California
State Nickname:
Golden State
State Motto:
"I Have Found It"
State Summary:
I wanted to hate California. All I heard was how wonderful it was, the great climate, the beautiful ocean, etc. I just wanted to hate it.
Then I got there. I found there is a lot of California and it’s all different. Driving into Pasadena, the air felt like velvet with a serenity and warmth that made me drift into the slow lane and just breathe for a minute. Pulling into San Francisco one evening just as the fog rolled in, I thought I ended up in London.
San Diego was all palm trees and tropical air, but up the coast in Monterey I needed a jacket as I got out of the car to wander off on the windy bluffs overlooking the Pacific. I drove in neon green rainforests in the northwest wilderness and along a cold Pacific, while the furthest point south I found is truly Mexico with a warm Pacific.
The interstates of California are notorious for traffic, but the scenic highways are just as renowned—in a good way. There are nearly 40 scenic highways in California, the most famous being Route 1 along the craggy Pacific coast. I drove its entirety just for the fun of it. Far north in Del Norte County, the giant redwoods claimed my awe. Driving southeast from there I camped in the Yosemite Valley and hiked the heavenly Tuolumne Meadows on the John Muir Trail. But despite the breathtaking peaks of El Capitan and Half Dome, I felt the utmost awe when motoring through three great stone tunnels carved into the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Rt. 120 East., definitely paramount feats of engineering.
I found something even better driving California byways. I found America in an abundance of small towns. I tried to stop in as many as I could for a beer and a bite. I talked to seafaring folk in the north coast fishing villages over friend clams and a Coors. I laughed a little too giddily with the farm workers of wine country— bypassing the “tastings” and going right for the local watering hole serving local wines. I hobnobbed with the down and out in the southern towns that once were part of Mexico, drinking local liquor of an unknown name, and settled into the fireside for night by the hearth in a resort in the Klamath Mountains.
All my life I hated California. Then I got there and I loved it. I couldn’t leave. I tried, but my car overheated going over Tioga Pass. No worries there, I checked my Blitzify app on my phone and saw several choice options for roadside assistance.
State Capitol - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA 95814
1-916-324-0333
Population
38.8 Million (2014)
Autos on the road
28.7 Million
Full Synthetic Oil and Filter Change Costs
Average California Price
$90.50*
*Based on 3396 prices
Average National Price
$81.76*
*Based on 32760 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$110.74*
*Based on 1077 prices
Goodyear
$82.96*
*Based on 176 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Care
$86.01*
*Based on 389 prices
Sears Auto Center
$86.09*
*Based on 148 prices
Porterville Chrysler Jeep Dodge
Best price
$69.95
$69.95
Within 2 miles
Service Provider A
$76.00
$76.00
Within 2 miles
Service Provider B
$82.98
$82.98
Within 3 miles
Service Provider C
$110.88
$110.88
Within 2 miles
Check Engine Light Diagnosis Costs
Average California Price
$89.52*
*Based on 1619 prices
Average National Price
$81.07*
*Based on 16477 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$99.44*
*Based on 675 prices
Sears Auto Center
$82.05*
*Based on 81 prices
Goodyear
$92.99*
*Based on 64 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Center
$107.85*
*Based on 171 prices
Sears Auto Center
Best price
$89.99
$89.99
Within 1 miles
Service Provider A
$95.00
$95.00
Within 2 miles
Service Provider B
$99.99
$99.99
Within 1 miles
Service Provider C
$105.00
$105.00
Within 7 miles
Tire Rotation Costs
Average California Price
$20.15*
*Based on 1934 prices
Average National Price
$19.01*
*Based on 21901 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$23.60*
*Based on 310 prices
Sears Auto Center
$15.06*
*Based on 163 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Care
$19.55*
*Based on 336 prices
Goodyear
$19.86*
*Based on 127 prices
Conventional Oil and Filter Change Costs
Average California Price
$34.30*
*Based on 4091 prices
Average National Price
$32.28*
*Based on 51280 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$35.81*
*Based on 280 prices
Sears Auto Center
$30.10*
*Based on 436 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Care
$33.78*
*Based on 757 prices
Pep Boys
$33.81*
*Based on 373 prices
Wheel Alignment Costs
Average California Price
$95.49*
*Based on 6229 prices
Average National Price
$88.24*
*Based on 57484 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$108.41*
*Based on 723 prices
Pep Boys
$85.48*
*Based on 494 prices
Sears Auto Center
$86.33*
*Based on 591 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Care
$90.43*
*Based on 1072 prices
Goodyear
Best price
$84.95
$84.95
Within 1 miles
Service Provider A
$89.95
$89.95
Within 6 miles
Service Provider B
$99.00
$99.00
Within 5 miles
Service Provider C
$109.99
$109.99
Within 5 miles
Replace & Install New Battery Costs
Average California Price
$161.36*
*Based on 2696 prices
Average National Price
$160.72*
*Based on 26588 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$204.23*
*Based on 412 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Care
$149.34*
*Based on 418 prices
Sears Auto Center
$153.58*
*Based on 210 prices
Pep Boys
$159.42*
*Based on 171 prices
Hyundai Serramonte
Best price
$144.00
$144.00
Within 8 miles
Service Provider A
$150.92
$150.92
Within 1 miles
Service Provider B
$155.88
$155.88
Within 3 miles
Service Provider C
$200.23
$200.23
Within 1 miles
Replace Front Brake Pads, Turn Rotors Costs
Average California Price
$213.45*
*Based on 1927 prices
Average National Price
$194.34*
*Based on 20917 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$207.57*
*Based on 74 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Care
$180.41*
*Based on 314 prices
Sears Auto Center
$194.22*
*Based on 169 prices
Pep Boys
$211.35*
*Based on 171 prices
Brake Masters
Best price
$185.00
$185.00
Within 9 miles
Service Provider A
$206.99
$206.99
Within 3 miles
Service Provider B
$209.99
$209.99
Within 5 miles
Service Provider C
$249.00
$249.00
Within 9 miles
Front Brake Pads and New Rotors Costs
Average California Price
$492.40*
*Based on 2639 prices
Average National Price
$443.34*
*Based on 24505 prices
Name
Average California Price
Independents
$608.19*
*Based on 496 prices
Sears Auto Center
$408.38*
*Based on 158 prices
Firestone Complete Auto Care
$444.42*
*Based on 387 prices
Goodyear
$459.60*
*Based on 154 prices
Golden Auto Muffler & Brake Center
Best price
$355.00
$355.00
Within 9 miles
Service Provider A
$457.99
$457.99
Within 9 miles
Service Provider B
$469.95
$469.95
Within 6 miles
Service Provider C
$515.00
$515.00
Within 8 miles
Cities