Big Bear City is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, United States along the east shore of Big Bear Lake and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. It is 27 miles (43 km) northeast of the city of San Bernardino, and immediately east of the incorporated city of Big Bear Lake. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Big Bear City as a census-designated place (CDP). Its population was 12,304 at the 2010 census, up from 5,779 at the 2000 census. Big Bear City is mostly residential, with smaller houses and cabins laid out in typical square block fashion. Big Bear is on the Pacific Crest Trail.

San Bernardino County, officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181,654, making it the fifth-most populous county in California and the 14th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is San Bernardino.