List of municipalities in California

There are 480 incorporated municipalities in California, of which 458 are called cities and 22 are called towns. Under California law, the terms "city" and "town" are explicitly interchangeable (see, e.g., Government Code Sections 34500-34504); so, the name of a municipal corporation can either be "City of (Name)" or "Town of (Name)" regardless of its population. The term "township" is obsolete; the terms "village" and "borough" have never been used.

Only currently active municipalities are listed. Many ghost towns and other previously existing municipalities ceased to be separately incorporated upon their amalgamation to another municipality; for instance, Willow Glen in 1936 and Alviso in 1968 were consolidated into San Jose. To date, Cabazon is the only California municipality to dissolve (or "un-incorporate") itself. It did so in 1975, after only 20 years as a city, due to a weak economy.

They are arranged in alphabetical order, with the towns marked '*'.

Name County Incorporated[1]
Adelanto San Bernardino December 22, 1970
Agoura Hills Los Angeles December 8, 1982
Alameda Alameda April 19, 1854
Albany Alameda September 22, 1908
Alhambra Los Angeles July 11, 1903
Aliso Viejo Orange July 1, 2001
Alturas Modoc September 16, 1901
Amador City Amador June 2, 1915
American Canyon Napa January 1, 1992
Anaheim Orange March 18, 1876
Anderson Shasta January 16, 1956
Angels Camp Calaveras January 24, 1912
Antioch Contra Costa February 6, 1872
Apple Valley * San Bernardino November 28, 1988
Arcadia Los Angeles August 5, 1903
Arcata Humboldt February 2, 1858
Arroyo Grande San Luis Obispo July 10, 1911
Artesia Los Angeles May 29, 1959
Arvin Kern December 21, 1960
Atascadero San Luis Obispo July 2, 1979
Atherton * San Mateo September 12, 1923
Atwater Merced August 16, 1922
Auburn Placer May 2, 1888
Avalon Los Angeles June 26, 1913
Avenal Kings September 11, 1979
Azusa Los Angeles December 29, 1898
Bakersfield Kern January 11, 1898
Baldwin Park Los Angeles January 25, 1956
Banning Riverside February 6, 1913
Barstow San Bernardino September 30, 1947
Beaumont Riverside November 18, 1912
Bell Los Angeles November 7, 1927
Bell Gardens Los Angeles August 1, 1961
Bellflower Los Angeles September 3, 1957
Belmont San Mateo October 29, 1926
Belvedere Marin December 24, 1896
Benicia Solano March 27, 1850
Berkeley Alameda April 4, 1878
Beverly Hills Los Angeles January 28, 1914
Big Bear Lake San Bernardino November 28, 1980
Biggs Butte June 26, 1903
Bishop Inyo May 6, 1903
Blue Lake Humboldt April 23, 1910
Blythe Riverside July 21, 1916
Bradbury Los Angeles July 26, 1957
Brawley Imperial April 6, 1908
Brea Orange February 23, 1917
Brentwood Contra Costa January 21, 1948
Brisbane San Mateo November 27, 1961
Buellton Santa Barbara February 1, 1992
Buena Park Orange January 27, 1953
Burbank Los Angeles July 8, 1911
Burlingame San Mateo June 6, 1908
Calabasas Los Angeles April 5, 1991
Calexico Imperial April 16, 1908
California City Kern December 10, 1965
Calimesa Riverside December 1, 1990
Calipatria Imperial February 28, 1919
Calistoga Napa January 6, 1886
Camarillo Ventura October 22, 1964
Campbell Santa Clara March 28, 1952
Canyon Lake Riverside December 1, 1990
Capitola Santa Cruz January 11, 1949
Carlsbad San Diego July 16, 1952
Carmel-by-the-Sea Monterey October 31, 1916
Carpinteria Santa Barbara September 28, 1965
Carson Los Angeles February 20, 1968
Cathedral City Riverside November 16, 1981
Ceres Stanislaus February 25, 1918
Cerritos Los Angeles April 24, 1956
Chico Butte January 8, 1872
Chino San Bernardino February 28, 1910
Chino Hills San Bernardino December 1, 1991
Chowchilla Madera February 7, 1923
Chula Vista San Diego November 28, 1911
Citrus Heights Sacramento January 1, 1997
Claremont Los Angeles October 3, 1907
Clayton Contra Costa March 18, 1964
Clearlake Lake November 14, 1980
Cloverdale Sonoma February 28, 1872
Clovis Fresno February 27, 1912
Coachella Riverside December 13, 1946
Coalinga Fresno April 3, 1906
Colfax Placer February 23, 1910
Colma * San Mateo August 5, 1924
Colton San Bernardino July 11, 1887
Colusa Colusa June 16, 1868
Commerce Los Angeles January 28, 1960
Compton Los Angeles May 11, 1888
Concord Contra Costa February 9, 1905
Corcoran Kings August 11, 1914
Corning Tehama August 6, 1907
Corona Riverside July 13, 1896
Coronado San Diego December 11, 1890
Corte Madera * Marin June 10, 1916
Costa Mesa Orange June 29, 1953
Cotati Sonoma July 16, 1963
Covina Los Angeles August 14, 1901
Crescent City Del Norte April 13, 1854
Cudahy Los Angeles November 10, 1960
Culver City Los Angeles September 7, 1917
Cupertino Santa Clara October 10, 1955
Cypress Orange July 24, 1956
Daly City San Mateo March 22, 1911
Dana Point Orange January 1, 1989
Danville * Contra Costa July 1, 1982
Davis Yolo March 28, 1917
Del Mar San Diego July 15, 1959
Del Rey Oaks Monterey September 3, 1953
Delano Kern April 13, 1915
Desert Hot Springs Riverside September 25, 1963
Diamond Bar Los Angeles April 18, 1989
Dinuba Tulare January 6, 1906
Dixon Solano March 30, 1878
Dorris Siskiyou December 23, 1908
Dos Palos Merced May 24, 1935
Downey Los Angeles December 17, 1956
Duarte Los Angeles August 22, 1957
Dublin Alameda February 1, 1982
Dunsmuir Siskiyou August 7, 1909
East Palo Alto San Mateo July 1, 1983
El Cajon San Diego November 12, 1912
El Centro Imperial April 16, 1908
El Cerrito Contra Costa August 23, 1917
El Monte Los Angeles November 18, 1912
El Segundo Los Angeles January 18, 1917
Elk Grove Sacramento July 1, 2000
Emeryville Alameda December 8, 1896
Encinitas San Diego October 1, 1986
Escalon San Joaquin March 12, 1957
Escondido San Diego October 8, 1888
Etna Siskiyou March 13, 1878
Eureka Humboldt April 18, 1856
Exeter Tulare March 2, 1911
Fairfax * Marin March 2, 1931
Fairfield Solano December 12, 1903
Farmersville Tulare October 5, 1960
Ferndale Humboldt August 28, 1893
Fillmore Ventura July 10, 1914
Firebaugh Fresno September 17, 1914
Folsom Sacramento April 20, 1946
Fontana San Bernardino June 25, 1952
Fort Bragg Mendocino August 5, 1889
Fort Jones Siskiyou March 16, 1872
Fortuna Humboldt January 20, 1906
Foster City San Mateo April 27, 1971
Fountain Valley Orange June 13, 1957
Fowler Fresno June 15, 1908
Fremont Alameda January 23, 1956
Fresno Fresno October 12, 1885
Fullerton Orange February 15, 1904
Galt Sacramento August 16, 1946
Garden Grove Orange June 18, 1956
Gardena Los Angeles September 11, 1930
Gilroy Santa Clara March 12, 1870
Glendale Los Angeles February 15, 1906
Glendora Los Angeles November 13, 1911
Goleta Santa Barbara February 1, 2002
Gonzales Monterey January 14, 1947
Grand Terrace San Bernardino November 30, 1978
Grass Valley Nevada March 13, 1893
Greenfield Monterey January 7, 1947
Gridley Butte November 23, 1905
Grover Beach San Luis Obispo December 21, 1959
Guadalupe Santa Barbara August 3, 1946
Gustine Merced November 11, 1915
Half Moon Bay San Mateo July 15, 1959
Hanford Kings August 12, 1891
Hawaiian Gardens Los Angeles April 9, 1964
Hawthorne Los Angeles July 12, 1922
Hayward Alameda March 11, 1876
Healdsburg Sonoma February 20, 1867
Hemet Riverside January 20, 1910
Hercules Contra Costa December 15, 1900
Hermosa Beach Los Angeles January 14, 1907
Hesperia San Bernardino July 1, 1988
Hidden Hills Los Angeles October 19, 1961
Highland San Bernardino November 24, 1987
Hillsborough * San Mateo May 5, 1910
Hollister San Benito March 26, 1872
Holtville Imperial July 1, 1908
Hughson Stanislaus December 9, 1972
Huntington Beach Orange February 17, 1909
Huntington Park Los Angeles September 1, 1906
Huron Fresno May 3, 1951
Imperial Imperial July 12, 1904
Imperial Beach San Diego July 18, 1956
Indian Wells Riverside July 14, 1967
Indio Riverside May 16, 1930
Industry Los Angeles June 18, 1957
Inglewood Los Angeles February 7, 1908
Ione Amador March 23, 1953
Irvine Orange   December 28, 1971
Irwindale Los Angeles August 6, 1957
Isleton Sacramento May 14, 1923
Jackson Amador December 5, 1905
Kerman Fresno July 2, 1946
King City Monterey February 9, 1911
Kingsburg Fresno May 29, 1908
La Cañada Flintridge Los Angeles November 30, 1976
La Habra Orange January 20, 1925
La Habra Heights Los Angeles December 4, 1978
La Mesa San Diego February 16, 1912
La Mirada Los Angeles March 23, 1960
La Palma Orange October 26, 1955
La Puente Los Angeles August 1, 1956
La Quinta Riverside May 1, 1982
La Verne Los Angeles August 20, 1906
Lafayette Contra Costa July 29, 1968
Laguna Beach Orange June 29, 1927
Laguna Hills Orange December 20, 1991
Laguna Niguel Orange December 1, 1989
Laguna Woods Orange March 24, 1999
Lake Elsinore Riverside April 9, 1888
Lake Forest Orange December 20, 1991
Lakeport Lake April 30, 1888
Lakewood Los Angeles April 16, 1954
Lancaster Los Angeles November 22, 1977
Larkspur Marin March 1, 1908
Lathrop San Joaquin July 1, 1989
Lawndale Los Angeles December 28, 1959
Lemon Grove San Diego July 1, 1977
Lemoore Kings July 4, 1900
Lincoln Placer August 7, 1890
Lindsay Tulare February 28, 1910
Live Oak Sutter January 22, 1947
Livermore Alameda   April 1, 1876
Livingston Merced September 11, 1922
Lodi San Joaquin December 6, 1906
Loma Linda San Bernardino September 29, 1970
Lomita Los Angeles June 30, 1964
Lompoc Santa Barbara August 13, 1888
Long Beach Los Angeles December 13, 1897
Loomis * Placer December 17, 1984
Los Alamitos Orange March 1, 1960
Los Altos Santa Clara December 1, 1952
Los Altos Hills * Santa Clara January 27, 1956
Los Angeles Los Angeles April 4, 1850
Los Banos Merced May 8, 1907
Los Gatos * Santa Clara August 10, 1887
Loyalton Sierra August 21, 1901
Lynwood Los Angeles July 21, 1921
Madera Madera March 27, 1907
Malibu Los Angeles March 28, 1991
Mammoth Lakes * Mono August 20, 1984
Manhattan Beach Los Angeles December 12, 1912
Manteca San Joaquin June 5, 1918
Maricopa Kern July 25, 1911
Marina Monterey November 13, 1975
Martinez Contra Costa April 1, 1876
Marysville Yuba February 5, 1851
Maywood Los Angeles September 2, 1924
McFarland Kern July 18, 1957
Mendota Fresno June 17, 1942
Menifee Riverside October 1, 2008
Menlo Park San Mateo November 23, 1927
Merced Merced April 1, 1889
Mill Valley Marin September 1, 1900
Millbrae San Mateo January 14, 1948
Milpitas Santa Clara January 26, 1954
Mission Viejo Orange March 31, 1988
Modesto Stanislaus August 6, 1884
Monrovia Los Angeles December 15, 1887
Montague Siskiyou January 28, 1909
Montclair San Bernardino April 25, 1956
Monte Sereno Santa Clara May 14, 1957
Montebello Los Angeles October 16, 1920
Monterey Monterey June 14, 1890
Monterey Park Los Angeles May 29, 1916
Moorpark Ventura July 1, 1983
Moraga * Contra Costa November 13, 1974
Moreno Valley Riverside December 3, 1984
Morgan Hill Santa Clara November 10, 1906
Morro Bay San Luis Obispo July 17, 1964
Mount Shasta Siskiyou May 31, 1905
Mountain View Santa Clara November 7, 1902
Murrieta Riverside July 1, 1991
Napa Napa March 23, 1872
National City San Diego September 17, 1887
Needles San Bernardino October 30, 1913
Nevada City Nevada April 19, 1856
Newark Alameda September 22, 1955
Newman Stanislaus June 10, 1908
Newport Beach Orange September 1, 1906
Norco Riverside December 28, 1964
Norwalk Los Angeles August 26, 1957
Novato Marin January 20, 1960
Oakdale Stanislaus November 24, 1906
Oakland Alameda May 4, 1852
Oakley Contra Costa July 1, 1999
Oceanside San Diego July 3, 1888
Ojai Ventura August 5, 1921
Ontario San Bernardino December 10, 1891
Orange Orange April 6, 1888
Orange Cove Fresno January 20, 1948
Orinda Contra Costa July 1, 1985
Orland Glenn November 11, 1909
Oroville Butte January 3, 1906
Oxnard Ventura June 30, 1903
Pacific Grove Monterey July 5, 1889
Pacifica San Mateo November 22, 1957
Palm Desert Riverside November 26, 1973
Palm Springs Riverside April 20, 1938
Palmdale Los Angeles August 24, 1962
Palo Alto Santa Clara April 23, 1894
Palos Verdes Estates Los Angeles December 20, 1939
Paradise * Butte November 27, 1979
Paramount Los Angeles January 30, 1957
Parlier Fresno November 15, 1921
Pasadena Los Angeles June 19, 1886
Paso Robles San Luis Obispo March 11, 1889
Patterson Stanislaus December 22, 1919
Perris Riverside May 26, 1911
Petaluma Sonoma April 12, 1858
Pico Rivera Los Angeles January 29, 1958
Piedmont Alameda January 31, 1907
Pinole Contra Costa June 25, 1903
Pismo Beach San Luis Obispo April 25, 1946
Pittsburg Contra Costa June 25, 1903
Placentia Orange December 2, 1926
Placerville El Dorado May 13, 1854
Pleasant Hill Contra Costa November 14, 1961
Pleasanton Alameda June 18, 1894
Plymouth Amador February 8, 1917
Point Arena Mendocino July 11, 1908
Pomona Los Angeles January 6, 1888
Port Hueneme Ventura March 24, 1948
Porterville Tulare May 7, 1902
Portola Plumas May 16, 1946
Portola Valley * San Mateo July 14, 1964
Poway San Diego December 1, 1980
Rancho Cordova Sacramento July 1, 2003
Rancho Cucamonga San Bernardino November 30, 1977
Rancho Mirage Riverside August 3, 1973
Rancho Palos Verdes Los Angeles September 7, 1973
Rancho Santa Margarita Orange January 1, 2000
Red Bluff Tehama March 31, 1876
Redding Shasta October 4, 1887
Redlands San Bernardino December 3, 1888
Redondo Beach Los Angeles April 29, 1892
Redwood City San Mateo May 11, 1867
Reedley Fresno February 18, 1913
Rialto San Bernardino November 17, 1911
Richmond Contra Costa August 7, 1905
Ridgecrest Kern November 29, 1963
Rio Dell Humboldt February 23, 1965
Rio Vista Solano January 6, 1894
Ripon San Joaquin November 27, 1945
Riverbank Stanislaus August 23, 1922
Riverside Riverside October 11, 1883
Rocklin Placer February 24, 1893
Rohnert Park Sonoma August 28, 1962
Rolling Hills Los Angeles January 24, 1957
Rolling Hills Estates Los Angeles September 18, 1957
Rosemead Los Angeles August 4, 1959
Roseville Placer April 10, 1909
Ross * Marin August 21, 1908
Sacramento Sacramento February 27, 1850
Salinas Monterey March 4, 1874
San Anselmo * Marin April 9, 1907
San Bernardino San Bernardino August 10, 1869
San Bruno San Mateo December 23, 1914
San Carlos San Mateo July 8, 1925
San Clemente Orange February 28, 1928
San Diego San Diego March 27, 1850
San Dimas Los Angeles August 4, 1960
San Fernando Los Angeles August 31, 1911
San Francisco San Francisco April 16, 1850
San Gabriel Los Angeles April 24, 1913
San Jacinto Riverside April 20, 1888
San Joaquin Fresno February 14, 1920
San Jose Santa Clara March 27, 1850
San Juan Bautista San Benito May 4, 1896
San Juan Capistrano Orange April 19, 1961
San Leandro Alameda March 21, 1872
San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo February 16, 1856
San Marcos San Diego January 28, 1963
San Marino Los Angeles April 25, 1913
San Mateo San Mateo September 4, 1894
San Pablo Contra Costa April 27, 1948
San Rafael Marin February 18, 1874
San Ramon Contra Costa July 1, 1983
Sand City Monterey May 31, 1960
Sanger Fresno May 9, 1911
Santa Ana Orange June 1, 1886
Santa Barbara Santa Barbara April 9, 1850
Santa Clara Santa Clara July 5, 1852
Santa Clarita Los Angeles December 15, 1987
Santa Cruz Santa Cruz March 31, 1866
Santa Fe Springs Los Angeles May 15, 1957
Santa Maria Santa Barbara September 12, 1905
Santa Monica Los Angeles November 30, 1886
Santa Paula Ventura April 22, 1902
Santa Rosa Sonoma March 26, 1868
Santee San Diego December 1, 1980
Saratoga Santa Clara October 22, 1956
Sausalito Marin September 4, 1893
Scotts Valley Santa Cruz August 2, 1966
Seal Beach Orange October 27, 1915
Seaside Monterey October 13, 1954
Sebastopol   Sonoma June 13, 1902
Selma Fresno March 15, 1893
Shafter Kern January 20, 1938
Shasta Lake Shasta July 2, 1993
Sierra Madre Los Angeles February 2, 1907
Signal Hill Los Angeles April 22, 1924
Simi Valley Ventura October 10, 1969
Solana Beach San Diego July 1, 1986
Soledad Monterey March 9, 1921
Solvang Santa Barbara May 1, 1985
Sonoma Sonoma September 3, 1883
Sonora Tuolumne May 1, 1851
South El Monte Los Angeles July 30, 1958
South Gate Los Angeles January 20, 1923
South Lake Tahoe El Dorado November 30, 1965
South Pasadena Los Angeles March 2, 1888
South San Francisco San Mateo September 19, 1908
St. Helena Napa March 24, 1876
Stanton Orange June 4, 1956
Stockton San Joaquin July 23, 1850
Suisun City Solano October 9, 1868
Sunnyvale Santa Clara December 24, 1912
Susanville Lassen August 24, 1900
Sutter Creek Amador February 11, 1913
Taft Kern November 7, 1910
Tehachapi Kern August 13, 1909
Tehama Tehama July 5, 1906
Temecula Riverside December 1, 1989
Temple City Los Angeles May 25, 1960
Thousand Oaks Ventura October 7, 1964
Tiburon * Marin June 23, 1964
Torrance Los Angeles May 12, 1921
Tracy San Joaquin July 22, 1910
Trinidad Humboldt November 7, 1870
Truckee * Nevada March 23, 1993
Tulare Tulare April 5, 1888
Tulelake Siskiyou March 1, 1937
Turlock Stanislaus February 15, 1908
Tustin Orange September 21, 1927
Twentynine Palms San Bernardino November 23, 1987
Ukiah Mendocino March 8, 1876
Union City Alameda January 26, 1959
Upland San Bernardino May 15, 1906
Vacaville Solano August 9, 1892
Vallejo Solano March 30, 1868
Ventura Ventura April 2, 1866
Vernon Los Angeles September 22, 1905
Victorville San Bernardino September 21, 1962
Villa Park Orange January 11, 1962
Visalia Tulare February 27, 1874
Vista San Diego January 28, 1963
Walnut Los Angeles January 19, 1959
Walnut Creek Contra Costa October 21, 1914
Wasco Kern December 22, 1945
Waterford Stanislaus November 7, 1969
Watsonville Santa Cruz March 30, 1868
Weed Siskiyou January 25, 1961
West Covina Los Angeles February 17, 1923
West Hollywood Los Angeles November 29, 1984
West Sacramento Yolo January 1, 1987
Westlake Village Los Angeles December 11, 1981
Westminster Orange March 27, 1957
Westmorland Imperial June 30, 1934
Wheatland Yuba April 23, 1874
Whittier Los Angeles February 25, 1898
Wildomar Riverside July 1, 2008
Williams Colusa May 17, 1920
Willits Mendocino November 19, 1888
Willows Glenn January 16, 1886
Windsor * Sonoma July 1, 1992
Winters Yolo February 9, 1898
Woodlake Tulare September 23, 1941
Woodland Yolo February 22, 1871
Woodside * San Mateo November 16, 1956
Yorba Linda Orange November 2, 1967
Yountville * Napa February 4, 1965
Yreka Siskiyou April 21, 1857
Yuba City Sutter January 23, 1908
Yucaipa San Bernardino November 27, 1989
Yucca Valley * San Bernardino November 27, 1991

References

See also