Few places in the world pack so much into one state. Think about it: California has Hollywood glamour, the heart of tech innovation in Silicon Valley, world-class wines, deserts hotter than anywhere else in North America, and forests with trees older than history books. It’s big, bold, and full of contrasts.
But what exactly is California famous for? Let’s dive into the weird, wild, and wonderful things that make the Golden State unique!
15 Things California is famous for
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Hollywood
Hollywood and the entire US film industry are among California’s most famous attractions. This district didn’t just give its name to the industry—it shaped American culture and had a profound influence on the world.
From early film studios to today’s blockbusters, Hollywood has been at the center of cinematic history. It is regarded as the birthplace of cinema genres such as drama, action, comedy, musical, and war epics.
Hollywood, Los Angeles, and California became the home of the powerhouse that the American film industry set the standard for other national film industries. Hollywood studios produce several hundred movies per year, making the USA one of the most prolific film producers globally and a leading pioneer in motion picture engineering and technology.
Some notable media houses and studios in Hollywood and its surroundings include the Dolby Theater, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS Studios, NBC Studios, BET, and NBC. Over time, some major studios relocated from Hollywood to nearby neighborhoods, yet they remain part of the same film industry. Disney, Universal, and Warner are now located in the San Fernando Valley, while Columbia has been in Westside LA since 1990.
With Hollywood’s success came another thing California is famous for: the stars.
All the stars
Since most US movies come from Hollywood, it naturally attracts the rich, famous, and talented. California became the place to be if you wanted a career in entertainment.
Most celebrities live in Hollywood, Malibu, Beverly Hills, and the Hollywood Hills. LA is the epicenter of movies and TV shows, and California is globally recognized as the home of stars. Besides studios and the Hall of Fame, the state is also home to numerous.
Spot a celebrity! Many stars live in Beverly Hills, Malibu, and the Hollywood Hills—keep your camera ready!
Silicon Valley
Although Hollywood is iconic, Silicon Valley has become a key force in California’s economy. Named after the primary material used in microprocessors, it is home to most of the leading technology, software, and internet companies.
The region spans the southern San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose and Palo Alto. Home to Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Tesla, and other notable companies, it’s one of the wealthiest areas in the world and a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Silicon Valley companies have made their way into our lives, redefining technology and our relationship with it. It also became the synonym for a new, innovative entrepreneurial spirit and lifestyle mindset.
Amazing beaches
The beaches in California are legendary. With a long coastline featuring golden sand beaches, California’s beaches are stunning. Some are very famous, like La Jolla, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, and Malibu, but many others are lesser-known, yet they also deserve a visit.
Californian beaches are superb for sunbathing, surfing, and people-watching. Unfortunately, they aren’t ideal for swimming due to the water’s cold temperature, which rarely exceeds 20 °C, and the large waves.
Surfing culture
When you have stunning beaches with nice waves, it’s only natural that the love for surfing appears and a surfing culture develops. California’s coastline offers ideal waves for every sort of surfer, from beginners to pros.
Surfing was introduced in California by Hawaiian students in the 1880s, and by the 1900s, it had already developed into the famous Californian surf culture. However, it was only in the 1950s and 1960s that it truly exploded into the popular sport and way of life it is today.
Movies, music, and TV shows have created their own allure, helping the sport become even more popular with a thriving, permanent scene that produces new surfing styles, its own music, and jargon.
Fun fact: September 20 is officially California Surfing Day!
Giant trees
One other thing California is famous for is its giant trees, the California Redwoods. In fact, there are two distinct species of California Redwoods, the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Fun fact: They are both considered the California state tree, as the legislator only mentioned California Redwoods, not identifying the species.
These trees were once common in the Northern Hemisphere. Still, they are now confined to the Pacific coast (in California, Oregon, and Washington), and most of their groves are located inside national and state parks. They are considered the tallest and the largest trees in the world and are dubbed nature’s skyscrapers.
The Giant Sequoias can live up to 3,000 years, with some reaching 3,500 years old. They can grow up to 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter and reach a height of 250 feet (76 meters). The largest tree in the world, General Sherman, is 275 feet (84 meters) tall, 102 feet (31 meters) in circumference, and weighs an astonishing 2.7 million lbs (1.2 million kg).
Coast redwoods live up to 2,000 years and can exceed 350 feet (107 meters) in height. Hyperion, the tallest tree in the world, is located in Redwood National Park.
Yosemite National Park
California has a vast variety of national and state parks. Among those, Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada is probably the most popular one. It holds some of the most famous landmarks in California and natural wonders in the US, like El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls.
Yosemite National Park is a jewel of California, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and a wide variety of hiking opportunities that cater to all levels of adventurers. Whether you’re looking to challenge yourself with a strenuous hike like the ascent of Half Dome or prefer to enjoy one of the easy Yosemite hikes, this park has something for everyone.
Established in 1890, Yosemite has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984. More than 3 million people visit this park to explore its deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, vast wilderness area, and much more.
Yosemite Valley attracts most of the park’s visitors, but the park is enormous, with 3,081 km², so there are many points of interest outside the central valley.
Death Valley
Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert, is another striking location in California, but it couldn’t be more different. It is similarly famous but for entirely different reasons. As the name hints, the Death Valley is extremely hot and dry. In fact, it’s renowned for being North America’s driest and hottest place, with an average of two inches of annual rainfall and a record high of 134°F (56 °C).
If this wasn’t enough, it is also the lowest place on the continent, with a depth of 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level in Badwater Basin. It’s nowhere near the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan, but it’s still very impressive. Curiously, Badwater is only 84.6 miles (136.2 km) east-southeast of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States.
Wine country region
The wine country region in California is famous worldwide for being a premier wine-producing region. Located in the northern Bay Area, the wine country region is typically considered to encompass the combined counties of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Solano. This region is renowned not only for its wineries but also for its cuisine, Michelin-starred restaurants, luxury resorts, boutique hotels, and rich culture.
Since the early 19th century, wine-making has been practiced in the region, following the establishment of the first vineyards by Spanish missionaries in 1812. Since then, the wine country has steadily grown, but in 1975, there were only 25 wineries in Napa Valley. Since 1975, the wine industry has experienced significant growth, and today there are over 800 wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties.
Did you know? California produces nearly 90% of all US wine, enough to make it the fourth-largest wine producer globally if it were a country.
Famous landmarks
We have discussed some of the most famous landmarks in California, but the Golden State boasts a vast array of natural and human-made landmarks. Being the center of the media and entertainment business surely helps make them globally known, but there are some impressive landmarks.
Besides the already mentioned Badwater Basin in Death Valley and Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park, we must highlight Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Getty Museum, the Hollywood sign in LA, and many others.
To learn more about the most famous landmarks in California, click here.
Progressive Politics
California is widely recognized as one of the most progressive states and a hub of counterculture. In Presidential elections, it’s been a Democratic Party stronghold since 1992. Still, more importantly, the state is usually at the forefront of topics such as immigration, racial and gender equality, LGBT rights, and cannabis legalization, among others.
Though we should mention that in terms of cannabis, it was the first state to legalize medical marijuana, only to legalize recreational use much later (2018). Washington State and Colorado were the pioneers in this aspect.
Looking at this historically, we notice that California was also the epicenter of the hippie culture. It was where the sexual revolution originated and where the famous “make love, not war” protests were more appropriate.
Spanish & Mexican heritage
Within the USA and even globally, California is known for its vast Spanish and Mexican heritage. The Hispanic presence in California began when Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailed to San Diego in 1542 under the Spanish flag.
California only became a state in 1850, following a period of Spanish and Mexican rule. This created a long heritage that can still be seen and felt today. The architecture, toponyms, political history, and racial composition clearly show a unique heritage.
Even today, about 40% of California’s population is Hispanic or Latino, and almost 30% speak Spanish.
Cars and traffic
Historically, California, specifically Los Angeles, has been known as a car town. With a lot of space available, the cities have expanded in every direction, and roads and highways have developed too. Naturally, with time, the crazy traffic jams on massive highways became a daily occurrence in California’s main cities and one of the things the state is famous for.
As CNN puts it: “Los Angeles is probably as famous for its traffic congestion as it is for the iconic Hollywood Sign.” Sometimes it is even considered one of the worst in the world. We would suggest that’s a stretch, but it is one of America’s worst.
Fun fact: Some say LA traffic is as famous as the Hollywood sign!
The Bear Flag
The Californian flag, or the Bear Flag, is the current official flag of California. This iconic flag was inspired by a flag that originated in a revolt in 1846, when California was still part of Mexico. The revolt eventually failed, but the idea of a bear in the Californian flag persisted.
According to the California Military Department, the California Grizzly symbolizes excellent strength, while the star on the flag represents freedom. Unfortunately, the California grizzly bear featured on the flag is now extinct.
Adopted in 1911, the California flag, like those of Hawaii and Texas, is unusual because it features a design used by a formerly independent country.
The many nicknames
What is California known for? Oh, so many names… California is the land of milk and honey, the Golden State, the Golden West, the El Dorado State, the Sunshine State, the Beach State, and the Grape State. There are likely a few more names, but these are among the most famous.
Some of these nicknames are obvious references to the gold discovery in California and the subsequent gold rush. Such nicknames are the Golden State, the Golden West, and the El Dorado State.
Others are an allusion to other things California is famous for. Things that we mentioned already in this post. The beach state is known for its huge coast boasting some fantastic beaches, the grape state is famous for its wine country, and the sunshine state is famous for the many hours of sun. Interestingly, Florida is also renowned for being the Sunshine State.
Finally, the land of milk and honey refers to the bible, where the expression “milk and honey” indicates abundant fertility. For this reason, the bible usually mentions Israel as the land of milk and honey.
California gained this nickname after the discovery of gold and the opportunities it provided for all kinds of people. Nevertheless, California is also a land of abundant fertility with a vast production of some agricultural goods.
California is a land of contrasts—glitz and wilderness, beaches and deserts, billionaires and dreamers. It’s famous for the obvious things, sure, but also for quirks and surprises that make it so much more than a postcard.
The real question is: which side of California would you want to experience first—the Hollywood sparkle, the natural wonders, or the offbeat lifestyle? Either way, California won’t fail to surprise you