California Central Valley

The California Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the state of California.

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Bounded by the Cascade Range to the north, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Tehachapi Mountains to the south, and the Coast Range and San Francisco Bay to the west, this valley is a vast agricultural region drained by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. The northern area (north of the Mokelumne River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta) is called the Sacramento Valley; the southern area is called the San Joaquin Valley.

Related Topics:
Cascade Range - Sierra Nevada - Tehachapi Mountains - Coast Range - San Francisco Bay - Sacramento - San Joaquin - Mokelumne River - Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - Sacramento Valley - San Joaquin Valley

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Nineteen counties are commonly associated with the Central Valley stretching for nearly 400 miles from north to south. The area is further subdivided into four regions: North Sacramento Valley (Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Colusa), Sacramento Metro (Sacramento, El Dorado, Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, Placer), North San Joaquin (San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced), and South San Joaquin (Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare). Fresno is the largest city followed closely by the state capital, Sacramento. Bakersfield, Stockton, and Modesto are the other large cities in the region. About 5.7 million people live in the Central Valley today.

Related Topics:
Shasta - Tehama - Glenn - Butte - Colusa - Sacramento - El Dorado - Sutter - Yuba - Yolo - Placer - San Joaquin - Stanislaus - Merced - Madera - Fresno - Kings - Tulare - Fresno - Sacramento - Bakersfield - Stockton - Modesto

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The Valley is renowned for its extreme flatness, in contrast to the rugged hills that are typical of most of California's terrain. It is thought to have originated as the floor of an inland sea, when sea levels were much higher than they are today.

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The Valley is also known for its hot weather in the summer and the thick tule fog in the winter.

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