List of Spanish missions in California Facts for Kids

The old horse and mule trail called El Camino Real in 1821, showing where the 21 Spanish missions were located in California.

Between 1769 and 1833, Franciscan priests built 21 missions in a region then known as Alta California. They also built military forts nearby. Their main goals were to teach Christianity to the local Native American people. They also wanted to make sure Spain, and later Mexico, kept control of the land.

Exploring the California Missions Trail
The 21 California Missions
See also

Exploring the California Missions Trail

To make travel easier, the missions were built about 30 miles (48 kilometers) apart. This was about a one-day trip on horseback or three days on foot. This long path eventually became a 600-mile (966-kilometer) trail called the "California Mission Trail."

A priest named Rev. Lasuén thought it was a good idea to add more stops along the trail. These extra spots would give travelers safe and comfortable places to rest. It's also a fun story that the priests sprinkled mustard seeds along the trail. This made bright yellow flowers grow, marking the way.

Today, many people enjoy walking parts of this mission trail. They call themselves California Mission Walkers. Walking the trail helps them feel connected to the history of the missions. For some, it's a special spiritual journey, like a pilgrimage.

The 21 California Missions

There were 21 main missions built in what is now California. There were also 8 smaller branch missions called asistencias and 5 large farms called estancias.

List of missions from north to south
Name	Image	Date	Location	Notes
Mission San Francisco Solano	Mission San Francisco Solano	1823	Sonoma	This mission is now a museum.
Mission San Rafael Arcángel	Mission San Rafael Arcángel	1817	San Rafael	The original mission is gone. A new building was made in 1949. It is now a church and museum.
Mission San Francisco de Asís	Mission San Francisco de Asís	1776	San Francisco	Also known as Mission Dolores. It is still a church today.
Mission San José	Mission San José	1797	Fremont	This mission is a church and a museum.
Mission Santa Clara de Asís	Mission Santa Clara de Asís	1777	Santa Clara	It is a church inside Santa Clara University.
Mission Santa Cruz	Mission Santa Cruz	1791	Santa Cruz	The original mission is gone. A new one was built in the 1930s. It is a church and museum.
Mission San Juan Bautista	Mission San Juan Bautista	1797	San Juan Bautista	This mission is still a church.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo	Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo	1770	Carmel	It is a church and a museum.
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad	Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad	1791	Soledad	The original mission is in ruins. A new part was built in 1955. It is a church and museum.
Mission San Antonio de Padua	Mission San Antonio de Padua	1771	near Jolon	This mission is a church and a museum.
Mission San Miguel Arcángel	Mission San Miguel Arcángel	1797	San Miguel	It is a church and a museum.
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa	Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa	1772	San Luis Obispo	This mission is a church and a museum.
Mission La Purísima Concepción	Mission La Purísima Concepción	1787	Lompoc	This mission is now a museum.
Mission Santa Inés	Mission Santa Inés	1804	Solvang	It is a church and a museum.
Mission Santa Barbara	Mission Santa Barbara	1786	Santa Barbara	This mission is a church and a home for priests.
Mission San Buenaventura	Mission San Buenaventura	1782	Ventura	It is a church and a museum.
Mission San Fernando Rey de España	Mission San Fernando Rey de España	1797	Los Angeles	This mission is a church and a museum.
Mission San Gabriel	Mission San Gabriel	1771	San Gabriel	The church building you see today was finished in 1805. It is a church and a museum.
Mission San Juan Capistrano	Mission San Juan Capistrano	1776	San Juan Capistrano	The Serra Chapel, built in 1782, is the oldest building still standing in California. It is a church and a museum.
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia	Mission San Luis Rey de Francia	1798	Oceanside	This mission is a church, a museum, and a place for religious retreats.
Mission San Diego de Alcalá	Mission San Diego de Alcalá	1769	San Diego	It is a church and a museum.

Two other Franciscan missions, Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción and Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer, were also built in California. However, they were managed as part of the Spanish missions in a different region and are not counted among the 21 California missions.

What were Asistencias?

Asistencias were like smaller branch missions. They helped the priests reach more Native American people without costing too much money.

List of *Asistencias* from north to south
Name	Image	Date	Location	Notes
Santa Eulalia Asistencia		1824	Cordelia	You can still see the ruins of this asistencia behind a business park.
San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia	San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia	1786	Pacifica	The original building is gone. It was the first branch mission of Mission San Francisco de Asís.
Mission Dolores Asistencia		1793-94	San Mateo	The original buildings are gone. A granary (a building to store grain) was built in 1793-94. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1808. A new one was built but was torn down in 1868.
Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia	Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia	1787	Santa Margarita	This was a branch of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. Its ruins are kept inside a barn on a private ranch.
Santa Paula Asistencia	Santa Paula Asistencia	around 1800	Santa Paula	The original building is gone. It was a branch of Mission San Buenaventura. Not much else is known about it.
Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles Asistencia		1784	Los Angeles	The original building is gone. This was a branch of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. A church called La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles now stands on its site.
Santa Ysabel Asistencia	Santa Ysabel Asistencia	1818	Santa Ysabel	The original building is gone. It was a branch of Mission San Diego de Alcalá. A new chapel was built in 1924. It is now a church and museum.
San Antonio de Pala Asistencia	San Antonio de Pala Asistencia	1816	Pala Indian Reservation	This was a branch of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. Its chapel is now a church and museum.

What were Estancias?

An estancia was a Spanish word for a large private farm or ranch. These farms helped their main missions by growing food or raising animals.

List of *Estancias* from north to south
Name	Image	Date	Location	Notes
San Marcos Estancia		around 1800	near Santa Ynez	The original building is gone. It was a farm for Mission Santa Barbara. Not much else is known.
San Francisco Xavier Estancia	San Francisco Xavier Estancia	1804	Castaic Junction	The original building is gone. It was a farm for Mission San Fernando Rey de España.
San Bernardino de Sena Estancia	San Bernardino de Sena Estancia	1819	Redlands	This was a farm for Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The rebuilt buildings are now a museum.
Santa Ana Estancia	Santa Ana Estancia	1817	Costa Mesa	Also known as the Costa Mesa Estancia. It was a farm for Mission San Juan Capistrano. The Diego Sepúlveda Adobe building is now a museum.
Las Flores Estancia	Las Flores Estancia	1823	Camp Pendleton	This was a farm for Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. The building is now part of a Boy Scout camp.