The U.S. state of California is divided into 58 counties. The state was first divided into 27 counties on February 18, 1850. These were further sub-divided to form sixteen additional counties by 1860. Another fourteen counties were formed through further subdivision from 1861 to 1893. The most recent county to form was Imperial County, in 1907. California is home to San Bernardino County, the largest county in the contiguous United States, as well as Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States.

The counties of California are local arms of the State of California, described by the Supreme Court of California as agents ("the county is merely a political subdivision of state government, exercising only the powers of the state, granted by the state…'") and the property they hold is held on behalf of all the people of the state. As such, the State Legislature may delegate any of the functions of the State to the counties but likewise can reassume any delegated duties.

California counties are general law counties by default. Still, they may be chartered as provided in Article XI, Section 3 of the California Constitution. A charter county is granted limited home rule powers. Of the 58 counties in California, the following 15 are governed under a charter: Alameda, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Shasta, and Tehama.

Nine counties in California are named for saints, tied with Louisiana for the largest number. This count omits Santa Cruz ("Holy Cross") County, not named for a saint; Merced County and Los Angeles County, both of whose names refer to Saint Mary (Our Lady of Mercy (Merced) and Our Lady Queen of The Angels (Los Angeles)); and Ventura County, whose name is a shortening of the name of St. Bonaventure, the namesake of the local mission.

List

CountyFIPS codeCounty seatEst.Formed fromEtymologyGeneral Law or CharterPopulation (2025)AreaMap
Alameda CountyOakland1853Contra Costa and Santa ClaraThe oak and other trees, once abundant in the region; alameda is Spanish for "avenue shaded by trees" or "cottonwood grove".Charter1,636,630738 sq mi (1,911 km2)
Alpine CountyMarkleeville1864Amador, El Dorado, Calaveras, Mono and TuolumneLocation high in the Sierra Nevada; alpine refers to the Alps or other mountains.General Law1,043739 sq mi (1,914 km2)
Amador CountyJackson1854CalaverasJose Maria Amador (1794–1883), a soldier, rancher, and miner who, along with several Native Americans, established a successful gold mining camp near present-day Amador City in 1848General Law41,876593 sq mi (1,536 km2)
Butte CountyOroville1850originalSutter Buttes, which were mistakenly thought to be in the county at the time of its establishmentCharter209,2111,640 sq mi (4,248 km2)
Calaveras CountySan Andreas1850originalCalaveras River; calaveras is Spanish for "skulls".General Law46,6051,020 sq mi (2,642 km2)
Colusa CountyColusa1850originalRancho Colus land grant from MexicoGeneral Law21,8361,151 sq mi (2,981 km2)
Contra Costa CountyMartinez1850originalLocation across San Francisco Bay from San Francisco; contra costa is Spanish for "opposite coast".General Law1,170,070720 sq mi (1,865 km2)
Del Norte CountyCrescent City1857KlamathLocation along California's northern border; del norte is Spanish for "northern".General Law26,4101,008 sq mi (2,611 km2)
El Dorado CountyPlacerville1850originalEl Dorado, a mythical city of gold, owing to the area's significance in the California Gold RushCharter192,3231,712 sq mi (4,434 km2)
Fresno CountyFresno1856Mariposa, Merced and TulareThe city of Fresno; fresno is Spanish for "ash tree".Charter1,035,4565,963 sq mi (15,444 km2)
Glenn CountyWillows1891ColusaHugh J. Glenn, a California businessman and politicianGeneral Law28,1411,315 sq mi (3,406 km2)
Humboldt CountyEureka1853TrinityAlexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist and explorerGeneral Law131,6473,573 sq mi (9,254 km2)
Imperial CountyEl Centro1907San DiegoImperial Valley, named after the Imperial Land CompanyGeneral Law181,4114,175 sq mi (10,813 km2)
Inyo CountyIndependence1866Mono and TulareExact etymology disputed; early settlers believed Inyo to be the native name for area mountains, but it may be the name of a Mono Indian leader.General Law18,15810,192 sq mi (26,397 km2)
Kern CountyBakersfield1866Los Angeles and TulareEdward Kern, cartographer for John C. Fremont's 1845 expeditionGeneral Law927,0688,142 sq mi (21,088 km2)
Kings CountyHanford1893TulareKings River; original Spanish name Rio de los Santos Reyes ("River of the Holy Kings")General Law154,3271,390 sq mi (3,600 km2)
Lake CountyLakeport1861NapaClear LakeGeneral Law67,7721,258 sq mi (3,258 km2)
Lassen CountySusanville1864Plumas and Shasta, and now defunct Lake County, NevadaPeter Lassen, a Danish naturalist and explorerGeneral Law28,1174,558 sq mi (11,805 km2)
Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles1850originalThe city of Los Angeles, derived from the original Spanish name El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles ("The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels")Charter9,694,9344,060 sq mi (10,515 km2)
Madera CountyMadera1893FresnoThe city of Madera, which was named for the lumber industry it was created for; madera is Spanish for "wood" or "timber".General Law167,9272,138 sq mi (5,537 km2)
Marin CountySan Rafael1850originalChief Marin, "great chief of the tribe Licatiut" (a branch of the Coast Miwok people)General Law253,694520 sq mi (1,347 km2)
Mariposa CountyMariposa1850originalThe city of Mariposa; mariposa is Spanish for "butterfly".General Law16,9181,451 sq mi (3,758 km2)
Mendocino CountyUkiah1850originalAntonio de Mendoza, first viceroy of New SpainGeneral Law88,1223,509 sq mi (9,088 km2)
Merced CountyMerced1855MariposaThe city of Merced, derived from the original Spanish name El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced ("River of Our Lady of Mercy")General Law297,2601,929 sq mi (4,996 km2)
Modoc CountyAlturas1874SiskiyouThe Modoc peopleGeneral Law8,4263,944 sq mi (10,215 km2)
Mono CountyBridgeport1861Calaveras, Fresno and MariposaMono Lake; derived from Monachi, a Yokuts name for native peoples of the Sierra NevadaGeneral Law12,5053,044 sq mi (7,884 km2)
Monterey CountySalinas1850originalDerived from Monterey Bay, which was named for a Viceroy of New Spain, Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of MonterreyGeneral Law433,7293,322 sq mi (8,604 km2)
Napa CountyNapa1850originalDisputed origin; possibly derived from the Patwin word napo, meaning "home"General Law132,949754 sq mi (1,953 km2)
Nevada CountyNevada City1851YubaThe phrase Sierra Nevada; nevada is Spanish for "snow-covered", referencing the area's high elevation. The bordering state was named after the county, which was named after Nevada City.[citation needed]General Law101,911958 sq mi (2,481 km2)
Orange CountySanta Ana1889Los AngelesOranges, to illustrate a perception of a region with a semi-tropical atmosphere to those from the eastern parts of the United StatesCharter3,149,507790 sq mi (2,046 km2)
Placer CountyAuburn1851SacramentoPlacer mining, a reference to the area being a center of the California Gold RushCharter442,0811,404 sq mi (3,636 km2)
Plumas CountyQuincy1854ButteThe Feather River; plumas is Spanish for "feathers".General Law18,5832,554 sq mi (6,615 km2)
Riverside CountyRiverside1893San Bernardino and San DiegoThe city of Riverside, named for its location on the Santa Ana RiverGeneral Law2,544,9167,208 sq mi (18,669 km2)
Sacramento CountySacramento1850originalThe city of Sacramento, named after the Santísimo Sacramento (Spanish for "Most Holy Sacrament")Charter1,618,460966 sq mi (2,502 km2)
San Benito CountyHollister1874MontereySaint Benedict (Benito is a Spanish diminutive of Benedict).General Law70,0821,389 sq mi (3,597 km2)
San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino1853Los AngelesThe city of San Bernardino, named after Saint Bernardino of Siena (Spanish for Saint Bernardine)Charter2,224,09120,062 sq mi (51,960 km2)
San Diego CountySan Diego1850originalThe city of San Diego, from Mission San Diego (Spanish for Saint Didacus)Charter3,282,2484,204 sq mi (10,888 km2)
City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco1850originalThe city of San Francisco, from Presidio of San Francisco and Mission San Francisco de Asís, named after Saint Francis of Assisi (Spanish for Saint Francis)Charter826,07947 sq mi (122 km2)
San Joaquin CountyStockton1850originalSpanish for Saint Joachim, father of the Virgin MaryGeneral Law823,8151,399 sq mi (3,623 km2)
San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo1850originalThe city of San Luis Obispo, from Mission San Luis Obispo, named after Saint Louis of Toulouse (Spanish for Saint Louis, the Bishop)General Law282,3673,304 sq mi (8,557 km2)
San Mateo CountyRedwood City1856San Francisco and Santa CruzSpanish for Saint MatthewCharter743,568449 sq mi (1,163 km2)
Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara1850originalThe city of Santa Barbara, from Mission Santa Barbara, (Spanish for Saint Barbara)General Law442,0652,738 sq mi (7,091 km2)
Santa Clara CountySan Jose1850originalCity of Santa Clara, from Mission Santa Clara de Asís, named for Saint Clare of Assisi (Spanish for Saint Clare)Charter1,914,3911,291 sq mi (3,344 km2)
Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz1850originalThe city of Santa Cruz, from Mission Santa Cruz (Spanish for "holy cross")General Law258,852446 sq mi (1,155 km2)
Shasta CountyRedding1850originalMount Shasta; the indigenous Shasta peopleGeneral Law (becoming Charter as of 1 January 2025)181,6483,786 sq mi (9,806 km2)
Sierra CountyDownieville1852YubaSierra is Spanish for "mountain range", a reference to the area's topographyGeneral Law3,098953 sq mi (2,468 km2)
Siskiyou CountyYreka1852Shasta and KlamathSiskiyou Mountains; exact etymology of Siskiyou is disputed.General Law42,0136,287 sq mi (16,283 km2)
Solano CountyFairfield1850originalChief Solano of the SuisunesGeneral Law455,376828 sq mi (2,145 km2)
Sonoma CountySanta Rosa1850originalExact etymology disputed; probably a Pomo term meaning "valley of the moon", which references a native legend about spiritual activity in the areaGeneral Law486,4441,576 sq mi (4,082 km2)
Stanislaus CountyModesto1854TuolumneStanislaus River, named after Estanislao, a native of the area when California was under Spanish and Mexican ruleGeneral Law557,7191,495 sq mi (3,872 km2)
Sutter CountyYuba City1850originalJohn Sutter, a Swiss pioneer of California associated with the California Gold RushGeneral Law98,787603 sq mi (1,562 km2)
Tehama CountyRed Bluff1856Butte, Colusa and ShastaThe city of Tehama, probably a native term describing its locationCharter64,6652,951 sq mi (7,643 km2)
Trinity CountyWeaverville1850originalThe city of Trinidad, Spanish for "trinity"General Law15,7203,179 sq mi (8,234 km2)
Tulare CountyVisalia1852MariposaTulare Lake, which is named after the tule rush (Schoenoplectus acutus) that grew in the marshes and sloughs along its shoresGeneral Law485,1464,824 sq mi (12,494 km2)
Tuolumne CountySonora1850originalExact etymology disputed; probably a corruption of the native term talmalamne, which means "cluster of stone wigwams", a reference to local cave dwelling tribesGeneral Law53,1602,236 sq mi (5,791 km2)
Ventura CountyVentura1872Santa BarbaraThe city of Ventura, derived from Mission San Buenaventura (Spanish for St. Bonaventure)General Law830,8511,846 sq mi (4,781 km2)
Yolo CountyWoodland1850originalThe Yolan people, a local Native American tribeGeneral Law224,4101,012 sq mi (2,621 km2)
Yuba CountyMarysville1850originalNamed either by the Maidu people, a local Native American tribe who live on the banks of the Feather and Yuba Rivers, for one of their villages, or by Gabriel Moraga for the wild grapes (Vitis californica) that grow abundantly at the edge of the rivers (uva being Spanish for "grape")General Law88,691630 sq mi (1,632 km2)

Defunct counties

  • Branciforte County was the original name of Santa Cruz County in 1850. The reference was to the 1797 town of Branciforte.
  • Klamath County was created in 1851 from the northern half of Trinity County. Part of the county's territory went to Del Norte County in 1857, and in 1874 the remainder was divided between Humboldt and Siskiyou counties.
  • Pautah County, California was created in 1852 out of territory which, the state of California assumed, was to be ceded to it by the United States Congress from territory in what is now the state of Nevada. When the cession never occurred, the California State Legislature officially abolished the never-organized county in 1859.
  • Buena Vista County was created in 1855 by the California State Legislature out of the southeastern territory of Tulare County on the west of the Sierra Nevada but was never officially organized. The south of Tulare County was later organized as Kern County in 1866, with additions from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
  • Coso County was created in 1864 by the California State Legislature out of territory of Mono County and Tulare County on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada but was never officially organized. The region was later organized in 1866 as Inyo County with additions from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
  • Roop County, Nevada encompassed much of Lassen County, including the Honey Lake Valley and the community of Susanville, California; ambiguous organic legislation of Nevada Territory led to confusion about the geographic extent of Nevada's western border. This was later clarified, with the portions of Roop County in California being assigned to Lassen County; the remaining, sparsely portions of Roop County were eventually combined with Washoe County, Nevada.

Proposed counties

  • Mojave County, proposed in 1988 that would have split the northern and eastern 90% of San Bernardino County
  • Cahuilla County, proposed in the 1980s by the residents of eastern Riverside County
  • Corona County, proposed in 2002 by residents of Corona and surrounding communities in Riverside County
  • High Desert County, proposed in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s to split from portions of Los Angeles, Kern and San Bernardino counties
  • Los Padres County, proposed in 1978 to split the northern portion of Santa Barbara County
  • Mission County, proposed in 2006 to split the northern portion of Santa Barbara County
  • Sequoia County, proposed in the 1990s, split from parts of southern Humboldt and Northern Mendocino counties

See also

Further reading

  • writer, Statf (2022). (PDF). ce.naco.org. National Association of Counties (NACo).

External links