List of Spanish missions in California

Franciscan priests established [Spanish Mission (station)|missions in California|21 missions] between 1769 and 1833 in Alta California, accompanied by military outposts. Their goal was to spread Christianity among the local Native Americans, as well as to affirm Spanish, and later Mexican, claims to the region.

Overview

To facilitate overland travel, the mission settlements were situated approximately 30 miles apart, about one day's journey on horseback, or three days on foot. The entire trail eventually became a 600-mile long "California Mission Trail." Rev. Lasuén successfully argued that filling in the empty spaces along El Camino Real with additional outposts would provide much-needed rest stops where travelers could take lodging in relative safety and comfort. Heavy freight movement was practical only via water. Tradition has it that the padres sprinkled mustard seeds along the trail to mark it with bright yellow flowers.
Today a growing number of people, calling themselves California Mission Walkers, hike the mission trail route, usually in segments between the missions. Walking the trail is a way to connect with the history of the missions. For some it represents a spiritual pilgrimage, inspired by Jesuit priest Richard Roos' 1985 book, Christwalk. The loosely organized group is attempting to formalize the route and establish markers, similar to the El Camino de Santiago, in Spain.

Missions

There were 21 missions, 8 asistencias, and 5 estancias in what is now California.

Name	Image	Date	Location	Notes
San Francisco Solano		1823	Sonoma	Originally planned as an asistencia of Mission San Rafael Arcángel. Serves as a museum.
San Rafael Arcángel		1817	San Rafael	Nonextant. Originally planned as the third asistencia of Mission San Francisco de Asís. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in 1949, which served as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Francisco de Asís		1776	San Francisco	Also known as Mission Dolores. Serves as a parish church.
Mission San José		1797	Fremont	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission Santa Clara de Asís		1777	Santa Clara	Serves as a parish church within Santa Clara University.
Mission Santa Cruz		1791	Santa Cruz	Nonextant. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in the 1930s, which serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Juan Bautista		1797	San Juan Bautista	Serves as a parish church.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo	100px	1770	Carmel	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad	100px	1791	Soledad	In ruins. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in 1955, which serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Antonio de Padua	100px	1771	near Jolon	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Miguel Arcángel	100px	1797	San Miguel	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa		1772	San Luis Obispo	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission La Purísima Concepción	100px	1787	Lompoc	Serves as a museum.
Mission Santa Inés	100px	1804	Solvang	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission Santa Barbara	100px	1786	Santa Barbara	Serves as a parish church and friary.
Mission San Buenaventura	100px	1782	Ventura	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Fernando Rey de España		1797	Los Angeles	Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Gabriel	100px	1771	San Gabriel	The current mission church dates to 1805. Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Juan Capistrano		1776	San Juan Capistrano	The Serra Chapel, built in 1782, is the oldest extant building in California. Serves as a parish church and museum.
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia		1798	Oceanside	Serves as a parish church, museum, and religious retreat center.
San Diego de Alcalá		1769	San Diego	Serves as a parish church and museum.

Two Franciscan missions, Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción and Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer, were constructed within the present-day borders of California but were administered as part of the Spanish missions of Pimería Alta. As such, they are not considered a part of the 21 missions of Alta California.

Asistencias

Asistencias were branch missions that allowed the priests to extend their reach into the native population at a modest cost.

Name	Image	Date	Location	Notes
Santa Eulalia Asistencia		1824	Cordelia	The ruins are preserved behind a business park at the intersection of Sandstone Way and Westamerica Drive.
San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia		1786	Pacifica	Nonextant. First asistencia of Mission San Francisco de Asís.
Mission Dolores Asistencia		1793–94	San Mateo	Nonextant. Second asistencia of Mission San Francisco de Asís. A granary was built south of San Mateo Creek in 1793–94 before being destroyed during an 1808 earthquake. A new adobe granary was built north of the creek before being demolished in 1868.
Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia		1787	Santa Margarita	Asistencia of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. The ruins are preserved within a barn on Santa Margarita Ranch.
Santa Paula Asistencia			Santa Paula	Nonextant. Asistencia of Mission San Buenaventura. Little else is known.
Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles Asistencia		1784	Los Angeles	Nonextant. Asistencia of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The site is occupied by La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles.
Santa Ysabel Asistencia		1818	Santa Ysabel	Nonextant. Asistencia of Mission San Diego de Alcalá. A new chapel was constructed in 1924. Serves as a parish church and museum.
San Antonio de Pala Asistencia	100px	1816	Pala Indian Reservation	Asistencia of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. The chapel serves as a parish church and museum.

Estancias

An estancia or estância is a Spanish or Portuguese term describing private landholdings used for farming or raising livestock. They assisted in the development of their parent missions.

Name	Image	Date	Location	Notes
San Marcos Estancia			near Santa Ynez	Nonextant. Estancia of Mission Santa Barbara. Little else is known.
San Francisco Xavier Estancia		1804	Castaic Junction	Nonextant. Estancia of Mission San Fernando Rey de España.
San Bernardino de Sena Estancia		1819	Redlands	Estancia of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The reconstructed buildings serve as a museum.
Santa Ana Estancia		1817	Costa Mesa	Also known as the Costa Mesa Estancia. Estancia of Mission San Juan Capistrano. The Diego Sepúlveda Adobe serves as a museum.
Las Flores Estancia		1823	Camp Pendleton	Estancia of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. The building is part of a Boy Scout camp.

Presidios

Presidios in chronological order:

El Presidio Real de San Diego, founded July 16, 1769
El Presidio Real de San Carlos de Monterey, founded June 3, 1770
El Presidio Real de San Francisco, founded December 17, 1776
El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara, founded April 12, 1782
El Presidio de Sonoma, founded 1810