Central California

Central California
Subregion
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Northern California
Highest point	Mount Whitney
- location	Tulare County
- elevation	14,505 ft (4,421 m)
- coordinates	36°34′42.89″N 118°17′31.18″W / 36.5785806°N 118.2919944°W / 36.5785806; -118.2919944
Lowest point	Pacific Ocean
- location	Central Coast
- elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Timezone	Pacific Standard Time
- summer (DST)	Pacific Daylight Time
Area code	805, 209, 559, 831
Central California is most commonly identified with 10 counties in the southeast part of Northern California

Central California is a subregion of Northern California, generally thought of as the middle third of the state, north of Southern California. It includes the northern portion of the San Joaquin Valley (which itself is the southern portion of the Central Valley, beginning at the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta), the Central Coast, the central hills of the California Coast Ranges, and the foothills and mountain areas of the central Sierra Nevada.

Central California is considered to be west of the crest of the Sierra Nevada. (East of the Sierras is Eastern California.) The largest cities (over 50,000 population) in the region are Fresno, Modesto, Salinas, Visalia, Clovis, Merced, Turlock, Madera, Tulare, Porterville, and Hanford.

Central California can have widely varying definitions depending on the context. Some divide the state by lines of latitude making northern, central and southern sections. Others divide by county lines or watershed boundaries. Some definitions include more of the San Joaquin Valley and even larger portions of the Central Valley. Some have less or none of Central Coast.