Chinese consulates in California
Consular officeOther cities
California is the only state China splits in two, and it is the only one where the boundary is not written down anywhere.
California is covered from outside its own borders, under the jurisdiction the two governments agreed in June 2024.
Which Chinese consulate covers California?
California is the one state where we cannot point at an official list. Los Angeles takes the south, San Francisco the north, and the boundary is nowhere in writing.
Cities in California and their consulate
| City | Miles | Driving | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 12 | 23 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| Long Beach | 26 | 39 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Anaheim | 30 | 42 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Santa Ana | 36 | 48 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Irvine | 42 | 56 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| San Jose | 49 | 1 h 2 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| Riverside | 59 | 1 h 14 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| San Bernardino | 64 | 1 h 19 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Stockton | 84 | 1 h 43 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| Sacramento | 89 | 1 h 50 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| Modesto | 93 | 1 h 55 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| Santa Barbara | 93 | 1 h 54 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Bakersfield | 109 | 2 h 10 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Palm Springs | 112 | 2 h 13 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Monterey | 114 | 2 h 23 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| San Diego | 124 | 2 h 30 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| San Luis Obispo | 187 | 3 h 50 min | Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles |
| Fresno | 188 | 3 h 44 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| Redding | 218 | 4 h 6 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
| Eureka | 269 | 5 h 35 min | Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco |
Across 20 listed cities in California the drive averages 100 miles, from 12 miles at Oakland to 269 miles at Eureka.
What you can settle without going to the consulate
- check whether your trip qualifies for the 240-hour visa-free transit before you pay for any visa at all
- fill in China’s online arrival card in the days before you fly
- work out which office covers you, which decides where your file can even be accepted
Whatever you are applying for, the form is filled in online and only the passport travels, and somebody else can carry it for you.
Details verified on 10 September 2026.
Not a government site and not a paid intermediary. We publish what the official sources say, and where they disagree.
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