I just spent some time out in Northern California and was a little confused on where it started and where Central CA started and ended. From what I have seen and heard it doesn't seem like there is a definite point or imaginary line.
If I were to guestimate, I would say anything south of Point Conception is Southern and anything before Point Reyes is Central. That seems to piss off a lot of people like cab drivers in Napa and people in San Jose who consider themselves in Northern CA. Don't even say Bakersfield because nobody wants to be associated with them.
I just guessed off the sections with around 300 miles of coast line in between each point.
If anyone knows something about it or just has an opinion about it, I would love to hear it.
I've always heard reference to NorCal and SoCal, but not CenCal. While one can call parts of California 'Central CA', I don't think people associate themselves with that other than geographic acceptance of being in that region. The North/South distinction arises from both geographic as well as personality differences - the Bay Area (that includes San Jose) is NorCal while LA, SB, SC, and San Diego are SoCal. Bakersfield, Merced, and Fresno are all Central Valley - I don't believe they fit into either North or South.
In conclusion.. NorCal includes anyone that chooses to associate themselves with being in the Bay Area, and North (though, in reality anything north of the Bay Area is kind of on its own I think.. Redding is not "NorCal," while it is in Northern California, I don't know what it should be called, maybe "South of Oregon"), SoCal includes everyone associated with Santa Cruz and South. Furthermore, the Central Valley is a different beast entirely, and further separate are the people of the 'Desert Region' - in which I'm including Ridgecrest, Palm Springs, Coachella, Salton Sea, etc. I don't know where that leaves Bishop and Tahoe, I think Bishop may be on the North/South border, but probably should just be considered Eastern Sierra.
That was all in good fun, and should not be taken as insultory by anyone For the record, while I live in SoCal, I'm a NorCal person (born/raised in the Bay Area).
I think the normal usage of the terms is not geographically accurate. The "central coast" starts around Ventura up into Monterrey country, but SF is probably the geographic center of the state (along the coast). Tell someone from the bay area they are from central CA and they won't be happy. Northern Ca in normal usage is probably Salinas north? Makes no real sense, but little in this world does.
That's a rather futile question except if they ever manage to actually slice this disfunctional state in half. Then even Bakersfield is likely to fight to be included in the north even though there'd more likely be a cold day in hell.
On a geographical basis I'd slice up the state by including all the east draining basins in the Sierra from Conway Summit south into Southern Calfornia. I'd give the White, Inyo, and Panamint Mountains east to Nevada (haha!). Then west of the crest Southern Sierra and valley that drains from the Kings River basin south into SoCal. Note those southern rivers all used to flow into a huge natural lake west of Bakersfield that early settlers dried up and killed off a huge rich valley environment. Thus that water never went through the Golden Gate. And the San Joaquin River basin and all north to Northern California. And along the coast I'd make everything south of the Santa Lucia Range at San Simeon into the SoCal and all in the Salinas River basin to the NorCal. Oh yeah since I'm in a giving mood, I'd give everything east of the Sierra Crest north of Conway Summit to Nevada including Lake Tahoe. Well only as long as they promised not to put any more d!@# casinos up there.
And finally (if you elect me as El Grande Slicero) given the utter different mental nature of those that live there as a sub-species of homo sapiens, I would separate San Francisco from the rest of the state making it an independent sovereign nation.
And let us not forget the "Great State of Jefferson" formed in 1941 when portions of Northern California and Southern Oregon atttempted to succeed and create a new state. The real Northern Californians want nothing to do with the rest of the state and have been quietly hoping for years that everything from San Francisco south would just slip into the Pacific like it is supposed to.
Northern California is everything that is not Southern California. It's an unfortunate choice of labeling because it really doesn't break down on north/south boundaries. Santa Cruz is norcal (yes surfing is popular but not what characterizes the town) and San Jose (30 miles away) is socal. Redding is socal, as is the entire central valley (Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton, Mercedes, etc). Bishop and all of the eastern sierras is norcal in spirit and should be considered norcal.
Posted by Steve Sieren on June 9, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Nice to hear all the different thoughts and opinions. Guess you could say it's based off of emotions from stereotypical ideas from different metropolitan areas.
The coastal climate and ecology from Alaska to northern california is remarkably similar. If you visit Kodiak Island you are surprised at how much it looks like Fort Bragg or Mendocino in California. Norcal people have an affinity for oregonians and washingtonians because they live in similar environments and enjoy the outdoors in similar ways (from canoing to flyfishing).
Socal people live in a harsh dry environment where they have made it work with air conditioning and indoor entertainment. The vast majority of southern californians never leave their metropolitan areas to visit Anza Borrego or Joshua Tree or any of the high deserts. They really lead different lives. Outdoor activities are much less important to their lives.
Discussion
7 repliesIf I were to guestimate, I would say anything south of Point Conception is Southern and anything before Point Reyes is Central. That seems to piss off a lot of people like cab drivers in Napa and people in San Jose who consider themselves in Northern CA. Don't even say Bakersfield because nobody wants to be associated with them.
I just guessed off the sections with around 300 miles of coast line in between each point.
If anyone knows something about it or just has an opinion about it, I would love to hear it.
I've always heard reference to NorCal and SoCal, but not CenCal. While one can call parts of California 'Central CA', I don't think people associate themselves with that other than geographic acceptance of being in that region. The North/South distinction arises from both geographic as well as personality differences - the Bay Area (that includes San Jose) is NorCal while LA, SB, SC, and San Diego are SoCal. Bakersfield, Merced, and Fresno are all Central Valley - I don't believe they fit into either North or South.
In conclusion.. NorCal includes anyone that chooses to associate themselves with being in the Bay Area, and North (though, in reality anything north of the Bay Area is kind of on its own I think.. Redding is not "NorCal," while it is in Northern California, I don't know what it should be called, maybe "South of Oregon"), SoCal includes everyone associated with Santa Cruz and South. Furthermore, the Central Valley is a different beast entirely, and further separate are the people of the 'Desert Region' - in which I'm including Ridgecrest, Palm Springs, Coachella, Salton Sea, etc. I don't know where that leaves Bishop and Tahoe, I think Bishop may be on the North/South border, but probably should just be considered Eastern Sierra.
That was all in good fun, and should not be taken as insultory by anyone
On a geographical basis I'd slice up the state by including all the east draining basins in the Sierra from Conway Summit south into Southern Calfornia. I'd give the White, Inyo, and Panamint Mountains east to Nevada (haha!). Then west of the crest Southern Sierra and valley that drains from the Kings River basin south into SoCal. Note those southern rivers all used to flow into a huge natural lake west of Bakersfield that early settlers dried up and killed off a huge rich valley environment. Thus that water never went through the Golden Gate. And the San Joaquin River basin and all north to Northern California. And along the coast I'd make everything south of the Santa Lucia Range at San Simeon into the SoCal and all in the Salinas River basin to the NorCal. Oh yeah since I'm in a giving mood, I'd give everything east of the Sierra Crest north of Conway Summit to Nevada including Lake Tahoe. Well only as long as they promised not to put any more d!@# casinos up there.
And finally (if you elect me as El Grande Slicero) given the utter different mental nature of those that live there as a sub-species of homo sapiens, I would separate San Francisco from the rest of the state making it an independent sovereign nation.
Socal people live in a harsh dry environment where they have made it work with air conditioning and indoor entertainment. The vast majority of southern californians never leave their metropolitan areas to visit Anza Borrego or Joshua Tree or any of the high deserts. They really lead different lives. Outdoor activities are much less important to their lives.