§ 80280 Urban Area Definition

Health and Safety Code·California

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Key Takeaways

•An urban area is the main part of a city or a group of close cities with at least 50,000 people.
•It also includes nearby places where lots of people live, like at least 1,000 people per square mile.
•It can also mean an 'urbanized area' as defined by an old law from 1993.

Example

A big city like Los Angeles with lots of people living close together.

Los Angeles is an urban area because it has way more than 50,000 people, and the nearby places are also packed with people.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 80280 Urban Area Definition

“Urban area” means either of the following: (a) The central portion of a city or a group of contiguous cities with a population of 50,000 or more, together with adjacent densely populated areas having a population density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile. (b) An urbanized area as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of former Section 21080.7 of the Public Resources Code, as enacted by Section 6 of Chapter 1130 of the Statutes of 1993. (Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 257, Sec. 2. (AB 2293) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 4 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 257.)

Last verified: January 24, 2026

Key Terms

urban area urbanized area port fine public resources code population in california operative january

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 80280.

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Key Takeaways

Example

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Related Statutes

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