In CA, the name of an incorporated municipality may be "Town of (Name)" or "City of (Name)". All the counties in California are served by their respective county seats.
California County Maps: An Overview
There are 58 counties in the state of CA. Counties have the responsibility of collection of property taxes, all elections, keeping of public documents like title deeds, and regional-level courts inside their boundaries and offering legal protection (via the county sheriff and his representatives) to places that are not situated inside incorporated cities. In 1850, 18 counties were created in the beginning. The last county to be set up in the state was the Imperial County in 1907.
Major California Counties
Given below is a list of major California Counties with their areas and population:
| Counties | County Seat | Area | Population |
| Alameda County | Oakland | 738 sq mi | 1,474,368 |
| Alpine County | Markleeville | 739 sq mi | 1,061 |
| Butte County | Oroville | 1,640 sq mi | 220,337 |
| Calaveras County | San Andreas | 1,020 sq mi | 46,843 |
| Contra Costa County | Martinez | 720 sq mi | 1,029,703 |
| Del Norte County | Crescent City | 1,008 sq mi | 29,100 |
| El Dorado County | Placerville | 1,712 sq mi | 176,075 |
| Fresno County | Fresno | 5,963 sq mi | 909,153 |
| Glenn County | Willows | 1,315 sq mi | 28,237 |
| Humboldt County | Eureka | 3,573 sq mi | 129,000 |
| Imperial County | El Centro | 4,175 sq mi | 163,972 |
| Kern County | Bakersfield | 8,142 sq mi | 800,458 |
| Merced County | Merced | 1,929 sq mi | 246,117 |
| Monterey County | Salinas | 3,322 sq mi | 408,238 |
| Orange County | Santa Ana | 790 sq mi | 3,010,759 |
| Placer County | Auburn | 1,503 sq mi | 341,945 |
| Riverside County | Riverside | 7,208 sq mi | 2,100,516 |
| Sacramento County | Sacramento | 966 sq mi | 1,394,154 |
| San Diego County | San Bernardino | 4,204 sq mi | 2,015,355 |
| San Bernardino County | Stockton | 1,399 sq mi | 672,388 |
| San Joaquin County | Stockton | 1,399 sq mi | 672,388 |
| Santa Barbara County | Santa Barbara | 2,738 sq mi | 405,396 |
| Santa Clara County | San Jose | 1,291 sq mi | 1,764,499 |
| Ventura County | Ventura | 1,846 sq mi | 797,740 |
| California County Maps |
