Interesting Facts About California for Kids
(Free Printable List)
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Discover more about the Golden State with these fascinating facts about California for kids! From its famous landmarks and diverse landscapes to interesting trivia about its wildlife and history, this page is packed with information and illustrations to help kids (and even adults) learn more about one of the biggest states in the U.S.
These free printable California facts for kids are fun to keep on hand for learning on the go, in the classroom, or to get ready for California-bound travels.
California State Facts
State Nickname:
The Golden State
Date of Statehood:
September 9, 1850 (31st State)
State Capital:
Sacramento
State Motto:
“Eureka (I Have Found It)”
State Colors:
Gold and Blue
State Animal:
Grizzly Bear
State Bird:
California Quail
State Flower:
California Poppy
State Trees: California Redwood and Giant Sequoia
State Flag:
Bear Flag
?
DID YOU KNOW?
The Bear Flag was first raised on June 14, 1846, in Sonoma by American settlers fighting back against the rule of Mexico.
California Fun Facts
Fun Fact #1:
California is the third largest state, with only Alaska and Texas beating it in size.
Fun Fact #2:
The first ARPANET message—a precursor to today’s internet—was sent in California from UCLA to the Stanford Research Institute in 1969.
Los Angeles
Fun Fact #3:
After New York City, Los Angeles is the second most populous city in America.
San Francisco
Fun Fact #4:
The two cities in California with the largest populations are Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Fun Fact #5:
California is the only state to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, hosting the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984 and the Winter Olympics in 1960.
Fun Fact #6:
California’s name comes from a 1510 Spanish novel Las Sergas de Esplandián, which tells the story of Queen Calafia, who ruled over the island of California.
California almond farm
Fun Fact #7:
California is known for its almonds, avocados, and wine.
Surfer in Huntington Beach
Fun Fact #8:
The wetsuit was invented in California in 1952 by Hugh Bradner, a physicist at the University of California, Berkeley.
Fun Fact #9:
California’s major industries include technology, entertainment, and agriculture.
California Geography Facts
Regions:
Coast, mountains, valleys, and deserts
Climate:
Includes cold and snowy mountains, hot and dry deserts, fertile valleys, and warm sunny beaches
Location:
California is on the West Coast of the United States, bordered by Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, the country of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean.
Golden Gate Bridge
Landmarks:
Golden Gate Bridge, Death Valley, Alcatraz, Disneyland, Hollywood Sign, Pacific Coast Highway, Hollywood Walk of Fame
Joshua Tree National Park
National Parks:
Sequoia National Park, Redwood National Park, Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Death Valley National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Pinnacles National Park
San Andreas Fault:
California experiences earthquakes because the Pacific and North American tectonic plates (San Andreas Fault) are constantly moving against each other, creating stress in the rocks that’s sometimes released as an earthquake.
Ocean Front:
California has one of the longest coastline in the United States.
River Systems:
California has more than 100 rivers.
Lakes:
California’s Clear Lake is said to be among the oldest lakes in North America.
Mojave Desert
Deserts:
California is home to the Mojave Desert, the smallest and driest desert of North America.
Mount Whitney
Highest Point:
California’s Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada mountains is the highest point in the contiguous U.S.
Death Valley
Lowest Point:
California’s Death Valley in the Mojave Desert is the lowest point in North America.
California Wildlife & Nature Facts
California Sea Lion
Common Wildlife:
Sea Otters, Sea Lions, Blue and Fin Whales, Alligator Lizards, Newts, Garter Snakes, Raccoons, Squirrels, Bobcats, and Black Bears.
California Towhee
Common Birds:
Robin, Gold Finch, Quail, Towhee, Dark-Eyed Junco, Allen’s Hummingbird, Cooper’s Hawk, and the Golden Eagle.
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DID YOU KNOW?
According to the California Fish and Wildlife Department, “California hosts approximately 6,500 species, subspecies, and varieties of native plants, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.”
Purple Chinese Houses Flower
Common Vegetation:
Sunflower, Arroyo Lupine, Purple Chinese Houses, Blue Flax, Birdfoot Trefoil, Moss Verbena, Toad Flax
California Condor
Endangered species:
The Californian Condor (largest land bird in US and largest wingspan in US), Gray Wolf, Desert Slender Salamander, Giant Kangaroo Rat, San Joaquin Kit Fox, Franklin’s Bumblebee, Lange’s Metalmark Butterfly
?
DID YOU KNOW?
California is home to the tallest trees (coast redwoods), the largest trees by volume (giant sequoias), and the oldest trees (bristlecone pines).
California History Facts
Map of Bering Strait
Map of Bering Strait
The first people to arrive in California were from Asia, crossing the Bering Strait over 20,000 years ago.
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
First European Visitor:
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to visit California in 1542. Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer who led a Spanish expedition from the port of Navidad, Mexico.
Native Americans:
Many Native American tribes lived in California, including the Chumash, Hupa, Pomo, Tolowa, Maidu, Miwok, Wintun, and Cahuilla, and continue to reside there today.
Early California Map
First Claims:
Spain ruled California from 1769 to 1821, at which point Mexico took control. Mexico ruled California until 1848, when it was ceded to the United States after the Mexican-American War.
Miner’s Gold Pan
Discovery of Gold:
In 1848, James Marshall discovered gold in the river while helping to construct Sutter’s Mill, which started the California Gold Rush.
Early Seaports:
San Francisco, originally called Yerba Buena, rapidly became a major seaport during the Gold Rush.
Gold Mining Town in Bodie, California
The Gold Rush:
In 1849, thousands of people poured into California searching for gold. Due to the date of their arrival, they earned the nickname 49ers.
California Railroad
The Railroad:
The expansion of the railroad in the 1880s brought people towards Southern California and Los Angeles.
?
DID YOU KNOW?
The Bering Land Bridge was a strip of land that connected Asia to Alaska during the last ice age. It was exposed when sea levels dropped due to glaciers forming and trapping water.
According to The Library of Congress, “It has been estimated that when Europeans first came to California, the native population was probably close to 300,000–13 percent of the indigenous peoples in North America.”
California Movie Set
The Film Industry:
California became a movie center in the early 1900s, when major film companies built production facilities in Los Angeles. The city’s warm climate, diverse landscapes, and cost-effective opportunities drew filmmakers.
Santiago Canyon Fire
Natural Disasters:
In 1906, a major earthquake destroyed much of San Francisco. One of the earliest large, well-documented wildfires was the 1889 Santiago Canyon Fire, which burned about 300,000 acres in parts of Orange County.
Population Increase:
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, California’s population increased significantly as people left states impacted by severe drought (The Dust Bowl) and more jobs became available in the state.
Technological Advancement:
While California’s history of innovation dates back to the 40s and 50s, the state became widely recognized for its technological advancements in the 1970s–an association that remains today.
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