CF Cemetery Finders
Archive record: CA-005

California Cemetery Records Search | Find Graves and Burial Locations

Access comprehensive cemetery mappings, county-level indexes, and burial listings across California to locate historical records and gravesites.

Find graves in California California burial records free search California genealogy cemetery search Veteran burial locations in California
Find a Grave by Name Search Cemeteries Browse by State
Find a Grave by Name Search Cemeteries

State archive snapshot

California Overview

1,321

Cemeteries

915

Burial Records Indexed

59

Counties Covered

914

Veteran-Linked Records

* Data definitions: Cemeteries represents mapped locations; Burial Records Indexed refers to person-level indexed names; and Veteran-Linked Records specifies rows containing military branch context.

Quick Answer

How do I search California cemetery and burial records?

Start with the search bar if you know a person name or cemetery name. If you only know the general area, choose a California county below first, then open cemetery or burial-record pages after the place context looks right.

Recommended Path

Best Next Step

Open the county directory card where the person resided. Narrowing search by county minimizes false name matches.

Browse Counties →

Use this page for

🔎

Name search

Start with a full name, then narrow by county or cemetery.

🗺️

County browsing

Use county pages when the exact cemetery is unknown.

🪦

Cemetery profiles

Open cemetery pages for location and linked burial records.

✅

Verification

Confirm sensitive details with official cemetery or county sources.

Browse network

California County Clusters & Top Research Paths

Use these county groups to choose the best local research path. Some counties have broader cemetery-location coverage, while others currently have more person-level burial records or stronger local archive detail.

Research Category: California Counties with Deeper Burial-Record Depth

Best counties for person-name research, veteran burials, and deeper burial record discovery.

Los Angeles

78 cemeteries · 149 burials

Notable: Rose Hills Memorial Park - Cemetery

Research Category: California Counties with Growing Archive Coverage

Smaller county archives that still surface useful cemetery pages and long-tail local search opportunities.

Alameda

35 cemeteries · 36 burials

Notable: Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery

Alpine

5 cemeteries · 0 burials

Notable: Fredericksburg Cemetery

Amador

30 cemeteries · 5 burials

Notable: Sutter Creek Catholic Cemetery

Butte

39 cemeteries · 19 burials

Notable: Memorial Park Cemetery

How to search this state

How to Find California Burial Records & Cemetery Information

California has a large cemetery footprint, and the fastest research path is to move from state overview to county directory and then into specific cemetery or burial searches. Use this sequence to reduce broad, low-context searching.

Method 01

Start with place-based search intent

  1. Search a cemetery name, county name, or city hint tied to California.
  2. Use county cards below when the search needs better local context.
  3. Move into cemetery or burial pages only after the place looks right.

Method 02

Use county pages to avoid dead-end searching

  1. Compare county cemetery totals, burial depth, and notable cemetery names.
  2. Pick the strongest county page first instead of searching statewide again.
  3. Return to this page only when you need a new county or cemetery lane.

State footprint

59

County archive paths currently organized for California research.

Largest archive layer

78

Cemeteries in the top county currently surfaced for this state archive.

Veteran-linked records

914

Person-level burial records in this state currently carrying military branch context.

County archive index

California County Cemetery Directory

Each county card now includes cemetery totals, burial depth, a notable cemetery hint, and record-range context so the index works as real search content instead of a thin link wall.

States Directory →

County pages may show strong cemetery-location coverage even when person-level burial records are limited. Use county pages to find the right cemetery first, then verify sensitive burial details with official cemetery, county, veteran, or archive sources.

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T V Y

S

Sacramento

32 cemeteries · 49 burial records

Notable cemetery: St Mary's Cemetery

Open county archive →
San Benito

8 cemeteries · 10 burial records

Notable cemetery: Calvary Cemetery

Open county archive →
San Bernardino

37 cemeteries · 17 burial records

Notable cemetery: Bellevue Memorial Park

Open county archive →
San Diego

64 cemeteries · 42 burial records

Notable cemetery: El Camino Memorial Park

Open county archive →
San Francisco

2 cemeteries · 0 burial records

Notable cemetery: San Francisco National Cemetery

Open county archive →
San Joaquin

24 cemeteries · 28 burial records

Notable cemetery: Tracy Public Cemetery

Open county archive →
San Luis Obispo

16 cemeteries · 18 burial records

Notable cemetery: Paso Robles District Cemetery

Open county archive →
San Mateo

25 cemeteries · 22 burial records

Notable cemetery: Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery

Open county archive →
Santa Barbara

14 cemeteries · 18 burial records

Notable cemetery: Lompoc Cemetery District

Open county archive →
Santa Clara

15 cemeteries · 25 burial records

Notable cemetery: Oak Hill Memorial Park

Open county archive →
Santa Cruz

13 cemeteries · 12 burial records

Notable cemetery: Evergreen Cemetery

Open county archive →
Shasta

41 cemeteries · 6 burial records

Notable cemetery: Lawncrest Memorial Park

Open county archive →
Sierra

22 cemeteries · 0 burial records

Notable cemetery: Alleghany Cemetery

Open county archive →
Siskiyou

32 cemeteries · 10 burial records

Notable cemetery: Fort Jones Catholic Cemetery

Open county archive →
Solano

22 cemeteries · 12 burial records

Notable cemetery: All Souls Catholic Cemetery

Open county archive →
Sonoma

58 cemeteries · 38 burial records

Notable cemetery: Calvary Catholic Cemetery

Open county archive →
Stanislaus

21 cemeteries · 11 burial records

Notable cemetery: Turlock Memorial Park

Open county archive →
Sutter

10 cemeteries · 6 burial records

Notable cemetery: Sutter Cemetery

Open county archive →

Search California Records by Era

Pre-1860 Civil War Era 1900-1950 WWII Veterans Post-1970

Genealogy guide

California Genealogy Research Guide

California genealogy research works best when cemetery pages, burial records, and county archive pages are used together. This state hub helps you transition from broad geographic lookups into specific local archives where detail is strongest.

When tracking family histories, following a structured workflow helps minimize false matches and speed up discovery.

Practical Steps for Genealogy Research:

  1. Start with a known county or city: Narrowing down geographic context first helps filter out matches for common names in other regions.
  2. Compare cemetery names: Review maps and nearby cemeteries to confirm that family links align with historical settlements.
  3. Use full names and surname variations: Surnames were frequently recorded with alternate spellings in older registries.
  4. Verify sensitive details with official sources: Confirm military branch, dates, or family ties with primary death certificates or veteran offices.
  5. Use correction or contact links: If you find a mismatch in dates or names, submit an update request to keep the records accurate.

For older searches, combining the county directory, historic cemetery markers, and era filters will provide the strongest starting points.

Data accuracy

Need official confirmation?

For legal, family-history, veteran, or cemetery-visit decisions, verify details with the cemetery operator, county office, VA/NCA resource, or primary archive source.

Data Sources Corrections Policy Contact

Frequently asked

California Cemetery FAQs

These answers are written to help users move from broad state-level browsing into county, cemetery, and burial-record pages without losing archive context.

How do I search California cemetery and burial records?

Start with this California archive page, use the main search bar for cemetery names or surnames, and then narrow into a county page before choosing a cemetery or burial record result.

How many cemeteries are listed in California?

1,321 cemetery records are currently mapped in California across 59 counties.

What should I do after choosing a county in California?

Open the county page to compare cemetery totals, burial depth, notable cemetery pages, and location-specific search paths before you drill into a single cemetery.

Can I search California burial records by surname?

Yes. The fastest approach is to search a full surname together with a cemetery name, county, or city hint so the archive can separate similar names across different parts of California.

Are veteran burial locations included in California?

Veteran-linked burial rows are surfaced when the current archive carries military branch context, and those records can be compared with county and cemetery pages for stronger place validation.

Why do some California county pages show more detail than others?

Coverage depends on source depth. Some counties currently surface richer cemetery totals, older record ranges, and more person-level burial rows, while others are still partial archive areas.

What are the oldest cemetery record areas in California?

The best indicator is the county card year range and the notable cemetery listings on this page. Those signals help highlight counties where older cemetery coverage is more likely to appear.

Is this the best page for California genealogy and cemetery research?

This state page is the best starting hub for statewide cemetery and burial browsing, but the strongest results usually come from moving into county and cemetery detail pages as soon as location context becomes clear.

Which older California cemetery records can I start with?

Use the county directory, era filters, and cemetery pages with earlier record ranges as starting points. Cemetery Finders should not be treated as the final authority for the oldest cemetery in California because historic cemetery claims require official or primary-source confirmation.

Are California burial records free to access?

Yes. All records on Cemetery Finders are free to browse, including state, county, cemetery, and burial pages built from public archive sources.

How many veterans are buried in California?

914 veteran-linked burial records are currently surfaced in the California archive where military branch data is available.

At a glance

California Archive Quick Facts

State Code

CA

Total Counties

59

Mapped Cemeteries

1,321

Burial Records

915