California is the third-largest state in the U.S. and resides on the Pacific Coast. California is called the Golden State, and tourism is massive there. It has a total population of over 40 million people, and many like to visit the state for a slew of different reasons. These include lovely weather, climate diversity, fame, fortune, and much more. Whether you choose the northern, central, or southern part of the state to visit, connecting to a VPN server when using public WiFi is crucial. We’ll explain why it matters in a moment. First, take a look at our list of the best VPNs for California.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
| 4 |  | 9.0 | 110 | |
| 5 |  | 8.8 | 73 | |
California has more top-tier sports teams than any other state in the country. These include the Los Angeles Angels & Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres (MLB); the Los Angeles Chargers & Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers (NFL); Los Angeles Clippers & Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and the Sacramento Kings (NBA); Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and the San Jose Sharks (NHL); L.A. Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, and the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS). Even though those teams span five different sports, they have one thing in common. If you are a fan of those teams and want to watch a home game or match online, licensing rights will stop you in the area. The key is connecting to a VPN server in a different region. That way, you’ll gain the “out-of-market” status. Then you can enjoy watching your home team play, even if they are playing at home.
As large as California is, many take advantage of the great weather to do things outdoors. Whether that is going to a place like Yosemite National Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the Sonoran Desert, and more, the state has it all. Even in nature, connecting to a VPN can help you. These days, many wear fitness trackers. Of course, those are great because of the constant feedback you get through apps on your phone. However, the information stream between your tracker and phone can be compromised. The way to help keep yourself safe is to run the VPN app on your mobile device. Because that will protect devices connected to it, you’ll secure your data instead of worrying about someone getting the results of your EKG. Then, you can enjoy all the nature you want, providing you don’t drop your phone in the water.
Because of its size and weather, California draws its share of festivals. Any sort of event you can think of, they have in the state. That includes Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, Nocturnal Wonderland, and many more we won’t mention here. Luckily, these festivals have a few things in common. They are all well organized, and many have pop-up WiFi networks. To save your data, those work well. Unfortunately, those are not secure networks, so you need the safety of a VPN’s encryption layer. By doing so, you can make sure that your outing does not turn into an identity theft issue you have to fix later.
What is the best VPN for California?
Below, we took a look at several factors for the best VPNs for California:
- Ability to circumvent sports blackouts and other geo-restrictions
- Network stability for gaming and streaming
- Fast results in our speed tests in Los Angeles and San Francisco
- Support for desktop, mobile, and Amazon Firestick devices
- Strict no-log policy to protect user’s privacy
- Multiple protocols and strong levels of encryption
Let’s jump right in and take a look at the best VPNs for California.
1. ExpressVPN – Best VPN with California IP Address
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If you are worried about having issues getting things set up on your favorite devices, ExpressVPN can put your mind at ease. Along with extensive video setup guides, they offer several other resources as well. Those include a troubleshooting section and a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section. You can send an email, file a support ticket, or speak with someone directly through the live chat feature available on their website as part of their 24/7 customer support. That will help ensure you get the best possible results and have a great user experience.
A good reason to use ExpressVPN has to do with censorship. Whether you live in a restrictive country or plan to visit one, it is not hard to run into governmental restrictions. From political speech to social media to other types of banned content, ExpressVPN does a great job of protecting your privacy while you navigate the web. Since the company offers so many different server locations, you won’t have to worry about speed losses because you are trying to connect to a server outside your current region.
You have likely heard of ExpressVPN as their reputation precedes the quality of the service. From a worldwide network of servers to extra features like MediaStreamer, ExpressVPN tops the competition. We use the service in our office and while traveling. From privacy protection to gaming, and streaming, their network provides excellent performance. Give the service a thorough test during the 30-day money-back guarantee. You can sign up for 12 months and get 3 months free, a 49% discount with our ExpressVPN deal.
Want to learn more? Read our full ExpressVPN review.
2. NordVPN – good value with servers in LA and San Francisco
Since many stream sports on mobile phones these days, some wireless companies have given their users the ability to watch on their devices free of charge. Of course, that is offered in several different countries. If you are traveling abroad, though, you may have to miss out on seeing your favorite team in action. The solution is to connect to a VPN server from NordVPN. When you do, you make the blocking software think you are still in the correct region. That way, you won’t have to miss out on the great moments of your sport.
Gamers spend quite a bit of time and money on their gaming accounts. However, sometimes players don’t pay enough attention to security. If you are trying to keep your account safe, you’ll want to connect to a server by using NordVPN. By doing so, it will help you ensure that your achievements, finances, time spent, and inventory are safe from harm. Of course, you will want to take other precautions as well, but that is an essential step if you are a gamer.
Want to learn more? Read our full NordVPN review.
3. Private Internet Access – US-based VPN with servers in California
If you are a big sports fan, you may find yourself watching sports you would have never thought of watching previously. While that may not be true for all, many have discovered that to be the case. For everyone that has developed a fondness for other sports than the normal, connecting to a VPN server from Private Internet Access is a good idea. By doing so, you don’t have to miss out on some of your new favorite sports and can cheer on the participants.
For all the gamers that are worried about lag, connecting to a VPN from Private Internet Access will help stop that from happening. The way that works is by rerouting your internet traffic to a shorter route. If your game goes through fewer spots, it will reduce the amount of lag that you encounter. That way, you can enjoy your favorite without worrying about whether you are going to wind up dead. From playing competitively to playing casually, Private Internet Access has you covered.
Want to learn more? Read our full Private Internet Access review.
4. CyberGhost – over 100 VPN servers in Los Angeles
CyberGhost VPN offers a reliable product for a reasonable price. However, some may wonder about free VPN services. The thought can often be, why should I pay for something I can get for free? There are several reasons why not. If you are getting your service for free, the company is almost always selling your data. VPNs are expensive to run and maintain. Since the free services are not there to be altruistic, you can bet that they are selling your data. You will also find that free services are usually full of DNS leaks.
As you may already realize, one of the advantages of connecting to a VPN from CyberGhost is its ability to access other content. Let’s say, for example, that you wanted to access the alternative libraries of a streaming service like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or others. When you connect to a VPN server in the area you wish to view, the blocking software will think you connected from there. That way, you will be able to access the content you want to see.
Want to learn more? Read our full CyberGhost review.
5. IPVanish – hosts servers in Los Angeles and San Jose
If you stream a lot of content, you may encounter what is known as library fatigue. That is when you have seen virtually all that you want to on a particular service. Since international services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have different libraries based on location, you will want to connect to a VPN server from IPVanish. That way, if you are bored with the current content available, you only have to change the VPN server region to be able to access others. Then, watch all you want.
IPVanish includes a nice addon called SugarSync cloud storage with their VPN service. While they are not the only ones to offer that type of benefit for their users, they were one of the first. It provides you with 250 GB of free cloud storage space. No matter what items you choose to store, it will help you make sure that you do not lose any non-replaceable documents, images, or files that you want to keep safe. That way, when something happens to your phone or computer, you don’t have to worry.
Want to learn more? Read our full IPVanish review.
