Yosemite Valley in the Sierra Nevada.

Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. 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. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern California coast, the Big Sur coastline area, the Sierra Nevada including Yosemite Valley and Lake Tahoe, Mt. Shasta which is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range, and the Central Valley. The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living Species of the Genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly The North Coast (also Redwood Empire or Redwood Coast) is a region of the U Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California, United States, coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U Yosemite Valley (joʊˈsɛməti yoh-SEM-it-ee) is a world-famous scenic location in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. Mount Shasta ( Úytaahkoo, Karuk) or the "White Mountain" in English a 14179-foot (4322 m Stratovolcano, is the second-highest peak in the

Native Americans arrived in Northern California perhaps as early as 5,000 to 8,000 BCE, and successive waves of arrivals led to one of the most densely populated areas of pre-Columbian North America. The arrival of European explorers from the early 1500s to the mid-1700s, did not establish European settlements in Northern California. This list of explorers is sorted by surname See also the links below. In 1770, the Spanish mission at Monterey was the first European settlement in the area, followed by other missions along the coast—eventually extending as far north as Sonoma County. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of Religious outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 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

Description

The forty-eight California counties within a conventional definition of "Northern California. "

Definitions of what constitutes "Northern California" can vary. When the state is divided into two areas (Northern and Southern California) the term "Northern California" conventionally refers to the forty-eight counties north of the ten counties of Southern California; the term is also occasionally applied to the area north of the Tehachapi Mountains. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U The Tehachapi Mountains (təˈhætʃəˌpi are a short transverse range in southern California in the United States, running SW-NE connecting

Because of California's large size and diverse geography, the state can be subdivided in other ways as well. For example, the Central Valley is a distinct region in itself both culturally and topographically from coastal California, though in Northern versus Southern California divisions, the Sacramento Valley and most of the San Joaquin Valley are usually placed in Northern California. Some residents of far Northern California define their region as encompassing only those areas to the north of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento metropolitan areas. The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the

Significance

Since the events of the California Gold Rush, Northern California has long been a leader on the world's economic, scientific, and cultural stages. 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 From the development of gold mining techniques in the nineteenth century which were later adopted around the world, to the development of world-famous on-line business models (Google, Yahoo!, eBay), Northern California has been at the forefront of new ways of doing business. Google Inc is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and In science, advances range from being the first to isolate and name fourteen transuranic chemical elements, to breakthroughs in microchip technology. The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ( LBNL) is a U In Chemistry, transuranium elements (also known as transuranic elements) are the Chemical elements with Atomic numbers greater than 92 (the atomic Cultural contributions include Ansel Adams, beatniks, the Summer of Love, George Lucas, Clint Eastwood, and the open, casual workplace first popularized in the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and now widely in use around the world. Ansel Easton Adams (February 20 1902 – April 22 1984 was a legendary American Photographer and Environmentalist, best known for his Black-and-white This article refers to the summer of 1967 For the film of a similar name please go to My Summer of Love. George Walton Lucas Jr (born May 14, 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer, Screenwriter Clinton "Clint" Eastwood Jr (born May 31 1930 is a four-time Academy Award winning American Actor and Filmmaker. The " dot-com bubble " (or sometimes the " IT bubble " was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2001 (with a climax on March 10

Geography and climate

Mount Shasta at 14,179 ft (4,321 m) dominates the northern part of Northern California. Mount Shasta ( Úytaahkoo, Karuk) or the "White Mountain" in English a 14179-foot (4322 m Stratovolcano, is the second-highest peak in the

Northern California's diverse geography ranges from the sandy beaches of the Pacific coast to the rugged, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U The central portion of the region is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most vital agricultural areas in the country. The Central Valley is a large flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U The Sierra Nevada contains Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially-carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the largest living organisms on Earth, the giant sequoia trees, and the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. Yosemite Valley (joʊˈsɛməti yoh-SEM-it-ee) is a world-famous scenic location in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Sequoia National Park is a National park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia California, in the United States of America. Sequoiadendron giganteum ( Giant Sequoia, Sierra Redwood, or Wellingtonia) is the sole species in the genus Sequoiadendron The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the Contiguous United States with an elevation of. The tallest living things on Earth, the ancient redwood trees, dot the coastline, mainly north of San Francisco. Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living Species of the Genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly Northern California is also home to the lowest and hottest place in North America, Death Valley. Death Valley is the lowest driest and hottest Valley in the United States. Bristlecone pines located in the White Mountains are the oldest known trees in the world; one has an age of 4,700 years. The bristlecone pines are a small group of Pine trees (Family Pinaceae, genus Pinus, subsection Balfourianae) that are thought to The White Mountains of California are a triangular fault block Mountain range facing the Sierra Nevada across the upper Owens Valley The area is also known for its fertile farm and ranch lands, wine country, the high mountains of the southern Cascade Range, the Trinity Alps, and the Klamath Mountains, lakes, and the windswept sagebrush steppe, in the northeast portion of the region. The Wine Country is a region of Northern California in the United States known worldwide as a premium Wine -growing region The Trinity Alps are mountains in Northern California, located to the northwest of Redding. Rogue River Oregon USAjpg|thumb|250px|Rogue River Gorge Oregon]]The Klamath Mountains, sometimes called the Salmon Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated Mountain range In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced

The climate can be generally characterized by its marine to warm Mediterranean climates along the coast, to alpine climate zones in the high mountains. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide Apart from the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento metropolitan areas (and some other cities in the Central Valley), it is a region of relatively low population density. The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the

History

Historical events to 1847

Inhabited for millennia by Native Americans, from the Shasta tribe in the north, to the Miwoks in the central coast and Sierra Nevada, to the Yokuts of the southern Central Valley, Northern California was among the most densely populated areas of pre-Columbian North America. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Shasta (or Chasta) are an indigenous people of Northern California and Southern Oregon in the United States. Miwok (also spelled Miwuk, Mi-Wuk, or Me-Wuk) can refer to any one of four linguistically-related groups of Native Americans, who lived in what The Yokuts (also known as Mariposans) are an Ethnic group of Native Americans that live in central and northern California. ^[1]

European explorers

The first European to explore the coast was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, sailing for the Spanish Crown; in 1542, Cabrillo's expedition sailed perhaps as far north as the Rogue River in today's Oregon. The Rogue River in the southwestern part of the US state of Oregon flows from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[2] Beginning in 1565, the Spanish Manila Galleons crossed the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to the Spanish Philippines, with silver and gemstones from Mexico. The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons ( Galeones de Manila-Acapulco) were Spanish trading Ships that sailed once or twice The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Manila Galleons returned across the northern Pacific, and reached North America usually off the coast of Northern California, and then continued south with their Asian trade goods to Mexico.

In 1579, Northern California was visited by the English explorer Sir Francis Drake who landed north of today's San Francisco and claimed the area for England. Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral, (c 1540 &ndash 27 January 1595 was an English Privateer, navigator, Slaver, and politician The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland In 1602, the Spaniard Sebastián Vizcaíno explored California's coast as far north as Monterey Bay, where he went ashore. Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548-1624 was a Spanish soldier entrepreneur explorer and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Philippines, the Baja This article is about the bay near Monterey CA For other uses see Monterey Bay Aquarium, California State University Monterey Bay Other Spanish explorers sailed along the coast of Northern California for the next 150 years, but no settlements were established.

Spanish era

The first European inhabitants were Spanish missionaries, who built missions along the California coast. The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of Religious outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between The mission at Monterey was first established in 1770, and at San Francisco in 1776. Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, also known as the Carmel Mission, is a historic Roman Catholic mission church in Carmel-by-the-Sea California Mission San Francisco de Asís is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and the sixth religious settlement established as part of the California chain of missions In all, some 15 missions stretched along the coast from Sonoma to Santa Barbara (and still more missions to the southern tip of Baja California). Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County California, USA. Santa Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County California, United States. Baja California (pronounced ˈbɑːhɑː kælɨˈfɔrnjə in English is the northernmost state of Mexico. In 1786, the French signaled their interest in the Northern California area by sending a voyage of exploration to Monterey. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

The first twenty years of the 19th century continued the colonization of the Northern California coast by Spain. By 1820, Spanish influence extended inland approximately 25 to 50 miles (80 km) from the missions. Outside of this zone, perhaps 200,000 to 250,000 Native Americans continued to lead traditional lives. The Adams-Onís Treaty, signed in 1819 between Spain and the young United States, set the northern boundary of the Spanish claims at the 42nd parallel, effectively creating today's northern boundary of Northern California. The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 settled a border dispute in North America between the United States and Spain. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Russian presence

Russians, from Alaska, were moving down the coast, and in 1812 established Fort Ross, a fur trading outpost on the coast of today's Sonoma County. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent 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 Fort Ross was the southernmost point of expansion, meeting the Spanish northern expansion some 70 miles (113 km) north of San Francisco. In 1841, as the American presence in Northern California began to increase and politics began to change the region, a deal was made with John Sutter and the Russians abandoned their Northern California settlements.

Mexican era

After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico continued Spain's missions and settlements in Northern California as well as Spain's territorial claims. The Mexican War of Independence (1810 - 1821 was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and Spanish colonial authorities which started on September 16 1810 The Mexican Californios (Spanish-speaking Californians) in these settlements primarily traded cattle hides and tallow with American and European merchant vessels. Californio's (Spanish for "Californian" is a term used to identify a Californian of Hispanic and/or Latin-American descent first as a part of New Spain, later Tallow is a rendered form of Beef or Mutton Fat, processed from Suet.

Coast Redwoods in Muir Woods National Monument, in Marin County. Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living Species of the Genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service in Marin County March 11, 1889 |

In 1825, the Hudson's Bay Company established a major trading post just north of today's Portland, Oregon. Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers British fur trappers and hunters then used the Siskiyou Trail to travel throughout Northern California. The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path ^[3] The leader of a further French scientific expedition to Northern California, Eugene Duflot de Mofras, wrote in 1840 ". Eugène Duflot de Mofras was a nineteenth-century French diplomat and explorer . . it is evident that California will belong to whatever nation chooses to send there a man-of-war and two hundred men. "^[4] By the 1830s, a significant number of non-Californios had immigrated to Northern California. Chief among these was John Sutter, a European immigrant from Switzerland, who was granted 48,827 acres (19,759 ha) centered on the area of today's Sacramento. Johann Augustus Sutter ( February 28 1803 &ndash June 18 1880) was a Swiss pioneer of California known for his association Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is a state-protected park in Sacramento California which includes Sutter's Fort and the California State Indian Museum ^[5]

American interest

American trappers began entering Northern California in the 1830s. ^[6] In 1834, American visionary Ewing Young led a herd of horses and mules over the Siskiyou Trail from missions in Northern California to British and American settlements in Oregon. Ewing Young ( 1799 - February 9[[ 841]] was an American fur trapper and trader from Tennessee who traveled the western United States before settling The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Although a small number of American traders and trappers had lived in Northern California since the early 1830s, the first organized overland party of American immigrants to arrive in Northern California was the Bidwell-Bartleson party of 1841 via the new California Trail. The California Trail was a major overland Emigrant route across the Western United States from Missouri to California in the middle 19th ^[7] Also in 1841, an overland exploratory party of the United States Exploring Expedition came down the Siskiyou Trail from the Pacific Northwest. The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean ("the Southern Seas" conducted by the United States Navy from The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path In 1846, the Donner Party earned notoriety as they struggled to enter Northern California. The Donner Party was a group of California -bound American settlers caught up in the "westering fever" of the 1840s

Beginning of United States era

When the Mexican-American War was declared on May 13, 1846, it took almost two months (mid-July 1846) for word to get to California. On June 15, 1846, some 30 non-Mexican settlers, mostly Americans, staged a revolt and seized the small Mexican garrison in Sonoma. They raised the "Bear Flag" of the California Republic over Sonoma. The California Republic, also called the Bear Flag Republic, was the result of a revolt by Americans on June 14 1846, in the town of Sonoma It lasted one week until the U. S. Army, led by John Frémont, took over on June 23. John Charles Frémont ( January 21, 1813 July 13, 1890) was an American military officer, explorer, the ^[8] The California state flag today is based on this original Bear Flag, and continues to contain the words "California Republic. "

Commodore John Drake Sloat ordered his naval forces to occupy Yerba Buena (present San Francisco) on July 7 and within days American forces controlled San Francisco, Sonoma, and Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. John Drake Sloat ( July 6, 1781 November 28, 1867) was a commodore in the United States Navy and in 1846 Yerba buena ( Clinopodium douglasii) is a rambling aromatic herb of western and northwestern North America, ranging from maritime Alaska southwards to The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city ^[8] The treaty ending the Mexican-American War was signed on February 2, 1848, and Mexico formally ceded Alta California (including all of present-day Northern California) to the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo in Spanish) is the Peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to Alta California (Upper California was formed in 1804 when the Province of the Californias, then a part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the

Gold Rush (1848-1855)

The California Gold Rush took place almost exclusively in Northern California from 1848–1855. 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 It began on January 24, 1848, when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Sutter's Mill was a Sawmill owned by 19th century pioneer John Sutter. Coloma is a small unincorporated former town in El Dorado County California, USA. ^[9] News of the discovery soon spread, resulting in some 300,000 people coming to California from the rest of the United States and abroad. San Francisco grew from a tiny hamlet of tents to a boomtown, and roads, churches, schools and other towns were built. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city A boomtown is a Community that experiences sudden and rapid population and Economic growth. New methods of transportation developed as steamships came into regular service and railroads were built. A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller The establishment of America's transcontinental rail lines securely linked California to the rest of the country and the far-reaching transportation systems that grew out of However, the Gold Rush also had negative effects: Native Americans were attacked and pushed off traditional lands, and gold mining caused environmental harm. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States "Gold mine" redirects here See Goldmine for other uses of the term

Population and agricultural expansion (1855-1899)

The decades following the Gold Rush brought dramatic expansion to Northern California, both in population and economically - particularly in agriculture. The completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, with its terminus in Sacramento, meant that Northern California's agricultural produce (and some manufactured goods) could now be shipped economically to the rest of the United States. This article refers to a railroad built in the United States between Omaha and Sacramento completed in 1869 In return, immigrants from the rest of the United States (and Europe) could comfortably come to Northern California. A network of railroads spread throughout Northern California, and in 1887, a rail link was completed to the Pacific Northwest. The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean Almost all of these railways came under the control of the Southern Pacific Railroad, headquartered in San Francisco, and San Francisco continued as a financial and cultural center.

Substantial tensions during this era included nativist sentiments (primarily against Chinese immigrants), tensions between the increasing power of the Southern Pacific Railroad and small farmers, and the beginnings of the labor union movement.

Population

The population of the forty-eight counties of Northern California has shown a steady increase over the years. ^[10][11] The 1850 census almost certainly undercounted the population of the area, especially undercounting a still substantial Native American population.

The largest percentage increase outside the Gold Rush era (51%) came in the decade of the 1940s, as the area was the destination of many post-War veterans and their families, attracted by the greatly-expanding industrial base and (often) by their time stationed in Northern California during World War II. The largest absolute increase occurred during the decade of 1980s (over 2. 1 million person increase), attracted in part by the expansion taking place in Silicon Valley. For the valley nicknamed "Silicone Valley" see San Fernando Valley.

Cities

San Francisco is the focus of Northern California's largest metropolitan area. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

Northern California's largest metropolitan area is the San Francisco Bay Area which includes the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and their many suburbs, as well as the Silicon Valley high-tech region. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. For the valley nicknamed "Silicone Valley" see San Fernando Valley. High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available

In recent years the Bay Area has drawn more commuters from as far as Central Valley cities like the California state capital, Sacramento, from Stockton 45 miles (72 km) south of Sacramento, and Modesto about 30 miles (48 km) to the south. Stockton is a City in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the fifth largest agricultural county in the United States Modesto is the County seat of Stanislaus County in the US state of California. With expanding development in all these areas, the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey Bay Area, and central part of the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills may now be viewed as part of a single megalopolis. ^[12]

The state's largest inland city, Fresno, is farther south in the Central Valley, but considered part of Northern California in cases when the state is divided into two parts. Other cities in the region include Redding at the northern end of the Central Valley, Chico, in the mid-north of the Valley, and Eureka on the northern coast. Redding is a city in Northern California. It is the County seat of Shasta County California, USA Chico (pop 86949 is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States, with 105000 Eureka is the County seat and principal city in Humboldt County, California, United States.

Selected cities

Most of the following cities and towns in Northern California have over 50,000 inhabitants (exceptions noted). ^[13]

Educational Institutions

Northern California hosts a number of the most prestigious and renowned universities and academic institutions in the world. Five of the ten University of California campuses: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Francisco, and the newly created UC Merced, and eleven California State University campuses: Chico State, San Francisco State, Fresno State, Humboldt State, Sonoma State, San Jose State, the California Maritime Academy, CSU East Bay (formerly CSU Hayward), CSU Stanislaus, Sacramento State, and CSU Monterey Bay. The University of California ( UC) is a Public university system in the state of California. The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley The University of California Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, or just UCD, is a public coeducational university located in the city of Davis, The University of California San Francisco ( UCSF) is one of the world's leading centers of Health sciences research Patient care, and education The University of California Merced, otherwise known as UC Merced or UCM is the tenth and newest of the University of California campus History Today's California State University system is the direct descendant of the California State Normal School (now San José State University) a California State University Chico is the second-oldest campus in the California State University system San Francisco State University (informally referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public University California State University Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State and even plainly State, is one of the campuses of California State University Humboldt State University (HSU is the northernmost campus of the California State University system located in Arcata within Humboldt County, Sonoma State University is a public coeducational business and Liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system San José State University, commonly shortened to San José State and SJSU, is the founding campus of what became the California State University system The California Maritime Academy (also known as CMA, Cal Maritime, and CSU Maritime) is one of 23 campuses in the California State University California State University East Bay (also known as CSUEB, Cal State East Bay, and formerly known as California State University Hayward) is a campus California State University Stanislaus, also known as Stanislaus State or simply Stan State is a campus in the California State University system California State University Sacramento (also known as Sacramento State or Sac State) is a public University located in the city of Sacramento California State University Monterey Bay ( CSUMB) is a small Public university in the California State University system on the site of the former Of the private institutions are included Stanford University, the University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, St. Mary's College, Mills College and University of the Pacific. Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in University of San Francisco ( USF) is a private Jesuit Roman Catholic University in San Francisco California. Santa Clara University is a private co-educational Jesuit -affiliated University located in Santa Clara, California. Saint Mary's College of California is a private Coeducational College located in Moraga California, United States. Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers The University of the Pacific is a private university in Stockton California, originally affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Parks and other protected areas

National Park System

Main articles: List of areas in the National Park System of the United States and List of United States National Parks by state

The U. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The National Park System This is a list of United States National Parks by state. Some states lack a national park others have many S. National Park System controls a large and diverse group of parks in Northern California. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation The best known is Yosemite National Park, which is displayed on the reverse side of the California state quarter. Other prominent parks are the Kings Canyon-Sequoia National Park complex, Redwood National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park and the largest in the contiguous forty-eight states, Death Valley National Park. This article is about Kings Canyon National Park USA For Kings Canyon Australia see Kings Canyon (Northern Territory. Sequoia National Park is a National park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia California, in the United States of America. The "Redwood National and State Parks" (RNSP are located in the United States along the coast of northern California. Lassen Volcanic National Park is a United States National Park in north eastern California. Death Valley National Park is a mostly Arid United States National Park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southern Inyo County

National Monuments and other federally protected areas

Main articles: List of National Monuments of the United States, United States National Marine Sanctuary, List of National Wildlife Refuges, and List of U.S. National Forests

Other areas under federal protection include Muir Woods National Monument, Giant Sequoia National Monument, Devils Postpile National Monument, Lava Beds National Monument, Pinnacles National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and the Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries (both off the coast of San Francisco). This is a list of all the National Monuments in the United States. A US National Marine Sanctuary is a federally-designated area within U As of 30 July 2007 there were 548 National Wildlife Refuges in each of the United States. This is a list of all the National Forests in the United States. Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service in Marin County The Giant Sequoia National Monument is a US National Monument located in the Devils Postpile is a dark cliff of Columnar basalt near Mammoth Mountain in Lava Beds National Monument, located in Siskiyou and Modoc Counties California, is the site of the largest concentration of Lava tube Caves Pinnacles National Monument is a protected mountainous area located east of central California's Point Reyes National Seashore is 70000 acre (283 km² park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County California, USA. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS is a Federally protected marine area offshore of California 's central coast. The Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is one of the United States' 13 National Marine Sanctuaries that protect and preserve ocean ecosystems in the U The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13 marine sanctuaries in the U Included within the latter National Marine Sanctuary is the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge; this National Wildlife Refuge is one of approximately twenty-five such refuges in Northern California. The Farallon Islands, or Farallones, are a group of Islands and rocks found in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain Protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. National forests occupy large sections of Northern California, including the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, Modoc, Lassen, Mendocino, Eldorado, Tahoe, and Sequoia national forests, among others. "National forest" redirects here for the National Forest in England see National Forest England; for those in Brazil see List of Brazilian National Forests The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, USA Klamath National Forest is a 1737774-acre (271527 sq mi or 7032 Modoc National Forest is a National forest in northeastern California, covering parts of Modoc, Lassen, and Siskiyou counties Lassen National Forest is a national forest of 1700 square miles (4300 km2 in northeastern California. The Mendocino National Forest is located in the Coastal Mountain Range in northwestern California and comprises 913306  Acres (3696 km² Eldorado National Forest is a US National Forest located in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Tahoe National Forest is a US National Forest located in the state of California, northwest of Lake Tahoe. Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Included within (or adjacent to) national forests are federally protected wilderness areas, including the Trinity Alps, Castle Crags, Granite Chief, and Desolation wilderness areas. The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a wilderness area located in northern California, roughly between Eureka and Redding. Castle Crags is a dramatic and well-known feature in Northern California. The Granite Chief Wilderness is a 19048 acre (77 km²federally designated wilderness area of the Tahoe National Forest. The Desolation Wilderness is a 63690 acre (258 km² Wilderness area located along the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range just west of Lake Tahoe

In addition, the California Coastal National Monument protects all islets, reefs, and rock outcroppings from the shore of Northern California out to a distance of 12 nautical miles (22. California Coastal National Monument is located in the US state of California 22 km), along the entire Northern California coastline. In addition, the National Park Service administers protected areas on Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Alcatraz Island, sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or locally as the Rock, is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA is a US National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco National Recreation Area (NRA is a designation for a Protected area in the United States, often centered on large reservoirs and emphasizing water-based The Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area in northern California. The NPS also administers the Manzanar National Historic Site in Inyo County, and the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in the San Francisco Bay Area. Manzanar is most widely known as the site of one of ten camps where over 110000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. A national historic site is a designation that an area possesses national historical significance 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 Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park is located in Richmond California, near San Francisco.

Other parks and protected areas

Counties

Regions

The following regions are entirely or partly within Northern California:

Communication

Telephone area codes

• 209 - Northern San Joaquin Valley (Stockton, Modesto, and Merced). Alum Rock Park, founded in 1872 was the first municipal park in the U Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay that offers spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline the Marin County Headlands and Mount Bidwell Park is a municipal park located in Chico California. Located approximately 6 miles (10 km north of Burney California, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park is the second oldest State park in the California The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD is a Special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County California, within the East The Farallon Islands, or Farallones, are a group of Islands and rocks found in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco California, is a large Urban park consisting of 1017 acres (4 Humboldt Redwoods State Park is located 30 miles (50 km south of Eureka California in southern Humboldt County, within northern California. Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. The Marble Mountains are a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains in northwestern California. See also Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais State Park is a California State park, located in Marin County, California The Sacramento River is the longest River entirely within the U Turtle Bay Exploration Park, located in in Redding California, is a museum complex that interprets the relationship between humans and nature 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. Alpine County is the smallest county, by population in the US Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Butte County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Calaveras County is a County located in the Gold Country of the U Colusa County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Contra Costa County ( Spanish for "opposite coast" is a suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U Del Norte County sits in the far northwest corner of the US state of California, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. El Dorado County is a County located in the Gold Country of the U Fresno County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Glenn County is a county located in the Central Valley, in the northern part of the U Humboldt County is located on the far North Coast of California. 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 Kings County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Lake County is a County located in the north central portion of the U Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U Madera County is a County of the US state of California, located in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada north of March 11, 1889 | Mariposa County is a County in the US state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains Mendocino County is a County located on the north coast of the U Merced County (pronounced "Mer-SED" is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U Mono County is a County located in the east central portion of the U Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U Napa County is a County located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Placer County (from Spanish: placer - "pleasure" is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Plumas County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Sacramento County is a county in the US state of California. The County seat is the city of Sacramento, the State capital San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U San Mateo County ( "san muh-TAY-o") ( Spanish for: St Santa Clara County is a County located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U Shasta County is a county located in the northern portion of the U Sierra County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Siskiyou County is a County located in the far northernmost part of the U Solano County is a County located in Bay-Delta region of the U 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 Stanislaus County is a County located in the Central Valley of the state of California, between Stockton and Fresno. Sutter County is a county located along the Sacramento River in the Central Valley of the U Tehama County (pronounced teh-HAY-muh is a county located in the northern part of the U Trinity County is a large rugged and mountainous heavily forested county located in the northwestern portion of the U Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U Tuolumne County (tuːˈɒləmi "To All o' Me" with a silent N is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Yolo County is located in the northern part of the US state of California, bordered by the counties of Sacramento, Solano, Yuba County is located in the US state of California 's Central Valley, north of Sacramento, along the Feather River. The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. The Central Valley is a large flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U Coastal California refers to the coastal regions of the US state of California. The East Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties Eastern California is not a well-defined term It generally refers to the strip of California, United States to the east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada The Emerald Triangle refers to the three counties of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity in Northern California, United States. Gold Country (also Mother Lode Country) is a region in the central-and-north-eastern part of California, United States. Klamath Basin is the region in the US states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. Lassen Peak (also known as Mount Lassen) is the southernmost active Volcano in the Cascade Range. Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. Mount Shasta ( Úytaahkoo, Karuk) or the "White Mountain" in English a 14179-foot (4322 m Stratovolcano, is the second-highest peak in the The North Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States. The North Coast (also Redwood Empire or Redwood Coast) is a region of the U The North Coast (also Redwood Empire or Redwood Coast) is a region of the U The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the The San Francisco Peninsula in California separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The San Joaquin Valley (ˌsæn wɑːˈkiːn refers to the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta See Silicon Valley for a discussion of the technological aspects of the Santa Clara Valley The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, including far For the valley nicknamed "Silicone Valley" see San Fernando Valley. The South Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and is roughly synonymous with Silicon Valley and the Telecom Valley is an area located in Sonoma County California specifically the Redwood Business Park of Petaluma California. The Trinity Alps are mountains in Northern California, located to the northwest of Redding. Tri-Valley is a triangle-shaped region in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Wine Country is a region of Northern California in the United States known worldwide as a premium Wine -growing region The Yuba-Sutter Area is a smaller metropolitan community including Yuba and Sutter Counties in Northern California, USA 's Central Valley. North American area code 209 is a California Telephone Area code which covers Stockton, Merced, Manteca, The San Joaquin Valley (ˌsæn wɑːˈkiːn refers to the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Stockton is a City in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the fifth largest agricultural county in the United States Modesto is the County seat of Stanislaus County in the US state of California. Merced, is the County seat of Merced County California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California.
• 408 - Most of Santa Clara County (San Jose and Gilroy). North American area code 408 is a Telephone Area code in California that includes Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Saratoga Santa Clara County is a County located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U Gilroy (ˈgɪlrɔɪ is the southernmost city in Santa Clara County, California, USA
• 415 - San Francisco, Daly City, and Marin County. Area code 415 is the Telephone Area code for San Francisco, as well as portions of neighboring Brisbane and Daly City; and The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Daly City is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States with a 2000 population of 103621 March 11, 1889 | One of the three original area codes in California. A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks
• 510 - Inner East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and Fremont). North American area code 510 is a California Telephone Area code which covers most eastern Bay Area cities in Alameda County (except The East Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Richmond (ˈɹɪtʃmənd is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. Fremont (ˈfriːmɒnt is a city in California, USA that was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities Centerville Originally part of area code 415.
• 530 - The northeastern section of the region including Lassen County, Redding,Nevada County Chico, and Lake Tahoe; split from area code 916 in 1997-8. North American area code 530 is a California Telephone Area code that covers Auburn, Chico, Colfax, Davis Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U Redding is a city in Northern California. It is the County seat of Shasta County California, USA Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U Chico (pop 86949 is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States, with 105000 Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States.
• 559 - Southern San Joaquin Valley (Fresno and Visalia). Area code 559 is an Area code that was created on November 14, 1998, when the southern half of the Area code 209 (in service since 1958 reached The San Joaquin Valley (ˌsæn wɑːˈkiːn refers to the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
• 650 - San Francisco Peninsula (San Mateo, Redwood City, and Palo Alto). North American area code 650 is a California Telephone Area code which includes most of San Mateo County (except the northernmost The San Francisco Peninsula in California separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. San Mateo ( "san muh-TAY-o") is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California Palo Alto (ˌpæloʊˈæltoʊ from Spanish: palo: "stick" and alto: "high" i Originally part of area code 415.
• 707 - The North Coast section of the region from Sonoma County to the Oregon border. North American area code 707 is a California Telephone Area code which covers Napa, Vallejo, Benicia, Fairfield The North Coast (also Redwood Empire or Redwood Coast) is a region of the U 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 Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Cities include Eureka, Ukiah, Santa Rosa, Vallejo and Fairfield. Eureka is the County seat and principal city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Ukiah (pronounced You-kai-uh juːˈkаɪjə is the County seat and largest city of Mendocino County California. Santa Rosa is the County seat of Sonoma County California, United States Vallejo (vəˈleɪoʊ or /vəˈleɪhoʊ/ in English /baˈjeho/ in the original Spanish) is the largest city in Solano County Fairfield is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA (See East Bay and
• 831 - Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties. California 's area code 831 is a North American area code which covers Salinas, Hollister, Monterey, Santa Cruz and the Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U Originally part of area code 408.
• 916 - Sacramento County and the Sacramento suburbs in western Placer and El Dorado Counties. North American area code 916 is a State of California Telephone Area code which was one of the first three original area codes established Sacramento County is a county in the US state of California. The County seat is the city of Sacramento, the State capital Placer County (from Spanish: placer - "pleasure" is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U El Dorado County is a County located in the Gold Country of the U One of the three original area codes in California, formerly covered all areas now within 530.
• 925 - Outer East Bay (Concord, Pittsburg, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton and Livermore). In the North American Numbering Plan (NANP area code 925 is an Area code that covers the inland portions of the East Bay counties of Alameda and Contra The East Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. Pittsburg California is a city located in eastern Contra Costa County California, the outer portion of the East Bay region Walnut Creek is a Suburban community located 16 miles east of the city of Oakland Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894 Livermore is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Originally part of area codes 415 and 510.

See also

• Southern California
• Central California
• History of the west coast of North America
• History of California to 1899

Notes

External links

• Museum of the Siskiyou Trail
• The Northern California megaregion