Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the east, with Los Angeles County in the center, and Orange County to the southeast. The Los Angeles–Anah…Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the east, with Los Angeles County in the center, and Orange County to the southeast. The Los Angeles–Anaheim–Riverside combined statistical area covers 33,954 square miles, making it the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area. With a population of 18.5 million in 2021, it is the second-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The contiguous urban area is 2,281 square miles, whereas the remainder mostly consists of mountain and desert areas.