This September, California marks 175 years of statehood, but its story stretches far beyond 1850. Long before statehood, towns—and civilizations—flourished across the region.

Indigenous peoples like the Chumash, Cahuilla, and Kumeyaay have lived in California for tens of thousands of years, shaping the land and its legacy.

By the 1530s, Spanish explorers had arrived, but it wasn’t until the 1700s that they began building missions and settlements, according to the Library of Congress. The U.S. would later claim the territory in 1848 through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War. Just two years later, on Sept. 9, 1850, California officially became the 31st state.

So, what’s the oldest city in California?

San Diego: Where California began

While Indigenous

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