Let’s face it, despite being one state that needs both the North and South sectors to get along for the sake of our economy and infrastructure, we sure don’t agree on many things. If you travel to one part of the state after spending time in the other, you’ll find a completely different culture and way of life. Up here in Northern California, we’re proud of our differences from the lower half of the state.
- Where the divide between Northern and Southern California actually is.
Wikipedia/ David Jordan Come to think of it, have you noticed that NO ONE can agree on this, even among ourselves up here in Northern California?
Google Maps In 1996, a group of surveyors marked the official Geographical Center of California. It turns out it’s located at 37°09′58″N 119°26′58″W, in the middle of nowhere between North Fork and Lake Redinger. Obviously this isn’t the cultural center, though!
- Which half has the better places to live and more close knit communities.
Flickr/ Emily Stanchfield And then there’s the small picturesque towns like Harmony that are kind of in the middle…
- Water rights.
Flickr/ Ken Lund Water has been a sensitive subject over the last few years. It’s such a bummer to see our Northern California water get shipped down to SoCal, despite the fact that they “own” it.
- Who has better mountains.
Flickr/ Andy Armstrong The tallest point in California is Mount Whitney in SoCal, but our NorCal mountains are just breathtaking.
Flickr/ U.S. Geological Survey And don’t forget Mount Shasta!
- Really awesome places like Big Sur…
Flickr/ Joe Parks This one is far enough south that those of us up here in the North usually call it SoCal, but folks down in the LA region think of it as Northern California!
- …Yosemite National Park…
Flickr/ Bruce Tuten Yosemite is pretty central, so this one is a tough call.
- … Santa Cruz…
Flickr/ Steve Marchi To many, Santa Cruz is the quintessential Northern California beach town, unless you think that NorCal ends above the Bay Area.
- … The Eastern Sierra
Flickr/ Fred Moore It’s easy to forget about everything on the right of our largest range of mountains here in California, but the truth is this one of the most beautiful parts of the state.
- …. Monterey Bay
Flickr/ Jim Rhodes Again, another place that both NorCal and SoCal think belongs to the other!
- And then there are the places that neither side of the state really wants to lay claim to, like Fresno (sorry Fresno!).
Flickr/ 1Flatworld Many people from down south consider Fresno to be the dividing line between the two regions, but I would never consider this city part of the NorCal I know and love!.
- If California looks better decorated with pine trees…
Flickr/ Michael Beck
… or palm trees.
Flickr/ Ethan Bagley (I would rather spend my time in the mountains of Northern CA than the overpacked beaches of SoCal any day!)
- What being a “Californian” actually means.
Flickr/ Mitchel This cool shot was taken in Half Moon Bay, one of those gray areas that isn’t really in NorCal or SoCal. While Central California is definitely a term that gets thrown around a lot, it’s kind of an umbrella term that no one really can define, either.
There’s so many more differences and things Northern and Southern California just don’t see eye to eye on. What are your pet peeves about the other half of the state, and where do you draw the line? Share it with us on our Facebook page!
Wikipedia/ David Jordan
Come to think of it, have you noticed that NO ONE can agree on this, even among ourselves up here in Northern California?
Google Maps
In 1996, a group of surveyors marked the official Geographical Center of California. It turns out it’s located at 37°09′58″N 119°26′58″W, in the middle of nowhere between North Fork and Lake Redinger. Obviously this isn’t the cultural center, though!
Flickr/ Emily Stanchfield
And then there’s the small picturesque towns like Harmony that are kind of in the middle…
Flickr/ Ken Lund
Water has been a sensitive subject over the last few years. It’s such a bummer to see our Northern California water get shipped down to SoCal, despite the fact that they “own” it.
Flickr/ Andy Armstrong
The tallest point in California is Mount Whitney in SoCal, but our NorCal mountains are just breathtaking.
Flickr/ U.S. Geological Survey
And don’t forget Mount Shasta!
Flickr/ Joe Parks
This one is far enough south that those of us up here in the North usually call it SoCal, but folks down in the LA region think of it as Northern California!
Flickr/ Bruce Tuten
Yosemite is pretty central, so this one is a tough call.
Flickr/ Steve Marchi
To many, Santa Cruz is the quintessential Northern California beach town, unless you think that NorCal ends above the Bay Area.
Flickr/ Fred Moore
It’s easy to forget about everything on the right of our largest range of mountains here in California, but the truth is this one of the most beautiful parts of the state.
Flickr/ Jim Rhodes
Again, another place that both NorCal and SoCal think belongs to the other!
Flickr/ 1Flatworld
Many people from down south consider Fresno to be the dividing line between the two regions, but I would never consider this city part of the NorCal I know and love!.
Flickr/ Michael Beck
Flickr/ Ethan Bagley
(I would rather spend my time in the mountains of Northern CA than the overpacked beaches of SoCal any day!)
Flickr/ Mitchel
This cool shot was taken in Half Moon Bay, one of those gray areas that isn’t really in NorCal or SoCal. While Central California is definitely a term that gets thrown around a lot, it’s kind of an umbrella term that no one really can define, either.
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