110+ California Trivia Questions and Answers

The state of California is home to 40 million U.S. residents, 1 in 8 people live there. The population dwarfs that of Canada while the place ranks third amongst the largest territories in the U.S.

It has long been home to Native Americans. Many of the Native American tribes including the Quechan (Yuma), Maidu, Pomo, and Hupa all lived in California.

California Facts Trivia Questions and Answers

If you’re looking for a place to sharpen your innovative skills, then a visit to California’s innovation hubs will do you good. Many innovations were created in California, this includes wetsuits, skateboards, Barbie dolls, Apple products, Frisbee, and even the Internet.

The County of San Francisco is known as “The City of Dogs,” this is attributed to its unusually large population of various Dogs. It is estimated that in 2016, there were about 150,000 dogs, a larger population compared to that of children (115, 000 babies).

Ready to explore California? You can learn more from our California trivia questions and answers as shown below.

 

1. California is located on what coast of the United States?

West Coast

 

2. What is the name of the States capital city?

Sacramento

 

3. Where does California rank in population compared to all the other states?

It is the most populous U.S. state

 

4. Where does California rank in the area compared to the rest of the states?

Third largest state by area

 

5. How many state parks are there here?

280

 

6. What state borders California to the north?

Oregon

 

7. What is the average life expectancy for CA residents?

80.8 years; the national average is 78.7.

 

8. Where does California rank in population compared to all the other states?

It is the most populous U.S. state.

 

9. What sport do the Los Angeles Lakers play?

Basketball

 

10. Where does California rank in area compared to the rest of the states?

Third largest state by area

 

11. Can you name the 4 major US TV broadcast networks with production facilities in CA?

ABX, NBC, CBS, and Fox.

 

12. California was admitted as the 31st US state on what date?

September 9, 1850

 

13. Can you name the rival LA street gang to the Crips?

Bloods

 

14. California’s geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the what in the east?

Sierra Nevada

 

15. What did CA residents think had happened when smog first seized the skies of Los Angeles in 1943?

Japanese chemical attack

 

16. The center of California is dominated by what major agricultural area?

The Central Valley

 

17. What animal is featured on the official flag of California?

 

18. California contains both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States. What are they?

Mount Whitney and Death Valley

 

19. What kind of animal is raised more here than in any other state?

Turkey

 

20. How does California rank as far as the length of its coastline compared to the other states?

It has the 3rd longest coastline of all states.

 

21. What type of geological activity is a common occurrence due to the state’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire?

Earthquakes

 

22. How many of the 6 homes on a cul de sac just off Mulholland Drive, situated by the eastern Santa Monica Mountains, does Johnny Depp own?

5

 

23. How much of the fresh fruit produced in the US comes from California?

At least half.

 

24. What LA residential neighborhood was home to the Banks family featuring fresh-prince Will Smith?

Bel Air

 

25. If California were a country, where would its economy rank in the world?

The 9th largest.

 

26. The name California is most commonly believed to have derived from a fictional paradise peopled by Black Amazons and ruled by Queen Calafial in a land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts, and rich in what?

Gold

 

27. How much did Jennifer Anniston pay for her Bel Air mansion in 2011?

$21 million

 

28. In the middle of California lies the Central Valley, with coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada mountains to the east, the Cascade Range mountains in the north and what mountains in the south?

The Tehachapi Mountains

 

29. George Clooney purchased his Studio Hills home in 1995. He resides here to this day with his wife; what is her name?

Amal Clooney

 

30. What is the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states?

Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet

 

31. For how much has Ellen Degeneres recently put her LA Tuscan-style estate on the market?

$45 million

 

32. California’s Sequoia National Park is where you can find the largest living organisms on Earth, which are what?

Giant sequoia trees

 

33. Brad Pitt has a bunch of Hollywood properties. In addition to homes, what kind of park does he own?

Skate park

 

34. California’s Clear Lake is the largest freshwater lake by area that is completely within California’s what?

Borders

 

35. Steven Spielberg purchased a home in the Pacific Palisades in 1985. This was the same year he released which movie?

The Color Purple

 

36. About how much of California’s area is covered by forests?

45 percent

 

37. Leonardo DiCaprio purchased his Hollywood mansion in 1997 for $2 million. How much is this property valued today?

$10 million

 

38. California has more forestland than any other state except what state?

Alaska

 

39. What is wrapped around Justin Beiber’s Hollywood mansion?

Infinity swimming pool

 

40. What is the south-central desert is named?

The Mojave

 

41. Jenny From the Block singer Jennifer Lopez recently purchased a $40 million estate in LA. Where does this star originate?

Castle Hill, The Bronx, NYC.

 

42. Northeast of the Mojave desert lies Death Valley, which has the lowest and hottest place in North America which is called what?

The Badwater Basin at −282

 

43. Who was the equally famous next-door neighbor of Jack Nickleson for decades on Mulholland Drive?

 

44. Which river forms the border with Arizona?

The Colorado River

 

45. In what year did Disneyland open?

1955

 

46. Much of California has what type of climate, with cool, rainy winters and dry summers?

Mediterranean climate

 

47. The highest temperature in the world of 134 °F was recorded in California’s death valley on what date?

July 10, 1913

 

48. What is the name of CAs famous donut shop?

Randy’s Donut Shop

 

49. The state flower of California is what?

The poppy

50. The supposed escape-proof Alcatraz prison closed as a prison in what year?

1963; it is now a public museum.

 

51. The vast majority of rivers in California are “what” as part of two huge water projects: the Central Valley Project, and the California State Water Project?

Dammed

 

52. The largest national park outside of Alaska is in California. What is it called?

Death Valley National Park

 

53. What does the California State Water project do?

Diverts water from northern to southern California

 

54. What roams around Disneyland at night to keep rodents away?

 

55. What body regulates California’s coasts, rivers, and other bodies of water?

The California Coastal Commission

 

56. How many years did it take to construct the Golden Gate Bridge?

4

 

57. The In California, two most prominent rivers are the Sacramento River and what other river?

The San Joaquin River.

 

58. San Diego Zoo is the most visited zoo in the US. How many animals reside here?

Over 12,000

 

59. California’s indigenous peoples included more than how many distinct groups of Native Americans?

70

 

60. How many hours of TV per day do CA watch, on average?

2.4 hours per day; amongst the lowest viewing figures in the US.

 

61. In 1542, a Spanish sailing expedition, led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was the first exploration of the coast as far north as the what?

Russian River

 

62. Those in charge of the State are pretty health-conscious. How many health and safety laws apply here?

151,002

 

63. The Golden State was first to ban what in workplaces, bars, and restaurants in 1998?

Smoking

 

64. In the early 1800s imperial Russia established a trading post at what location?

Fort Ross

 

65. The above had a huge effect. The national medium for smoking is 21.1%. What is it in California?

12.7%

 

66. In 1846 settlers rebelled against Mexican rule during what revolt?

The Bear Flag Revolt.

 

67. On September 9, 1850, California was admitted to the Union as a free state, thus denying the expansion of slavery to the what?

Pacific Coast.

 

68. By percentage, how many households own at least one pet?

57.2%

 

69. What percentage of properties here are known to be vacant?

0.08%

 

70. Where was the seat of government for California located under Spanish and later Mexican rule?

Monterey from 1777 until 1845.

 

71. In 1869 the first Transcontinental Railroad was completed through what pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains?

Donner Pass

 

72. What is the poverty rate in CA?

23.5% – the highest of any state.

 

73. California has the largest population of White Americans in the U.S. with an estimated how many residents?

22,200,000

 

74. In the U.S., California has the 5th largest population of what group?

African Americans an estimated 2,250,000 residents.

 

75. California’s interconnected water system is the world’s largest, managing how many acre feet per annum?

Over 40,000,000 acre feet

 

76. How many counties are there in California?

58 counties

 

77. What is the Time Zone of California?

GMT-7

 

78. Do you know the total area of California State in square miles?

163,696 square miles

 

79. What is the Highest Point in California?

Mount Whitney

 

80. What is California’s state motto?

Eureka

 

81. In which categories history of California is divided?

Native American Period, European Exploration Period, Spanish Colonial Period, Mexican Period and the United States Statehood.

 

82. What is California’s state mineral?

Native Gold

 

83. Which is the largest living tree in the world located in California?

General Sherman in Sequoia National Park

 

84. What is the size of the trunk of the tree?

Slightly greater than 102 feet.

 

85. What is California’s state gemstone?

Benitoite

 

86. What is the name of the state’s largest mountain?

The Sierra Nevadas

 

87. What is the state marine mammal?

California Gray Whale

 

88. What was the estimated population of California when the Europeans came?

300,000

 

89. What is California’s state fossil?

 

90. What is California’s state song?

I Love You, California

 

91. Name the tribes in California?

Karok, Maidu, Mojave, Yokuts, Pomo, Modoc, Paiute and Cahuilleno.

 

92. What is California’s state bird?

California quail

 

93. Why did the Franciscans came to California?

To train them for the life in European Colonial society.

 

94. What is California’s state Animal

California grizzly bear

 

95. What are the percentage of Spanish speakers in California?

28.8% population can speak Spanish

 

96. What is the most popular food in California?

Dungeness crab, shrimp, and swordfish

 

97. Do you remember the ISO 3166 code for California?

US-CA

 

98. What is Source of Klamath River?

Upper Klamath Lake

 

99. What is the trade abbreviation of California?

Calif., Cal

 

100. Yerba Buena was the original name of which place?

San Francisco

 

101. What was the strongest factor in developing California?

The 21 missions by Serra and his successors.

 

102. On 3 May 1535, where Cortes entered with three ships?

The Bay of La Paz

 

103. Who and when California was claimed from for England?

Sir Francis Drake in 1579

 

104. When did the explorer Sir Francis Drake died?

28 January 1596

 

105. Where is the Monterey Bay located?

On the Coast of the United State of California

 

106. When did Alta California became a territory of Mexico?

After the War of Mexican Independence in April 1822

 

107. Who established the first Alta California mission?

The Franciscan friar Junipero Serra and Gaspar de Portola.

 

108. When was the first legislator of California created?

9 November 1822

 

109. Which fruits are largely produced in the state California?

Lemons, apricots, avocados, dates, figs, grapes, kiwi, peaches and many other.

 

110. What is the EPIC reform movement?

End Poverty in California reform movement.

 

111. Why the Republican governor Earl Warren resigned in 1953?

To become chief justice of the United States.

 

112. The national parks of the state are devoted for what?

For preservation of nature and natural resources.

 

113. What was the shortcut route for getting from the East Coast to California?

The Panama and Nicaragua route.

 

 

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