Southern California, or "SoCal", is the southern portion of the state of California. Geographically, the division between central and southern California is customarily at the Tehachapi Mountains. Politically, the region is defined roughly by the following eight counties (in descending order of population): Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Imperial. Over two-thirds of the state's population lives in Southern California.

The yellow/orange shade area is Southern California

Southern California contains the major cities of Los Angeles and San Diego and is a major hub of shipping and air travel, as well as a popular tourist destination and the center of the United States' film industry (Hollywood).

The term Southern California is sometimes used as a synonym for the Greater Los Angeles Area, but this is geographically inaccurate since it excludes the state's two southernmost counties: San Diego and Imperial. For the L.A. region, the term Southland is preferred.

See also: Inland Empire (California), northern California