California City is a city in Kern County, California, situated in the northern Antelope Valley of the Mojave Desert about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Its population was 14,973 at the 2020 census. The city is defined by its extraordinary geography of intent: a 1958 master plan laid out streets and infrastructure for as many as 400,000 residents across more than 80,000 acres, and the result is a municipality that ranks third in California by land area — behind only San Diego and Los Angeles — while much of its eastern half remains undeveloped desert. Houses, businesses, and paved roads cluster primarily in the western portion of the city, where a deep aquifer supplies water, while large stretches of the original grid remain empty. That contrast between a vast planned footprint and a small-town population gives California City a distinctive character. Homes were largely built lot by lot, and many are Craftsman ranch-style houses from the 1960s, so the streetscapes are varied rather than uniform. The local economy is anchored by aerospace and the military. Edwards Air Force Base lies a short drive away, and the Mojave Air and Space Port, a center for aerospace testing and innovation, is a major employer, making the city popular with military and aerospace families. Other employment comes from regional institutions and services in the Antelope Valley. Life here centers on the desert landscape. Red Rock Canyon State Park, with its scenic cliffs and rock formations, sits a short distance south, and the surrounding open desert offers off-highway vehicle trails, hiking, and dark skies for stargazing. Public schools fall under Mojave Unified School District. For residents, California City offers small-town living, open space, and a quiet desert setting within commuting distance of Edwards Air Force Base and the greater Antelope Valley.