What is California's state motto?

The state motto of California goes hand in hand with it's gold rush history.

When a miner named James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in the state in 1848, at Sutter's Mill. This discovery triggered the first great gold rush in the United States. The California gold rush predates the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada’s Yukon Territory by about 50 years.

The California State motto is the Greek word Eureka – which means “I have found it!” These famous words were supposed to have been uttered by the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes (c. 287-212 B.C.E.) when conducting an experiment to measure the specific gravity of gold. Using “Eureka,” as the state motto of California, refers to the momentous discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill.

The California state seal bears the word “Eureka.” At the time of the seal’s design in 1849, California was still a year shy of statehood. During the 1849 California State Constitutional Convention at Monterey, the delegates had to agree upon a design for the Great Seal of California, which included a representative motto. They were following the tradition adopted by other states. Since the seal’s design included a gold miner, it seemed most fitting to the delegates to adopt this phrase as the State Motto.

It became the official State Motto in 1963.

Seventeen California locations bear the name Eureka.