California, Missouri
California is a city of 4,509 people in Moniteau County, Missouri, founded in 1834.
Why visit California
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 5 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Finke Opera House and Gray-Wood Buildings.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in California
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About California
California is a city in and the county seat of Moniteau County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,498. It is the largest city in Moniteau County and the third largest city in the Jefferson City metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article California, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks8
Finke Opera House
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Theater in California, Moniteau County, Missouri, United States
Gray-Wood Buildings
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Missouri, United States
Moniteau County Courthouse Square
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Missouri, United States
Old Barnhill Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Missouri, United States
Old California City Hall and Fire Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Fire station in Missouri, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
City Park
Park
California’s oldest park, is recently improved to include two full basketball courts and tennis courts. It lies along Highway 50 one...
Railroad Park
Park
Railroad Park is located just north of the City Hall along the Union Pacific Railroad. This park is located where the railroad depot was...
Rohrbach Playground
Playground · 0.6 mi
Slides, Teeter Totter, Swings, outdoor playstructure
Smith-Burke Park
Park
A three story dwelling that was built over 100 years ago as a Union Pacific Railroad Hotel stood in ruins in the middle of California....
Restaurants and cafes5
The Tipsy Cow Steakhouse
Restaurant · Pizza, Burger, Sandwich, Chicken · 0.4 mi
406 North High Street, california
We-Sa 11:00-01:30
McDonald's
Fast food · Burger · 0.6 mi
1002 West Buchanan Street, California
Mo-Th 05:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-24:00; Su 05:00-23:00
Where to stay1
History
The City of California was established in 1834. The seat of justice of Moniteau County was originally known as Boonesborough. When Moniteau County was organized in 1845, it was decided that Boonsborough would become the county seat. Because the county court was unwilling to pay for land in Boonsborough, a site was selected one-mile (1.6 km) west which became the new county seat. In 1846, the Postal Service required a new name to be selected for Boonsborough since there was already a Boonsborough in Missouri. The city was renamed to California on January 25, 1847, for the territory on the West Coast that was just then drawing attention due to progress of the overland railroad. That same year, a courthouse was erected on the square.
California was incorporated in 1848 and elected its first city officials in 1858, 10 years later.
The Weekly California News printed its first edition on September 18, 1858, and is Moniteau County's oldest established business still in operation. Today, it is known as the California Democrat.
By the end of the Civil War, California's population was around 1,000. The city had ten dry goods stores, two drug stores, a tobacco factory, a large steam flouring mill and carding machine, a high school, a printing office, and a bank.
In 1867, money was appropriated for a new courthouse, which was completed in 1868 and is still in use today.
From the History section of California, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Map of California
35 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 20°F | 2.0 in | 3.3 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 24°F | 2.3 in | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 33°F | 3.0 in | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 44°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 45°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 34°F | 3.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 25°F | 1.9 in | 3.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for California (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Moniteau County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-08-03: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2021-09-01: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-01-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2015-08-07: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ray Otten Memorial Airfield (VRS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Tipton 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
- Versailles 20 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Jefferson City 22 mi east, about 35 min by car
- Wardsville 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Columbia 25 mi northeast, about 41 min by car
- Boonville 25 mi northwest, about 40 min by car
- Taos 27 mi east, about 44 min by car
- New Franklin 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Lake Ozark 30 mi south, about 48 min by car
- Village of Four Seasons 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- California, Missouri, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- California City Hall, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Eitzen Mansion California, Missouri, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- California City Park, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Eitzen Block, California, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- California Post Office, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Gray-Wood Buildings California, Missouri, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- Finke Opera House, HornColumbia, CC0
- Finke Opera House 042017, BigRigTravels, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Moniteau County Courthouse 2026, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.