U.S. Route 395 in California|U.S. Route 395]]
|
|}
</div>
{{Clear}}

===Public transportation===
[[File:AT&SF44CatLosAngelesCA9-24-66.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|The [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]'s combined Super Chief-El Capitan pulls into Los Angeles's Union Passenger Terminal on September 24, 1966.]]
:''See: [[:Category:Public transportation in Southern California|Category: Public transportation in Southern California]]''
{{Colbegin}}
*[[Antelope Valley Transit Authority]]
*[[Big Blue Bus]] (Santa Monica)
*[[Gold Coast Transit]] (Ventura County)
*[[Golden Empire Transit]] (Bakersfield)
*[[Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority]]
*[[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]]
*[[North County Transit District]] (northern San Diego County)
*[[Omnitrans]] (southwestern San Bernardino County)
*[[Orange County Transportation Authority]]
*[[Riverside Transit Agency]] (western Riverside County)
*[[San Diego Coaster]] (Oceanside to San Diego)
*[[San Diego Metropolitan Transit System]]
*[[San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority]]
*[[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] MTD
{{Colend}}

==Communication==

===Telephone area codes===
{{Colbegin}}
*[[Area code 213|213]] – [[Central Los Angeles]]
*[[Area code 310|310]] – [[Westside (Los Angeles County)|West Los Angeles]], [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]], [[Santa Monica]], [[South Bay, Los Angeles|South Bay]] and [[Santa Catalina Island, California|Catalina Island]]
*[[Area code 323|323]] – Overlay with 213
*[[Area code 424|424]] – Overlay with 310
*[[Area code 442|442]] – Overlay with 760
*[[Area code 562|562]] – [[Long Beach]], [[Gateway Cities]], and parts of northern [[Orange County, California|Orange County]]
*[[Area code 619|619]] – most of [[San Diego County]] including [[San Diego]]
*[[Area code 626|626]] – most of [[San Gabriel Valley]] including [[Pasadena]]
*[[Area code 657|657]] – Overlay with 714
*[[Area code 661|661]] – [[Bakersfield]], [[Santa Clarita]], and [[Antelope Valley]]
*[[Area code 714|714]] – Northern Orange County (including [[Anaheim]], [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]], and [[Huntington Beach]])
*[[Area code 760|760]] – Northern San Diego County (including [[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]] and [[Escondido, California|Escondido]]), [[Imperial County]], [[Coachella Valley]], [[Blythe, California|Blythe]], [[Twentynine Palms]], [[Victor Valley]], [[Barstow, California|Barstow]], and [[Ridgecrest, California|Ridgecrest]]
*[[Area code 805|805]] – [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]], [[Ventura County, California|Ventura]] and [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]] Counties
*[[Area code 818|818]] – Eastern [[Conejo Valley]], [[Crescenta Valley]], [[San Fernando Valley]] including [[Glendale, California|Glendale]] and [[Burbank, California|Burbank]]
*[[Area code 820|820]] – Overlay with 805
*[[Area code 840|840]] – Overlay with 909
*[[Area code 858|858]] – Overlay with 619
*[[Area code 909|909]] – Southwestern [[San Bernardino County]], eastern [[Los Angeles County]], and portions of northwestern [[Riverside County]]
*[[Area code 949|949]] – Southern [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] (including [[Irvine, California|Irvine]], [[Newport Beach]], [[Laguna Niguel]], and [[San Clemente]])
*[[Area code 951|951]] – Western [[Riverside County]] including [[Riverside, California|Riverside]] and [[Temecula]]
{{Colend}}

==Colleges and universities==
{{Main|List of colleges and universities in Southern California}}

[[File:Royce_Hall_post_rain.jpg|upright=0.9|right|thumb|[[University of California, Los Angeles]]]]
[[File:Beckman_Institute_Reflection.jpg|upright=0.9|right|thumb|[[California Institute of Technology]]]]
The Tech Coast is a moniker that has gained use as a descriptor for the region's diversified technology and industrial base as well as its multitude of prestigious and world-renowned research universities and other public and private institutions. Amongst these include five [[University of California]] campuses ([[University of California, Irvine|Irvine]], [[University of California, Los Angeles|Los Angeles]], [[University of California, Riverside|Riverside]], [[University of California, Santa Barbara|Santa Barbara]], and [[University of California, San Diego|San Diego]]), 12 [[California State University]] campuses ([[California State University, Bakersfield|Bakersfield]], [[California State University, Channel Islands|Channel Islands]], [[California State University, Dominguez Hills|Dominguez Hills]], [[California State University, Fullerton|Fullerton]], [[California State University, Los Angeles|Los Angeles]], [[California State University, Long Beach|Long Beach]], [[California State University, Northridge|Northridge]], [[California State Polytechnic University, Pomona|Pomona]], [[California State University, San Bernardino|San Bernardino]], [[San Diego State University|San Diego]], [[California State University, San Marcos|San Marcos]], and [[California Polytechnic State University|San Luis Obispo]]); and private institutions such as the [[California Institute of Technology]], [[Azusa Pacific University]], [[Chapman University]], the [[Claremont Colleges]] ([[Claremont McKenna College]], [[Harvey Mudd College]], [[Pitzer College]], [[Pomona College]], [[Scripps College]], [[Claremont Graduate University]] and [[Keck Graduate Institute]]), [[Loma Linda University]], [[Loyola Marymount University]], [[Occidental College]], [[Pepperdine University]], [[University of Redlands]], [[University of San Diego]] and the [[University of Southern California]].

==Parks and recreation areas==
Numerous parks provide recreation opportunities and open space. Locations include:
{{Colbegin}}
*[[National Park Service]]
**[[Cabrillo National Monument]]
**[[Carrizo Plain National Monument]]
**[[Castle Mountains National Monument]]
**[[Cesar E. Chavez National Monument]]
**[[Channel Islands National Park]]
**[[Death Valley National Park]]
**[[Joshua Tree National Park]]
**[[Mojave National Preserve]]
**[[Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area]]
*Major [[State park|State Parks]] – ''including:''
**[[Anza-Borrego Desert State Park]]
**[[Crystal Cove State Park]]
**[[Cuyamaca Rancho State Park]]
**[[Chino Hills State Park]]
**[[Fort Tejon State Historic Park]]
**[[Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area]]
**[[Mount San Jacinto State Park]]
**[[Malibu Creek State Park]]
**[[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)]]
**[[Topanga State Park]]
*Major State Historic Parks – ''including:''
**[[California Citrus State Historic Park]]
**[[Presidio of Santa Barbara|El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park]]
**[[La Purísima Mission State Historic Park]]
**[[Los Encinos State Historic Park]]
**[[Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa]]
**[[Old Town San Diego State Historic Park]]
**[[Rancho Los Encinos]]
**[[Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park]]
**Tule Elk State Natural Reserve
**[[Watts Towers]]
**[[Will Rogers State Historic Park]]
{{Colend}}

==Sports==
{{See also|Freeway Series|Lakers–Clippers rivalry|Sports in California#Northern California–Southern California rivalry}}

Major professional sports teams in Southern California include:

*[[NFL]] (American football) [[Los Angeles Rams]], [[Los Angeles Chargers]]
*[[NBA]] (Basketball) [[Los Angeles Lakers]], [[Los Angeles Clippers]]
*[[MLB]] (Baseball) [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], [[Los Angeles Angels]], [[San Diego Padres]]
*[[NHL]] (Ice hockey) [[Los Angeles Kings]], [[Anaheim Ducks]]
*[[MLS]] (Soccer) [[LA Galaxy]], [[Los Angeles FC]]
*[[NWSL]](Soccer) [[Angel City FC]], [[San Diego Wave FC]]
*[[WNBA]](Basketball) [[Los Angeles Sparks]]
Southern California also is home to a number of popular NCAA sports programs such as the [[UCLA Bruins]], the [[USC Trojans]], and the [[San Diego State Aztecs]]. The Bruins and the Trojans both field football teams in NCAA Division I in the [[Pac-12 Conference]], and there is a longtime [[UCLA–USC rivalry|rivalry between the schools]].

==See also==
{{Portal|California}}
{{Colbegin}}
*[[:Category:History of Southern California|Category: History of Southern California]]
*[[:Category:California ranchos|Category: California ranchos]] – ''Southern California Counties categories''
*[[:Category:Public transportation in Southern California|Category: Public transportation in Southern California]]
*[[California earthquake forecast]]
*[[California megapolitan areas]]
*[[Geography of Southern California]]
*[[Largest cities in Southern California]]
*[[Megaregions of the United States]]
*[[San Angeles]]
*[[South Coast (California)|South Coast]]
*[[Southern California Association of Governments]]
{{Colend}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Castillo-Munoz|first=Veronica|year=2016|title=The Other California: Land, Identity and Politics on the Mexican Borderlands|publisher=University of California Press}}
* {{cite book|editor-last1=Deverell|editor-first1=William|editor-last2=Igler|editor-first2=David|year=2013|title=A companion to California history|publisher=John Wiley & Sons}}
* {{cite book|last=Fogelson|first=Robert M.|year=1967|title=The Fragmented Metropolis: Los Angeles, 1850–1930}}, focus on planning, infrastructure, water and business.
* {{cite book|last=Friedricks|first=William|year=1992|title=Henry E. Huntington and the Creation of Southern California}}, on Henry Edwards Huntington (1850–1927), railroad executive and collector, who helped build LA and southern California through the Southern Pacific railroad and trolleys.
* {{cite book|last=Garcia|first=Matt.|year=2001|title=A World of Its Own: Race, Labor and Citrus in the Making of Greater Los Angeles, 1900–1970}}
* {{cite journal|last=Garcia|first=Mario T.|year=1972|title=A Chicano Perspective on San Diego History|journal=Journal of San Diego History|volume=18|issue=4|pages=14–21}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20020101212335/http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/72fall/chicano.htm online]
* {{cite book|last=Lotchin|first=Roger|year=2002|title=Fortress California, 1910–1961}} [https://www.amazon.com/Fortress-California-1910-1961-WARFARE-WELFARE/dp/0252071034/ excerpt and text search], covers military and industrial roles.
* {{cite book|last=Mills|first=James R.|year=1960|title=San Diego: Where California Began|publisher=San Diego: San Diego Historical Society}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20000818221714/http://www.sandiegohistory.org/books/wcb/wcb.htm revised edition online]
* {{cite book|last=O'Flaherty|first=Joseph S.|year=1972|title=An End and a Beginning: The South Coast and Los Angeles, 1850–1887}}
* {{cite book|last=O'Flaherty|first=Joseph S.|year=1978|title=Those Powerful Years: The South Coast and Los Angeles, 1887–1917}}
* {{cite book|last=Pryde|first=Philip R.|year=2004|title=San Diego: An Introduction to the Region|edition=4th}}, a historical geography
* {{cite journal|last=Shragge|first=Abraham.|year=1994|title=A new federal city: San Diego during World War II|journal=Pacific Historical Review|volume=63|issue=3|pages=333–361|doi=10.2307/3640970|jstor=3640970}} [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3640970 in JSTOR]
* {{cite book|last=Starr|first=Kevin|year=1997|title=The Dream Endures: California Enters the 1940s|pages=90–114}}, covers 1880s–1940
* {{cite book|last=Starr|first=Kevin|year=2004|title=Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990–2003|pages=372–381}}
* {{cite book|last=Starr|first=Kevin|year=2011|title=Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950–1963|pages=57–87}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Southern California}}
{{Wikivoyage|Southern California}}
* [http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15799coll65 California Historical Society Collection, 1860–1960] – [[University of Southern California Libraries|USC Libraries]] Digital Collections
* [http://www.socalhistory.org/ Historical Society of Southern California]

{{California}}
{{Southern California megaregion}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|34|00|N|117|00|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Southern California| ]]
[[Category:Megapolitan areas of California]]
[[Category:Regions of California]]