Los Angeles is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California and serves as the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. It is the largest city in the Western United States and ranks as the second-most populous city in the United States, following New York City.
As of 2025, the city has an estimated population of 3.87 million residents within its limits. It is characterized by an ethnically and culturally diverse population and serves as the principal city of a metropolitan area housing 12.9 million people. The broader Greater Los Angeles region, which includes the Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan areas, is a sprawling metropolis with over 18 million residents.