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134 free California trivia questions with answers — geography quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
50 free California trivia questions with answers. Think you're a California expert? Put your knowledge to the test with our comprehensive 134-question trivia quiz covering everything from Gold Rush history to modern landmarks. Whether you're a native Californian or just curious about the Golden State, this quiz will challenge your understanding of California's rich culture, geography, and iconic attractions.
30 of 134 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01What city serves as the capital of California?
Sacramento
Sacramento became California's permanent state capital in 1854, after several other cities briefly held the title.
Q 02In what year did California officially become the 31st U.S. state?
1850
California became the 31st state in 1850, skipping the territorial stage entirely, as part of the Compromise of 1850 that balanced free and slave states.
Q 03What is the highest natural point in California and the contiguous United States?
Mount Whitney
Members of the 1864 California Geological Survey named it after Josiah Whitney, the state geologist who sponsored their expedition.
Q 04Which major industry is primarily associated with California's Silicon Valley region?
Technology
Silicon Valley is globally recognized as a hub for innovation and development in the high-tech industry.
Q 05Which famous bridge spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay?
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, is an iconic suspension bridge and a marvel of modern engineering.
Q 06What bird is the official state bird of California?
California Quail
The California Quail, known for its distinctive topknot, was designated the state bird in 1931.
Q 07What is California's official state flower?
Golden poppy
The golden poppy, or California poppy, became the state flower in 1903 after botanist Sarah Plummer Lemmon lobbied for it through the 1890s and drafted the bill.
Q 08Which animal is featured on California's state flag and is its official state animal?
California Grizzly Bear
The California Grizzly Bear, though now extinct in the state, was designated the official state animal in 1953 and remains a powerful symbol.
Q 09Which city is the most populous in California?
Los Angeles
With nearly 4 million residents, Los Angeles is not only the largest city in California but also the second-most populous city in the United States.
Q 10What is the official state motto of California?
Eureka
Eureka, Greek for 'I have found it', has appeared on the state seal since 1849; a 1957 bid to replace it with 'In God We Trust' failed, and it was made official in 1963.
Q 11California is popularly known by which nickname?
The Golden State
The name took hold with the discovery of gold; the state colors are blue and gold, and the golden poppy is the state flower.
Q 12Which mountain range forms a significant natural barrier along California's eastern border?
Sierra Nevada
Its granite peaks are still rising along fault-block escarpments on the eastern edge, and it holds the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth by volume.
Q 13In what year did James W. Marshall find gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma?
1848
Marshall spotted gold flakes on January 24, 1848, while building a sawmill for John Sutter on the American River; Sutter tried and failed to keep the find quiet.
Q 21Which name is given to the scenic stretches of California's State Route 1 that hug the ocean?
Pacific Coast Highway
Pacific Coast Highway is the name given to State Route 1's ocean-hugging stretches; the same road is signed Cabrillo Highway and Shoreline Highway elsewhere, and its Big Sur section is a National Scenic Byway.
Q 22Which California valley's intense vegetable farming earned it the nickname 'America's Salad Bowl'?
Salinas
The Salinas Valley, where John Steinbeck grew up and set East of Eden and Of Mice and Men, grows a large share of the nation's lettuce and other vegetables.
Q 23Which three-tiered National Park waterfall is billed as North America’s tallest?
Yosemite Falls
Q 14How many counties are there in the state of California?
58
58 counties, the newest being Imperial County, carved out in 1907.
Q 15Which California valley is internationally renowned as one of the world's premier wine regions?
Napa Valley
Napa Valley vaulted to fame at the 1976 Paris tasting, when its Chardonnay and Cabernet beat top French wines in a blind judging.
Q 16What famous geological fault line runs through much of California, known for causing earthquakes?
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a major right-lateral strike-slip fault that extends for approximately 800 miles through California.
Q 17What is the largest natural freshwater body of water lying entirely within California?
Clear Lake
Clear Lake in Lake County, about 68 square miles, is the largest natural freshwater lake lying wholly inside California and is thought to be one of the oldest lakes in North America.
Q 18Which type of ancient tree, known for its longevity, can be found in the White Mountains of California?
Bristlecone Pine
Great Basin bristlecone pines grow in the White Mountains; the oldest confirmed one, Methuselah, is more than 4,800 years old and its exact location is kept secret.
Q 19What major industry is synonymous with Hollywood in Los Angeles?
Film and Television
Hollywood has been shorthand for film and television since the studios settled there in the 1910s; the district merged into Los Angeles in 1910, largely to secure a water supply.
Q 20Which state sits across California's ruler-straight northern border?
Oregon
The straight border runs along the 42nd parallel, a line inherited from the 1819 treaty between Spain and the United States.
Yosemite Falls drops 2,425 feet (739 m) in three tiers, Upper Yosemite Fall, the middle cascades and Lower Yosemite Fall, and is usually billed as North America's tallest.
Q 24Which California port was the busiest in the United States by container volume in 2024?
Los Angeles
Combined with its neighbour at Long Beach, the complex ranked about tenth in the world.
Q 25Which Los Angeles basketball team has a long-standing rivalry with the Boston Celtics?
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have met the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals 12 times, more than any other pairing, from 1959 through 2010.
Q 26Which Major League Baseball team moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958?
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a storied Major League Baseball franchise that moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958.
Q 27Which NFL team won five Super Bowls between January 1982 and January 1995?
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers won Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX, five titles in 14 seasons under coaches Bill Walsh and George Seifert.
Q 28Which island in San Francisco Bay once served as a notorious federal prison?
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island, often called 'The Rock,' housed some of America's most dangerous criminals from 1934 to 1963.
Q 29Which species, concentrated in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, includes Earth's tallest living trees?
Coast redwood
Coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) are the tallest living trees; the record holder, Hyperion, in Redwood National Park, stands about 116 metres (380 feet), its exact location kept quiet to protect it.
Q 30Which southern-coast city, home to over 1.4 million, is California's second-most populous?
San Diego
San Diego, with about 1.4 million residents, trails only Los Angeles in California and sits on a deep natural harbor that hosts a major naval base.