California, Missouri
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1982. It stands in Walker Township. It lies in ZIP code area 65018. The Survey maps it on the California North quadrangle. 4,498 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 892 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in California
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 5 records
Finke Opera Houselisted 2004
Gray-Wood Buildingslisted 1984
Moniteau County Courthouse Squarelisted 1970- Old Barnhill Buildinglisted 1982
- Old California City Hall and Fire Stationlisted 1982
Population over time
2 figuresCalifornia grew from 4,278 to 4,498 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 4,278 | |
| 2020 | 4,498 | +220 (+5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 19 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1888 USGS Boonville quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1947 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1952 USGS California North quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1954 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1958 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1982 USGS Jefferson City quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
15 since 1999Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of California between 1999 and 2019, burning about 39 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 7 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 September 2019 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190103-06841-09262019-1950 |
| 9 August 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190101-06841-08092019-1200 |
| 5 August 1999 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 2 August 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.8 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190100-06841-08022019-0625 |
| 19 August 1999 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 3 July 2019 | Debris and open burning | 2.9 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190097-06841-07032019-1600 |
| 27 July 2019 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190099-06841-07272019-0520 |
| 25 July 2019 | Smoking | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190098-06841-07252019-1700 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 34 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 34 workings within 5 miles of California: 33 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Lead, Zinc, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Lead, Barium-Barite, Lead, Zinc. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Brady Mines | Barium-Barite, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Steubinger Mine | Barium-Barite | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Clay | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Lead Zinc | Zinc, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Lead Zinc Iron | Zinc, Iron, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Lead Zinc Iron | Iron, Lead, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls Lead Zinc | Stone, Crushed/Broken, Zinc, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls Dimension | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls Dimension | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Crown Mine | Barium-Barite, Lead, Zinc | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 69 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names California in 69 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 37 thunderstorm wind, 28 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | $50,000 | Pieces of a tin roof were torn off several barns. Several large trees and power lines were also knocked down. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a power pole on the south side of town. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | $5,000 | A local radio station reported wind gusts to 79 mph with numerous trees down and shingles blown off roofs on the west side of California. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | $5,000 | A local radio station reported wind gusts of 79 mph which broke 10-inch-diameter tree limbs. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | $600 | The county sheriff's department reported trees and power lines down. |
| April 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | $500 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | A mesonet station measured a 61 mph wind gust near California. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds snapped healthy tree branches of up to 6 inches in diameter. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs and a short light pole. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs around town as well as a tree on Howard Street. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees and power lines around town. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds caused minor damage to a roof of a building on the north side of California. The debris landed on Highway 87. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several large trees around town. Also, a transformer caught fire. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree onto power lines in town. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | A line of severe storms moved through Moniteau County. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down between California and Jamestown. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down a few large trees. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree on the north side of town. The tree knocked down several power lines. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs and several power lines. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several power poles in town. |
| April 2010 | Flash Flood | California | - | Between 2 and 4 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including U.S. Highway 50 just west of California and Highway O just north of California. One foot of water was flowing over Parkview Drive in California. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Several trees were blown over onto U.S. Highway 50 five miles west of California. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds snapped off tops of a few large trees. Also, some siding was blown off of a house. |
| May 2008 | Heavy Rain | California | - | Several local roads in and near California were flooded due to heavy rain. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | A power line was blown down in California. |
| May 2007 | Hail | California | - | A report from the public estimated 2 inch hail. |
| May 2007 | Hail | California | - | A storm spotter reported golfball size hail. |
| April 2005 | Hail | California | - | The Sheriff Department reported nickel size hail. |
| May 2005 | Hail | California | - | The County Sheriff reported 3/4 inch hail. |
| March 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | The County Sheriff reported wind gusts to 70 mph. Some trees and power lines were downed. |
| May 2003 | Hail | California | - | Amateur radio spotters reported 3/4 inch hail just southwest of California. |
| May 2003 | Hail | California | - | Storm spotters reported golfball size hail. |
| December 2002 | Hail | California | - | The County EOC reported 3/4 inch hail. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines and caused some structural damage. A grocery store, the newspaper office, a fire station and California City Hall all suffered roof damage from the wind gusts. A 20 foot section of the City Hall roof was blown off resulting in considerable water damage inside. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | The County Sheriff reported several trees and power lines down in the south part of town. |
| April 2001 | Tornado (F0) | California | - | A small, brief tornado formed near California. A couple of storm spotters observed the brief tornado north of California. The tornado formed over open farmland, kicked up some dirt and dissipated. This was the first of 6 tornadoes that a High Precipitation Supercell produced in the National Weather Service St. Louis County Warning Area. |
| May 2000 | Hail | California | - | Storm spotters reported 3/4 inch hail. |
| April 1995 | Hail | California | - | Golf ball-size hail was reported in Latham and quarter-size hail was reported southwest of California. |
| June 1994 | Hail | California | - | The county sheriff reported large hail in and near California lasting for ten minutes. |
| June 1994 | Hail | California | - | The county sheriff reported large hail in and near California lasting for ten minutes. |
| May 2017 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| May 2009 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | California | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Flash Flood | California | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | California | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGirk | 4.9 miles | 18 | |
| Clarksburg | 5.6 miles | 18 | |
| Kliever | 5.9 miles | 19 | |
| Latham | 7.7 miles | 17 | |
| Bacon | 8.2 miles | 18 | |
| Corticelli | 8.4 miles | 18 | |
| High Point | 10.0 miles | 19 | |
| Cedron | 10.1 miles | 18 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on California | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q961237 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 766152. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







