Big Bear City is an unincorporated, census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California immediately east of Big Bear Lake. The population was 5,779 at the 2000 census. Big Bear encompasses Census Tracts 113 (east) and 114 (west). The makeup of Big Bear City is mostly residential with smaller houses and cabins laid out in typical square block fashion.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.0 km² (3.5 mi²), all land. The nearby ski resorts consist of Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, usually shortened to "Bear" by locals. Most of the town and the business district are centered around Big Bear Boulevard. Its limits are defined on the West by Division Road and on the east by the left turn at Highway 38, which goes to Redlands and Highway 18 which goes to downtown San Bernardino. Though its south boundary is loosely defined by the residential boundary, the north side is defined by North Shore Road. The east-west postal divider of Big Bear City is Green Way Drive. It is here that Highway 18 (Big Bear Boulevard) turns north and crosses over to North Shore Drive heading east toward Lucerne Valley, and Highway 38 coming from the east turns north to North Shore and heads west to Big Bear Dam. See more....