When planning a trip to the Golden State for the first time, you likely need to choose between visiting Northern California vs. Southern California since it’s such a massive state.

If you want to see both, a road trip from San Francisco to Southern California or down Highway 395 would be great options!

If you’re not up for a long road trip, I recommend staying in San Francisco or one of the coastal towns in Southern California (Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, or San Diego are my suggestions!). From there, you could explore the areas within your chosen region.

Picking between Northern California vs. Southern California depends on the types of activities you want to do and the cities you want to visit! There is so much to explore in California, from National Parks to perfect beaches to snowy mountains and everything in between.

California is the place I feel most knowledgeable about! I was born and raised in California and have lived here my whole life in both Northern California (Half Moon Bay and the East Bay) and Southern California (Santa Barbara and San Diego).

After a lifetime of living in and exploring this gorgeous state, I’ve broken down the differences between Northern California and Southern California to help you choose which region to visit!

Whichever region you choose for your trip, you’ll have an amazing time packed with gorgeous scenery, delicious food, and nice people.

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What is Considered Northern California vs. Southern California?

This is a debated topic and something that no one seems to agree on. Most Californians will agree that it doesn’t make sense to split the state into just two regions because there is a well-defined Central California region.

Getting even more specific, California has 6 distinct regions: Northern California, Bay Area, Eastern California, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California. You could even split Southern California into two: the coastal towns and the large desert region in the east.

Short answer: Northern California is considered the northernmost 48 counties in California, while the 10 southernmost counties are considered Southern California.

Main Differences Between Northern California and Southern California

Culture: There are many subcultures throughout California, but the general difference is a more fast-paced lifestyle in Northern California due to the tech-centric Bay Area and a more laid-back, beachy lifestyle in Southern California thanks to the surf culture.
Climate: California has the best climate of any state if you like sunshine! Climate can range dramatically between the west and east, but Southern California typically has the more mild climate with more sunshine and less fog.
Landscape: The diverse landscape throughout California is what makes it such an exciting place to live in or visit! There are the beach and desert regions in Southern California and forests, mountains, (colder) beaches, and hills in Northern California.
Activities: Northern California activities include day trips to different cities, hikes in the hills and forests, winery hopping, and cozy weekend trips to the foggy beach towns. Southern California activities include days at the beaches, weekends in the desert, trips to the world-famous theme parks, and brunches at trendy restaurants.
Cuisine: Southern California has the best Mexican food you can get, along with typical fresh California fare, while Northern California has a large selection of different cultural cuisines thanks to the diverse ethnicities in the Bay Area.
Road Trips: My favorite way to explore California is by car! Northern California has more options and variety in road trips since it’s a much larger region, but I think the best ones run up and down the whole state between Northern California and Southern California.

Culture

One big difference between Northern and Southern California (to me) is the culture. While some people say they don’t notice the difference, after living in both, I think there is a strong cultural difference between the two.

The largest cultural difference is between the coastal and eastern regions, making it more difficult to give a broad overview of Northern California culture vs. Southern California culture. Not to mention the dozens of different subcultures in the areas within each region.

Opinions are mixed and yours may differ based on your experiences, but this is my best assessment after a lifetime of living throughout the state!

Northern California Culture

Northern California culture ranges between a wealthy, fast-paced lifestyle and a slower, more outdoorsy rural lifestyle. I find people in Northern California to be generally more genuine and friendly.

Much of the culture is influenced by Silicon Valley, a collection of cities in the South Bay Area where some of the largest tech companies are based. In this pocket of Northern California, life is fast-paced and expenses are high. It is an affluent area, but people are typically still down-to-earth.

North of the San Francisco Bay Area is wine country, which includes Napa and Sonoma. This is where you start to transition from the tech culture to the agricultural and outdoorsy culture that is widespread in Northern California and the rest of the Pacific Northwest.

The more rural areas in the far north and east are much more conservative, with farm towns and other small, podunk towns.

Overall, Northern California culture is down-to-earth with many people spending their free time hiking and enjoying the outdoors. There also seems to be less emphasis on looks and outward appearance compared to Southern California.

Southern California Culture

Southern California culture is typically what comes to mind when you think of California or see it on TV. It has a more laid-back and easygoing culture with surfers, skateboarders, aspiring actors, and pockets of incredibly wealthy people.

The beaches along the coast of Southern California are one of the main factors contributing to the relaxed vibe of this half of California. Surf culture is strong in this area and even non-surfers adopt the laid-back attitude in the beach towns.

Although Los Angeles is still a big city, it still has a more easy-going culture compared to San Francisco. Most of the people here are transplants from other states, so it’s a full mix of different cultures and personalities, with many aspiring to work in or actively working in the entertainment industry.

Southeastern California is where you have large swaths of desert, including Coachella Valley and Palm Springs. The culture in the desert wildly differs from the coast! Palm Springs has its completely own subculture (the best!) while the other desert areas are more rural and conservative.

Overall, I find Southern California culture to be more relaxed with free time spent on the beach or getting lunch at a trendy cafe. People are mostly nice, but it can sometimes feel disingenuous. With so much sun, people also tend to seem more upbeat and happier!

Landscapes

California has some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes of any state in the country. We have sprawling beaches, of course, but there are also forests, snowy mountains, vast deserts, deep valleys, a few thousand lakes, and even multiple volcanoes (seriously!).

In terms of geography, Northern California has a larger variety of landscapes compared to Southern California, though both have beaches and mountains.

Northern California Landscapes

When I picture the Northern California landscape as a whole, I encompass it with the rest of the Pacific Northwest: moody Redwood forests and foggy beaches. Although this does describe large portions of the far north (closer to Oregon), there’s a lot more to Northern California than that!

The coastal areas have quaint beach towns, the inland areas have gorgeous lakes, and there are screensaver-worthy hills and mountains throughout all of Northern California. Northern California also has a few active volcanoes, including Mount Shasta and one at Lassen National Park.

Southern California Landscapes

The coastline is the shining star of Southern California. The world-class beaches from San Luis Obispo down to San Diego are what make Southern California so incredible.

Though the beaches steal the show when it comes to landscapes in Southern California, there are also vast and beautiful deserts, a few large forests, and (seasonally) snowy mountains. The landscapes aren’t as diverse in Southern California, but the coastline more than makes up for it.

Climate

California as a whole has incredible weather and a pleasant climate — a main selling point for tourists and transplants! People often think the “Sunshine State” is California (it’s actually Florida!) because it’s so well known for being sunny. We’re the Golden State, which fits just as well.

Just like the cultural divide between the east and west, the biggest divide in climate is between the coast and inland areas in both Northern California and Southern California.

Northern California Climate

The Northern California coast is cold and foggy thanks to the ocean breeze and San Francisco Bay. San Francisco is even cold in the summer months and October is when most locals consider it to be true summer weather.

As you go further east, the weather changes significantly. Even the East Bay Area—just an hour east of San Francisco—regularly reaches over 100ºF in summer.

In fall and winter, Northern California cools down quite a bit and some areas in the mountains get snow. We don’t have what other states would consider a “true” fall, but we do get rain and the leaves change color (more as you travel east)!

Southern California Climate

Southern California has the best climate by far if you enjoy practically year-round sunshine. Although I missed the leaves changing in fall while living there, you can’t beat the sunshine and temperate weather.

The coast in Southern California has a mild climate, thanks to the ocean breeze cooling the nearby cities. There can be a bit more fog in early summer, known as June Gloom, but overall it’s lovely. It gets the occasional heat wave, but not quite as hot as the more inland areas.

Speaking of inland areas, you’ll hit a hot and dry desert as you travel east in Southern California. This area is anything but temperate, with unbearably hot weather in summer and cooler winters.

Activities

As far as activities go, Northern California and Southern California both have unlimited things to do! Deciding which one to visit based on activities completely depends on your preferences.

While Northern California tends to have more active/outdoorsy activities, Southern California has more leisurely activities and the best theme parks in the state.

Northern California Activities

There is a much larger variety of activities in Northern California thanks to the diverse landscapes. You have your choice between activities in the mountains, forests, lakes, cities, or beaches. Better yet, you can do them all in one day!

Activities in Northern California are best broken down by region because each one has its own unique things to do.

Far North: Visit Redwoods National Park and Lassen National Park, drive through a tree in Leggett, take a road trip up the Bigfoot Scenic Byway, or spend a weekend at Lake Shasta.
Bay Area: Take a day trip to San Francisco, go wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma, visit the enchanting gardens at Filoli, cross the Golden Gate Bridge to explore Sausalito, go hiking in Sunol, or tour the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose.
Far East: Take a road trip down Highway 395, visit Yosemite National Park, spend a weekend at Lake Tahoe, relax in hot springs in Mammoth Lakes, watch the sunrise in Alabama Hills, or check out the state capital in Sacramento.
Coastal: Spend a cozy weekend in Mendocino; shuck oysters in Point Reyes; take a day trip to Half Moon Bay; hang out at the beaches in Santa Cruz and Capitola; walk through Henry Cowell State Park/Roaring Camp; or enjoy a few days on the Central Coast in Monterey, Pacific Grove, or Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Southern California Activities

While there is less of a variety of activities in Southern California, that doesn’t mean there are fewer things to do! Some of the main attractions in Southern California are the cool and trendy beach towns, theme parks, deserts, and islands off the coast.

The beaches in Southern California are my favorite aspect of this area of the state. They’re warm, sunny, and easy to access. An important thing to know is that the water is NOT warm, even in summer.

Southern California theme parks include Disneyland, California Adventure, Six Flags, Universal Studios, and Legoland.

There is something magical about the desert! Palm Springs is one of the coolest places I have ever been. It makes for a perfect weekend (or week-long) getaway for couples' or girls' trips!

A unique activity to do in Southern California is to visit the islands off the coast. There are the Channel Islands (which are a national park) and Catalina Island (where my parents met!).

Other activities I recommend:

Stay at the Madonna Inn
Take a trip to Santa Barbara (for as long as possible!)
Spend a weekend in Los Angeles
Visit the flower fields in Carlsbad [seasonal]
Take a day trip from Palm Springs to Joshua Tree NP

Slang

California slang differs between Northern and Southern California. When I first moved to Southern California, I had never heard some of the slang people used, despite many visits throughout my life.

Despite slang being different between the two regions, it has spread throughout the state as people move around.

Northern California Slang

Northern California slang is more centralized in the Bay Area, where it grew from the local rap and hip-hop culture.

Hella: This is probably an obvious one that has also made its way into Southern California. Hella means “a lot,” “very,” or “tons.”
Janky: Janky means something along the lines of falling apart, sketchy, not well put together, etc. A good example of this would be rides at a county fair — those things are janky.
The City: This is how we refer to San Francisco! Pro tip… never call it San Fran, and definitely don’t say “Frisco.” Just typing that makes me shudder, lol.
Out of pocket: People all over say this phrase to mean unavailable, but people in the Bay Area use it to describe something someone said or did that went too far or was inappropriate.

Southern California Slang

Slang in Southern California stems from the surf culture there, with most of the slang being used in the coastal cities.

Stoked: This is a common one that can sound silly if you haven’t heard it used before. It means excited or “thrilled.
Gnarly: While gnarly can be used to describe something rough or twisted physically, Southern Californians (particularly surfers) use it to describe something extreme and/or exciting, like an injury or surf conditions.
Kook: Typically used as an insult, kook originated from surf culture. A kook is generally used to describe someone who tries hard to be a part of surf culture and circles when they aren’t actually good at surfing. Its use and meaning vary, and some surfers use it similarly to “dork” when teasing their friends.
“The”: Highways are a common way to get around in all of California, but in Southern California, they put “The” before the highway names. Examples: The 101, The 405, The 5.

Cuisine

Not to sound like a broken record, but California is incredibly diverse! Not only in terms of landscapes and activities but also cuisine. The Central Valley grows food for the whole country, with 25% of America’s fruit, nuts, and other produce coming from California.

Northern California tends to be a better area for foodies, with a high concentration of Michelin-star restaurants in the Bay Area. Southern California excels with both Mexican food and healthy California cuisine.

There is also an abundance of delicious seafood and a large emphasis on fresh, healthy, farm-to-table dishes throughout the entire state (though less in eastern California).

Northern California Cuisine

The large mix of cultures that the Bay Area brings in has contributed to our variety of cuisines in Northern California. The options become fewer the further you get from the Bay Area.

Small towns sometimes serve more American-style food and fewer fresh/healthy options, especially in towns where truckers frequently pass through. These areas are more likely to have typical American diners.

Northern California coastal areas serve fresh-caught seafood due to the proximity to the ocean, while the cities have all different types of cuisines, with large amounts of Asian, Mediterranean, and Italian restaurants.

San Francisco has the biggest and best food scene in Northern California! If you’re visiting California for the food, you’ll be spoilt for choice in San Francisco with options from food trucks to Michelin-starred restaurants and everything in between.

Southern California Cuisine

Although it lacks diversity compared to Northern California, Southern California holds first place as far as Mexican food goes in America. San Diego is where burritos are brilliantly filled with fries (it’s called a California burrito!) and fries are topped with carne asada (or beans if you don’t eat meat like me).

You have your pick of healthy restaurants and trendy cafes, especially in the coastal towns. It’s easy to find dishes or even entire restaurants that cater to dietary needs/preferences, like vegan, gluten-free, etc.

Alternatively, you can visit one of the many fast-food restaurants that were established in Southern California! My favorite is The Habit Burger Grill, which started in Santa Barbara. Other fast food restaurants that started in Southern California include McDonald’s, In-N-Out, Jack in the Box, Carl’s Jr, Taco Bell, and Del Taco.

Road Trips

A visit to California should include a road trip if you want to see the most sights! It’s such a large state that staying in one city the whole trip is not even scratching the surface of what there is to see here.

California is the best state for road trips (am I biased? Maybe). You can do short day trips, weekend getaways, or long road trips with hours of driving each day. Did I mention how big California is?!

The best road trips go between Northern and Southern California: San Francisco to San Diego and Highway 395. You can start these road trips in either San Francisco or San Diego (or Los Angeles if that’s where you are flying into). The stops along the way are the same, just reverse the order if you’re starting in Southern California.

Northern California Road Trips

If you’re flying into California, you’ll likely fly into SFO or the Oakland Airport. The San Francisco Bay Area makes the best starting point for any Northern California road trip.

The most obvious road trip in Northern California is to drive directly up the coast to the state border. You’ll be able to make stops along the moody coastline and get a great sense of the whole Northern California region.

A few other popular road trips from the Bay Area are to Mendocino, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and Mammoth Lakes (though this is more Central California). If you’re visiting in winter, check for road closures due to snow in Yosemite and Mammoth Lakes.

Northern California is best for day trips to other cities. Starting in San Francisco, you can do a day trip to Point Reyes, Sausalito, Napa/Sonoma, San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Pacific Grove/Monterey, Carmel, Santa Cruz/Capitola, and so many more!

Southern California Road Trips

There are fewer road trips within Southern California compared to Northern California since it is a much smaller region. The main ones are to the mountains in winter for skiing/snowboarding and the desert areas.

Flying into LAX in Los Angeles will give you a great central starting point for road trips in Southern California! It’s pretty central to the region and road trips will be short from here no matter where you’re heading in Southern California.

The best road trips from Los Angeles to other places within Southern California are to San Luis Obispo, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree NP, Big Bear Lake, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and San Diego.

Another popular road trip in Southern California is to one of the many theme parks! A drive to Disneyland or Universal Studios could even be done as an easy day trip if you’re staying in Los Angeles or San Diego.