Counties of California

The U.S. state of California is divided into fifty-eight counties. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. Counties are responsible for all elections, property-tax collection, maintenance of public records such as deeds, and local-level courts within their borders, as well as providing law enforcement (through the county sheriff and sheriff's deputies) to areas that do not lie within incorporated cities. A deed is a Legal instrument used to grant a Right. Deeds are part of the broader category of documents under seal. A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status

• The county is the default unit of local government (all parts of the state's land are allocated to one of the state's 58 counties). Each county has a Board of Supervisors and is subject to mandatory duties under state law to provide its residents with services like law enforcement, healthcare, road maintenance, and so on. The Board of Supervisors is the body governing Counties in the U Balancing a county's mandatory and discretionary duties is a very difficult task; any sufficiently injured county taxpayer has standing to sue the county to enforce certain duties where financial distress is no excuse, such as healthcare.
• If residents of a sufficiently large piece of unincorporated county land do not like their county's resource allocation decisions, they can incorporate a city. In Law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any Municipality. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status The city government then takes some of the tax revenue that would have gone to the county, and can impose additional taxes on its residents. It can then choose to provide almost all the services usually provided by the county (and more), or provide only a few and pay the county to do the rest. A city in this last arrangement is called a contract city; this type of contract is generally known among lawyers as the "Lakewood Plan," because it was pioneered by the city of Lakewood in 1954. Contract city is a term used in the US state of California for a City which has a Contract with another agency or private organization for Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ^[1]
• The idea of "opting out" of county control in California has been taken to its logical extremes. Almost all of the city of Vernon is one large industrial zone, while almost all of the town of Los Altos Hills is zoned as residential. Vernon is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Los Altos Hills (lɑːs ˈæltoʊs ˈhɪlz is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States.
• Due to geographical variations in property tax and sales tax revenue (the primary revenue source for cities and counties) and differing attitudes towards priorities, there are interesting variations in the levels of various services from one city to the next. Property tax, or millage tax, is an Ad valorem tax that an owner pays on the value of the property being taxed A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services For example, the city of Santa Monica is far more generous when it comes to helping the homeless than other cities in Los Angeles County or the county government. Los Angeles County is a county in California and is by far the most populous county in the United States.
• Also, county ordinances do not apply to cities unless they are ratified by each individual city. Thus, for instance, in Los Angeles County, a few cities have not ratified the ordinance requiring the posting of restaurant food safety ratings — even though it was passed many years ago — and in those cities, ratings need not be posted. Restaurant ratings identify Restaurants according to their quality using various notations such as stars or other symbols or numbers
• The state of California has one consolidated city-county, San Francisco. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The city's board of supervisors govern both aspects, and there is both a city police department and a county sheriff, the latter mostly responsible for operating the county jail. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. Jail, or gaol (especially in Canada, Australia and NZ[http //www

First establishment of California counties

On January 4, 1850, the California constitutional committee recommended the formation of 18 counties. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link They were Benicia, Butte, Fremont, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Monterey, Mount Diablo, Oro, Redding, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Sutter. On April 22, the counties of Branciforte, Calaveras, Coloma, Colusi, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Trinity, and Yuba were added. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Benicia was renamed Solano, Coloma to El Dorado, Fremont to Yola, Mt. Diablo to Contra Costa, San Jose to Santa Clara, Oro to Tuolumne, and Redding to Shasta. One of the first state legislative acts regarding counties was to rename Branciforte County to Santa Cruz, Colusi to Colusa, and Yola to Yolo.

The last California county to have been established is Imperial County in 1907. Imperial County is a County located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U

Table of California counties

The current number of counties was achieved over time by subdivision of many of the larger counties into smaller ones. The links in the column FIPS County Code are to the Census Bureau Info page for that county. The FIPS county code is a five-digit Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS code ( FIPS 6-4 which uniquely identifies counties and county equivalents in the

County	FIPS Code [2]	County seat [3]	Established [3]	Origin	Etymolgy	Population [3]	Area [3]	Map
Alameda County	001	Oakland	1853	Parts of Contra Costa County and Santa Clara County. A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. Alameda County is a county in the US state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U	Spanish word meaning a "cottonwood grove". The cottonwoods are three species of Poplars in the section Aegiros of the genus Populus, native to North America, Europe and western	&0000000001443741. 0000001,443,741	&0000000000000738. 000000738 mi² (1,911 km²)
Alpine County	003	Markleeville	1864	Parts of Amador County, El Dorado County, Calaveras County, Mono County and Tuolumne County. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Alpine County is the smallest county, by population in the US Markleeville is a Census-designated place (CDP and the County seat of Alpine County California.	English word meaning "of, pertaining to, or connected with, the Alps".	&0000000000001208. 0000001,208	&0000000000000739. 000000739 sq mi (&0000000000001914. 0000001,914 km²)
Amador County	005	Jackson	1854	Part of Calaveras County. Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Jackson is the County seat of Amador County California. The population was 3989 at the 2000 census	Jose Maria Amador (1794-1883), a soldier, rancher and miner. In Spanish, the word amador means "lover".	&0000000000035100. 00000035,100	&0000000000000593. 000000593 sq mi (&0000000000001536. 0000001,536 km²)
Butte County	007	Oroville	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Butte County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Oroville is the County seat of Butte County California. The city-limits Population was 13004 at the 2000 census; and as of 2007 the population	From the Sutter Buttes, which lay within the county's borders at the time of its creation. The Sutter Buttes, also known as the Marysville Buttes or Histum Yani ( Maidu) are a small circular complex of eroded volcanic Lava domes	&0000000000203171. 000000203,171	&0000000000001640. 0000001,640 sq mi (&0000000000004248. 0000004,248 km²)
Calaveras County	009	San Andreas	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Calaveras County is a County located in the Gold Country of the U For other uses see San Andreas. San Andreas is an unincorporated Census-designated place and the County seat of Calaveras	From the Calaveras River	&0000000000040554. The Calaveras River is a River in the California Central Valley. 00000040,554	&0000000000001020. 0000001,020 sq mi (&0000000000002642. 0000002,642 km²)
Colusa County	011	Colusa	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Colusa County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Colusa is the County seat of Colusa County California. The population was 5402 at the 2000 census	From two Mexican land grants; Coluses (1844) and Colus (1845).	&0000000000018804. 00000018,804	&0000000000001151. 0000001,151 sq mi (&0000000000002981. 0000002,981 km²)
Contra Costa County	013	Martinez	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Contra Costa County ( Spanish for "opposite coast" is a suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U Martinez ( "mar-TEE-niss" or "mar-TEE-nezz") is the County seat of Contra Costa County California, United States	Spanish for opposite coast, because Contra Costa County is across San Francisco Bay from San Francisco	&0000000000948816. San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city 000000948,816	&0000000000000720. 000000720 sq mi (&0000000000001865. 0000001,865 km²)
Del Norte County	015	Crescent City	1857	Part of Klamath County. Del Norte County sits in the far northwest corner of the US state of California, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. Crescent City is the only incorporated city of Del Norte County California and serves as the County seat.	Spanish for Northern, because Del Norte County is the northwesternmost county in the state.	&0000000000027507. 00000027,507	&0000000000001008. 0000001,008 sq mi (&0000000000002611. 0000002,611 km²)
El Dorado County	017	Placerville	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. El Dorado County is a County located in the Gold Country of the U Placerville is the County seat of El Dorado County California.	From the mythical El Dorado, The Gilded One, in relation to El Dorado County's importance in the California Gold Rush	&0000000000156299. El Dorado ( Spanish for "the golden one") is a Legend that began with the story of a South American tribal chief who covered himself The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California 000000156,299	&0000000000001712. 0000001,712 sq mi (&0000000000004434. 0000004,434 km²)
Fresno County	019	Fresno	1856	Parts of Mariposa County, Merced County and Tulare County. Fresno County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U	From Fresno Creek. In Spanish, Fresno means "ash tree".	&0000000000799407. 000000799,407	&0000000000005963. 0000005,963 sq mi (&0000000000015444. 00000015,444 km²)
Glenn County	021	Willows	1891	Part of Colusa County. Glenn County is a county located in the Central Valley, in the northern part of the U Willows is the County seat of Glenn County California. The population was 6220 at the 2000 census	Named for Dr. Hugh J. Glenn (1824-1883), a California businessman and politician	&0000000000026453. Hugh James Glenn (1824- February 17, 1883) was a businessman and California politician 00000026,453	&0000000000001315. 0000001,315 sq mi (&0000000000003406. 0000003,406 km²)
Humboldt County	023	Eureka	1853	Part of Trinity County. Humboldt County is located on the far North Coast of California. Eureka is the County seat and principal city in Humboldt County, California, United States.	From Humboldt Bay, named for Baron Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a Prussian naturalist and explorer	&0000000000126518. (September 14 1769 &ndash May 6 1859 was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister philosopher and linguist 000000126,518	&0000000000003573. 0000003,573 sq mi (&0000000000009254. 0000009,254 km²)
Imperial County	025	El Centro	1907	Part of San Diego County. Imperial County is a County located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U [4]	From the Imperial Valley, which tooks its name from the Imperial Land Company	&0000000000142361. The Imperial Land Company was a land developer in the early 20th century in Southern California. 000000142,361	&0000000000004175. 0000004,175 sq mi (&0000000000010813. 00000010,813 km²)
Inyo County	027	Independence	1866	Parts of Mono County and Tulare County. Inyo County is located in east-central California in the southwestern United States, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and south of Yosemite Independence is a Census-designated place and the County seat of Inyo County California.	From a Native American word for dwelling place of the great spirit	&0000000000017945. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and 00000017,945	&0000000000010192. 00000010,192 sq mi (&0000000000026397. 00000026,397 km²)
Kern County	029	Bakersfield	1866	Parts of Los Angeles County and Tulare County. Kern County is a County located in the southern Central Valley of the U	From the Kern River, named for Edward Kern, cartographer for General John C. Fremont's 1845 expedition	&0000000000661645. The Kern River is a river in the US state of California, approximately long John Charles Frémont ( January 21, 1813 July 13, 1890) was an American military officer, explorer, the 000000661,645	&0000000000008142. 0000008,142 sq mi (&0000000000021088. 00000021,088 km²)
Kings County	031	Hanford	1893	Part of Tulare County. Kings County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the County seat of Kings County California.	From the Kings River	&0000000000129461. The Kings River is a major river of California, USA. It arises in the Sierra Nevada, consisting of three forks 000000129,461	&0000000000001390. 0000001,390 sq mi (&0000000000003600. 0000003,600 km²)
Lake County	033	Lakeport	1861	Part of Napa County. Lake County is a County located in the north central portion of the U Lakeport is the County seat of Lake County California. The population was 4820 at the time of the 2000 census	From Clear Lake. Clear Lake is the largest natural Lake entirely in California, and has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake entirely in California the tenth largest by	&0000000000058309. 00000058,309	&0000000000001258. 0000001,258 sq mi (&0000000000003258. 0000003,258 km²)
Lassen County	035	Susanville	1864	Parts of Plumas County and Shasta County, and part of now defunct Lake County, Nevada. Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U Susanville is a city and county seat of Lassen County, California, USA Roop County is a defunct county of Nevada. It was created as Lake County in 1861 as one of the original nine counties of Nevada	Named for Peter Lassen (1800-1859), a native of Denmark and an early explorer of the area. Peter Lassen ( October 31, 1800 – April 26, 1859) was a Danish-American Blacksmith, Rancher and prospector. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe	&0000000000033828. 00000033,828	&0000000000004558. 0000004,558 sq mi (&0000000000011805. 00000011,805 km²)
Los Angeles County	037	Los Angeles	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Los Angeles County is a county in California and is by far the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West	Spanish for the angels	&0000000009519338. 0000009,519,338	&0000000000004060. 0000004,060 sq mi (&0000000000010515. 00000010,515 km²)
Madera County	039	Madera	1893	Part of Fresno County. Madera County is a County of the US state of California, located in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada north of Madera is a city in and the County seat of Madera County, California, United States.	Spanish for wood	&0000000000123109. 000000123,109	&0000000000002138. 0000002,138 sq mi (&0000000000005537. 0000005,537 km²)
Marin County	041	San Rafael	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. March 11, 1889 | PLEASE DO NOT DELETE EMPTY FIELDS UNTIL JUNE 1 2007--THIS WILL TAKE A WHILE--> San Rafael (ˌsænrəˈfɛl originally sɑn rɑfɑˈɛl	Disputed	&0000000000247289. March 11, 1889 | 000000247,289	&0000000000000520. 000000520 sq mi (&0000000000001347. 0000001,347 km²)
Mariposa County	043	Mariposa	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Mariposa County is a County in the US state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains Mariposa is a Census-designated place (CDP in and the County seat of Mariposa County, California, United States. [5]	Spanish for butterfly	&0000000000017130. 00000017,130	&0000000000001451. 0000001,451 sq mi (&0000000000003758. 0000003,758 km²)
Mendocino County	045	Ukiah	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Mendocino County is a County located on the north coast of the U Ukiah (pronounced You-kai-uh juːˈkаɪjə is the County seat and largest city of Mendocino County California.	From Cape Mendocino, named probably for either Antonio de Mendoza or Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza, viceroys of New Spain	&0000000000086265. Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County California, USA is the westernmost point on the coast of California. Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza (Antonio de Mendoza (1495 Granada &ndash July 21, 1552, Lima) was the first viceroy of New Spain Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza 4th conde de la Coruña (Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza cuatro conde de la Coruña (c A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the Monarch. The Viceroyalty of New Spain (Virreinato de Nueva España was a name given to the Viceroy -ruled territories of the Spanish Empire in North America, 00000086,265	&0000000000003509. 0000003,509 sq mi (&0000000000009088. 0000009,088 km²)
Merced County	047	Merced	1855	Part of Mariposa County. Merced County (pronounced "Mer-SED" is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Merced, is the County seat of Merced County California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California.	From the Merced River, or in Spanish El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (River of Our Lady of Mercy); named in 1806 by an expedition headed by Gabriel Moraga	&0000000000210554. Merced River (pronounced "mer-SED" is in California. Its headwaters are in the southern half of Yosemite National Park. Spanish army officer Gabriel Moraga was one of the first Europeans to explore California's Great Central Valley (1806 -1808 000000210,554	&0000000000001929. 0000001,929 sq mi (&0000000000004996. 0000004,996 km²)
Modoc County	049	Alturas	1874	Part of Siskiyou County. Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U Alturas is the County seat of Modoc County, California, United States.	From the Native American Modoc people	&0000000000009449. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Modoc tribe is a group of Native American people who originally lived in the area which is now northeastern California and central Southern Oregon. 0000009,449	&0000000000003944. 0000003,944 sq mi (&0000000000010215. 00000010,215 km²)
Mono County	051	Bridgeport	1861	Parts of Calaveras County, Fresno County and Mariposa County. Mono County is a County located in the east central portion of the U Bridgeport California is an Unincorporated community that is the County seat of Mono County, California.	-	&0000000000012853. 00000012,853	&0000000000003044. 0000003,044 sq mi (&0000000000007884. 0000007,884 km²)
Monterey County	053	Salinas	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U Salinas is the County seat and largest municipality of Monterey County in the U	From Monterey Bay. This article is about the bay near Monterey CA For other uses see Monterey Bay Aquarium, California State University Monterey Bay The name itself is composed of the Spanish words monte (hill) and rey (king)	&0000000000401762. 000000401,762	&0000000000003322. 0000003,322 sq mi (&0000000000008604. 0000008,604 km²)
Napa County	055	Napa	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Napa County is a County located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U	-	&0000000000124279. 000000124,279	&0000000000000754. 000000754 sq mi (&0000000000001953. 0000001,953 km²)
Nevada County	057	Nevada City	1851	Part of Yuba County. Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Nevada City (formerly Deer Creek Dry Diggins, and Caldwell's Upper Store) is the County seat of Nevada County, California, USA 60	-	&0000000000092033. 00000092,033	&0000000000000958. 000000958 sq mi (&0000000000002481. 0000002,481 km²)
Orange County	059	Santa Ana	1889	Part of Los Angeles County. Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Founded in 1869 Santa Ana ( is the most populous city in Orange County California and is the County seat and a city of about 353184 people.	From the citrus fruit widely grown in the region at the time the county was formed	&0000000002846289. Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of 0000002,846,289	&0000000000000790. 000000790 sq mi (&0000000000002046. 0000002,046 km²)
Placer County	061	Auburn	1851	Parts of Sutter County and Yuba County. Placer County (from Spanish: placer - "pleasure" is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Auburn is a city in and the County seat of Placer County, California, United States.	-	&0000000000307004. 000000307,004	&0000000000001503. 0000001,503 sq mi (&0000000000003893. 0000003,893 km²)
Plumas County	063	Quincy	1854	Part of Butte County. Plumas County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Quincy is a Census-designated place and the County seat of Plumas County California.	For the Feather River, "Plumas" meaning "feathers" in Spanish	&0000000000020824. 00000020,824	&0000000000002554. 0000002,554 sq mi (&0000000000006615. 0000006,615 km²)
Riverside County	065	Riverside	1893	Parts of San Bernardino County and San Diego County. Riverside County is a County located in the southeastern part of the U Riverside is the County seat of Riverside County, California, United States.	From the city of Riverside being alongside the Santa Ana River	&0000000001545387. The Santa Ana River begins in San Bernardino County California, in the San Bernardino National Forest. 0000001,545,387	&0000000000007208. 0000007,208 sq mi (&0000000000018669. 00000018,669 km²)
Sacramento County	067	Sacramento	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Sacramento County is a county in the US state of California. The County seat is the city of Sacramento, the State capital	From the Sacramento River, itself named for the Santisimo Sacramento (Spanish for Most Holy Sacrament) a reference to the Eucharist	&0000000001223499. The Sacramento River is the longest River entirely within the U The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those 0000001,223,499	&0000000000000966. 000000966 sq mi (&0000000000002502. 0000002,502 km²)
San Benito County	069	Hollister	1874	Part of Monterey County. San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U Hollister is a city in and the County seat of San Benito County, California, United States.	-	&0000000000053234. 00000053,234	&0000000000001389. 0000001,389 sq mi (&0000000000003597. 0000003,597 km²)
San Bernardino County	071	San Bernardino	1853	Part of Los Angeles County. San Bernardino County is a county in the US state of California.	Named for Saint Bernardino of Siena	&0000000001709434. Saint Bernardino of Siena (sometimes Bernardine, September 8 1380 &ndash May 20, 1444) was an Italian priest preacher 0000001,709,434	&0000000000020062. 00000020,062 sq mi (&0000000000051960. 00000051,960 km²)
San Diego County	073	San Diego	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. San Diego County is a County located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U	Named for San Diego Bay, itself named for Saint Didacus of Alcalá, or San Diego de Alcalá in Spanish	&0000000002813833. San Diego Bay is a natural harbor adjacent to San Diego California. Saint Didacus of Alcalá or Diego, more familiar as San Diego, was a Lay brother of the Order of Friars Minor who died at Alcalá de Henares 0000002,813,833	&0000000000004204. 0000004,204 sq mi (&0000000000010888. 00000010,888 km²)
San Francisco County	075	San Francisco	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city	Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), a Roman Catholic saint and founder of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans)	&0000000000776733. For the opera by Olivier Messiaen see Saint-François d'Assise. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic 000000776,733	&0000000000000047. 00000047 sq mi (&0000000000000122. 000000122 km²)
San Joaquin County	077	Stockton	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U Stockton is a City in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the fifth largest agricultural county in the United States	-	&0000000000563598. 000000563,598	&0000000000001399. 0000001,399 sq mi (&0000000000003623. 0000003,623 km²)
San Luis Obispo County	079	San Luis Obispo	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U San Luis Obispo (sænˈluːɪs əˈbɪspoʊ Spanish for St Louis the Bishop) is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco	Spanish for St. Louis, the Bishop. Saint Louis of Toulouse (February 1274 &ndash August 19, 1297) was a cadet of the royal French House of Anjou who was made a Catholic	&0000000000246681. 000000246,681	&0000000000003304. 0000003,304 sq mi (&0000000000008557. 0000008,557 km²)
San Mateo County	081	Redwood City	1856	Part of San Francisco County. San Mateo County ( "san muh-TAY-o") ( Spanish for: St Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California	-	&0000000000707161. 000000707,161	&0000000000000449. 000000449 sq mi (&0000000000001163. 0000001,163 km²)
Santa Barbara County	083	Santa Barbara	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Santa Barbara County is a County located on the Pacific coast of the southern portion of the U Santa Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County California, United States.	Spanish for Saint Barbara	&0000000000399347. Saint Barbara, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was a Christian Saint and Martyr. 000000399,347	&0000000000002738. 0000002,738 sq mi (&0000000000007091. 0000007,091 km²)
Santa Clara County	085	San Jose	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Santa Clara County is a County located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U	-	&0000000001682585. 0000001,682,585	&0000000000001291. 0000001,291 sq mi (&0000000000003344. 0000003,344 km²)
Santa Cruz County	087	Santa Cruz	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U Santa Cruz is the County seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States.	-	&0000000000255602. 000000255,602	&0000000000000446. 000000446 sq mi (&0000000000001155. 0000001,155 km²)
Shasta County	089	Redding	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Shasta County is a county located in the northern portion of the U Redding is a city in Northern California. It is the County seat of Shasta County California, USA	-	&0000000000163256. 000000163,256	&0000000000003786. 0000003,786 sq mi (&0000000000009806. 0000009,806 km²)
Sierra County	091	Downieville	1852	Part of Yuba County. Sierra County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Downieville is the County seat of Sierra County California. It has a population of 325	-	&0000000000003555. 0000003,555	&0000000000000953. 000000953 sq mi (&0000000000002468. 0000002,468 km²)
Siskiyou County	093	Yreka	1852	Parts of Shasta County and Klamath County. Siskiyou County is a County located in the far northernmost part of the U Yreka (waɪˈriːkə "wye-REE-ka" is the County seat of Siskiyou County California, United States	County named after Siskiyou Mountain Range; etymology of Siskiyou is disputed	&0000000000044301. The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal Mountain range in the northern Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon 00000044,301	&0000000000006287. 0000006,287 sq mi (&0000000000016283. 00000016,283 km²)
Solano County	095	Fairfield	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Solano County is a County located in Bay-Delta region of the U Fairfield is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA (See East Bay and	-	&0000000000394542. 000000394,542	&0000000000000828. 000000828 sq mi (&0000000000002145. 0000002,145 km²)
Sonoma County	097	Santa Rosa	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of California, is one of the northernmost counties of the nine county Greater San Francisco Bay Area, U Santa Rosa is the County seat of Sonoma County California, United States	-	&0000000000458614. 000000458,614	&0000000000001576. 0000001,576 sq mi (&0000000000004082. 0000004,082 km²)
Stanislaus County	099	Modesto	1854	Part of Tuolumne County. Stanislaus County is a County located in the Central Valley of the state of California, between Stockton and Fresno. Modesto is the County seat of Stanislaus County in the US state of California.	-	&0000000000446997. 000000446,997	&0000000000001495. 0000001,495 sq mi (&0000000000003872. 0000003,872 km²)
Sutter County	101	Yuba City	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Sutter County is a county located along the Sacramento River in the Central Valley of the U Yuba City is a Northern California city founded in 1849 It is the County seat of Sutter County, California, United States	Named for Johann Augustus Sutter (a. k. a. John Sutter) (1803–1880), a Swiss pioneer of California known for his association with the California Gold Rush	&0000000000078930. Johann Augustus Sutter ( February 28 1803 &ndash June 18 1880) was a Swiss pioneer of California known for his association California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California 00000078,930	&0000000000000603. 000000603 sq mi (&0000000000001562. 0000001,562 km²)
Tehama County	103	Red Bluff	1856	Parts of Butte County, Colusa County and Shasta County. Tehama County (pronounced teh-HAY-muh is a county located in the northern part of the U Red Bluff is the County seat of Tehama County California. As of the 2000 census the incorporated city had a total Population of 13147 but it is currently	-	&0000000000056039. 00000056,039	&0000000000002951. 0000002,951 sq mi (&0000000000007643. 0000007,643 km²)
Trinity County	105	Weaverville	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Trinity County is a large rugged and mountainous heavily forested county located in the northwestern portion of the U Weaverville is a Census-designated place and the County seat of Trinity County California.	-	&0000000000013022. 00000013,022	&0000000000003179. 0000003,179 sq mi (&0000000000008234. 0000008,234 km²)
Tulare County	107	Visalia	1852	Part of Mariposa County. Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U	-	&0000000000368021. 000000368,021	&0000000000004824. 0000004,824 sq mi (&0000000000012494. 00000012,494 km²)
Tuolumne County	109	Sonora	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Tuolumne County (tuːˈɒləmi "To All o' Me" with a silent N is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Sonora is the County seat of Tuolumne County California. As of the 2000 census the city population was 4423	-	&0000000000054501. 00000054,501	&0000000000002236. 0000002,236 sq mi (&0000000000005791. 0000005,791 km²)
Ventura County	111	Ventura	1872	Part of Santa Barbara County. Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the US state of California ( Southern California) Incorporated in 1866 the city of San Buenaventura (usually referred to as Ventura) is the County seat of Ventura	Abbreviation of San Buenaventura, Spanish for St. Bonaventure. Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (San Bonaventura (1221 &ndash July 15, 1274) born John of Fidanza (Giovanni di Fidanza was the eighth Minister	&0000000000753197. 000000753,197	&0000000000001846. 0000001,846 sq mi (&0000000000004781. 0000004,781 km²)
Yolo County	113	Woodland	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Yolo County is located in the northern part of the US state of California, bordered by the counties of Sacramento, Solano, Woodland (formerly By Hell and Yolo City) is the County seat of Yolo County California.	-	&0000000000168660. 000000168,660	&0000000000001012. 0000001,012 sq mi (&0000000000002621. 0000002,621 km²)
Yuba County	115	Marysville	1850	One of the twenty-seven original counties. Yuba County is located in the US state of California 's Central Valley, north of Sacramento, along the Feather River. Marysville is the County seat of Yuba County, California, United States.	-	&0000000000071938. 00000071,938	&0000000000000630. 000000630 sq mi (&0000000000001632. 0000001,632 km²)

Defunct counties

• Klamath County was created in 1851 from the northern half of Trinity County, but in 1874 it was divided between Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. Klamath County was a county of California from 1851 to 1874. During its existence the County seat moved twice and several counties were Part of the county's territory went to Del Norte in 1857.
• Pautah County 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. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. When the cession never occurred, the California State Legislature officially abolished the never-created county in 1859. The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U

See also

• List of California county name etymologies
• Lists of school districts in California by county

Notes

1. ^ Reynolds, 48-49. This is a list of California county name etymologies. Most of California 's counties were named by Spanish explorers often for a Roman Catholic Lists of school districts in California by county See also List of school districts in California List of school districts in
2. ^ EPA County FIPS Code Listing. EPA. gov. Retrieved on 2008-02-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable
3. ^ ^{a b c d} National Association of Counties. NACo - Find a county. Retrieved on 2008-04-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule
4. ^ The most recent county formed.
5. ^ Mariposa County was the largest of the state's original counties, but territory that was once part of Mariposa is now part of 12 other counties -- Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Merced, Mono, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, and Tulare.

External links

• California State Association of Counties
• State map showing the county names and linking to county data