There is a county in Southern California.
Southern California , often abbreviated as SoCal , is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises California 's 10 southernmost counties . The region is traditionally described as eight counties , based on demographics and economic ties : Imperial , Los Angeles , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , San Diego , Santa Barbara , and Ventura . The more extensive 10-county definition , which includes Kern and San Luis Obispo counties , is also used and is based on historical political divisions . Southern California 's population encompasses seven metropolitan areas : the Los Angeles metropolitan area ( Los Angeles and Orange counties ) , the Inland Empire , ( Riverside and San Bernardino counties ) , the San Diego metropolitan area , the Oxnard -- Thousand Oaks -- Ventura metropolitan area , the Santa Barbara metropolitan area , the San Luis Obispo metropolitan area , and the El Centro area .