Editing Greater Los Angeles (section)

==Component counties, subregions, and cities==
[[File:LA at dawn.jpg|thumb|[[Los Angeles Basin]] at dawn]]

===Los Angeles County===
{{main|Los Angeles County, California}}
Los Angeles County, of which the City of Los Angeles is the county seat, is the most populous county in the United States and is home to over a quarter of all California residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb09-76.html |title=Newsroom: Population: Census Bureau Releases State and County Data Depicting Nation's Population Ahead of 2010 Census |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=August 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824232857/http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb09-76.html |archive-date=August 24, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The large size of the city of Los Angeles, as well as its history of annexing smaller towns, has made city boundaries in the central area of Los Angeles County quite complicated.<ref>[http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/ Mapping L.A. – Los Angeles Times] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805060700/http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/ |date=August 5, 2011 }}. Projects.latimes.com. Retrieved on July 29, 2013.</ref> Many cities are completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles and are often included in the city's areas despite being independent municipalities. For example, [[Santa Monica]] and [[Beverly Hills]] (which is almost completely surrounded by Los Angeles) are considered part of the Westside, while [[Hawthorne, California|Hawthorne]] and [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]] are associated with South L.A. Adjacent areas that are outside the actual city boundaries of incorporated Los Angeles but border the city itself include the [[Santa Clarita Valley]], the [[San Gabriel Valley]], [[South Bay, Los Angeles|South Bay]], and the [[Gateway Cities]].

Despite the large footprint of the city of Los Angeles, a majority of the land area within Los Angeles County is unincorporated and under the primary jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. Much of this land, however, cannot be easily developed due to planning challenges presented by geographic features such as the [[Santa Monica Mountains]], the [[San Gabriel Mountains]], and the [[Mojave Desert]]. Actual land development in these regions occurs on the fringes of incorporated cities, some of which have been fully developed, such as the cities of [[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]] and [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]].

====Subregions in Los Angeles County====
While there is not an official designation for the regions that comprise Greater Los Angeles, one authority, the ''Los Angeles Times'', divides the area into the following regions:<ref>{{cite news |title=Neighborhoods |url=http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/ |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=October 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805060700/http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/ |archive-date=August 5, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Angeles National Forest|Angeles Forest]]
* [[Antelope Valley]]
* Central L.A. ([[Downtown Los Angeles]], [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], [[Mid-Wilshire]], etc.)
* [[East Los Angeles (region)|Eastside]]
* [[Gateway Cities]]/Harbor Area
* Northeast L.A. ([[Highland Park, Los Angeles|Highland Park]], [[Eagle Rock, Los Angeles|Eagle Rock]], etc.)
* Northwest L.A. County (including the [[Santa Clarita Valley]])
* [[Pomona Valley]] (partially in San Bernardino County)
* [[San Fernando Valley]]
* [[San Gabriel Valley]]
* [[Santa Clarita Valley]]
* [[Santa Monica Mountains]] ([[Malibu, California|Malibu]], [[Topanga, California|Topanga]], etc.)
* [[South Bay, Los Angeles|South Bay]] (incl. [[Palos Verdes Peninsula]], [[Beach Cities]])
* [[South Los Angeles]]
* Southeast Los Angeles County (including [[Norwalk, California|Norwalk]] and [[Whittier, California|Whittier]], see [[Gateway Cities]])
* The Verdugos (including [[Glendale, California|Glendale]], [[Pasadena]] and the [[Crescenta Valley]])
* [[Westside (Los Angeles County)|Westside]]

Some of the above areas can be defined as being bounded by natural features such as mountains or the ocean; others are marked by city boundaries, freeways, or other constructed landmarks. For example, [[Downtown Los Angeles]] is the area of Los Angeles roughly enclosed by three freeways and one river: the [[Interstate 110 and State Route 110 (California)|Harbor Freeway (SR 110)]] to the west, the [[Santa Ana Freeway]] ([[U.S. Route 101 in California|US 101]]) to the north, the [[Los Angeles River]] to the east, and the [[Santa Monica Freeway]] ([[Interstate 10 in California|I-10]]) to the south.<ref name=LAT080807>Sharon Bernstein and David Pierson, "[http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-downtown8aug08,0,5462749,full.story L.A. moves toward more N.Y-style downtown] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007142223/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-downtown8aug08,0,5462749,full.story |date=October 7, 2008 }}", ''Los Angeles Times'', August 8, 2007.</ref> Meanwhile, the [[San Fernando Valley]] ("The Valley") is defined as the basin consisting of the part of Los Angeles and its suburbs that lie north-northwest of downtown and is ringed by mountains.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=San Fernando Valley|encyclopedia=Britannica Online Encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/521119/San-Fernando-Valley|access-date=August 31, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602224649/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/521119/San-Fernando-Valley|archive-date=June 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Edge cities in Los Angeles County====
=====Central and Western area=====
*[[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]]/[[Century City]]
*[[Los Angeles International Airport|LAX]]/[[El Segundo, California|El Segundo]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Marina del Rey, California|Marina Del Rey]]/[[Culver City, California|Culver City]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[West Los Angeles]]
*[[Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles|Mid-Wilshire]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Miracle Mile, Los Angeles|Miracle Mile]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>

=====San Fernando Valley=====
*[[Burbank, California|Burbank]]/[[North Hollywood, Los Angeles|North Hollywood]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Sherman Oaks]]/[[Van Nuys, Los Angeles]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Warner Center, Los Angeles]]/West [[San Fernando Valley|Valley]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>

=====Elsewhere in Los Angeles County=====
*[[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*South Bay/[[Torrance, California|Torrance]]/[[Carson, California|Carson]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*South [[San Gabriel Valley|Valley]]/[[Covina]] (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Santa Clarita, California|Santa Clarita]] (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>

====Cities in Los Angeles County====
With a population of nearly 4.1 million people at the 2020 census, the City of [[Los Angeles]] is the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, and is the focal point of the Greater Los Angeles Area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US0644000 |title=Los Angeles city, California |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=February 15, 2022 |archive-date=February 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215205838/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US0644000 |url-status=live }}</ref> As an international center for finance, entertainment, media, culture, education, tourism, and science, Los Angeles is considered one of the world's most powerful and influential [[global cities]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/node/373401 |title=The Global Cities Index 2010 |magazine=Foreign Policy |year=2010 |access-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202071827/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/node/373401 |archive-date=December 2, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

List of the 88 cities of Los Angeles County and six large CDPs by population at the 2020 U.S. census:
{{Colbegin|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Los Angeles]] (3,898,747)
* [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]] (466,742)
* [[Santa Clarita]] (228,673)
* [[Glendale, California|Glendale]] (196,543)
* [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]] (173,516)
* [[Palmdale]] (169,450)
* [[Pomona, California|Pomona]] (151,713)
* [[Torrance, California|Torrance]] (147,067)
* [[Pasadena]] (138,699)
* [[East Los Angeles]] CDP (118,786)
* [[Downey, California|Downey]] (114,355)
* [[West Covina]] (109,501)
* [[El Monte, California|El Monte]] (109,450)
* [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]] (107,762)
* [[Burbank, California|Burbank]] (107,337)
* [[Norwalk, California|Norwalk]] (102,773)
* [[Compton, California|Compton]] (95,740)
* [[Carson, California|Carson]] (95,558)
* [[Santa Monica]] (93,076)
* [[South Gate, California|South Gate]] (92,726)
* [[Hawthorne, California|Hawthorne]] (88,083)
* [[Whittier, California|Whittier]] (87,306)
* [[Alhambra, California|Alhambra]] (82,868)
* [[Lakewood, California|Lakewood]] (82,496)
* [[Bellflower, California|Bellflower]] (79,190)
* [[Baldwin Park, California|Baldwin Park]] (72,176)
* [[Redondo Beach, California|Redondo Beach]] (71,576)
* [[Lynwood, California|Lynwood]] (67,265)
* [[Montebello, California|Montebello]] (62,640)
* [[Pico Rivera]] (62,088)
* [[Florence-Graham]] CDP (61,983)
* [[Monterey Park, California|Monterey Park]] (61,096)
* [[Gardena, California|Gardena]] (61,027)
* [[Arcadia, California|Arcadia]] (56,681)
* [[South Whittier]] CDP (56,415)
* [[Diamond Bar]] (55,072)
* [[Huntington Park, California|Huntington Park]] (54,883)
* [[Hacienda Heights]] CDP (54,191)
* [[Paramount, California|Paramount]] (53,733)
* [[Glendora, California|Glendora]] (52,558)
* [[Covina]] (51,268)
* [[Rosemead]] (51,185)
* [[Azusa, California|Azusa]] (50,000)
* [[Cerritos, California|Cerritos]] (49,578)
* [[Rowland Heights]] CDP (48,231)
* [[La Mirada, California|La Mirada]] (48,008)
* [[Altadena]] CDP (42,846)
* [[Rancho Palos Verdes, California|Rancho Palos Verdes]] (42,287)
* [[Culver City, California|Culver City]] (40,779)
* [[San Gabriel, California|San Gabriel]] (39,568)
* [[Bell Gardens, California|Bell Gardens]] (39,501)
* [[La Puente, California|La Puente]] (38,062)
* [[Monrovia, California|Monrovia]] (37,931)
* [[Claremont, California|Claremont]] (37,266)
* [[Temple City, California|Temple City]] (36,494)
* [[West Hollywood, California|West Hollywood]] (35,757)
* [[Manhattan Beach, California|Manhattan Beach]] (35,506)
* [[San Dimas, California|San Dimas]] (34,924)
* [[Bell, California|Bell]] (33,559)
* [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]] (32,701)
* [[Lawndale, California|Lawndale]] (31,807)
* [[La Verne, California|La Verne]] (31,334)
* [[Walnut, California|Walnut]] (28,430)
* [[South Pasadena, California|South Pasadena]] (26,943)
* [[Maywood, California|Maywood]] (25,138)
* [[San Fernando, California|San Fernando]] (23,946)
* [[Calabasas, California|Calabasas]] (23,241)
* [[Cudahy, California|Cudahy]] (22,811)
* [[Duarte, California|Duarte]] (21,727)
* [[Lomita, California|Lomita]] (20,921)
* [[La Cañada Flintridge, California|La Cañada Flintridge]] (20,573)
* [[Agoura Hills, California|Agoura Hills]] (20,299)
* [[Hermosa Beach, California|Hermosa Beach]] (19,728)
* [[South El Monte, California|South El Monte]] (19,567)
* [[Santa Fe Springs, California|Santa Fe Springs]] (19,219)
* [[El Segundo, California|El Segundo]] (17,272)
* [[Artesia, California|Artesia]] (16,395)
* [[Hawaiian Gardens, California|Hawaiian Gardens]] (14,149)
* [[Palos Verdes Estates, California|Palos Verdes Estates]] (13,347)
* [[San Marino, California|San Marino]] (12,513)
* [[Commerce, California|Commerce]] (12,378)
* [[Signal Hill, California|Signal Hill]] (11,848)
* [[Sierra Madre, California|Sierra Madre]] (11,268)
* [[Malibu, California|Malibu]] (10,654)
* [[Rolling Hills Estates, California|Rolling Hills Estates]] (8,280)
* [[Westlake Village, California|Westlake Village]] (8,029)
* [[La Habra Heights, California|La Habra Heights]] (5,682)
* [[Avalon, California|Avalon]] (3,460)
* [[Rolling Hills, California|Rolling Hills]] (1,739)
* [[Hidden Hills, California|Hidden Hills]] (1,725)
* [[Irwindale, California|Irwindale]] (1,472)
* [[Bradbury, California|Bradbury]] (921)
* [[Industry, California|Industry]] (264)
* [[Vernon, California|Vernon]] (222){{colend}}

===Orange County===
{{main|Orange County, California}}

[[File:The City of Newport Beach July 2014 photo D Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Newport Beach, California|Newport Beach]] in [[Orange County, California|Orange County]]]]
Orange County was originally an agricultural area dependent on citrus crops, avocados, and oil extraction, and became a [[bedroom community]] for Los Angeles when [[Interstate 5 in California|I–5, the Santa Ana Freeway]], linked it to the city in the 1950s. The growth of Los Angeles initially fueled population growth in Orange County, but by the 1970s it had become an important economic center in its own right, with tourism and electronics industries, among others. Today, Orange County is known for its tourist attractions, such as the [[Disneyland Resort]], [[Knott's Berry Farm]], its several pristine beaches and coastline, and its wealthier areas, featured in television shows such as ''[[The O.C.]]'' None of the original downtowns serves as the central urban core for the county, but there are important clusters of business and culture in [[Downtown Santa Ana]] and in three [[edge cities]]: the [[Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city]] from the [[Disneyland Resort]] to the [[Orange Crush interchange]] ([[Orange, California|Orange]], Santa Ana), the [[South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city]] (Santa Ana, [[Costa Mesa]], [[Irvine, California|Irvine]]), and Irvine's [[Irvine Spectrum Center|Spectrum]] edge city.

[[File:Los angeles MSA historical population.png|thumb|Population of Los Angeles and Orange Counties since 1890]]

Orange County is sometimes figuratively divided into "North County" and "South County", with North Orange County including cities such as [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], [[Fullerton, California|Fullerton]], and [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]], and is the older, more ethnically diverse and more densely built-up area both geographically and culturally closer to Los Angeles. South County, defined variously as beginning with either Costa Mesa<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orangecoastrealestate.com/south-orange-county-real-estate/|title=South Orange County Real Estate foreclosures – South Orange County MLS homes & Condos For sale|website=Orange Coast Real Estate|access-date=June 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622002902/http://www.orangecoastrealestate.com/south-orange-county-real-estate/|archive-date=June 22, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> or Irvine<ref>{{cite news |title=Vacanies Are Up in South OC Offices |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33114305/south_oc_definition_la_times/ |access-date=June 22, 2019 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 1, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624075116/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33114305/south_oc_definition_la_times/ |archive-date=June 24, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> and includes cities to the east and south such as [[Laguna Beach]], [[Mission Viejo]], [[Newport Beach]], and [[San Clemente]], is more residential, affluent, recently developed, and has a mostly white population. Irvine is an exception, as it is a center of employment and is ethnically diverse. A growing alternative dividing marker between north and south is the [[El Toro Y]] interchange. [[Orange Coast]] or South Coast area is defined instead as consisting of some or all of the cities lining the coast.

====Subregions in Orange County====
*[[Orange County, California#Geography|North Orange County]]
*[[Orange County, California#Geography|South Orange County]]

====Edge cities in Orange County====
*[[Anaheim–Santa Ana edge city]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Fullerton, California|Fullerton]]/[[La Habra]]/[[Brea, California|Brea]] (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Irvine Spectrum]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Newport Center, Newport Beach, California|Newport Center]]/[[Fashion Island]] (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[San Clemente]]/[[Laguna Niguel, California|Laguna Niguel]] (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[South Coast Plaza–John Wayne Airport edge city]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Westminster, California|Westminster]]/[[Huntington Beach]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>

====Cities in Orange County====
List of the 34 cities in Orange County by population at the 2020 census:
{{Colbegin|colwidth=19em}}
* [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]] (346,824)
* [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]] (310,227)
* [[Irvine, California|Irvine]] (307,670)
* [[Huntington Beach]] (198,711)
* [[Garden Grove, California|Garden Grove]] (171,949)
* [[Fullerton, California|Fullerton]] (143,617)
* [[Orange, California|Orange]] (139,911)
* [[Costa Mesa]] (111,918)
* [[Mission Viejo]] (93,653)
* [[Westminster, California|Westminster]] (90,911)
* [[Lake Forest, California|Lake Forest]] (85,858)
* [[Newport Beach]] (85,239)
* [[Buena Park, California|Buena Park]] (84,034)
* [[Tustin]] (80,276)
* [[Yorba Linda]] (68,336)
* [[Laguna Niguel]] (64,355)
* [[San Clemente]] (64,293)
* [[La Habra]] (63,097)
* [[Fountain Valley, California|Fountain Valley]] (57,047)
* [[Aliso Viejo]] (52,176)
* [[Placentia, California|Placentia]] (51,824)
* [[Cypress, California|Cypress]] (50,151)
* [[Rancho Santa Margarita, California|Rancho Santa Margarita]] (47,949)
* [[Brea, California|Brea]] (47,325)
* [[Stanton, California|Stanton]] (37,962)
* [[San Juan Capistrano, California|San Juan Capistrano]] (35,196)
* [[Dana Point, California|Dana Point]] (33,107)
* [[Laguna Hills, California|Laguna Hills]] (31,374)
* [[Seal Beach, California|Seal Beach]] (25,242)
* [[Laguna Beach, California|Laguna Beach]] (23,032)
* [[Laguna Woods, California|Laguna Woods]] (17,644)
* [[La Palma, California|La Palma]] (15,581)
* [[Los Alamitos, California|Los Alamitos]] (11,780)
* [[Villa Park, California|Villa Park]] (5,843)
{{colend}}

===Inland Empire===
[[File:From San Bernardino Mtns.jpg|thumb|[[San Bernardino Valley]]]]
{{main|Inland Empire}}

The Inland Empire, consisting of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, contains fast-growing suburbs of the region, with a large to majority percentage of the working population commuting to either Los Angeles or Orange Counties for work. Originally an important center for [[citrus production]], the region became an important industrial area by the early 20th century.<ref name="citrus">{{Cite journal | last1= Ruther | first1= Walter | last2= Calavan | first2= E. Clair | last3= Carman | first3= Glen E. | title= The Origins of Citrus Research in California | publisher= Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, [[University of California]] | year= 1989 | url= http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/citrus_history.pdf | journal= The Citrus Industry | volume= V | issue= Chapter 5 | location= Oakland | access-date= August 21, 2007 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070808175051/http://lib.ucr.edu/agnic/webber/citrus_history.pdf | archive-date= August 8, 2007 | df= mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="Petrix">{{cite news | last= Petrix | first= Mark | title= From two orange trees Sprang an Empire | date= October 30, 2007 | url= http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_7335226 | work= [[Inland Valley Daily Bulletin]] | access-date= November 15, 2007 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080324153335/http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_7335226 | archive-date= March 24, 2008 | df= mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="Sorba">{{cite news | last= Sorba | first= Michael | title= Rails reach the Inland Empire | date= October 30, 2007 | url= http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_7334178 | work= [[Inland Valley Daily Bulletin]] | access-date= November 27, 2007 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071208035515/http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_7334178 | archive-date= December 8, 2007 | df= mdy-all }}</ref> The Inland Empire also became a key transportation center following the completion of [[U.S. Route 66 (California)|Route 66]], and later [[Interstate 10 in California|Interstate 10]]. With the post-World War II economic boom leading to rapid development in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, land developers bulldozed acres of agricultural land to build suburbs in order to accommodate the Los Angeles area's expanding population.<ref name="citrus" /> The development of a regional [[Southern California freeways|freeway system]] facilitated the expansion of suburbs and human migration linking the Inland Empire and rest of Greater Los Angeles. Despite being primarily suburban, the Inland Empire is also home to important warehousing, shipping, logistics and retail industries, centered on the subregion's major cities of [[Riverside, California|Riverside]], [[San Bernardino]] and [[Ontario, California|Ontario]].

While the Inland Empire is sometimes defined as the entirety of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, the eastern undeveloped, desert portions of these counties are not considered to be part of Greater Los Angeles. The state of California defines this area to include the cities of [[Adelanto]], [[Apple Valley, California|Apple Valley]], and [[Victorville]] to the north, the Riverside–San Diego county line to the south, and the towns of [[Anza, California|Anza]], [[Idyllwild]], and [[Lucerne Valley]], along with the [[San Bernardino National Forest]] to the east.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.visitcalifornia.com/media/pages/getting_around/maps/INLAND-EMPIRE.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814024123/http://www.visitcalifornia.com/media/pages/getting_around/maps/INLAND-EMPIRE.pdf|url-status=dead|title=State of California map of Inland Empire|archivedate=August 14, 2012}}</ref>

Additionally, the southwest portion of Riverside County, centered on the city of [[Temecula]] is more economically linked to San Diego county, with its growth largely being driven by migrants from San Diego seeking more affordable housing similar to how northwestern Riverside county's growth was driven by migrants from Orange County and Los Angeles seeking more affordable housing.<ref>{{cite book | author1 = Robert E. Lang | author2 = Jennifer B. LeFurgy | date = 1 October 2007 | title = Boomburbs: The Rise of America's Accidental Cities | publisher = Brookings Institution Press | pages = 169– | isbn = 978-0-8157-5112-0 | oclc = 1005941809 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vvnlW-9NKrUC&pg=PA169}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Downey |first=Dave |date=8 March 2011 |title=REGION: Riverside County's population jumps by 42 percent in last decade |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-region-riverside-countys-population-jumps-by-42-2011mar08-story.html |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |location= |access-date=4 November 2021 }}<br/>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |date=8 March 2011 |title=2000: Temecula's growth hailed, decried |url=https://www.pe.com/2011/03/08/2000-temeculas-growth-hailed-decried/ |work=Press-Enterprise |location=Riverside |access-date=4 November 2021 |archive-date=November 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105040315/https://www.pe.com/2011/03/08/2000-temeculas-growth-hailed-decried/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

However, with clear northern and southern limits to expansion, the region's urban eastern boundaries have become increasingly nebulous as [[suburban sprawl]] continues to spread out to form a unified whole with Los Angeles, with further development encroaching past the [[San Bernardino Mountains|San Bernardino]] and [[San Jacinto Mountains]] and into the outlying desert areas. As a result, the regional definition of Greater Los Angeles can now be extended to include [[Barstow, California|Barstow]] and surrounding towns in the northeast, the [[Morongo Basin]] in the east-central including [[Yucca Valley]] and [[Twentynine Palms]], and the [[Coachella Valley]] cities in the southeast. This interconnectivity, provided by one of the most extensive freeway systems in the world, as well as economic, social and media ties, has blended boundaries between these regions and the urbanized Los Angeles and Inland Empire areas.<ref name="Rosenblatt">{{Cite news| issn = 0458-3035| last = Rosenblatt| first = Susannah| title = 'Inland' for sure, 'Empire' maybe: Where's the boundary?| work = Los Angeles Times| access-date = July 8, 2009| date = November 27, 2006| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-nov-27-me-inlandempire27-story.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140108051008/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/nov/27/local/me-inlandempire27| archive-date = January 8, 2014| url-status = live}}</ref>

====Subregions in the Inland Empire====
* [[High Desert (California)|High Desert]] (includes [[Antelope Valley]] in Los Angeles County plus [[Victor Valley]] and [[Morongo Basin]])
* [[Low Desert]] ([[Coachella Valley]], [[Palm Springs]] and [[Palm Desert]] area)
* [[San Bernardino Mountains]] ([[Lake Arrowhead, California|Lake Arrowhead]] and [[Big Bear Lake, California|Big Bear Lake]] area)
* Northwest [[Riverside County]] ([[Corona, California|Corona]], [[Norco, California|Norco]], [[Jurupa Valley]], and [[Riverside, California|Riverside]] area)
* Moreno Valley ([[Moreno Valley]] and [[Perris, California|Perris]])
* [[Pomona Valley]] ([[Pomona, California|Pomona]], [[Rancho Cucamonga, California|Rancho Cucamonga]], [[Chino, California|Chino]], [[Eastvale, California|Eastvale]], [[Upland, California|Upland]], [[Claremont, California|Claremont]], [[Montclair, California|Montclair]], [[La Verne, California|La Verne]] and [[Ontario, California|Ontario]] area. Partially in Los Angeles County)
* [[San Bernardino Valley]] ([[San Bernardino]], [[Fontana, California|Fontana]], [[Rialto, California|Rialto]], [[Colton, California|Colton]], [[Loma Linda]], [[Highland, California|Highland]], and [[Redlands, California|Redlands]] area)
* [[San Gorgonio Pass]] ([[Banning, California|Banning]], [[Yucaipa]], [[Calimesa]], and [[Beaumont, California|Beaumont]] area)
* [[San Jacinto Valley]] ([[Hemet]] and [[San Jacinto, California|San Jacinto]] area)
* [[Temecula Valley]] ([[Lake Elsinore, California|Lake Elsinore]], [[Menifee, California|Menifee]], [[Murrieta]], [[Wildomar]], and [[Temecula]] area)

====Edge cities in the Inland Empire====
*[[Ontario Airport]]/[[Rancho Cucamonga, California|Rancho Cucamonga]]<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[Riverside, California|Riverside]] (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>
*[[San Bernardino]] (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>

====Cities in Riverside County ====
{{main|Riverside County, California}}

List of the 28 cities of Riverside County by population at the 2020 U.S. census:

{{Colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Riverside, California|Riverside]] (314,998)
* [[Moreno Valley]] (208,634)
* [[Corona, California|Corona]] (157,136)
* [[Murrieta]] (110,949)
* [[Temecula]] (110,003)
* [[Jurupa Valley]] (105,053)
* [[Menifee, California|Menifee]] (102,527)
* [[Hemet]] (89,833)
* [[Indio, California|Indio]] (89,137)
* [[Perris]] (78,700)
* [[Lake Elsinore, California|Lake Elsinore]] (70,265)
* [[Eastvale, California|Eastvale]] (69,757)
* [[San Jacinto, California|San Jacinto]] (53,898)
* [[Beaumont, California|Beaumont]] (53,036)
* [[Cathedral City, California|Cathedral City]] (51,493)
* [[Palm Desert]] (51,163)
* [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]] (44,575)
* [[Coachella, California|Coachella]] (41,941)
* [[La Quinta, California|La Quinta]] (37,558)
* [[Wildomar, California|Wildomar]] (36,875)
* [[Desert Hot Springs, California|Desert Hot Springs]] (32,512)
* [[Banning, California|Banning]] (29,505)
* [[Norco, California|Norco]] (26,316)
* [[Blythe, California|Blythe]] (18,317)
* [[Rancho Mirage, California|Rancho Mirage]] (16,999)
* [[Canyon Lake, California|Canyon Lake]] (11,082)
* [[Calimesa, California|Calimesa]] (10,026)
* [[Indian Wells, California|Indian Wells]] (4,757){{colend}}

==== Cities and towns in San Bernardino County ====
{{main|San Bernardino County, California}}

List of the 24 cities and incorporated towns of San Bernardino County by population at the 2020 U.S. census:{{Colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
* [[San Bernardino]] (222,101)
* [[Fontana, California|Fontana]] (208,393)
* [[Ontario, California|Ontario]] (175,265)
* [[Rancho Cucamonga, California|Rancho Cucamonga]] (174,453)
* [[Victorville, California|Victorville]] (134,810)
* [[Rialto, California|Rialto]] (104,026)
* [[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]] (99,818)
* [[Chino, California|Chino]] (91,403)
* [[Upland, California|Upland]] (79,040)
* [[Chino Hills, California|Chino Hills]] (78,411)
* [[Redlands, California|Redlands]] (73,168)
* [[Apple Valley, California|Apple Valley]] (75,791)
* [[Highland, California|Highland]] (56,999)
* [[Yucaipa]] (54,542)
* [[Colton, California|Colton]] (53,909)
* [[Adelanto, California|Adelanto]] (38,046)
* [[Montclair, California|Montclair]] (37,865)
* [[Twentynine Palms, California|Twentynine Palms]] (28,065)
* [[Barstow, California|Barstow]] (25,415)
* [[Loma Linda, California|Loma Linda]] (24,791)
* [[Yucca Valley, California|Yucca Valley]] (21,738)
* [[Grand Terrace, California|Grand Terrace]] (13,150)
* [[Big Bear Lake, California|Big Bear Lake]] (5,046)
* [[Needles, California|Needles]] (4,931)
{{colend}}

====Sparsely populated areas in the Inland Empire====
While the above areas are included in the regional definition of Greater Los Angeles, the [[U.S. Census Bureau]] defines Greater Los Angeles, or officially, the Los Angeles–Long Beach Combined Statistical Area, to include both the above-mentioned areas along with the entirety of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.<ref name=OMB_10-02>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/bulletins/b10-02.pdf|title=OMB Bulletin No. 10-02: Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses|publisher=[[United States Office of Management and Budget]]|date=December 1, 2009|access-date=August 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121004722/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/bulletins/b10-02.pdf|archive-date=January 21, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> These areas are sparsely developed and are part of the [[Mojave Desert|Mojave]] and [[Colorado Desert]]s. To the north, [[Interstate 15 in California|Interstate 15]] crosses desolate desert landscape after passing Barstow, linking Greater Los Angeles with [[Las Vegas]], with [[Baker, California|Baker]] being the only significant outpost along the route. To the east, lie the [[Mojave National Preserve]] and [[Joshua Tree National Park]] along with the towns of [[Needles, California|Needles]] and [[Blythe, California|Blythe]] on the California-Arizona border.

===Ventura County===
[[File:VenturaNW.jpg|thumb|The Ventura coast]]
{{main|Ventura County, California}}
Ventura County is mostly suburban and rural and also has developed primarily through the growth of Los Angeles. Central and southern Ventura County formerly consisted of small towns along the Pacific Coast until the expansion of [[U.S. Route 101 in California|U.S. Route 101]] drew in commuters from the San Fernando Valley. Master-planned cities soon began developing, and the county became increasingly urbanized. The northern part of the county, however, remains largely undeveloped and is mostly within the [[Los Padres National Forest]].

====Subregions in Ventura County====
* [[Conejo Valley]]
* [[Oxnard Plain]]

====Edge cities in Ventura County====
*[[Ventura, California|Ventura]]/Coastal Plain (emerging edge city as of 1991)<ref name="garreauLA"/>

====Cities in Ventura County ====
{{see also|Ventura County, California}}List of the 10 cities of Ventura County by population at the 2020 U.S. census:{{Colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Oxnard]] (202,063)
* [[Thousand Oaks]] (126,966)
* [[Simi Valley]] (126,356)
* [[Ventura, California|Ventura]] (110,763)
* [[Camarillo]] (70,741)
* [[Moorpark]] (36,284)
* [[Santa Paula]] (30,657)
* [[Port Hueneme]] (21,954)
* [[Fillmore, California|Fillmore]] (16,419)
* [[Ojai]] (7,637)
{{Colend}}

=== Urban areas within ===
[[File:Los Angeles CSA urban areas.svg|thumb|Urban areas within the Los Angeles combined statistical area as of the 2020 census. (Far eastern portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties are cropped out).
{{legend|#bf321f|Urban areas}}
{{legend|#fcf7d1|Counties in the Los Angeles MSA}}
{{legend|#fbf499|Counties in the Los Angeles CSA but not the MSA}}]]
At the core of the Los Angeles–Long Beach combined statistical area (CSA) lies the Los Angeles–[[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]]–[[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], CA [[urban area]], the second most populous in the United States.<ref name="urban area" /> Within the boundaries of the CSA the Census Bureau defines 30 other urban areas as well, two of which ([[Riverside, California|Riverside]]–[[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]] and [[Oxnard, California|Oxnard]]–[[Ventura, California|Ventura]]) form the core of their own metropolitan areas separate from the Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area. Urban areas situated primarily outside the Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area but within the CSA are identified with a cross (†) in the table below.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Urban area
! Population<br />(2020 census)
! Land area<br />(sq mi)
! Land area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Density<br />(population / sq mi)
! Density<br />(population / km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
| [[Los Angeles]]–[[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]]–[[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], CA ||   13,200,897  ||   1,636.83  ||   4,239.36  ||   7,476.28  || 2,886.61
|-
| [[Riverside, California|Riverside]]–[[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]], CA †||   2,276,703  ||   608.56  ||   1,576.17  ||   3,741.10  || 1,444.45
|-
| [[Mission Viejo, California|Mission Viejo]]–[[Lake Forest, California|Lake Forest]]–[[Laguna Niguel, California|Laguna Niguel]], CA ||   646,843  ||   163.63  ||   423.81  ||   3,953.02  || 1,526.27
|-
| [[Temecula, California|Temecula]]–[[Murrieta, California|Murrieta]]–[[Menifee, California|Menifee]], CA †||   528,991  ||   150.47  ||   389.73  ||   3,515.49  || 1,357.34
|-
| [[Oxnard, California|Oxnard]]–[[Ventura, California|San Buenaventura (Ventura)]], CA †||   376,117  ||   76.61  ||   198.41  ||   4,909.70  || 1,895.65
|-
| [[Indio, California|Indio]]–[[Palm Desert, California|Palm Desert]]–[[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]], CA †||   361,075  ||   151.82  ||   393.22  ||   2,378.26  || 918.25
|-
| [[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]]–[[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], CA ||   359,559  ||   84.78  ||   219.59  ||   4,240.90  || 1,637.42
|-
| [[Victorville, California|Victorville]]–[[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]]–[[Apple Valley, California|Apple Valley]], CA †||   355,816  ||   131.77  ||   341.29  ||   2,700.19  || 1,042.55
|-
| [[Santa Clarita, California|Santa Clarita]], CA ||   278,031  ||   77.85  ||   201.62  ||   3,571.56  || 1,378.99
|-
| [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]], CA †||   213,986  ||   80.20  ||   207.71  ||   2,668.26  || 1,030.22
|-
| [[Hemet, California|Hemet]], CA †||   173,194 ||   37.06  ||   95.98  ||   4,673.61  || 1,804.49
|-
| [[Simi Valley, California|Simi Valley]], CA †||   127,364  ||   31.63  ||   81.91  ||   4,027.01  || 1,554.84
|-
| [[Camarillo, California|Camarillo]], CA †||   76,338  ||   22.48  ||   58.22  ||   3,395.98  || 1,311.19
|-
| [[Desert Hot Springs, California|Desert Hot Springs]], CA †||   45,767  ||   14.08  ||   36.47  ||   3,250.66  || 1,255.09
|-
| [[Santa Paula, California|Santa Paula]], CA †||   30,675  ||   4.96  ||   12.86  ||   6,179.04  || 2,385.74
|-
| [[Barstow, California|Barstow]], CA †||   30,522  ||   12.38  ||   32.07  ||   2,465.05  || 951.76
|-
| [[Crestline, California|Crestline]]–[[Lake Arrowhead, California|Lake Arrowhead]], CA †||   22,272  ||   16.85  ||   43.64  ||   1,321.70  || 510.31
|-
| [[Yucca Valley, California|Yucca Valley]], CA †||   18,293  ||   11.33  ||   29.36  ||   1,613.95  || 623.15
|-
| [[Big Bear City, California|Big Bear]], CA †||   16,498  ||   15.93  ||   41.26  ||   1,035.73  || 399.90
|-
| [[Fillmore, California|Fillmore]], CA †||   16,397  ||   2.63  ||   6.82  ||   6,227.80  || 2,404.57
|-
| [[Twentynine Palms, California|Twentynine Palms]], CA †||   12,881  ||   6.82  ||   17.66  ||   1,889.13  || 729.40
|-
| [[Blythe, California|Blythe]], CA–AZ †||   11,780  ||   6.20  ||   16.06  ||   1,899.83  || 733.53
|-
| [[Twentynine Palms, California|Twentynine Palms North]], CA †||   11,665  ||   2.77  ||   7.18  ||   4,206.03  || 1,623.96
|-
| [[Fort Irwin, California|Fort Irwin]], CA †||   8,096  ||   3.62  ||   9.37  ||   2,238.42  || 864.26
|-
| [[Mecca, California|Mecca]], CA †||   6,875  ||   0.63  ||   1.62  ||   10,979.30  || 4,239.13
|-
| [[Needles, California|Needles]], CA–AZ †||   6,739  ||   5.55  ||   14.38  ||   1,213.99  || 468.73
|-
| [[Silver Lakes, California|Silver Lakes]], CA †||   5,908  ||   2.12  ||   5.49  ||   2,789.52  || 1,077.04
|-
| [[Running Springs, California|Running Springs]], CA †||   5,313  ||   3.64  ||   9.44  ||   1,458.40  || 563.09
|-
| [[Joshua Tree, California|Joshua Tree]], CA †||   4,370  ||   3.80  ||   9.85  ||   1,149.11  || 443.67
|-
| [[Wrightwood, California|Wrightwood]], CA †||   3,927  ||   1.38  ||   3.59  ||   2,835.51  || 1,094.80
|-
| [[Avalon, California|Avalon]], CA ||   3,362  ||   1.19  ||   3.08  ||   2,826.47  || 1,091.31
|}