California Counties

Alameda County sits on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay. Home to cities like Oakland and Berkeley, it’s where culture and tech meet.

Alpine County is where California’s Sierra Nevada really shines. As the smallest county in the state by population, it’s a wilderness retreat.

In the heart of California’s Gold Country, Amador County is a slice of history with a side of wine. The county was named after Jose Amador.

Home to Chico, Butte County is in Northern California’s Sacramento Valley. It’s where Sierra Nevada Brewing Company started brewing.

Famous for its frogs, Calaveras County leaps right off the pages. Mark Twain made this place famous with his story about a jumping frog.

In the middle of the Sacramento Valley, you’ll find Colusa County. It’s where Interstate 5 meets the Sacramento River.

East of San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa has a bit of everything. There’s Mount Diablo, Richmond’s oil refineries and Walnut Creek’s shopping.

El Dorado County stretches from the Sacramento Valley to the Sierra Nevada. It’s where gold fever first hit California.

Del Norte County sits way up in California’s top left corner. It’s a place of big trees and wild coastline. The population is only 28,000.

Fresno County sits right in the heart of California’s Central Valley. Fresno is the county seat and largest city in the valley.

Glenn County is pure agricultural country in the northern Sacramento Valley. It’s bordered by the Sacramento River and the Coast Ranges.

Humboldt County is way up north on the coast. It’s redwood country here, with some trees taller than skyscrapers.

Imperial County is about as far south and east as you can get in California. It’s mostly desert area so it’s hot and dry most of the year.

Inyo County is a land of extremes. It’s home to both the lowest and the highest points in the contiguous United States.

Kern County is like California in miniature. You’ve got the Central Valley, pieces of the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave Desert.