If you search for a map of Los Angeles counties, you’re probably going to be met with a lot of blank stares from locals. Why? Because "Los Angeles counties" isn't really a thing. There is only one Los Angeles County.
It's massive.
Honestly, the confusion is understandable. People look at the sprawling mess of the Southland and assume that places like Long Beach, Santa Monica, and Pasadena must be in different counties. They aren't. They are all tucked inside the borders of Los Angeles County, a jurisdiction so large it has a population bigger than 40 individual U.S. states. When people ask for a map of the "counties" in LA, what they are usually looking for is a breakdown of the surrounding SoCal region—Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura—or a map of the complex internal "Service Planning Areas" (SPAs) that the county uses to actually manage its 10 million residents.
The Giant in the Room: Understanding the Los Angeles County Border
Los Angeles County covers 4,083 square miles. That is a lot of ground. To put it in perspective, you could fit the cities of St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Boston, Pittsburgh, Manhattan, and Miami all inside LA County and still have room left over for a few mountain ranges.
The geography is wild. You've got over 70 miles of coastline on one end and 10,000-foot peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains on the other. Most people think of "LA" as just the Hollywood sign and some traffic on the 405, but the map of Los Angeles counties (or rather, the singular County) includes the Mojave Desert and even two islands—Santa Catalina and San Clemente.
It’s a jurisdictional nightmare.
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Inside this one county, there are 88 incorporated cities. Each has its own mayor, its own rules, and often its own police force. Then you have the "unincorporated" areas like East Los Angeles or Marina del Rey, which are governed directly by the County Board of Supervisors. If you're looking at a map and trying to figure out where one city ends and another begins, look for the street signs. The colors usually change when you cross a border.
Why Everyone Thinks There Are Multiple Counties
The confusion often stems from the "Greater Los Angeles Area." This is a federal designation used for the census, and it includes five counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura.
If you are looking at a map of Los Angeles counties and seeing "The Inland Empire," you’ve drifted into San Bernardino and Riverside territory. If you see Disneyland, you’re in Orange County. If you see strawberry fields and rugged coastline north of Malibu, you’ve hit Ventura.
- Orange County: The wealthy, slightly more conservative neighbor to the south. Famous for the "OC" vibes and master-planned cities like Irvine.
- Ventura County: The northern buffer. It’s where LA starts to feel more like Central California.
- San Bernardino County: The largest county in the contiguous United States by land area. It’s mostly desert but has a massive urban heart.
- Riverside County: Fast-growing, hot, and home to the Coachella Valley.
Navigating the 8 Regions of LA County
Since the county is too big to look at as one piece, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and other agencies split it into eight "Service Planning Areas" or SPAs. This is the most practical way to view a map of Los Angeles counties sub-regions.
- Antelope Valley (SPA 1): This is the high desert. Think Palmdale and Lancaster. It feels worlds away from the beach.
- San Fernando Valley (SPA 2): "The Valley." It’s home to Burbank, Glendale, and a huge chunk of the City of Los Angeles.
- San Gabriel Valley (SPA 3): East of downtown. It’s where you find the best dim sum in the country and the San Gabriel Mountains.
- Metro (SPA 4): This is the "core." Downtown LA, Hollywood, Westlake. It’s dense, loud, and iconic.
- West (SPA 5): The "Westside." Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City. This is the LA you see in the movies.
- South (SPA 6): Including Compton, Lynwood, and South LA.
- East (SPA 7): Whittier, Norwalk, and Bellflower.
- South Bay (SPA 8): The beach cities like Manhattan Beach and Redondo, plus the massive port area of Long Beach.
The Weird Geography of the City vs. The County
Here is where it gets really trippy. The City of Los Angeles is just one of the 88 cities inside the County of Los Angeles. However, the City of LA is shaped like a giant, mangled "Z." It has "fingers" that reach down to the harbor via a narrow strip of land called the Harbor Gateway.
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Because of this, you can be in a city like Beverly Hills or West Hollywood and be completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles. They are "islands" within the city, but they are all still within the same map of Los Angeles counties boundary.
People get this wrong all the time when they’re looking for housing. They see a "Los Angeles" address but don't realize they might actually be in an unincorporated pocket where the trash pickup and police are handled by the County, not the City. It matters for things like taxes, school districts, and how fast a pothole gets fixed.
The Myth of "Southern" Los Angeles
Geographically, the "South Bay" is the southernmost part of the county, but "South Los Angeles" (formerly South Central) is a specific region just south of Downtown. If you’re using a map of Los Angeles counties to navigate, don't confuse the two. You’ll end up 20 miles from where you intended to be, and in LA traffic, that’s a two-hour mistake.
Hidden Details You Won't Find on a Basic Map
Most maps don't show the "Gateway Cities." This is a sub-region in the southeast part of the county that acts as a bridge between LA and Orange County. It includes 27 cities. It’s one of the most densely populated areas in the entire country.
Then there’s the "Verdugos." This region includes Glendale and La Cañada Flintridge. It’s tucked between the Valley and the San Gabriel Valley.
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And don't forget the Santa Monica Mountains. This is a massive range that literally bisects the county. It’s why getting from the Valley to the Westside involves driving through "canyons" like Sepulveda, Benedict, or Laurel. On a 2D map of Los Angeles counties, these look like short distances. In reality, you are climbing over a mountain range.
Actionable Steps for Using an LA Map Effectively
If you’re planning a trip or moving here, don't just look at a generic map. You need layers.
First, identify which "SPA" or region you’ll be spending time in. If you’re working in Metro (SPA 4) but living in Antelope Valley (SPA 1), you’re looking at a 90-minute commute each way—on a good day.
Second, check the city boundaries. Use the LA County Registrar-Recorder map or the County's GIS portal. These are the only places where the lines are actually 100% accurate. Google Maps is great for traffic, but it often blurs the lines between neighborhoods and actual legal city limits.
Third, pay attention to the "unincorporated" areas. If you're buying a house, check if it’s in an area like Altadena or East Pasadena. You’ll be paying your property taxes to the county, not a specific city.
Finally, stop calling it "the Los Angeles counties." Just say "LA County" or "The Southland." You’ll sound much more like a local.
The map of Los Angeles counties isn't a map of multiple counties at all; it's a map of a massive, complex, and beautiful sovereign-like entity that contains more people than most countries. Treat it with that level of respect and you won't get lost.