10 Unique Trivia Facts About Southern California You Might Not Have Heard Before
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Natasha Kayes
Author
I grew up in the Golden State and like most locals, feel like I know my home pretty well. But, as we all know by now, there is always something new to discover, and these unique Southern California trivia facts were new to me until quite recently – well, all except for one, which I will explain later. For now, see how many of these fun facts you already knew:
1. Thomas Edison was (unintentionally) responsible for Hollywood’s film industry.
With his invention of the kinetoscope projector and kinetograph movie camera, Edison essentially founded the moving picture industry in New Jersey. He used numerous patents, lawsuits, and apparently even unlawful intimidation tactics, to dissuade competition. Filmmakers who were not part of the Edison network eventually sought to get as far from him as possible, landing in Hollywood… and the rest, as they say, is history.
2. California’s population rivals the entire country of Canada
For many years, the population of California was actually MORE than all of Canada, but since 2022 the gap has closed, with Canada’s population even slightly surpassing the Golden State. With the size of California being only about 4 percent of Canada’s, having a similar population is still pretty staggering! And within the state, SoCal - while geographically smaller than Northern California - has a greater population by almost 35 percent!
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3. You can hike into a volcano here.
Not many people know that there a volcano in the Southern California desert, let alone the fact that you can hike up to, around the rim of, and down into it! Amboy Crater, located right off of the Old Route 66, is a natural wonder - a nearly symmetrical cinder cone with four lava lakes in the center from various eruptions.
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4. This is the avocado capital of the world.
Actually, the town of Fallbrook, CA, has claimed the title of “the avocado capital of the world,” with fertile soil that is ideal for producing what some affectionately call “Green gold.” The area produces at least 60 percent of all of California’s avocados (which also happen to be the official state fruit).
5. We have a wild horse sanctuary.
The Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation in Lompoc is home to some 400 wild horses. The organization works to rescue and preserve rare and unique bloodlines, while allowing these gorgeous animals to roam free and live as they do in the wild, but in a safe environment.
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6. Ronald and Nancy Reagan are buried here.
The former President and First Lady, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, met and married in Hollywood and spent much of their lives here in Southern California, even retiring here after serving in office. Fittingly, they are both buried here at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley.
7. The final scene of the Back To The Future trilogy was filmed in a quiet beach town
In the last scene of Back To The Future 3, Marty’s DeLorean lands on a stretch of railroad and is destroyed by a freight train, with Marty narrowly escaping. Doc then arrives on the tracks in a futuristic steam engine which flies off in the final seconds of the film. The entire scene was shot at this railroad crossing in Port Hueneme, CA.
Incidentally, this is the one fact that I have known for years, but only because a few years after the film was made, I had family members living in one of the condos that appeared in this scene!
Incidentally, this is the one fact that I have known for years, but only because a few years after the film was made, I had family members living in one of the condos that appeared in this scene!
8. There are two salt lakes in SoCal.
One of these saline bodies of water is an accidental (and now toxic) lake caused by floodwaters from the Colorado River in 1905, known as the Salton Sea. It has a beach made up entirely of broken fish bones. The other is called Soda Lake, is located in the scenic Carrizo Plain National Monument, and evaporates in the summer leaving striking white salt flats.
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9. Beverly Hills was once an oasis, a cattle ranch, and a lima bean farm.
The early Tonga people named this place “Gathering of the Waters” due to the streams that flowed from surrounding hills, converging at what is now Beverly Drive and Sunset Boulevard, and creating a flower-filled oasis. The land was later granted to the widow of a Spanish soldier who turned it into a cattle and horse ranch. The land was sold several times and subsequent plans for the land failed due to droughts, but at one point, the owners planted lima bean fields.
The area was almost named Santa Maria by one owner, then Morocco by another, but it was in 1906 that the area was named Beverly Hills after Beverly Farms in Massachusetts, with plans to develop the community.
The area was almost named Santa Maria by one owner, then Morocco by another, but it was in 1906 that the area was named Beverly Hills after Beverly Farms in Massachusetts, with plans to develop the community.
10. There are several mysterious places where SoCal defies gravity…
…or so it seems. These so-called “gravity hills” or “magnetic hills” are places where you can put your car in neutral and feel it roll uphill! Researchers have explained that these are actually optical illusions - the slope appears to go up in one direction but actually goes down. Despite the logical explanation, the experience is pretty surreal.
Check out one of these mysterious spots in this video:
So, how many of these bits of Southern California trivia facts were new to you? Do you have any other obscure facts that few people know about our state? Share them with us in the comments! Check out more SoCal fun facts, history, etc., and see how well you know this place. Oh, and if you are a proud California native, you should take a look at this cool collection by Wear Your Roots!
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